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How to Find Marketing Work in A New Country: Part 1

How to Find Marketing Jobs

This article is based on a true story. My own.

The decision to move to Toronto from Bucharest was not an easy one. There was too much uncertainty: a new continent, a foreign language, a different culture.

All my wife and I had was the ambition and desire to succeed.

Nine years later we couldn’t be happier with our decision. Our family got bigger and we made some great friends. And we both work in our chosen fields.

This two-part article is dedicated to marketing professionals looking for temporary or permanent work in a new country. I encourage you to subscribe to updates so you won’t miss the second one.

I will start with the things that matter most when choosing to work abroad. And all are non-Marketing related.

Language

The biggest obstacle in finding a job in a new country is the language barrier. This is valid for any career you want to pursue, but even more so in Marketing.

Marketing is all about communication. Even entry level marketing jobs require good verbal and written communication skills.

So being able to communicate clearly and concisely is a must. When learning the new language, pay close attention to the terminology related to your chosen field, in our case Marketing.

How did I overcome this obstacle?

My previous education and work experience was a big help.

I started using English during my university years, mainly to translate marketing books for my research projects. I had no plans to move to Canada at that time.

As a bonus, my entire marketing career had an important international component, so communicating in English was a must.

My advice: the better you master your adoptive country’s language, the better you will succeed. But don’t wait to get there, start today.

The Ability to Integrate

I am talking about social integration.

The ability of a new employee to integrate into an existing team is a highly sought-after skill. You, as a foreigner, will invariably have a lot o prove (and improve).

It’s only natural: we are part of a new society, in most cases radically different from the ones we grew up in. We have to be able transfer our professional skills, but also to adapt socially and culturally to the new environment.

I personally spent a lot of time reading as much as you can about my adoptive country, Canada: its history, culture, values, society.

Another great way to understand the new socio-landscape is to connect with people as much as possible (not social media socializing, the old fashion face-to-face conversations).

Make as many friends as possible. Don’t be shy, engage in conversations, even if your language skills are not great.You would be surprised how many people are willing to help you succeed.

There are many non-profit or governmental organizations that can help with your integration. In Canada, many of these programs are available free of charge. Make sure you take advantage. If nothing else, you will practice the language and make new friends.

Perseverance

Unless you have a job ready for you when you move, finding one is emotionally draining. When looking for my first Marketing job in Canada I experienced everything: optimism, doubt, frustration, and pure happiness.

You will probably be tempted more than once to give up trying:a job below your qualifications, the frustration of being rejected for no obvious reason, the thought that your inability to get a job is because you are an immigrant, the doubt that you are just not good enough for the job,etc. Been there, done that.

“How important is luck in all this?” you ask.

In an article describing his experience finding work in London, graphic designer Iancu Barbarasa said it best:

“Luck plays an important role as well, but just as inspiration has to find you working, luck has to find you looking”.

The winning attitude: believe in yourself and keep trying. One day you will succeed.

In Summary

  • Focus on learning the official language of your adoptive country, including Marketing specific terminology
  • Be prepared to adapt not only professionally, but also socially and culturally to the new environment
  • Don’t give up, and one day you will be successful.

Part 2 of this article will contain some practical advice on how to find a Marketing job in a new country, based on my personal experience.

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How to Perform an Effective SWOT Analysis

The SWOT analysis is an important and mandatory step in the decision making process. In order to develop a sound strategy the company needs to know where it stands and where it wants to go. That’s where SWOT analysis fits into the mix, as its main objective is to provide a realistic picture of the business’ strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.

What Makes A Good SWOT Analysis?

An effective SWOT analysis is honest, realistic and comprehensive.

Honest because we, as professionals, have a tendency to minimize the weaknesses and highlight the strengths. That’s why it is good practice to ask members of other departments to rate your team’s performance.

Realistic because exaggerating the opportunities generates inefficiency in resource allocation, while being overly concerned about weaknesses might lead to the lack of (re)action and promising opportunities not being pursued.

Comprehensive because a successful business is the result of good synergy between all departments. No matter how great your Marketing department, if the other departments cannot deliver on the promise there is no competitive advantage to be had.

