Jackson 1

Elizabeth Jackson
Mr. Rhodes
Advanced Placement Language and Composition
February 27, 2014
A Career in Marketing
While driving down the interstate, millions of Americans pass by billboards distracting
them with huge pictures and slogans for a product, company, or cause. Bumper stickers
promoting various corporations, schools, and sayings cover many of the vehicles driving on the
roads. The radio station drivers listen to suddenly stops playing songs and cuts to commercials,
and quickly gets changed to a different channel while searching for more music to listen to. Once
the driver arrives home, he checks the mail and throws away all catalogs, flyers, and junk mail,
keeping only the necessary bills and information. Luckily, his email account already separates
the automatic messages sent by companies and stores so he does not need to delete all of these as
well in order to clean out his inbox. His phone stays on silent mode, keeping the alerts from
social media, email, and other promotions from distracting him during his work day. Companies
use all of these methods of advertising to market their products to consumers. Marketing and ads
surround Americans in multiple prominent and demanding ways. Wherever people travel, they
will always encounter some form of marketing. In the growing competitiveness of the marketing
field, one must have knowledge to market an item, an awareness of successful tactics used in the
marketing field, and understand the exponential growth of technology and moral and ethical
issues found in this.
Companies use marketing to attract potential customers and sell their merchandise.
Creative marketing catches peoples attention, and when customers can relate to a product, they

Jackson 2
will choose it over a competing item. Marketing started in the 1840s, when newspapers used
solicitors to represent them, and later in 1865, these solicitors started buying newspaper space
and selling it to companies that could advertise their products at elevated prices (Ferguson 13).
As time progressed, marketing specialists craved more spectacular and prominent ways to show
their products. Later, in the early 1900s, the idea of billboards developed from poster board
signs and began showing up on the sides of roads and buildings (13). Other widespread forms of
advertisements replaced advertisements painted onto buildings and traditional billboards as
technology grew. When these technological advancements became public, so did its usage for
marketing. In 1922, the radio station WEAF provided businesses with the opportunity to
advertise in between talk shows and songs (13). This shows how radio became the first
technological mass medium used for marketing products and agendas (Middleton 33). Near the
end of WWII, advertisements during breaks in shows eventually translated into television
(Ferguson 13). The spark in popularity of the TV occurred in the 1950s (Middleton 33).
At first, companies sponsored an entire TV show or channel for publicity. A specific
channel dedicated to one company, and shows consisted of products the company wished to
market. This became problematic however, because a company controlled an entire show or
channel they sponsored without input from the owners of the channel. NBC executive Sylvester
L Pat Weaver fixed this by creating the magazine concept, a one or two minute block of time
allotted for companies to advertise between the segments of a show (33). This helped the
network regain control and allowed them to sell short pieces of airtime to different companies.
The first official TV commercial aired on July 1, 1941 before a Dodgers vs. Phillies baseball
game. However, as technology progressed, the television did not remain the most popular way to
market to consumers (Middleton 36). The popularity of the Internet as a marketing resource grew

Jackson 3
just as quickly as television did. The creation of the Internet gained the attention of marketing
specialists because of the ability to quickly market to an audience all over the world (Ferguson
13). All these methods of advertising created the image of marketing that people see today.
A marketing specialist will usually have many past educational experiences. To attain a
marketing position, one must have an educational background in successful techniques and
strategies used in marketing. Many of the skills needed for marketing relate to creativity; an
extremely creative person with no college degree could earn more success than someone who has
graduated from college. Since marketing has many different responsibilities, education
requirements differ greatly. To succeed, one needs a high school degree to show he can handle
the workload of a job. However many students take college classes while in high school to get
ahead on their education. Marketing specialists need communication skills, so advanced English,
writing, and speech classes should make up a majority of their courses (Ferguson 17). Although
some become successful with just a high school diploma, most decide to continue with their
education at college.
A marketing specialist or manager does not necessarily need a marketing degree to land a
career in marketing. A degree in Marketing, Advertising, or Business will suffice, and having
more than one helps. Knowledge obtained from these degrees benefits one if he plans on opening
his own company. He needs to understand the process of running his business, develop
marketing plans, and advertise on his own, until he has built his firm up. Some useful classes for
these majors include computer science, economics, and math courses. New technology has
forced people to need computer science classes to successfully use the Internet, create virtual
advertisements, and stay updated on changes in technology and navigating these updates.
Economics and math classes help with managing budgets and stretching dollars to create

