When you choose to pursue a Master of Business Administration, you often have the option to choose a focus, such as marketing. An MBA in Marketing will teach students how to better reach a target audience for a brand using all types of media. According to Forbes, it also opens the door to employment with some of industry’s top companies, like Apple or Proctor & Gamble. Because every company needs a solid marketing plan, pouring your energy into learning marketing at the graduate school level is a smart move.
We met with Keiser University’s Dr. Jeff Ritter, a business professor and subject matter expert, to talk about the MBA in Marketing, its job potential and the benefits of the degree. Here are some key takeaways for business students to consider.
10 MBA Marketing Jobs
Marketing jobs ideal for MBA graduates can come under many different names. Here are some popular roles for business professionals with a marketing MBA to consider:
1. Marketing Manager
A marketing manager will create and execute marketing plans for a company or organization. The goal of the marketing manager is to both bring in new customers and keep existing customers satisfied and connected. Using analytics to determine what marketing initiatives are working (or not) is also part of this job.
2. Brand Manager
Brand managers help develop an organization’s branding strategy. They analyze and monitor customer trends to ensure the branding efforts match what today’s consumers want. They also ensure products, services and marketing messages align with the branding goals of the company or organization.
3. Product Manager
Workable indicates a product manager identifies customers’ needs and compare them to an organization’s objectives or a company’s products. They will then strive to create marketing aligned with both. Product managers assist with product pricing, placement, positioning and marketing strategies. These professionals spend a lot of time analyzing the results of research in the field.
4. Director of Strategy or Strategic Planning
A director of strategy helps a business set goals and then develop a plan to reach those goals. The business and marketing skills of a marketing MBA both come into play in this role, as the director of strategy must understand how businesses operate and the best ways to market businesses for success. The primary focus is to teach the business how to reach its goals.
5. Brand Experience Director
Brand experience directors lead teams focused on the development and execution of the consumer experience with the brand. Marketing is part of this, and general knowledge of successful business practices is crucial as well.
6. Marketing Research Director
If research and analytics are more your style, then the role of marketing research director could be right for you. This leader within a business oversees the marketing policies and plans for the company and heads market research and development. Marketing research directors also spend time analyzing the competition to ensure their company can compete well.
7. Advertising Director
Large companies may have multiple tiers of advertising they tap into to keep their products or services at the forefront of customers’ minds. Advertising directors oversee all of these marketing avenues, helping ensure that each advertising campaign is aligned with the company’s overall goals and direction, including its branding efforts. Because advertising includes print, video and online media, as well as radio or podcast advertising, this is a versatile role with many different directions it can take.
8. Digital Marketing Director
Digital marketing directors oversee and manage a company’s website and guide the marketing departments within an organization, but with a focus on the company’s digital marketing actions. This might include planning social media strategies, organizing content marketing, planning video content and connecting with potential customers on digital platforms. These professionals need both leadership and marketing skills to be able to relate to consumers while also leading the people in their organization.
9. VP of Marketing
A Vice President of Marketing plans and implements marketing strategies, typically focusing on cohesive brand engagement and awareness. They lead the marketing team and review the budgets or goals for the marketing department.
10. Chief Marketing Officer
A chief marketing officer, or CMO, is a corporate-level professional that oversees a company’s marketing activities. They focus on communications, branding, analytics and customer engagement. The CMO may perform these tasks directly or oversee a team that does them, usually depending on the size of the company.
7 Industries That Need Marketing MBAs
Each of these industries requires positive public opinion to succeed. They need customers who will make buying decisions that include that company’s product. The following seven industries are among the top employers of MBA in Marketing grads:
1. Healthcare
According to Dr. Ritter, there is a high demand for marketing professionals in healthcare. “If you look at the healthcare sector,” he says, “whether it’s the pharmaceutical marketplace, lab technology, various sectors of the healthcare industry, it’s the largest opportunity from my perspective. . . It’s over 20% of the gross national product, which means that it’s trillions and trillions of dollars in a variety of key markets.” All of the organizations within healthcare need to market their products and services in order to bring in revenue, and that requires the help of marketing professionals.
2. Consumer Products
Dr. Ritter compares the healthcare industry to the consumer product industry, which also needs marketing professionals. When a person walks through a store, a myriad of brands accosts their senses. Each of those brands needs a marketing department to ensure that they remain at the forefront of customers’ minds, and marketing managers head those departments.
3. Automotive
Like the consumer products sector, the automotive sector needs skilled professionals to keep the make and model of their vehicles the ones people want to buy. The automotive sector is almost like a specialty branch of the consumer products sector, and automobile manufacturers need a way to make their brands the most appealing on the market. That requires marketing.
4. Energy
While some parts of the country have energy monopolies, others have fierce competition. Marketing for the energy sector can involve educating clients on energy-saving strategies or promoting a company as one of the most eco-friendly options out there. In this sector, marketing may not always be directed at the consumer but rather at the municipal government and businesses that rely on energy services.
5. Technology
How did Apple become one of the biggest names in tech and develop products with lines out the door at every launch? The answer is marketing. This is one field where marketing is absolutely essential in order to remain at the top since new products and software hit the market nearly every day.
6. Entertainment
The entertainment industry wants people to view movies, watch TV shows or download music, and to get people to do so, entertainers must build their own personal brands and market them effectively. Agents for entertainment professionals are often skilled marketers who know how to do this well.
7. Media
Non-entertainment media, such as news delivered via television, print or online sources, also needs to have skilled marketers to grow readership or viewership. The strategic planning that goes into these types of marketing campaigns is different from those used in product marketing, but the skills cultivated in an MBA degree with a marketing focus still apply.
Other Benefits of a Marketing MBA
Earning a marketing MBA opens the door to a wide range of job options across many different industries, but there are other benefits as well. With this degree, business professionals can have a competitive edge as they seek advancement in the business world. Not only will they have the MBA training necessary for many positions, but they will also have a deeper understanding of marketing. Marketing knowledge is helpful in almost any business function, but it is essential to lead marketing or advertising teams.
Furthermore, roles within the marketing MBA field often have higher compensation than standard marketing jobs. According to Coursera, the starting wage for an MBA holder in 2021 was $115,000. Meanwhile, the starting wage for a direct-from-industry hire was $75,000, and a bachelor’s degree holder was $65,000. This is a significant jump in salary, making the MBA worth considering. With the right combination of on-the-job experience and MBA-level training in marketing, a business leader can easily earn six figures.
Finally, earning an MBA in marketing can make your work more challenging and rewarding. People who head up strategic planning for marketing campaigns face new challenges every day, keeping the work fresh and rewarding. These jobs are especially gratifying when a marketing campaign works well, helping a company reach success.
Earn Your MBA in Marketing at Keiser University
An MBA in Marketing is a wise choice for the motivated business student, and the degree at Keiser is one that stands out. Keiser is known for its strong faculty that take a vested interest in each student and includes many who have held management roles or owned their own companies in the past, which makes them subject matter experts. Providing advisory services in addition to education, Keiser delivers an exceptional learning experience for motivated business students. If you are ready to get started on your MBA in Marketing, reach out to the graduate admissions team today to see if Keiser University would be a good fit for your career goals. You can also visit our graduate school page to learn more.
