MARKETING THE SPEARS GUIDE TO CREATING A CAREER IN MARKETING
Welcome! Marketing is an exciting, always-changing, business discipline that plays a vital role in the success of any organization. Marketing professionals are responsible for many things, including: • • • • • •
Identifying customer needs through marketing research and analytics Developing new products and services to satisfy customer needs Building brands and communicating with potential customers through advertising and promotions Developing supply chains and distribution channels for moving products to customers Engaging with customers, often forming long-lasting sales relationships with them Using research and analytics to gauge customer behaviors and satisfaction with products and services
True marketers care deeply about satisfying their customers’ needs. Not only is it the right thing to do—it’s also the smart thing because it keeps customers coming back and recommending those products and services to other potential customers. This booklet describes several of the ways that a marketing degree, minor, or certificate can position you for success in your career. The theory and skills we teach transfer across virtually all types of industries and career paths.
Tom J. Brown, Ph.D. Head, School of Marketing and International Business Noble Foundation Chair in Marketing Strategy
For more information: Contact Dr. Brown at tom.brown@okstate.edu, stop by the School of Marketing and International Business (428 Business Building), or speak with an advisor in the Chesapeake Energy Business Student Success Center (155 Business Building).
Marketing Coursework:
Marketing Degree Program Most marketing students choose the general marketing degree program when selecting their major. The marketing degree is designed to prepare students for success in a variety of different roles within an organization (regardless of whether or not “marketing” is in their job title). Students take a wide variety of courses touching multiple aspects of marketing. This timetested approach trains aspiring marketing professionals interested in covering more marketing topics in their major degree program.
• MKTG 3213 Principles of Marketing • MKTG 3323 Consumer and Market Behavior • MKTG 3653 Marketing Analytics • MKTG 4333 Marketing Research • MKTG 4683 Managerial Strategies in Marketing • PLUS: 12 hours of upper-division marketing electives
OPTION Highlighted Courses: • MKTG 3473 Professional Selling • MKTG 3513 Sales Management • MKTG 3873 Marketing Internship • MKTG 4773 Services Marketing
Professional Selling and Sales Management It is often said: “Nothing happens until a sale is made.” All businesses need customers to engage with them to buy their products and services and they need marketing and sales professionals to reach their target audiences. Many business students – and probably most marketing students – pursue careers in roles that allow them to interact with customers. Managing customer relationships requires offering solutions to their needs and can be one of the most fulfilling and important roles in any organization. Although money is not the only measure of success, these roles often provide very lucrative careers as skills to acquire and retain customers are in high demand. Professional selling skills can be developed by anyone and can be beneficial in almost any role!
Highlighted Career Paths: • Sales Account Executive • Inside Sales Associate • Business Development Representative • Relationship Manager • Sales Manager • Retail Manager • Customer Success Manager
OPTION Highlighted Courses: • MKTG 3323 Consumer and Market Behavior • MKTG 3433 Promotional Strategy • MKTG 4343 Brand Marketing • MKTG 4993 Digital Marketing
Marketing Communication Management Ask most people about “marketing” and they’ll immediately think about advertising. Communicating with potential customers through various communication channels is important (they won’t buy your products or services if they don’t know they exist). The communications tools available to marketers continue to grow in number and sophistication: Digital marketing, social media marketing, traditional marketing media, out-of-home media, and so on, are available to marketing professionals for fine-tuning their campaigns. The courses in our Marketing Communication Management Degree Program provide the knowledge and skills to start a career in this exciting field.
Highlighted Career Paths: • Digital Marketing Specialist • Social Media Manager • Content Marketing Manager • Brand Manager • Promotions Manager • Media Buyer • Creative Director
OPTION Highlighted Courses:
Marketing Research and Analytics Some of the fastest growing and most influential aspects of marketing involve data and the information they can yield for making better marketing decisions. Understanding how marketing analytics can help managers understand their business and customer behaviors has taken on a meaningful role in many companies. Sometimes organizations need to collect and analyze new-to-the-world data from customers. This is the realm of marketing research (sometimes referred to as consumer insights research). We require all marketing students to gain a basic understanding of these important topics, but our Marketing Research and Analytics Degree Program is available for those who want to go deeper.
• MKTG 3653 Marketing Analytics • MKTG 4333 Marketing Research • STAT 4053 Statistical Methods I for the Social Sciences (A) • MSIS 4673 Data Visualization
Highlighted Career Paths: • Account Manager • Project Manager • Market Research Analyst • Qualitative Analyst • Data Analyst • Field Analyst
CERTIFICATE Required Coursework:
Certificate in Sales and Service Excellence Many students, regardless of major, enjoy careers in professional selling across a wide variety of industries. The Certificate in Sales and Service Excellence offers specialized attention and training to OSU undergraduate students pursuing such careers. Students in the program regularly engage with professionals from companies on our Industry Partner Advisory Board; these individuals join us in class, meet with students during receptions, help judge sales competitions, and more. Students from any undergraduate major* can apply for the certificate program by visiting the Center for Sales and Service Excellence at business.okstate.edu/csse/ and completing the online application form. Applications are accepted year-round. For more information please contact Professor Kim Booker, Director, Center for Sales and Service Excellence, at kim.booker@okstate.edu.
• MKTG 3213 Principles of Marketing (part of Spears undergraduate core curriculum) • MGMT 3013 Fundamentals of Management (part of Spears undergraduate core curriculum) • MKTG 3473 Professional Selling • MKTG 3513 Sales Management • MKTG 4473 Advanced Professional Selling • MKTG 4773 Services Marketing * effective fall 2020
Scan to Visit and Apply at the Center’s Website.
Marketing Minor Many students in the Spears School of Business or from across campus earn a minor degree in marketing. The requirements are straightforward: • •
Take the Principles of Marketing course (MKTG 3213) 12 hours of additional upper-division marketing courses
Student Organizations Marketing Club
The Marketing Club at OSU is an organization of students with an interest in using and enhancing their marketing skills. The club uniquely equips students to become more marketable in the workplace by providing experiential learning opportunities through partnerships with local, regional and state-wide businesses and nonprofits. Students actively apply marketing skills in real businesses through mini-internship activities while helping organizations with their business challenges.
Professional Sales Club
The Professional Sales Club at OSU is open to students in all majors who are looking to develop in one of the most important areas in business: Sales and Business Development. The club offers many opportunities to improve personal development. Students will learn sales techniques, engage with industry-leading guest speakers, and cultivate important networking and interview skills. The sales club membership is designed to equip students with additional tools to help them succeed in their professional careers. For more information, please email tom.brown@okstate.edu, call 405-744-5192 or stop by the School of Marketing and International Business office (BU 428).