Jackson 4
marketing campaigns that will not waste company resources. Psychology and sociology classes
help marketers understand the workings of the human brain; what people respond to positively,
what turns people away, and how to use marketing to entice people into buying a companys
product. Marketing specialists may need art skills in order to design billboards and picture ads
(17). All of these classes exist in for people on the marketing path to take.
Skills needed for successful marketing may occur naturally or develop during high school
and college. Marketing specialists need quality communication skills to communicate with team
members, clients, and other companies. Interpersonal skills help prevent miscommunication and
someone to present ideas in a clear, concise, and easily understandable way (Ferguson 18).
Having an outgoing personality puts the marketing specialist in a positive light, making one
seem friendly and easy to work with. The importance of dividing up work between team
members ranks highly because one person cannot do all of the work on his own with the
immense amount of planning and strategizing involved in developing and executing a marketing
strategy. All of this creates pressure, so one must work well in stressful environments. Marketing
specialists also have to make quick decisions. The ability to think and decide quickly allows for
instant decisions when conflict occurs with new or old campaigns (18). Many attain these skills
during classes and experiences in high school and college.
One college in North Carolina has high rankings for its Marketing degree. The University
of North Carolina at Chapel Hill currently holds the 6th spot as one of the best colleges for a
marketing degree, and the 30th spot as one of the best universities overall in the nation
(Marketing Rankings). It has 18,503 undergraduate students, a 729 acre campus, and instate
tuition of $8,340 a year (University of North Carolina). Chapel Hill offers many activities on
campus, provides opportunities for a person to grow and make friends, and the surrounding town

Jackson 5
offers many restaurants and shopping centers for students making it a great college town. This
spectacular atmosphere makes Chapel Hill a fantastic college to consider attending. The KenanFlagler Business School at Chapel Hill offers programs that marketing majors would enroll in if
they wished to attend graduate school (University of North Carolina). Marketing majors need
knowledge of business in their field, and having a graduate business degree helps if a marketing
specialist must move to a more business related occupation.
Each company needs a marketing team to create ways to promote and sell their products
and ideas. The size of these teams depends on the size of the company; a small company may
employ a few people, and a large company may have several marketing teams for different
sectors in the company. Of companies with more than 50 employees, 87% employ at least one
marketing person, and 71% of these companies hire two or more marketers (Kolleeny and
Charles). More than 50% of the companies with under 50, but over 20 employees, employ
someone who has experience with marketing, and 20% percent of these employ more than one
marketing person (Kolleeny and Charles). Approximately 214,000 advertising and marketing
managers currently hold employment in the United States (Ferguson 18). Of these managers,
47,000 work as advertising and promotion managers and 167,000 work as marketing managers
(18). The average salary for a marketing specialist can vary dramatically depending on the
importance of his job and the title he holds. For an advertising manager, salaries vary between
$36,230, to $73,060, and even upwards of $109,030, depending on the company (Ferguson 13).
A marketing manager salary range begins at $51,160, averages around $98,720, with a high of
$136,710 per year (13). As shown, salaries can differ greatly and the opportunities for growth
constantly occur.

Jackson 6
The field of marketing continues to grow, however many people wish to obtain a
marketing job making this a very competitive field. Many expect the growth rate for employment
opportunities to multiply as fast as the average for all occupations until 2016, but this depends on
the United States economy (Ferguson 20). If the economy drops and products do not sell,
companies will most likely lay off marketing employees (20). However, marketing has grown for
many years and shows no signs of slowing down. Growth appeared in 1999, when marketing
staff hired at companies made up five percent of the overall personnel in America (Kolleeny and
Charles). No matter the state of the economy or the competitiveness of obtaining a marketing
job, marketing positions always exist because companies will always need strategies for
promoting their products and inventing creative ways to get people to buy them.
Strategies used for marketing have not always mirrored the ways people advertised in the
past. In the 1950s, marketers used the direct marketing tactic to push out information to
potential buyers (Gilbreath 31). Someone, such as a door -to -door salesman, would approach
people and try to convince them to buy a product or support an idea. Many found this rude and
forceful, and people did not want to talk to salesmen who approached strangers. Many other
ways to use direct marketing existed, such as bulk postage. Because of cheap mailing materials,
companies could send out mass amounts of mail to people all over the country promoting their
products. This caused companies to begin targeting consumers who would most likely have an
interest in their product and constantly sends them information. These mass amounts of mail
customers continually received eventually gave birth to the term junk mail because people did
not want most of this information and saw it as trash (32). Companies had to brainstorm new
strategies once they realized that push marketing hurt their firms more than it improved sales.

