Marketers not trained in marketing?

A recent IPSOS survey asked marketers 10 questions designed to determine their level of basic marketing knowledge. In Canada, of the 350 respondents, only 31 per cent achieved a passing grade of seven correct answers.

I would suggest many Canadian companies stay in business because their competitors’ marketing capabilities are even worse than their own.

This survey result was alarming because it speaks to the credibility of marketers and the ability to drive profitable revenue growth and customer value. If we don’t understand basic marketing concepts, how can we have the organizational trust from our colleagues that what we propose to spend and where we recommend spending it is actually in the company’s best interest?

My first Free Press article, nearly eight years ago, was titled: “Marketing is more than making it pretty.” While a bit tongue-in-cheek, I made the case marketing is much more than just creating advertisements and hosting parties.

The IPSOS results suggest, too often, the profession still has work to do when it comes to discipline, credibility and mastery of the fundamentals.

Why does this matter to your organization?

If you do not have a structured marketing plan led by competently-trained marketers, customer acquisition and retention are left to chance. No other department is better positioned to understand the market dynamics, customer trends, competitive challenges and future opportunities than marketing.

Poor marketing capability is not just a professional issue — it is a business risk.

Usually, no single department leads the management of the product (what you sell), price (how you price your product), place (where customers want to purchase your product) and promotion (messages and brand identity of your product). Ideally, marketing should be the central repository of all customer insights and research that is used to understand what customers value most.

This matters because poor marketing capability is not simply a professional development issue; it becomes a business performance issue. When organizations lack strong marketing fundamentals, they often pursue the wrong customers, communicate value poorly, misallocate budget dollars and struggle to differentiate themselves in competitive markets.

Over time, this creates pricing pressure, inconsistent growth and weaker customer retention.

The strongest marketers are not simply responsible for communication or advertising. They help organizations understand what customers value, how expectations are changing and where opportunities for growth exist. When marketing performs this role well, it helps align products, pricing, place and promotion around what matters most to customers.

When this alignment is missing, organizations often feel the symptoms long before they understand the cause. Growth slows, pricing pressure increases, customer retention weakens and leadership struggles to understand why results are not meeting expectations.

So, how does an individual improve marketing capability and credibility? Here are three things to consider:

First, get trained in the fundamentals of marketing so you have a foundation to grow from. There are terrific programs from both Canadian and international sources that will provide the important base.

Second, think business acumen. A valuable marketer doesn’t just look at one area and say, “I am an expert.” Your ability to gather the most important internal and external data for analysis and diagnosis will become your competitive advantage. In my experience, marketing is often the function best positioned to bring this intelligence together and provide insights that guide corporate strategy and execution.

Third, bring two important elements to your marketing role: be both curious and skeptical. I have heard this from many of the world’s top marketing pros and use this myself and with clients.

Too often, marketers have relied heavily on advertising and promotion tactics without earning equal credibility as business professionals through stronger marketing fundamentals.

Both marketers and organizational leaders have a role to play in improving capability and the value it brings to the business. Strong marketers understand customers deeply and provide leadership with insights needed to make better business decisions.

Don’t wait for someone else to plan your marketing training and career path unless they understand the marketing discipline. If you would not seek a person’s advice, be cautious about accepting their direction.

Tim’s bits: The life of a marketer can be both exhilarating and challenging. Like anything, it is initially up to the marketer to prepare themselves for the job responsibilities — and then you have to prove yourself on a consistent basis. Marketing done well increases customer value, trust and financial performance. Marketing done poorly becomes an expense instead of an investment.

Tim Kist is a certified management consultant, authorized by law, and a Fellow of the Institute of Certified Management Consultants of Manitoba

tim@tk3consulting.ca