Marketing Profs

Once upon a time, our value to companies was linked to our loyalty and longevity. We wore the corporate uniform, knew how many steps it would take to get to the top, and received a nice pension plan when we retired after 30 years of loyal service.

But the days of corporate uniforms and pension plans are long gone. And with them, job security. Today, as marketing professionals in the new world of work, we need to manage our own careers. And we must do so in the midst of budget cuts, layoffs and restructuring.

So how do you navigate this challenging terrain and make it to the top of the marketing ladder, skipping a few rungs? The answer seems too obvious: use the same marketing strategies and techniques you have been using for your company to manage your own career. After all, no one is better equipped than a marketing executive to apply the principles of marketing and branding to advance their career success and satisfaction.

We all know the benefits of a strong brand, including charging a premium for your products and services; extending into new business areas; thriving during economic downturns, etc.

Don't you want those same benefits for your career? Well to do so, you need to apply the key principles of branding to yourself. You must differentiate yourself from others with similar skills and abilities by clearly highlighting your unique promise of value. And you must consistently communicate that promise of value to your specific target audience.

Here are examples of how a couple of our marketing colleagues have used their personal brands to stand out and build strong positions inside their companies.

Nancy, Marketing Director, Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA): Nancy is a European Marketing Director. And what separates Nancy from all of her colleagues is her passion for relationships.

Nancy builds strong relationships: relationships with her team; relationships with the sales team; relationships with customers. She says, “Business IS relationships.”

Nancy started the customer relationship and loyalty initiative in her company without a budget or resources to do it. She made it happen because of her fervent belief in the power of relationships. Nancy also started special teleconferences with business partners and alliances so that she could strengthen connections with this group of people who are critical to extending her company's brand.

And Nancy works just as hard at building relationships inside the company. She invites the sales team to her EMEA marketing meetings. And she even takes her team out to the pub every time there is an opportunity to celebrate. Because for someone who is so passionate about relationships, she couldn't imagine leading a team that didn't have strong bonds.