Jackson 7
Instead of pushing information to customers in an intrusive and unwanted way,
companies decided to take a friendly approach toward customers and tried to become
acquaintances before trying to sell them a product. Permission marketing developed in the
1990s, and consumers saw this as a more personable way to market items (Gilbreath 31).
Salesmen would approach people and talk to them without trying to force information or
products onto them, and they would later ask to present their sales pitch. This gave customers the
choice to either accept or refuse the information provided. By replacing the unwanted
bombardment of information people continually received, a positive image of the firm existed,
starting with the personable salesmen. However, this tactic gained no effectiveness because most
customers would deny requests to present a product (33). Companies needed to find a new
approach to marketing that would not seem pushy and annoying, but would work.
When companies entice customers to buy products and develop a relationship with them
by providing services and goods separate of the purchase, they efficiently market their product.
Specialists call this futuristic tactic marketing with meaning (Gilbreath 33). This seeks to
improve the life of the customer, so when they receive a service from the company, they will
likely return the favor by purchasing a product, or supporting an idea. This engages customers
and provides reasons to return to a company (33). By offering a service that does not require
anything in return, companies build lasting relationships with consumers and improve their lives,
before even selling them a product. This makes a company seem appealing, trustworthy, and
kind in the publics eyes. Successful marketing tactics not only sell products, but sell the image
of the company, and increase their credibility.
Many specific marketing strategies have generated success for many years. A strategy
companies use called guerrilla tactics utilizes imagination instead of expensive marketing

Jackson 8
campaigns to sell products at a minimum cost (Caudron). Originally, smaller businesses used
guerrilla tactics because they could not afford huge marketing budgets while bigger businesses
spent large amounts of money to make their product visible to the public by plastering its image
everywhere. Now, all businesses look to save money, so many employ guerrilla tactics into their
marketing strategies, regardless of the firms size. To successfully use guerrilla tactics, one must
have a basic understanding of human psychology in order to realize what triggers people will
respond to, and what response they will produce (Caudron). For instance, a sports company may
host a hunting competition with prizes to draw in consumers who enjoy the sport in order to sell
them some of the other products offered. This appeals to hunters, but would turn away animal
lovers from the company because they disapprove of killing wildlife for fun. The company
would have to determine if the customers gained because of their love for hunting would
outweigh those who would boycott the company because of its support for the sport.
When running a promotion such as the hunting example, companies run the risk of
offending people so badly, they refuse to buy their products again. Smaller companies cannot
afford to offend potential customers because every purchase counts. One person who has an
issue with a company can complain to hundreds of people, spreading a negative review of the
firm (Caudron). When using guerrilla tactics, small companies should use an approach accepted
by everyone in order to build a positive reputation. Larger companies can afford to run risky,
controversial advertisements because they can gain so much from one market that the loss of the
opposing views market will not hurt. Small companies that use guerrilla tactics may also partner
with other companies to help, split the cost of a marketing campaign, and gain customers for
both (Caudron). Guerrilla tactics give marketing a creative flair while keeping the cost low, but
may not necessarily appeal to all customers.

Jackson 9
A tactic called push marketing shares similar characteristics with direct marketing.
Marketers use push marketing to push promotions and information to a mass group of
smartphones in order to provide quick information (Waddell). Push marketing gives consumers
all of the information they may need and more, and provides coupons, promotions, and special
deals (Waddell). When asked, many people state they did not buy a product simply because they
had no knowledge of it, but if they had, they would have purchased it. Therefore, companies can
use push marketing to make sure people are aware of their product.
Companies can collect information from smartphones, search engines, and social media
to determine consumer preferences. If certain consumers show interest in one's product,
companies can choose to push their information in hopes that it will create interest in their other
products as well. Ways they can accomplish this vary from emails, text messages, and social
media updates (Waddell). Using technology and smartphones to collect keeps companies from
sending out mass amounts of information to people who may have no interest at all, setting them
apart from the direct marketing strategy. By narrowing down the pool of consumers to those with
interest, companies create a more personalized and effective marketing strategy (Waddell).
However, many other factors affect if a customer will buy the product or not once one breaks
down a marketing strategy.
Before a marketing strategy forms, one must think about the product he wants to market.
If the item has a negative connotation attached to it, consumers may rethink buying it. When
mentioned in conversation, the product needs to associate with good reviews from customers to
ensure people have a comfort level with it (Rudick 8). When marketing a product in countries
with different cultures, the product must also comply with the standards and lifestyle of the
citizens. If the product offends or demeans the culture, it will not thrive in the country no matter

