Marketing Schools & Colleges

By Publisher
| Last Updated March 10, 2022

Marketing schools across Canada provide opportunities aimed at giving energetic individuals the tools to start succeeding in this highly influential area of business. They make gaining a fun, varied, and high-paying career possible by offering programs focused on the development of relevant professional skills.

That's what going to a marketing school is all about. It's the most common way to gain sought-after abilities that you can use to help nearly any type of organization succeed.

5 Hot Marketing Career Areas Worth Checking Out

Few career or educational paths offer as many great options as this one. That's because selling products or services requires organizations to undertake an incredible variety of activities, many of which fall under the large umbrella of marketing.

In fact, this field is so broad that it's filled with opportunities for people of all types. You can be creative, analytical, technology-minded, or a mix of all three and still have plenty of ways to find success as a professional marketer.

Plus, it's possible to align your marketing skills with one of your major interests. For example, some marketers choose to specialize areas such as fashion or sports marketing. Others decide to focus on Internet or digital marketing, business-to-business (B2B) marketing, or helping governments or not-for-profit organizations.

With a marketing degree, you have potential to earn exceptional pay. For instance, the median full-time salary for a marketing or advertising manager in Canada is nearly $90,000, with top earners making $139,000 and more.

With those facts in mind, following are five of the best areas of marketing to pursue below.

1. Advertising and Brand Management

Organizations that want to succeed, especially within competitive industries, typically need a distinctive identity. And they need their potential clients or customers to become aware of that identity and form a lasting connection with it.

That's where branding and advertising come in. This involves developing strategies for helping an organization stand out within the marketplace, along with its products or services, and promoting a tailored message through various forms of media.

Specific job titles that you might find in the advertising and brand management sector include account executive, account coordinator, account planner, advertising sales representative, brand specialist, and brand manager.

2. Media and Public Relations (PR)

Public perception can play a major role in whether an organization or talented individual succeeds or not. Media coordinators, communications specialists, and publicists are often essential for ensuring that people like journalists and bloggers have the information necessary for producing stories that are fair or favorable to the organizations or clients they work for.

Upon completing your training and beginning your job search, you may be qualified to take on positions such as communications specialist, community liaison officer, marketing and communications coordinator, media coordinator, multimedia coordinator, or public relations specialist. It is worth noting that some of the best opportunities go to experienced PR pros who've earned the APR (Accredited in Public Relations) designation through the Canadian Public Relations Society.

3. Market Research and Analytics

As consumers, we all have different habits and preferences. As a result, it can be challenging for marketers to pinpoint the right combinations of product and service offerings, pricing strategies, and promotions.

But that challenge gets easier to overcome when market researchers and analysts are involved. They understand how to gather data about clients and customers and turn that information into useful insights. Those insights can then be used to come up with effective new marketing strategies. The use of analytics is particularly extensive within the Internet marketing sector.

As you prepare to set out in this career field, you may come across jobs like market research analyst, marketing analyst, marketing consultant, marketing coordinator, and marketing specialist.

4. Product and Customer Experience Development

When an organization truly understands its customers or clients, it's able to develop products or services that resonate with them. For some marketing professionals, that's what their daily role entails. They might be involved in anything from aligning the features of a single product to the preferences and desires of customers to refining all the possible interactions that a client or customer may have with their organization's brand.

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Depending on the type of role that you assume, you could find yourself responsible for tasks such as the following:

• Developing marketing materials that detail items like a product's features, price, and availability
• Preparing technical documents
• Educating the company's sales and distribution teams
• Proposing new product development specs
• Tracking quality issues
• Assisting with successfully launching new products
• Creating sales plans and forecasts
• Developing and building positive customer-business relationships

By completing marketing training, you could be ready to take on positions such as account development representative, business development manager, customer development coordinator, sales development representative, or product marketing associate, coordinator, manager, or specialist.

5. Sales and Distribution

A lot of marketing pros become experts at closing the deal, which is always the ultimate goal. They practice effective selling techniques and can get consistent results. In a lot of cases, that means interacting directly with clients or customers. But in many other cases, it means making sales to retail store buyers or product distributors.

Many people who take on sales jobs tend to work in positions as sales representatives. Those positions can be in retail (selling direct to consumers) or wholesale (selling in larger quantities to other businesses). And wholesale-trade sales jobs tend to be broken into one of two categories: technical or non-technical. Technical products are those that can range from construction equipment to software, whereas non-technical includes things like services or food items. You may also come across positions such as sales associate, consultant, coordinator, or manager.

If you opt for a job in distribution, then you will likely work on the back end of your company's sales accounts rather than selling directly to customers. In a distribution-related position, you could be responsible for managing the warehouse, overseeing incoming and outgoing shipments, coordinating the distribution department's workflow, preparing reports, and handling a variety of other sales, distribution, and logistics-related activities. Sample job titles include logistics and distribution manager, supply chain manager, and distribution analyst, assistant, clerk, or manager.