Let’s take a look at the four components of the SWOT analysis in greater detail.

Strengths

Strengths are internal capabilities that offer your company a competitive edge. Make sure you assess your strengths versus the competition, not by comparing recent internal improvements to how the company used to do things in the past. An area where you are perceived as doing a better job than your competitors is a strength. The rest are points of parity.

Examples of strengths:

  • The ability to innovate on a continuous basis
  • The ability to quickly adapt to changing market conditions
  • A high brand equity
  • An excellent company reputation
  • A global and supportive distribution network

Weaknesses

These are the most difficult paragraphs to write, because, as I said earlier, we tend to emphasis the strength and downplay what needs to be improved. One method to overcome this is to look at the weaknesses as opportunities to do things better, because these are all elements within the company control.

Weaknesses might include:

  • Lack of brand awareness
  • Not enough resources to generate the much needed brand recognition
  • Lack of distribution
  • Too broad or too narrow product assortment
  • Lack of experience in international trade (in case the company plans to expand globally)

Opportunities

Opportunities are realities or trends that develop in the market place beyond the company control that can be used to expand and prosper. Timing is critical here, as the company might only have a window of opportunity to take advantage of.

Some examples include:

  • Huge market potential
  • Change in consumer perception that favors your company’s offering
  • Fast-growing market segment
  • Weak or slow-to-react competition

Threats

Just like opportunities, these are external factors that might affect the company sooner or later. A company might be facing minor threats, or major ones that are impossible to overcome without major investments.

Below are some examples:

  • Very strong competition from both well established brands and low priced new entrants and private labels
  • Decline in the traditional distribution channel
  • Change in consumer perception that favors the competition
  • Lack of resources to create a meaningful impact in the marketplace

Each SWOT analysis is unique to a company’s situation. Although only the department managers are ultimately responsible for the final document, input is recommended from all levels of the organization. Customer feedback is also highly valuable as it brings the impartiality that a good SWOT analysis requires.

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Choosing a Channel of Distribution: 5 Things to Consider

Have you ever been assigned the task of building the channel of distribution for a new brand, or a new market?  Do you plan to grow your business by expanding the distribution beyond your traditional model? Is your current distribution system loosing market share to new, more modern methods?

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions continue reading.

Here are 5 things to take into account when deciding on a new channel of distribution:

Brand Positioning

Distributing a premium brand through Walmart is not a good idea. Brand positioning and differentiation strategy has a great impact on choosing the distribution channel.

Premium brands are usually sold through the company’s own stores or specialized distributors. Coach, the luxury brand of handbags and accessories, distributes its products mainly through a network of over 500 own stores in US and Canada.

The main advantage of owning your distribution network is the full control over the brand messaging. Moreover, the company can deliver a superior shopping experience, while the sales force is solely dedicated to explaining the benefits of a single brand: yours.

For brands competing in the value segmment mass retailers and the internet are popular options. Assuming that the brand is price competitive these two channels provide the exposure and accessibility required.

It is very common for companies to use a hybrid distribution based on various positioning strategies. Canon sells its top of the line lenses throgh specialized distributors while the more affordable consumer versions at mass retailers such as Best Buy.

The Nature of Product Offering

Some products are more suitable to be distributed through a particular channel than other. Cars, for example, cannot be bought over the internet, but books can.

An expensive, unique product that requires a lot of personal selling has  no place in mass retailers. Typically inside these channels the purchase decision is left to the customer, with little to no intervention from the sales clerks.

The Upfront Investment

The cost of developing a distribution network is a major influencer in the decision to sell direct versus through intermediaries. Building up the company’s own distribution chanel, although more advantageous long term, is the most costly alternative.

With the rapid advancements in techology selling over the internet has become a visble option, even for small companies. However, as I said earlier, not all products are suitable to be sold online.

In most cases the cost of selling through intermediaries is lower. That being said make sure that “hidden costs” such as co-op advertising, merchandising and sales support are discussed upfront and taken into account.

Time To Market

If you are under preasure to launch a new brand quickly then selling through distributors is the quickest way to get the product into the hands of consumers. These intermediaries already have a system in place to distribute your product, and an existing customer base.

