Profile of marketing communications

Marketing communications (marcom) is typically defined as the group that executes the company program strategy, responsible for awareness and lead generation programs, and for providing the sales tools and collateral used in the sales process. While research shows that product management, product marketing, and marketing communications all are in the “marketing” department, many companies consider “marketing” synonymous with “marketing communications.”

Marketing communications typically reports to a Director of Marketing (62%) although 30% report to a VP.

Given its role in program execution, the most time-consuming activities in marcom are writing, planning and running programs, and measuring marcom results. Some time is spent in a typical week creating sales presentations and demos, proofing copy, and briefing press and analysts.

Marcom spends little or no time on market research, business planning, requirements and specifications, performing win/loss analysis, attending sales calls, or visiting customers.

70% have positioning as their responsibility, yet only 46% perform market research and none reported visiting customers or sales prospects.

Demographics

• Age: 34
• 77% female, 23% male
• 3-5 years in a technology role
• 60% of women and 67% of men say they are technical
  (or 40% of women and 33% of men say they are non-technical)
• All have college and 30% have a master’s degree

As with product management, marketing communications would like people to understand that “marketing is more than tactics. There is strategy behind what we do.”

Compensation

• Salary: $71,417 (54% negotiated their salary)
• Bonus: $9,750 (70% have a bonus program)

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