Marketing Schools and Careers: Frequently Asked Questions

You can be almost certain that at some point in time—if not daily—marketing professionals have influenced your purchase decisions. The ads that you see on websites, commercials that you see on TV, packaging on the products that you buy, placement of products on store shelves, and so many other circumstances that you encounter every day are carefully thought out and executed by marketing professionals. You may not even realize how much marketing affects your daily interactions.

Marketing is a broad field that covers a lot of different areas, so many people often find it a little perplexing, especially if they are considering marketing schools and careers.

• What Is the Definition of Marketing?
• What Is the Best Way to Become a Marketing Professional?
• What Could Marketing School Teach Me?
• What Types of Marketing Jobs Are There?
• How Much Do Marketers Make?
• Is There a Strong Job Outlook?
• Will I Need Additional Industry Certifications to Work in the Field?
• Are There Opportunities for Advancement?
• Are There Any Tips That Can Help Me Succeed in a Marketing Career?

What Is the Definition of Marketing?

Ultimately, the goal of marketing is to promote an organization, brand, product, or service, and to sell products and services. Marketing starts with a lot of research. You need to identify your target market, which is the group (or groups) of customers that you intend to reach. Once you have done that, you must address the "four Ps," (product, price, place, and promotion) which are referred to as the marketing mix. The answers to these factors help you identify what you are selling, how much you are selling it for, where you are selling it, and how people will learn about it. And as simple as that may sound, it is a complex process.

Once you have identified those key areas, you can develop a detailed marketing plan. Marketing is not an isolated activity. And it is important to make sure that your marketing goals are in line with all the other areas of your business, including production, customer service, finance, and legal. You must be sure that the rest of your organization is able to meet the goals that you have set out in your plan and that your marketing goals are serving the greater needs of the organization and its stakeholders.

Marketing is a fluid process. The most successful organizations spend the necessary time researching, analyzing, and adjusting their strategies. Many factors can quickly make your marketing strategy out of date or no longer effective, and it is important for you to stay on top of changes and trends. One example is the advancement of technology. The emergence of social media opened an entirely new way to reach target customers, and the organizations that updated their marketing mixes to include social media early on likely had an advantage over those who chose to avoid social media (or those who adopted it much later than their competitors did).

So, although the fundamentals of marketing remain fairly static, the field is always changing, and the best marketers are always learning.

What Is the Best Way to Become a Marketing Professional?

Because the field of marketing is so broad and varied, there is no one way to become a marketing professional. Some people can start out in entry-level positions with nothing more than a high school diploma. They work hard, learn on the job, and build their careers over many years without having any formal education. But in today's economy, some level of post-secondary education is the norm (and often required) for many marketing jobs. And it can certainly help you advance your career more quickly.

A Job Bank survey from 2011 found that almost 87 percent of recent marketing degree and diploma graduates were employed. And in 2013, 77 percent of diploma holders and over 89 percent of degree holders were working in positions that were related to their education. So, a large majority of marketing college students have found that an education has helped them find jobs.

What Could Marketing School Teach Me?

What you learn about in marketing school is dependent on whether you are earning a certificate, diploma, or degree. From print advertising to digital marketing courses, you could learn about many different topic, such as:

• Marketing fundamentals
• Marketing research and analysis
• Communications
• Advertising
• Branding
• Marketing management
• Online media
• Social media
• Public relations
• Crisis management
• Services marketing
• Internet marketing
• Search engine optimization (SEO) and marketing (SEM)
• Google Analytics
• Website structure and programming
• Website analytics
• Content management systems
• Graphics creation and integration
• General business administration principles

What Types of Marketing Jobs Are There?

You may be one of the many people who wonders, "What do marketing majors do?" Because marketing is such a wide and varied field, you will likely find that the types of jobs you can pursue are varied as well. You could find a job with a marketing firm or advertising agency, or you could find a position within an organization's internal marketing department. Depending on the size of the organization, you could be part of a large marketing team, or you could be the one and only marketing employee.

You may come across positions such as marketing assistant, coordinator, specialist, planner, consultant, manager, director, or executive. When you attend school, you could focus on digital marketing training or take social media marketing courses to pursue jobs that focus on those areas. Additional areas that you could specialize in include the following:

• Advertising
• Brand management
• Client or community relations
• Copywriting
• E-marketing
• Event planning
• Fashion marketing
• International marketing
• Marketing research
• Media and communications
• Mobile marketing
• Online marketing
• Print advertising
• Product research and development
• Public relations
• Publishing
• Sales

How Much Do Marketers Make?