Bulding your own distribution network is the most time consuming (unless internet is an option). Many companies begin by selling through intermediaries and later decide to add the direct channel into the mix, for obvious reasons. This is not an easy strategy to implement, as management has to find ways to mitigate channel conflict.

On-Shelf Competition

Obviously selling direct means no possibility for the consumer to assess competitive offerings.  Selling through indirect presents one major challenge: the retailer’s private label.

No independent retailer will choose to build your brand over its own. Their goal is to solely to make money selling whatever brand offers the best margin.

To summarize, before you decide on your brand’s distribution strategy, make sure you consider the impact of your decision on the overall strategy.

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How To Choose The Right Marketing Partners

Marketing is collaborative by definition. No matter how good the product or service, how strong the positioning, without effective collaboration any branding project will most likely suffer. Working with outside Marketing partners is almost mandatory for any company that takes Marketing seriously.

In most cases the Brand Manager has two options when it comes to working with outside collaborators: full-service agencies and individual specialists. Choosing the right Marketing partners can mean the difference between mediocrity and excellence in any Marketing project.

Full-Service Agencies

Usually positioned as the “one stop shop for all your Marketing needs”, the traditional agency model involves maintaining full-time personnel with a wide variety of skills: market researchers, brand strategists, trade show organizers, public relations specialists as well as graphic and web designers.

Some of the advantages that the full service agency model offers are:

  • consistency in communicating the brand message across different communication channels
  • easier collaboration since the marketer deals with only one agency instead of many individual specialists
  • cross-industry experience
  • time-efficient in executing integrated multi-platform campaigns

Based on my experience there are two major drawbacks to working with a full-service agency.

First, they are in most cases more expensive than the independent specialists, since they carry a lot of overhead. Although you might be interested only in a web design project, they quote you received my reflect the cost of additional personnel regardless of their involvement in your project. That being said, a lot of agencies have become very “lean”, and collaborate with independent specialists rather than keeping full-time staff, thus managing to be more cost-competitive.

Second, I find that during the hiring process agencies do a great job at “wowing” the client. They bring their best people to the table and the owner gets personally involved. Everything looks very promising. However when you get down to business you discover that you’ve been “downgraded” and your contact person is an employee in an entry-level position that doesn’t always understand your needs. That’s when the difficulties in communication and frustration start to surface.

Again, this is just my personal experience working with agencies. I am sure there are some great ones out there.

Independent Specialists

Personally I’ve always worked better and get more things done faster with the independents for various reasons:

  • they are specialists in their field of expertise
  • communication is much easier and less formal
  • less people involved in the decision making process
  • usually less expensive than the traditional agency

The big challenge is of course maintaining the brand consistency across different projects and communication platforms and preserving a unified “look and feel” of the brand. You have to be able to provide the strategic direction and detailed guidelines for each project. Time management skills are also mandatory.

So What Type of Marketing Partner Is Best For You?

Honestly, regardless of the business model, it all comes down to the individual who manages your project. I had the opportunity to work with great agency people as well as brilliant independents with excellent Marketing skills.

As a broad rule, if your projects involve a lot of coordination and multi-platform communication, and the time-to-market is short, than a full-service agency might be your best option.

If your Marketing is focused on a few channels and you want in-depth specialized knowledge, than you can’t go wrong with the independent specialists.

If you enjoyed this article I invite you to subscribe to this blog by e-mail or RSS feed and be the first to receive the latest articles on Marketing and Brand Management issues.

 

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The Difference Between Sales And Marketing: Can The Two Be Effectively Performed By A Single Person?

Have you ever read a advertisement for a Marketing position that, after reviewing the job responsibilities, turns out to be a pure Sales job? As I die-hard Marketer I am always frustrated by managers who don’t understand the difference between Sales and Marketing. With the risk of generating a lot of debate here is my take on the issue.

Companies that chose the strategy of merging Marketing and Sales into a single position make a strategic error. Marketing and Sales are two separate functions, that require distinctive sets of skills rarely found in a single person.

Does Marketing Equal Sales?

In small companies there is no Marketing function to begin with. Here Marketing does equal Sales, and the few Marketing ideas come from the business owner or the Sales person.

