What is Marketing?
Marketing is a broad, diverse and engaging field, with so many different types of jobs that it is difficult to offer a simple answer to the question: what is marketing? That’s what makes the profession so exciting.
At a fundamental level, marketing could be defined as any activities a business undertakes to help it reach its customers and promote its products or services.
However, that explanation only scratches the surface of what marketing encompasses. Perhaps it is better to ask: who needs marketing? The answer is, nearly everybody!
Around Australia and the world, organisations in almost every industry invest in marketing.
Marketing can include diverse fields from research and product development, to strategy and planning, advertising, sales, business development and relationship management, external and internal communications, public relations, digital marketing and more.
Marketing has evolved in the digital age. However, a marketing mix that includes both traditional media and advertising, print material and digital marketing is still used by many organisations.
Marketing includes the products you see advertised by influencers on Instagram, but also the posters you find at bars and cafes, advertising a local gig. Marketing is the merchandise you buy before a sports game as well as the enormous billboard advertisements you see during the event.
Marketing involves the study and understanding of consumer behaviour and how it can be influenced. In a contemporary context, sustainable marketing also reflects upon consumerism, waste, global labour and more.
Don’t forget, marketing is not just for commercial purposes. Professional marketers may also use their skills in marketing for social change.
What does a marketing manager do?
Both creative and technical skills are highly valuable in marketing.
Working as a marketing manager, you may be leading creative advertising campaigns or producing regular content for social media. You might craft communications material like flyers or reports, or write regular blogs for your business. If you have visual design skills, you might layout a variety of documents using design software.
However, marketing is also very quantitative and data-driven. Marketers whose roles concentrate on data analytics or market research deliver invaluable business and sales insights. Marketing automation, email marketing, social media marketing, mobile marketing, programmatic advertising and website marketing all rely increasingly on data to design effective and highly targeted marketing campaigns.
As a marketing manager, you may work in strategic or tactical roles. You may work closely with business executives and leaders, or you may deal directly with customers. A career in marketing can last a lifetime and provide countless opportunities for advancement and professional satisfaction.
In large organisations, and global corporations like Google, General Electric, Apple, Facebook and Toyota, marketing teams may comprise tens or even hundreds of people specialising in different fields and with different goals and customer segments. You may have the chance to try several different roles.
In smaller businesses, marketing teams may be more compact, and you will likely take on a range of responsibilities within a single job, including marketing strategy and planning; marketing campaign design, implementation and reporting; media and public relations; and even events planning.
Explore your study options in Marketing
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Gain the business management skills essential to becoming a leader in the hospitality and tourism sector. Advance your career with specialised knowledge of business operations and administration.
- Cairns: January, May, September
- Brisbane: January, May, September
Gain real-world experience in the tourism and hospitality industry. You’ll develop the skills to become a management-level professional with expert knowledge of business operations, administration and handling international clients. Acquire strong career planning insights and build critical enterprise skills.
Download Brochure- Cairns: January, May, September
- Brisbane: January, May, July, September, November
Advance your career in business with this flexible course tailored to suit your professional interests. Learn alongside leading industry experts with opportunities for real-world learning and networking in domestic and international settings.
Download Brochure- Townsville: January, May, September
- Brisbane: January, May, September
Kickstart your career with real-world industry experience and knowledge across the business sphere. Be ready today for tomorrow by learning how to analyse current trends to predict future priorities. Pursue profit and manage loss by developing effective strategies that are fit-for-purpose and unique to a business’s needs. Become a professional who can lead an organisation, support its strategy and innovate its operations.
Download Brochure- Townsville: January, May, September
- Cairns: January, May, September
- Brisbane: January, May, July, September, November
- Online: January, May, September
With an advanced understanding of human behaviour and motivation, a Bachelor of Business — Bachelor of Psychological Science will empower you with the skills to maximise your employability and stand out in your future workplace. Your critical thinking, decision-making skills and knowledge of business operations will be bolstered by an understanding of what motivates employees and how to create healthy, productive work environments.
Download Brochure- Townsville: February, July
Combine the diverse, transferable skills of an arts degree with the practical knowledge of business studies to build a critical understanding of life and work in the Tropics. Develop a solid foundation of sociocultural contexts to underpin your learning in business operations and strategies, making you a well-rounded professional. Graduate with advanced communication and research skills to stand out in any field.
Download Brochure- Townsville: January, May, September
- Cairns: January, May, September
- Online: January, May, September
Give your career a far-reaching, competitive start with this double business and law degree. Pair your business insight in accounting, economics, management, marketing or tourism, with a strong understanding of legal principles to bring unparalleled expertise to future roles. You'll gain practical experience through real-world case scenarios, internships and mock trials in 'moot' e-court facilities. This course is an approved qualification to practise law in Queensland.
Download Brochure- Townsville: February, May, September
- Cairns: February, May, September
- Online: February, May, September
What jobs can you do by studying Marketing?
Marketing jobs are diverse, and you may have the opportunity to work in lots of different roles throughout your career.
When you study marketing at JCU, you will gain skills that could take you around Australia and the world. JCU marketing graduates are ready to work in organisations across private, public, and non-profit sectors.
Studying marketing at JCU, also equips you with essential skills for starting your own business. JCU marketing graduates will understand sales, business development and market research, giving them a competitive edge either in the workplace or as entrepreneurs.
With a JCU Bachelor of Business, majoring in Marketing for the Digital Age, you may work in diverse roles and fields including:
- Marketing manager/ coordinator/ assistant roles
- Social media strategist
- Digital marketer
- Copy writer
- Corporate relations
- Business development
- Product development
- External or internal communications
- Business or marketing strategy
- Sales
- Customer relations
- Media or public relations
- Events planning
- Entrepreneur, business owner.
Why study Marketing at JCU?
Contemporary marketing requires impeccable digital knowledge, skills and experience, alongside an understanding of how to incorporate traditional advertising and communications in to the mix.
JCU marketing students develop industry knowledge by creating marketing strategies for real-world businesses. You will learn how to confidently execute campaigns using digital marketing tools and channels, including social media and mobile marketing.
We teach the fundamental theories and principles of marketing, and provide hands-on, practical experiences to help you immediately apply your learning outside of the classroom.
Like all students completing the JCU Bachelor of Business, our marketing students have the option of boosting their employability by completing our Professional Development program alongside their degree.
We know you need flexibility too. Many of our marketing students are working and studying at the same time. That’s why you can study marketing online or on-campus at JCU.
Jonathan Naranjo Galvez
Student
Bachelor of Business, majoring in Marketing for the Digital Age and Management
"The transferrable skills you learn are valuable in work environments and all facets of life. The Bachelor of Business offers a range of pathways that can lead to jobs in almost any industry. Mixed modes of learning provide flexibility in a busy life and support services ensure you have everything you need to succeed."