What Is a Marketing Executive? Definition, Roles and Skills

Marketing executives are professionals who oversee and manage the execution of different marketing strategies for a company. They use their skill set to promote products and services by implementing product-specific marketing campaigns. If you want to become a marketing executive, you may benefit from learning what this career path entails. In this article, we answer “What is a marketing executive?”, what they do, how to become one, what skills they require to excel in their profession and what salary they earn.

Related: What is a Marketing Manager? Definition, Roles and Skills

What is a marketing executive?

A marketing executive is a professional who plans, develops and oversees the overall marketing strategies and campaigns to promote a company's brands, products or services. Apart from implementing marketing campaigns of all varieties, a marketing executive conducts research, produces marketing materials, devises new ways to market products, and analyses performance reports, among other marketing-related duties.

Usually, these professionals work in the marketing department of a company and help a company accomplish their marketing projects and goals. While most marketing executives work as full-time employees, they may work as freelancers or part-time employees. Some common industries employing marketing executives are media, finance, technology, retail, manufacturing or other industries.

What are the roles and responsibilities of a marketing executive?

The roles and responsibilities of a marketing executive can vary depending on the industry and sector in which they work. Some common job responsibilities of these professionals are:

• developing and improving marketing plans unique to different products and services

• conceiving and improving existing marketing strategies

• networking with suppliers, large contractors, partner organisations and other business stakeholders

• conducting marketing research and analysis to produce relevant marketing information and evaluate trends

• monitoring ongoing marketing campaigns and spending based on the budget allocated

• creating and generating reports related to the key performance indicator (KPIs) of an ongoing marketing campaign

• creating engaging and grammatically correct marketing collaterals

• ensuring distribution of marketing materials

• monitoring market trends and analysing customer activities to identify business opportunities

Average salary of a marketing executive

The average salary of a marketing executive is ₹16,632 per month. Depending upon the job location and level of experience, the salary may vary. Usually, some cities pay a higher salary to market executives than others. For instance, the average salary in Gurgaon is ₹19,325 per month and the average salary in Pune is ₹16,719 per month.

Skills of a marketing executive

There are skills you require throughout your career as a marketing executive. Some skills to master for a rewarding career are:

Analytical skills

Often, marketing executives effectively plan and execute advertising and marketing campaigns. They also conduct field research related to the products or services they market. This requires strong analytical skills. Also, a marketing professional may analyse the performance of a current marketing campaign or strategy using their analytical skills. They also use their skill set to analyse consumer data and competitor's data, conduct financial analysis and stay up-to-date on the latest marketing trends.

Related: Analytical Skills: Definition, Tips and Examples

Technical skills

The field of marketing requires some core technical skills to create campaigns and track the performance of the marketing efforts. Proficiency in using different marketing tools and software is a desired skill for this job role. Use different software like project management software, analytical software, communication and presentation software can help you efficiently perform your work-related duties.

Creativity

Developing new marketing strategies and refining the existing ones requires an excellent level of creativity. The ability to think of new and innovative ideas to compel a customer to purchase your service or product is essential for a rewarding career as a marketing executive. These professionals can use their creativity to brainstorm ideas for advertising or marketing campaigns.

Communication skills

Marketing executives communicate with different people, including their team members, colleagues, managers and customer base. From developing social media posts to creating marketing materials, marketing executives use communication skills in almost every step. Having mastery of verbal and written communication and understanding how to communicate with various people can help achieve organisational goals.

Organisation skills

As a marketing executive manages multiple projects and tasks simultaneously, they require excellent organisational skills. The ability to organise their schedule, create marketing campaigns before time and keep track of performance metrics is desirable. Being organised in the workplace helps these executives reduce stress and perform their duties efficiently.

Copywriting skills

During a marketing campaign, a marketing executive creates a copy of a website, press release, social media posts and ads for print advertisement, which requires excellent copywriting skills. They may also develop a topic of discussion for a TV interview to spread awareness about their product or services. Knowing the fundamentals of copywriting and writing concisely to attract readers is an essential skill to become a successful marketing professional.

Teamwork skills

Marketing executives cannot operate in silos because they regularly communicate with different departments to develop and create marketing strategies. They may require inputs from the finance or technical team to create campaigns based on budget and requirements. Working as a team, interacting with other departments and listening to what others say is essential for fulfilling all job-specific duties.

Related: Top 20 Marketing Skills To Include on Your Resume

How to become a marketing executive

Follow these steps to become a successful marketing executive:

1. Pursue your bachelor's

Earning a bachelor's degree is the bare minimum requirement for becoming a marketing executive. Consider pursuing a bachelor's degree in advertising, marketing, business, management, economics or communications. Some common degrees to choose from are Bachelor of Business Management (BBM), Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA), Bachelor of Commerce (BCom) or Bachelor of Commerce Honours (BCom H) or Bachelor of Arts (BA). If you plan to pursue a BA degree, you require a humanities stream in your 10+2. For all the other courses, you can choose commerce stream in your 10+2.

2. Complete an internship

During your bachelor's, you are likely to study marketing, business, accounting and management courses. To get hands-on experience in this field and gain some practical experience, consider completing an internship. Working on a real-life marketing campaign can help you understand the job-specific duties of this role.

3. Gain relevant experience

Usually, companies prefer hiring candidates with some experience. This is because work experience helps them deal with clients and such candidates understand how to create marketing campaigns that resonate with their customers. So, before becoming a marketing executive, try to get an entry-level position as a marketing assistant or sales representative.

4. Complete your master's

With a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree, you can fast track your career. An MBA degree prepares you for upper-level management positions. As a result, employers prefer hiring candidates with a master's degree and some relevant experience. Admission to MBA colleges is usually through an entrance exam followed by an interview.

5. Earn a certification

If you want to get hired for a desirable job and make a positive impression, consider pursuing online or offline certifications. Professional certifications serve as proof of your education and knowledge in the marketing field. A certification can help you distinguish yourself as a committed marketing professional.

6. Prepare your CV

You can include your education, experience, skills and certifications on your CV. If possible, pick some keywords from the job description. This can help you get shortlisted because employers prefer candidates with the skill set mentioned in the job description. After preparing your CV, start applying to jobs on Indeed's job portal.

Is marketing executive a good job?

Yes, a marketing executive is a good job because it requires individuals to use their creativity to design and implement targeted marketing strategies. Also, it is a dynamic job profile because no two products or services are similar. Every new project is different and comes with unique challenges that you deal with to market products or services. With experience, you can enhance your skill set and see an increase in your salary.

Marketing executive work environment

Marketing executives usually work in an office setting and may sit in the office for extended hours. Though most of them may work from nine to six, they may work on weekends or after office hours based on the project's requirements. Also, they regularly attend meetings and communicate with different business stakeholders to take a project to success. While it is not a stressful job, your work environment depends on the industry you work in.

Salary figures reflect data listed on Indeed Salaries at time of writing. Salaries may vary depending on the hiring organisation and a candidate's experience, academic background and location.