Marketable marketing skills

In The rise of the marketer: Driving engagement, experience and revenue, a recent report published by The Economist Intelligence Unit (and sponsored by Marketo) the following question is posed: What are the top three areas in which you need to develop skills in your marketing operation? The results skew heavily toward technology –– which is a huge surprise, said nobody ever.

In the battle between art and science, science has emerged a clear winner. Having a mastery of technology, digital tactics and strategy is no longer an option for successful marketers. It’s mandatory. And when it comes to the “art” part of art and science, the report states: “It’s not that creative doesn’t matter, but in most of the world and for most types of businesses it’s a legacy skill and no longer a focus of demand.” Ouch, responds the entire profession of graphic design.

Also reported is that the gap between what marketers used to do and what they need to be able to do has never been greater. At BroadBased, we’ve witnessed this evolution of the profession first-hand and have modified our own business model to shift emphasis to next generation marketing.

“The top three skills in demand for marketers is digital savvy, technological acumen and strategy/planning,” says Jan Hirabayashi, BroadBased’s CEO. “To be successful, today’s marketing professionals must be able to manage the details of a technology-based strategy and tie the results of the strategy to overall business objectives.”

Download the full report.