The Marketing Communications Consultants Association (MCCA) is changing its name to the Marketing Agencies Association (MAA) with immediate effect in a bid to raise awareness.

The association hope the rebrand will offer the industry a better idea about the services the organisation can offer. Speaking about the change of name, Scott Knox, the managing director of the association, commented:

“As the diversity of our membership has widened, we have felt a growing need for our name to better reflect who we represent – the best of the UK’s marketing agencies across all disciplines.

“Looking at the evolving media landscape and having surveyed feedback from the industry, this simply feels like the most natural course to take and I’m confident the new name will add greater clarity to our role.”

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A marketing expert believes email marketing is the way forward in getting business messages across when budgets are tight.

Matt McNeill, the Chief Executive of Sign-Up.to believes vouchers and discounts have the ability to unearth a ‘dramatic effect’ on open rates.

McNeill pointed to the fact that email strategies provide not only one of the most cost-effective ways of putting a message across, but also provide ‘unparalleled reporting’ opportunities.

“Linking these kind of offers in to a cross-media strategy (for example involving Facebook and Twitter) can also be a great way to quickly build a mailing list to reach out to with future campaigns.”

A recent report from the company highlights some interesting statistics – including the fact on average, UK email campaigns had an open rate of 17.98 per cent and a click through rate of 3.56 per cent.

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If you have just graduated from university with a marketing degree, and are currently searching online for marketing jobs, you may be wondering which marketing sector offers the right career path for your needs.

Well, for many marketing graduates, few jobs are more attractive than arts marketing jobs. For many, it’s a chance to combine a passion for the arts whilst making use of marketing know-how.

Learn more about arts marketing jobs by reading the guide below.

A Profile of Arts Marketing Jobs

An arts marketing executive (sometimes referred to as an arts administrator) will have the principal role of marketing arts performances and exhibitions to both the trade and the wider public.

Much of the job will involve PR work in order to promote an event, such as writing copy and sending it to relevant news sources to promote an event, implementing and executing marketing campaigns relating to the arts, using digital communications and social networking techniques to publicise an event, and taking responsibility for all e-marketing activity to promote events and exhibitions.

You’ll have to be an excellent all-round communicator with a dedicated interest in the arts to flourish in this environment. Innovation and an ability to think-outside-the-box will also help you stand out from the crowd when applying for an arts marketing job.

Other arts marketing jobs will involve administration, such as providing web traffic reports, drafting strategies on how marketing activity can be improved and enhanced within the business, and writing post-campaign reports following the completion of an arts event or exhibition.

Ideally, candidates will be educated for degree level – although this is not always a barrier to applying for a marketing job in the arts.  The average salary for someone working in the arts marketing sector is around £24,000 a year.

Find arts marketing jobs on Simply Marketing Jobs

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Do you have a passion for fashion? Well, if you come from a marketing background, why not pursue your interest further in this field by considering the many fashion marketing jobs currently available on the market.

The fashion industry generates billions of pounds every year, so naturally, marketing strategy is a crucial component of this particular sector. Read on to learn more about jobs in fashion marketing.

A Profile of Fashion Marketing Jobs

In order to thrive in a fashion marketing environment, you’ll need to have an intuitive understanding of the state of the fashion market – remember this industry is evolving all the time, so you’ll need to have the energy, drive and innovation to implement fresh approaches to fashion marketing.

An impeccable knowledge of consumer buying habits is needed to excel within this environment, as is an instinctive understanding of demographics – whether you’re marketing T-shirts or formal wear to financiers , in fashion marketing, it’s crucial to know your audience – and how to reach them.

In a fashion marketing role, you’ll have the responsibility of coordinating all marketing activity on behalf of a fashion house. Much of the job will involve liaising with the company’s business development team and sales department, ensuring the business follows a streamlined marketing strategy.

In terms of qualifications, employers will often look for a marketing degree combined with some evidence of familiarity with the fashion industry. Anybody interested in fashion vacancies may find this particular marketing sector also offers great scope for career progression.

Find fashion marketing jobs on Simply Marketing Jobs

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Anybody looking for a public relations job should have bags of charisma and excellent communication skills – something which should make an interview for this particular role a breeze.

However, even the most confident of candidates will naturally feel the nerves creeping up as an interview ticks ever closer – so if you’re applying for public relation jobs, read our interview tips in the guide below.

Public Relations Jobs: Interview Tips

1. Research the company

   This is incredibly important for any job interview, never mind a PR position. The recruiter will be analysing whether you really have the drive and dedication to work for the organisation, and for signs that you understand their core business interests. Even if you’re a confident talker, you can come badly unstuck without any concrete knowledge of an organisation’s key interests. Before the interview, take some time to visit the company’s website and make a mental note of their current activities, especially in relation to PR.

2. Bring some writing samples

   PR is all about effective communication, so perhaps unsurprisingly, many recruiters looking to fill a PR position will be looking to determine whether you have the communication skills necessary to succeed in the role. If possible, try and bring a portfolio of your previous work along to the interview, as the quality of your written work may be enough to swing a decision in your favour. Many PR interviews may also include a written test, so it’s best to prepare for this eventuality before heading to interview.