Jackson 10
how creative the marketing strategy, or how much money goes towards making it public (8). If a
product remains unapproved by the government, parents, or experts in the field, the items will
not thrive and business will not succeed.
Another variable to consider when thinking about the possible success of an item relates
to the economy of the country the company markets the product in. If the majority of people
cannot afford food on a daily basis, they will not have extra money to spend on unnecessary
items. The price of the product affects what countries and areas people can market items to
(Rudick 8). Placement refers to the different cultures and lifestyles of people companies market
to. If the citizens cannot afford the product and will not use it, they will most likely have no
interest in purchasing the item. Marketing specialists need to include countries with enough
interest and money to create a desire for the product. Companies need to constantly promote and
make sure everyone knows them and their products in the countries that hold stable markets for
the product (8). When promoting these products, one must keep in mind the public opinion of the
product and who the product appeals to (8). Companies include other important things besides
how to execute marketing a product in their strategies as well.
The image of a company must match the morals it holds. Companies must support the
philosophy presented to the public and maintain a positive view of their values. Companies can
show this through the treatment of their employees. By treating people right and giving them
necessities such as time off, fair pay, and reasonable work hours, companies can show they care
and want to treat people right (Rudick 9). This spreads positive reports and increases consumer
approval. Customers must also have a favorable encounter when conducting business and
purchasing products (9). Any contrary actions can change how the customers view them.
Companies must consider all the minor details in their marketing strategies, because thorough

Jackson 11
strategies have higher success rates. Executing the plans of targeting specific people, making a
product multicultural, and upholding the reputation of a company give a companys marketing
strategies strength and prevents wasted time and money (9). As a marketing strategy divides into
many parts, so does a marketing team.
Communications team members release information about the company and success
stories as part of their job. Originally, companies communicated through postal mail, which
could take many days or weeks to arrive. If a company had the funds to do so, one could call and
dictate a letter, but this cost much more than postal mail. Fax machines and FedEx sped up
communications, but the personal computer changed the field immensely (Bostic). Technology
has made communicating specific messages to targeted people easier, but also threatens the
communications job market. Specialists must prove their worth over software that does their job
more efficiently (Bostic). However, computers cannot invent creative ways to communicate, so
specialists still have the upper hand. Communications workers reach out to consumers through
press releases, the Internet, brochures, pamphlets, and success stories (Bostic).
Conference and event marketers also communicate with consumers, but instead of
sending paraphernalia out they bring people in. These specialists plan events and conferences
that help endorse products and spread awareness of ideas and goals (Prine). They work with
marketing specialists, communications, and design teams to plan out public events. An average
day can vary from working onsite at events, to handling registration, or creating content about
future events to push to consumers. Technology has increased efficiency with some of these
tasks such as registration and marketing over social media. Many have to work on tight budgets,
so marketing the worth of attending their conferences has growing urgency (Barnett). Event and
conference marketers can belong to many organizations such as Meeting Professionals

Jackson 12
International, which gives tips on budgeting, food and beverages, and other logistics, or the
Convention Industry Council which awards meeting planners their Certified Meeting
Professional (CMP) certification after an application proving they have enough experience.
Meeting planners must renew their CMP every five years by completing 25 hours of continuing
education classes (Prine). These certifications and organizations help ensure that event and
conference planners have the knowledge to create exciting, personable events for their clients
and co-workers.
Public relations specialists appeal to consumers as part of their job. One challenge lies in
presenting the companys products, ideas, and values in the best light possible (Public
Relations). This depends on where, or who they market to. Public relations began in the 20th
century when businessmen responded to negative feedback, creating the need for a positive
outlook on businesses and products (Public Relations). Now, public relations not only show up
in marketing tactics for businesses, but also live in political strategies. Candidates, just like
companies, wish to show their positive side in order to win votes (Public Relations). The first
and most popular form of public relations is publicity. This begins with a press release, giving
news stations information they can form material from and release on their programs. Using
media outlets accelerates the speed at which information spreads, which can make or break a
company, depending on the information released (Public Relations). Technology can help or
hurt these companies because of the speed of communication and audience it reaches.
Digital marketing takes advantage of todays technology to advertise products and ideas.
Less than 50 years ago, the Internet did not exist and the main media sources for campaigns were
print advertising and direct mail. Now, email, websites, and social media have become the main
source of advertising. Digital marketing uses these tools to market products and collect research