As the company gets bigger the owner might consider adding a Marketing function, such as “Marketing Coordinator” or “Marketing Assistant”. This role is basically a pure Sales support role, whose main purpose is to provide the Sales force with catalogs, flyers and price lists.

Finally with the growth in Sales comes the need for a dedicated Marketing department that will help the company focus on servicing the relevant market, managing the 4 Ps, and build brands rather than products.

What Happens In The Real World

Sales and Marketing rarely work is sync, no matter the industry, product or target market. This statement is based on my personal experience working in the Marketing department of four different companies in various industries, from consumer package goods to the industrial sector.

When sales are bad the two departments come up with different explanations for the poor results. Sales accuses Marketing for wasting the budget on ineffective programs, and setting the prices too high. According to them, Marketing people spend too much time in the office and are out-of-touch with the customers. Their solution: pay higher commission to the Sales team, hire more reps and lower the prices.

Marketing in return blames Sales for thinking short-term, and focusing on satisfying an existing demand, instead of identifying new needs and expanding the market. In their view the members of the Sales team are simply “order takers” who are just waiting for business to fall in their lap.

The difference between Sales and Marketing extends to most of the 4 Ps.

Let’s take price for example. Sales wants lower prices that allows them to get more products out the door thus meeting the monthly target. Lower prices gives them more leverage to negotiate and close deals, regardless if the company is making money or not. Marketing thinks more in terms of profits, and wants the sale to happen through brand building and not rock-bottom prices.

Then there is the difference of opinion regarding new products. The Sales team’s vision of a new product is usually a copy of the closest competitor’s best seller at a lower price. Marketing believes in differentiation, in products with unique features that will offer the company a long term competitive advantage.

And finally promotion. I find that Sales people love Sales promotions, which give them “something to talk about” with the customer. Marketing is usually cautious with using this communication tool, which in the long term cheapens a brand and decreases profitability.

The Difference Between Marketing and Sales

Sales and Marketing can rarely be performed efficiently by a single person. These two functions attract people with different backgrounds and are meant to produce different outcomes.

Marketing requires long term vision and effective strategies to make it reality. This involves taking a comprehensive look at the company as a whole, and a good understanding of full business cycle, including identifying new market opportunities, product development, packaging, promotion, among others. Profitability is also important.

Marketing compensation is based not only on meeting the Sales target, but also on the results of the projects being implemented. Marketing people tend to be more analytical,are usually at least University graduates, that are analytical, think long term and are excellent project managers.

Sales usually focus on short-term actions to close the deal, and meet the monthly budget. They see promotion as the ultimate tool to grow sales, and always demand lower pricing. In their view Marketing’s role is to support their efforts. While that is partly true, Marketing is much more than an administrative role.

In terms of formal education Sales people are not usually required to have a post secondary degree. The skill that is mostly valued is relationship building, and the ability to close the deal.

I don’t believe in “Sales & Marketing” titles. I never accepted to report to Sales. Marketing should report to the CEO or President, not the Sales Manager. If you have a Sales and Marketing title, you are probably dedicating 90% of your time to one or the other.

The Solution

I understand the cost savings that result from combining the two functions. But there is one more cost effective solution to consider: outsourcing one function, most frequently Marketing. Management can allocate a monthly budget they feel comfortable with, settle on a number of Marketing initiatives and execute them rigorously.

Every business needs Marketing. The reason is simple, and can be summarize in one word: competition. Sales might provide short-term satisfaction, but Marketing provides long-term success.

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Global Marketing: Things You Should Consider When Planning International Expansion

One of the most common methods to grow a business is to look beyond the national borders. Although global marketing employs the classic principles and concepts Marketers are familiar with, there are some aspects that a company should consider when considering international expansion.

If your department is in charge of crafting the strategy for expanding the business internationally you might find the task challenging, in particular if the target market is totally different than what you are used to when marketing domestically. I am currently in charge of such an ambitious project, and I would like to share some tips that I found useful.

