5 Marketing Skills You Should Develop

^{Author: Summit VirmaniEVP, Global Chief Marketing Officer, Infosys}

Whatever your specific role in marketing, you may need to learn new “key skills” to do your job well.As marketing evolves, it is equally essential to hone the skills you already have as you embrace and learn new things._.

A World Economic Forum study found that investing in developing fundamental skills that foster creativity, collaboration, digital capabilities, global citizenship and environmental stewardship can unlock essential capabilities in the workforce of the future. It is clear. Heading into a year of unique demands, these findings also point to five key skills that are critical for marketers.

1. Develop a creative processWhen we think of marketing creativity, clever ads, smart offers, or unusual media placements often come to mind. All of this applies to creativity, but the true potential of marketing creativity comes from creating something of new value – something that drives meaningful differentiation for your brand and business.

This doesn’t always happen at the moment of ‘light bulb’, but it is the result of the process. It’s about how we’re constantly learning from our customers, learning from what’s working for others, identifying niches, testing, refining, and ultimately delivering ideas that fit the bill very well. It happens when The need to apply a disciplined approach to creativity to overcome the pervasive sea of ​​sameness is critical to brand performance, and he is as urgent in B2B marketing as it is in B2C. Research shows that moving from rational branding to more emotionally creative branding can help B2B marketers increase market share. Creativity leads to memory. And what is associated and remembered is what was purchased.

2. Master “Story Selling”If you’re a marketer, you’ve probably heard this expression before. the numbers tellWell, they aren’t exactly. It’s the context and narrative around numbers that influences decision-making. If data alone could sell us, we wouldn’t be smoking, eating too much sugar, or being overworked with no work-life balance. Because decisions are based on what matters most to us. Influencing this internal and human narrative is accomplished through emotional appeal. This is amplified and rationalized by data. This is a story sale. master it

3. Overcome the digital shiftWhether it’s social media marketing or using insights from digital initiatives to influence the planning of marketing campaigns, think NFTs, chatbots, and everything else possible in the metaverse. And it’s time to learn how to overcome it all, whether it’s bringing digital measurability to your physical channel marketing. and fast.

Consider this Statista data point. Especially in the US and UK, there is some loss of appeal to children who want to be astronauts. When asked what he wants to be when he grows up, these kids are three times more likely to choose a social media influencer than an astronaut, he said, which is a generational shift. But kids aren’t the only ones addicted to the digital revolution. Adults of all ages embrace the digital revolution wholeheartedly. For example, in 2021, 36% of TikTok users will be from He’s 35 to He’s 54. His ChatGPT chatbot from OpenAI also has over 1 million users in less than a week since its launch.

4. Be truly inclusive. Inclusiveness is non-negotiable for brands looking to capture mindshare in the global marketplace. Changed by societal change, digitalization making us more accessible, shaping consumer tastes requires a better representation of the breadth of evolving human and cultural truths. From gender-neutral pronouns to eradicating bias from the data that informs campaigns, it’s important but not enough. Marketers need to actively demonstrate their commitment to a more inclusive world. Retailers like Gap, Macy’s and Sephora have signed a 15% pledge committing to allocate 15% of retail shelf space to Black-owned brands. This is necessary, and brands built by marketers who put diversity and inclusion first have much to gain.

5. Build communities sustainablyThis has become an imperative business imperative as consumer scrutiny of both brand actions and omissions becomes increasingly important, in line with brand objectives, while being an environmentally conscious business. increase. The brands that survive this decade will be steered by marketers whose businesses can find the right balance between profit and purpose, driving growth synergistically with greater profit. Commitment to the well-being of the larger community and having a clearer perspective on climate strategy is no longer an option. It’s an expectation from all brands, and it’s already shaping consumer decisions. Brands and marketers also need metrics that make these efforts measurable in order to translate commitments into actionable roadmaps with concrete initiatives and results.

So how do you keep improving your skills? My experience has shaped my view that reskilling and upskilling is best when it is self-regulation that is not mandated. Autonomy is a powerful driver of effective and purposeful learning. Think about what is most important to your career and the careers of the people you lead, and help connect your program to the skills that will help you meet these learning challenges.

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Sumit Virani is Infosys’ Chief Marketing Officer and is responsible for delivering on Infosys’ brand objectives globally.