Jackson 13
such as product ratings, comments, and suggestions (Dorsett). Technology has completely driven
the digital marketing career because as technology develops, the possibilities to use technology
for marketing progresses as well.
Technology has changed marketing and shaped it into a completely different field with
new and exciting opportunities. All of the information collected from smartphones and social
media creates numerous opportunities, but also overloads marketing teams with information.
Developers have created software allowing them to obtain smartphone IDs which lets them
track what their customers do, and where they go (Kaye). Many also use location devices to push
coupons and promotions to consumers near their stores. The use of location services creates
controversy regarding safety, so the government requires companies to request permission to
obtain data from customers (Kaye). If people with bad intentions obtained smartphone
information, such as citizens locations and personal information, they would have the
opportunity to sell this information or use it to hack or stalk consumers. Smartphones and social
media have taken away privacy and can also compromise the safety of people and their property.
Marketing has evolved over many years, from an advertisement on paper, to a billboard
on the highway, and today as Internet ads and websites. Many things have not changed within
marketing, such as the levels of creativity and understanding of human preferences needed for
success. One thing shows consistency; marketing will always have a place in companies, because
consumers need a connection to a product in order for a company to turn a profit.

Jackson 14
Works Cited
Barnett, Katelin. e-mail interview. 21 February 2014.
Bostic, Henry. e-mail interview. 19 February 2014.
Caudron, Shari. "Guerrilla Tactics." MAS Online. EBSCO, 16 July 2001. Web. 1 January 2014.
http://web.ebscohost.com/src/pdf?sid=d302457e-a77b-453d-ac5e79f8620c506a%40sessionmgr114&vid=1&hid=108
Dorsett, Heather. e-mail interview. 19 February 2014.
Ferguson, Dave. "Advertising and Marketing Managers." Careers in Focus. 2nd ed. New York,
NY: Ferguson, 2009. Print.
Gilbreath, Bob. "What Marketing With Meaning Can Do For You." The next Evolution of
Marketing: Connect with Your Customers by Marketing with Meaning. New York:
McGraw-Hill, 2010. Print.
Kaye, Kate. "Big Data." MAS Online. EBSCO, 19 August 2013. Web. 26 December 2013.
http://web.ebscohost.com/src/detail?sid=49019c04-5482-45aa-9123b03d01530c01%40sessionmgr113&vid=1&hid=125&bdata=JkF1dGhUeXBlPWlwLGN
1c3R1aWQmY3VzdGlkPXM4NDU1ODYxJnNpdGU9c3JjLWxpdmU%3d#db=mat&A
N=89931414
Kolleeny, Jane, and Charles Linn. "Marketing: Building Your Firm's Incredible Marketing
Machine." MAS Online. EBSCO, March 2001. Web. 26 December 2013.
http://web.ebscohost.com/src/detail?sid=6dc824b8-a98a-46ba-b154b79c7850688d%40sessionmgr4002&vid=1&hid=4104&bdata=JkF1dGhUeXBlPWlwLGN
1c3R1aWQmY3VzdGlkPXM4NDU1ODYxJnNpdGU9c3JjLWxpdmU%3d#db=mat&AN
=4358280

Jackson 15
"Marketing Rankings." Marketing. US News and World Report, n.d. Web. 05 February 2014.
http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/businessmarketing
Middleton, Diana. "Tools For the Past 60 Years." Marketing in the Participation Age: A Guide
to Motivating People to Join, Share, Take Part, Connect, and Engage. Hoboken, N.J:
Wiley, 2012. Print.
Prine, Julie. e-mail interview. 20 February 2014.
"Public Relations." Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia. 6th ed. 2013. MAS Online. Web. 1
January 2014.
http://web.ebscohost.com/src/detail?sid=2de61f73-8ec0-4264-89e6c935d6d83817%40sessionmgr114&vid=1&hid=108&bdata=JkF1dGhUeXBlPWlwLGN
1c3R1aWQmY3VzdGlkPXM4NDU1ODYxJnNpdGU9c3JjLWxpdmU%3d#db=mat&A
N=39024771
Rudick, Jodi. "The 8 P's of Marketing." Camping Magazine September 2008: 8-10. MAS Online.
Web. 27 December 2013.
http://web.ebscohost.com/src/pdf?sid=d0ee2488-0955-483f-a068f93915f381c9%40sessionmgr4004&vid=1&hid=4104
"University of North Carolina--Chapel Hill." U.S News & World Report. US News and World
Report, n.d. Web. 02 February 2014.
http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/university-of-northcarolina-chapel-hill-2974
Waddell, Ray. "The Ticket Pushers." MAS Online. EBSCO, 16 March 2013. Web. 26 December
2013

Jackson 16
http://web.ebscohost.com/src/detail?sid=e9a042f0-084d-45d5-9a3b937796675df7%40sessionmgr4004&vid=1&hid=4107&bdata=JkF1dGhUeXBlPWlwLG
N1c3R1aWQmY3VzdGlkPXM4NDU1ODYxJnNpdGU9c3JjLWxpdmU%3d#db=mat&
AN=86113836