Global Marketing Should Begin Locally

This might sound confusing but your research should begin with identifying programs run by the local and/or federal government to help exporters succeed internationally. You might be surprised (like I was) at the amount of resources available. These includes free market research reports, grants, country profile information, and a list of contacts that can help you get a better knowledge of that particular market. As an example, Canada even provides exporters with fully equipped meeting rooms abroad that export managers can use to meet potential clients and partners, at no cost. Obviously these resources vary by country, but it’s well worth investigating.

Start at the Macro Level

A particular country might look like the perfect expansion opportunity for a variety of reasons. Before you look at the specific industry you are interested in make sure you have a good understanding of the macroeconomic environment that affects the way you do business. Identifying the opportunities but also the challenges such as corruption, lack of infrastructure, taxation, ever changing legislation, political instability, banking system, currency issue, is a must in getting a solid start to exporting. Other points to consider are the entry costs such as legal services, trademark registration, and bureaucracy. It’s very tempting to just start exporting based on an inquiry received from abroad, however rushing it might cause a lot of headaches later.

Adapt to the Local Culture

The most common mistake exporters make in the global marketing planning is failing to adapt their offer to the local market.This is key to a successful market penetration. No two countries are the same, no matter how similar they look on paper. Many consider Canada and USA as twin countries, that speak the same language and have more or less similar cultural and buying preferences.However, whoever visited the two countries realize how different they are in so many ways. Make sure you get feed backs from locals about business etiquette, buying habits and motivators and the things you should definitely avoid when marketing your product there. It’s good practice to hire local translator for any marketing materials you plan to use to promote your products or services, and employ local sales force whenever possible.

One last tip: I personally like to build a list of best practices based on the feedback and research information I receive from different sources. Once I have a check mark beside each bullet point on the list I can move to the strategic planning phase and establish the objectives, strategies and tactics to be employed.

Do you have global marketing experience? I would love to learn from your insights in the Comments section on the blog.

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Trends in Marketing

Year end is usually dedicated to evaluations, analyzing trends in Marketing and business, and making predictions for the year to come. We as Marketers need to be aware of what is happening around us and evaluate the impact of these changes on our strategy. That being said I try to avoid predicting the future.

Below are some trends I am sure you are already noticing, that will continue in 2012 and beyond:

Brands will face increase pressure from low-priced competitors and store labels.

There is no doubt about it, competition is and will continue to be fierce, no matter the market, product or distribution channel . Barriers to entry into most categories are very low due to globalization and technological advances. As a result established brands are facing pressure from two directions: competitors who are able to replicate their product at a much lower cost and distribution partners who are becoming more powerful in the supply chain mix and will continue to launch private brands in order to maximize profits. A solid differentiation strategy is the key to survival.

Social media will be even more fragmented.

This is one of the trends in Marketing that is difficult to predict. No question that social media has its merits in building a loyal audience. The challenge marketers face is keeping up to date with the changes that seem to be happening overnight. Last year building your brand’s Facebook page was the “the thing to do”. Now there’s Google +. Next year apparently Pinterest, a social bookmarking site that focuses on images, will be the next big thing. I miss those times when socializing meant going out for a beer.

Some traditional communication channels will become obsolete.

I am thinking television, radio and the daily newspaper. I recently received the Toronto Star newspaper as part of a direct campaign. It’s as thick as a book and weights a ton. It just doesn’t make sense to take the time to find and read what interests you. Why spend your marketing communication dollars or promoting something that is just not relevant anymore? The same with television as we know it. I cancelled my satellite TV account about one year ago and have no regrets. With the explosion of options to see the content you want, when you want, without being disturbed by commercials, I feel more informed than ever.

Advertising agencies will have to adapt to new budgets and new client requirements.

Marketing communication is evolving, and so will the traditional “full service agency”. Marketers are asked for better results, faster and with less money.  Many of them are working with specialist firms, who are usually easier to deal with and more cost competitive. As a result the agencies will have to adapt to the new reality. Instead on keeping full time employees they too use part time specialists, employed on a project basis. Most of them will have to streamline their services in order to remain competitive.

“Full-time employees” will be replaced by “project partners”.

The days when employees spend their entire career with one company working regular hours will soon be gone. The notion of “full-time job” will be replaced by work that gets done at different times and places. “Workplace freedom”, “work-life balance”, “flexibility” are the new trends that employers have to adapt to. Generation “Y” demands flexible hours, telecommuting, and serious motivation. Getting the work done will be what matters, rather that where or when it’s done. Those changes will affect other familiar concepts such as “career path”, and “job security”.