When you opt for a marketing major, salary potential can be excellent. However, there can be quite a range in the wages that are paid. It is hard to identify a marketing starting salary since it really depends on the type of position that you attain. You can research many different marketing careers and their salaries at the Government of Canada Job Bank.

Is There a Strong Job Outlook?

Overall, most sales and marketing careers have a relatively good outlook. You can find the job-opening predictions for marketing careers across Canada for the period from 2019 to 2028.

Certain provinces and regions are projecting a stronger marketing outlook than others. The opportunities that you find may depend on where you live.

Will I Need Additional Industry Certifications to Work in the Field?

There are no legally required certifications to work as a professional marketer. But, although most employers do not require industry certifications, many place additional value on being certified. Certain credentials can show employers that you have achieved a high level of knowledge or that you possess skills in a specific area. And that can help you stand out from other job candidates and possibly have access to better jobs and more promotions.

If you want to become industry-certified, then here are some options that you can consider:

• Canadian Marketing Association (CMA) Certifications: Several online certificate courses are available through the CMA in areas like digital marketing, integrated branding, marketing math and digital analytics. The courses are designed for marketing professionals who already possess an education or related experience and want to focus their skills in a more specific area.
• Certified Marketing Management Professional (CMMP): This designation is recognized by the International Institute of Marketing Professionals (IIMP). There are four levels of certification: (1) Associate, (2) Manager, (3) Executive, and (4) Chartered. Along with having a diploma or marketing degree, requirements include demonstrating specific levels of work experience and completing additional coursework prior to taking the exams.
• Google Ads-or Analytics-Certified: Google offers free study materials and exams in order to become certified for two of its most popular services.
• Additional industry certifications: There are many organizations and professional associations that offer marketing certifications that cover almost all of the marketing topics that you could think of within the sector. Copyblogger, Hootsuite, and HubSpot offer some of the top certifications preferred by marketers.

Are There Opportunities for Advancement?

Due to its broad and varied nature, the field of marketing is one that offers a lot of great advancement opportunities. As you build your experience, add to your education, and even obtain industry certifications, you can open yourself up to all kinds of advancement possibilities. From an entry-level marketing position, you can work your way up into areas related to research, coordinating, or planning. And from there, you can gain the experience and expertise needed to eventually move into manager, director, and other executive-level positions. So, for those wondering how to become a marketing manager, it usually involves a great amount of hard work and dedication while working your way through the ranks.

Are There Any Tips That Can Help Me Succeed in a Marketing Career?

You may be wondering how to be a good marketer. Well, the answer is as broad as the field itself. Many abilities, skills, and traits are valued in the sector, so it is hard to pinpoint just one or two qualities. However, here are some points to consider that can help lead you to success in marketing:

• Learn as much as you can. A knowledgeable marketer is a powerful marketer. You should even study the areas that don't particularly interest you right now. You never know where your career may take you and what information could prove useful down the road.
• Ask questions all the time. This point ties back to always learning. What do your customers want or need? What problems can you solve for them? Is there a better way you can communicate to them? The best marketers never stop asking questions.
• Gain as much experience as you can. Take on a side project that involves helping a small business with its social media marketing. Help your friend build a website. Start your own blog. Every bit of experience counts, and the lessons that you learn could be surprising.
• Familiarize yourself with technology. You may not be responsible for updating your company's website or running analytics reports. But it doesn't hurt to learn how to do it. You never know when those skills could help you down the road, such as when a staff member is away, and you needed a report or update completed yesterday.
• Make money. This may seem obvious, but many people have the perception that marketing consists of many branding and awareness campaigns that are not tied to revenues or sales cycles. Although that may be the case at times, the reality is that most—if not all—companies expect that all their marketing departments' activities are working to drive revenues up.
• Discover your niche or specialty early on. You are not going to excel at everything in marketing, and you are certainly not going to love it all either. The sooner that you uncover what you love and are good at, the better. You can start focusing on becoming the best in your chosen area rather than being in a situation where you focused on a career in sales only to realize years later that your calling was in public relations.
• Stay tuned to the latest trends and fads. Marketing is always changing, and what may look like a passing fad today could quickly turn into a huge opportunity. Staying ahead of the curve is to your advantage. For example, many organizations were slow to adopt Facebook and did not imagine that the site would have 3 billion active users worldwide. By the time those organizations caught up to Facebook marketing, they likely lost a lot of ground and revenue to their faster-moving competitors.
• Learn how to collect and analyze data. Some people go into marketing because they don't like math, and that is an oversight. Marketing is driven by data and statistics. Most of your decisions will be backed by data that you have collected and analyzed.
• Admit your mistakes and learn from them. You're going to make mistakes, and that is OK. All marketers make mistakes. Not all campaigns and strategies are going to be successful. What you learn from those mistakes and how you move forward is what is most important.

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