Is there a role for a freelance Marketing Manager?
In these times of increased change, an abundance of product, distribution and communication opportunities and the resultant increased cost of marketing investment, it is more important than ever to ensure your company marketing activities are implemented with “a single minded” vision and purpose!
Must the marketing leadership that works to achieve that “single minded” purpose be internal or can it be external?
The marketing person is perceived to be the custodian of the company, brand or segment strategy. It is his/her responsibility to establish a strategic plan and to fit tactical opportunities into that plan; be those exhibitions, new product launches, target distributor or key account communication activities and advertising. And in so doing he/she has access to confidential plans and thinking that must be kept internal. And the resulting impression is that marketing must be an internal position. That is current thinking and practice.
The most important discipline of a marketing person is to listen to, capture and distribute the thinking to all within the company about its market requirements and opportunities. That must be from the CEO and the Sales Director. But it might be that great ideas can be heard from the newest salesman and the Distribution Director and the Manufacturing Director. And obviously listen to the customers; distributors, users and/or consumers. Distribute that thinking within the company by writing individual discussions into contact reports. Anyone can then agree or disagree. The agreed activities are written into individual briefs for the external agencies to produce collateral against. And present that as an overall marketing plan to align the thinking with available resources and with a single-minded purpose.
The thinking that is put into the final plan is not the Marketing Managers own thinking but a collection of thinking from the entire company. The ideas to be implemented is not his plan but a coordination of the company agreed objectives, that the sales, manufacturing and financial plans can deliver against. And the final product must be what the distribution and users believe is exactly what they are looking for.
And can an external marketing resource can produce this?
A professional marketing resource will do that. With the discipline and experience that is traditional in the marketing industry. And in a manner that will allow your sales responsible to execute the opportunities the tactical situation creates. And ultimately will ensure that the event is remembered for the good things which made a difference, not the things that went wrong.
About Garth Sutherland
Garth Sutherland has an extensive multicultural understanding.
He has worked with local brands (creating independent strategic positions) and international brands (integrating the international brand vision with the local demand to optimize the “on the ground” brand presence). His strengths include bringing a strong strategic focus into all aspects of marketing delivery, working with multi-agency perspectives, independent thinking & implementing with a consistent and practical teamwork focused delivery.
He is currently studying towards a BPhil (Honours) Degree in Marketing Management.
If you are looking to maximize the strategic value of your brand opportunity, Garth is the ideal resource to task.
You can contact him on +971 (0) 50 459 2536 or +27 (0)81 265 5803 or at garthsu@gmail.com