As always, I value your opinion. What trends in Marketing (or business) are you noticing, and how do they affect your brand? Please feel free to share them in the Comments section below.

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Best Marketing Books

I recently wrote a article about my favorite Marketing and Brand Management blogs, which generated great feedback. I also love books, and for this reason I decided to share with you the list of my all-time favorites that have helped me tremendously in my career. You will find these and other great titles on my new Books page dedicated to great Marketing reading. 

These are some of the best Marketing books for at least two reasons: they offer practical advice that marketers can apply in their everyday jobs and the information presented between the covers is still relevant today. 

Philip Kotler: Marketing Management- a “must-read” for every marketer, this book is the only reference you need when it comes to Marketing fundamentals such as customer targeting and segmentation, marketing research, and the 4 Ps of marketing mix. This is the single book I used to successfully obtain my Professional Certified Marketer™ designation.

Kevin Keller: Strategic Brand Management-the co-author of the Marketing Management book above, Keller wrote another classic that deals with all aspects of Brand management, from brand planning to measuring its equity. What makes this a great reading is the abundance of example that makes this book a great practical guide for our everyday jobs of managing brands.

Jack Trout & Al Ries: Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind-I make it no secret that Trout and Ries are my favorite marketing authors. Their simple, down-to-earth approach to building a brand that starts with the concept of “positioning” has always fascinated me. Needless to say I apply their advice in all my projects that involve launching a new brand or re-positioning an existing one. Written 30 years ago, this wonderful book is as easy-to-read and enjoyable as you can get, and introduces us to the concept of “positioning”, which has since then become a fundamental branding concept.

Jack Trout: Differentiate or Die: Survival in Our Era of Killer Competition-what makes a brand successful in the market place? The ability to differentiate itself from competition through a unique and single idea and supporting elements. This book explores different options that a brand has to stand out from the crowd, supported by numerous real-life examples. The chapter that deals with the “line extension” concept is worth paying special attention to, as many brand managers fall into the trap of over-stretching the brand into new categories in order to deliver growth.

Jack Trout: Marketing Warefare-this marketing strategy book looks at how brands should develop their go-to-market strategies based on their current share of the market: leader, follower, and the small company looking to avoid being crushed by the bigger competitors. A must read for any business leader, the main assumption is that Marketing is a war especially in today’s super competitive environment where a multitude of brands fight for a slice of the market.

Al Ries and Laura Ries: The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding-this books strives to provide answers to some of the fundamental questions brand managers have: how should I name the brand? Is quality important? Should I extend the brand into a new category? My favorite one is the Law of Extensions: “The easiest way to destroy a brand is to put its name on everything”. The 2002 edition of this great book also includes the “11 Immutable Laws of Internet Branding”. Great addition to any Marketing collection.

David A. Aaker : Building Strong Brands-brands are the most important assets the company owns. Managing them requires knowledge, skills, resources and patience. David Aaker’s books provides great insights on how strong brands are built. He also introduces the concepts of brand-as-person, brand-as-symbol and brand-as-organization,which is a great way of analyzing a brand’s image and positioning. A classic book for sure!

David Ogilvy : Ogilvy on Advertising-although not a Marketing strategy book this was one of my greatest readings.  The books contains timeless advice regarding how to best communicate the benefits of your brand to the target audience. The main idea it conveys is very a very valid one:”Advertising is salesmanship”. The only way to judge the effectiveness of an advertising campaign is to look at its effect on sales. Unfortunately this principle is often forgotten in today’s communication environment dominated by over-creativity.

Walter Isaacson : Steve Jobs-this is the only book on the list that I haven’t read yet. However I consider Steve Jobs the greatest marketer of our time, so a book about him is always an interesting read. The reviews have been very positive, so this title made it to my “Favorite books” list.

These books are a good starting point for anyone working or interested in Marketing and Brand Management. I invite you to visit my “Books” page for more great titles. As always I look forward to discover your favorite books in the Comments section below.

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