Wednesday, 26 Dec 2007 Home Advertise Contact Us Site Map Testimonials Newsweek.com Disclaimer

Marketing

<< Back to subjects spotlights

Advertising, Marketing, Promotions, Public Relations, and Sales Managers

Significant Points

  • Keen competition for jobs is expected.
  • College graduates with related experience, a high level of creativity, and strong communication skills should have the best job opportunities.
  • High earnings, substantial travel, and long hours, including evenings and weekends, are common.

Nature of the Work

The objective of any firm is to market and sell its products or services profitably. In small firms, the owner or chief executive officer might assume all advertising, promotions, marketing, sales, and public relations responsibilities. In large firms, which may offer numerous products and services nationally or even worldwide, an executive vice president directs overall advertising, promotions, marketing, sales, and public relations policies.

Advertising, marketing, promotions, public relations, and sales managers coordinate the market research, marketing strategy, sales, advertising, promotion, pricing, product development, and public relations activities.

Managers oversee advertising and promotion staffs, which usually are small, except in the largest firms. In a small firm, managers may serve as a liaison between the firm and the advertising or promotion agency to which many advertising or promotional functions are contracted out. In larger firms, advertising managers oversee in-house account, creative, and media services departments. The account executive manages the account services department, assesses the need for advertising, and, in advertising agencies, maintains the accounts of clients. The creative services department develops the subject matter and presentation of advertising. The creative director oversees the copy chief, art director, and associated staff. The media director oversees planning groups that select the communication media—for example, radio, television, newspapers, magazines, Internet, or outdoor signs—to disseminate the advertising.

Promotions managers supervise staffs of promotion specialists. They direct promotion programs that combine advertising with purchase incentives to increase sales. In an effort to establish closer contact with purchasers—dealers, distributors, or consumers—promotion programs may involve direct mail, telemarketing, television or radio advertising, catalogs, exhibits, inserts in newspapers, Internet advertisements or Web sites, instore displays or product endorsements, and special events. Purchase incentives may include discounts, samples, gifts, rebates, coupons, sweepstakes, and contests

Marketing managers develop the firm’s detailed marketing strategy. With the help of subordinates, including product development managers and market research managers, they determine the demand for products and services offered by the firm and its competitors. In addition, they identify potential markets—for example, business firms, wholesalers, retailers, government, or the general public. Marketing managers develop pricing strategy with an eye towards maximizing the firm’s share of the market and its profits while ensuring that the firm’s customers are satisfied. In collaboration with sales, product development, and other managers, they monitor trends that indicate the need for new products and services and oversee product development. Marketing managers work with advertising and promotion managers to promote the firm’s products and services and to attract potential users.

Public relations managers direct publicity programs to a targeted public. They often specialize in a specific area, such as crisis management—or in a specific industry, such as healthcare. They use every available communication medium in their effort to maintain the support of the specific group upon whom their organization’s success depends, such as consumers, stockholders, or the general public. For example, public relations managers may clarify or justify the firm’s point of view on health or environmental issues to community or special interest groups.

Public relations managers also evaluate advertising and promotion programs for compatibility with public relations efforts and serve as the eyes and ears of top management. They observe social, economic, and political trends that might ultimately affect the firm and make recommendations to enhance the firm’s image based on those trends.

Public relations managers may confer with labor relations managers to produce internal company communications—such as newsletters about employee-management relations—and with financial managers to produce company reports. They assist company executives in drafting speeches, arranging interviews, and maintaining other forms of public contact; oversee company archives; and respond to information requests. In addition, some handle special events such as sponsorship of races, parties introducing new products, or other activities the firm supports in order to gain public attention through the press without advertising directly.

Sales managers direct the firm’s sales program. They assign sales territories, set goals, and establish training programs for the sales representatives. Managers advise the sales representatives on ways to improve their sales performance. In large, multiproduct firms, they oversee regional and local sales managers and their staffs. Sales managers maintain contact with dealers and distributors. They analyze sales statistics gathered by their staffs to determine sales potential and inventory requirements and monitor the preferences of customers. Such information is vital to develop products and maximize profits.

<< Back to subjects spotlights

Navigation for Newsweek Distance Learning Resources Index

Newsweek Distance Learning Home Page
What is Accreditation?
Ask the Experts
Glossary of Distance Learning and Online Learning Terminology
Spotlight on Jobs Associated with Distance Learning Courses

 
The University of Toledo - Ohio
The University of Toledo - Ohio M.S. 516
Toledo OH
43606-3390
Tel: 866-886-5336
Tel: 419-530-8835
Click here for more information

Upper Iowa University Online Program
Upper Iowa University Online Program 1101 5th Street
West Des Moines,
IA 50265
Tel: 800 603 3756
www.uiuonline.info
Click here for more information

Virginia Tech - Northern Virginia Center
7054 Haycock Road, Suite 361
Falls Church VA 22043
703-538-8384 (T)
703-538-8415 (F)
[email protected]
Click here for more information

American Military University - 100 percent online degree programs for civilian and military students
111 West Congress Street
Charles Town, WV 25414
Toll Free: 1-877-468-6268 (Press 2)
Click here for more information

Tiffin University
155 Miami St.
Tiffin, OH 44883
Tel: 800-968-6446
[email protected]
Click here for more information

National Universities Degree Consortium - NUDC
National Universities Degree Consortium - NUDC
Click here for more information

The American University of London (AUOL)
The American University of London (AUOL) The International Distance Learning Centre,
2 Old Brompton Rd.,
London, SW7 3DQ
Tel: + 44 (1)494 730 571
Tel: 877-215-0009
Click here for more information

European-American University
8, Copthall,
Roseau Valley,
Commonwealth of Dominica 00152
Click here for more information

Liberty University
Distance Learning Admissions
1971 University Blvd
Lynchburg, VA 24502
Tel: 1-866-418-8734
Fax: 1-800-628-7977
Click here for more information

Kaplan College
Kaplan College 6409 Congress Avenue
Boca Raton,
FL 33487
Tel: 866 522 7747
(Toll Free)
Click here for more information

Henley-Putnam University
25 Metro Drive, Suite 500
San Jose, CA 95110
Tel: 408-453-9900
Click here for more information

Amberton University
Amberton University
1700 Eastgate Dr.
Garland, TX 75041
Tel: 972 279 6511 ext.180
Click here for more information

West Texas A&M University
West Texas A&M University
Office of Admissions
2501 4th Avenue
Old Main Room 124
Canyon, Texas 79016-0001
Click here for more information

Ashford University
400 North Bluff Blvd.
Clinton, Iowa 52732
Click here for more information

OSU Spears School of Business
215 Business Building
Stillwater, OK 74078-4011
Tel: 866 678 3933
[email protected]
http://spears.okstate.edu/cepd/dl/
Click here for more information

The University of Liverpool Laureate
The University of Liverpool Laureate
Click here for more information

Careers and Education
3501 University Blvd. East
Adelphi, MD 20783
Tel: +1 800 888 8682
Click here for more information

University of Massachusetts - UMassOnline
University of Massachusetts - UMassOnline 100 Morrissey Blvd.
Boston
MA 02125-3393
Tel: 617 287 7925
Click here for more information