3. Study current PR trends

   The world of PR is constantly evolving, so it’s important to stay updated with the latest developments within the trade. PR recruiters will be looking for a switched-on candidate with the ability to think outside the box when it comes to PR, so keep track of industry developments by reading trade magazines, journals and websites.

4. Prepare for difficult questions

   At every job interview, there’s always going to be one question that will cause a candidate a momentary slip-up, so if you have the opportunity, try and analyse as many potential questions as you can prior to the interview, and plan some effective answers. It’s crucial, however, to appear natural and charismatic in the presentation of your answers when applying for PR vacancies.  Don’t appear flustered by an unexpected question – it’s perfectly acceptable to take a moment to think through an answer.

5. Embrace the modern world

   As touched on above, PR jobs are forever evolving, particularly with the development of technology and social networking. From Twitter to Facebook to YouTube campaigns, there has never been a better time to be a PR professional in terms of promoting a business or brand. Therefore, at the job interview, ensure you can show off plenty of diverse social networking skills on your CV.

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Market research jobs focus on one of the most important areas of effective marketing – understanding the market and the trends that can impact on any business model.

Successful market research can help a business develop significantly – however, it is easy to make some basic mistakes with this job role. To learn how to perform a market research job successfully, read the guide below.

Market Research Jobs: Five Top Tips for Success

1. Know what you’re looking for – It’s all too easy to carry out market research that is unhelpful that, in the end, reveals very little in relation to the future prospects of your business. If you want to use the research to inspire marketing strategy, you need to understand what the ultimate goal of the market research will be.

   Whether it’s to analyse market opinion of your business or product or to unearth sales trends and demographics, a strategy should always be in place when it comes to market research.

2. It’s all about the trends – For the most part, market research involves the study of trends – and to be successful in marketing research jobs, you’ll need to have a full understanding of every stat relating to your market, from demographics to purchasing trends to seasonal shifts. The more trends you can determine, the more likely you will be to rise up the marketing ranks.
3. One aspect of market research that can have some element of success in determining the popularity of your product or business service within the market is random surveys. However, it’s important to note that this type of research is not always 100 per cent reliable. Email, direct mail and telephone surveys can all be used in market research, to varying degrees of success.
4. If your company is arranging a product launch, focus groups can often provide an effective barometer of how successful the product will be once a full-scale launch is underway. This can often provide a company with opportunities to make amendments to the prototype of a product before a full market release, ironing out any potential flaws spotted by the focus group.
5. Finally, anybody searching for market research vacancies should be aware of the importance of putting plenty of time aside to analyse the market research and produce detailed reports and data which explores the consequences of the data collected. Plenty of time should be spent evaluating the impact of market research on your future business development.

Find market research jobs on Simply Marketing Jobs

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The marketing and design industry in the UK is seeing strong signs of renewed confidence, according to the new European Market Eye report from the industry’s specialist recruitment consultancy Aquent.

The survey of marketers as well as advertising, design and digital agencies found that three in five organisations predict a rise in permanent staff. The number of organisations increasing salaries looks set to double throughout the remainder of 2010, with 32% expecting pay rises over the next six months compared to just 16% over the last half year. Read more »

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The World Cup has put sports brand Adidas on course for record sales despite the widespread criticism of its specially designed tournament ball.

The Germany-based company said it is expecting sales of at least £1.25bn in their football category, an increase of over 15% compared to previous record sales in 2008.

It is also an increase of 25% compared to the last World Cup in Germany in 2006. Read more »

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Browsing online for design jobs?

For many people looking to break into the design industry, few jobs are more glamorous than a position as a product designer. In this particular role, you will have the pressure and responsibility of designing, modelling and testing a new product in readiness for its release on the market. Although this is not a job for everyone, it can be extremely lucrative and rewarding providing you can cope with the pressure of deadlines and market reaction.

Learn more about product design jobs in the guide below.

Product Design Jobs: A Guide

This role will involve demonstrating plenty of in-depth knowledge about a set marketplace, and a good eye for the needs of the modern day consumer. Inevitably, this job can have its peaks and troughs – and often it can take several drafts before a product is deemed suitable for further development.

On a day-to-day basis, product design jobs can involve the following tasks:

• Establishing a design brief in consultation with clients
• Developing design concepts
• Using CAD technology to explore design options
• Attending design meetings and discussing project ideas
• Sourcing suitable materials for the product design
• Producing a mix of hand-drawn sketches and computer designs
• Presenting designs to account managers and senior management
• Modelling samples and prototypes
• Liaising with appropriate departmental staff to organise product/brand launch
• Making considerations over budgetary costs
• Pitching and presenting product designs

Design Jobs: Product Designer Salary Guide

A product design job can be extremely lucrative – provided you are willing to commit yourself to several years of learning the trade. Starting salaries tend to be fairly generous, at around £20,000-£25,000 a year, although several design-specific qualifications are needed to apply for this challenging role.

An experienced product designer can earn as much as £30,000-£55,000 a year after several years in the job, although London weighting may lead to higher salaries in the capital. Depending on experience, it is also possible to follow a comfortable self-employed/freelance career path with this particular profession.

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The visual power of a brand or product all too often determines whether it is destined for success or failure, so in the design industry few more positions are important to companies than graphic designer jobs.

The graphic designer will be asked by an employer to produce a visual design solution to communicate the appropriate message a brand or product wants to put across to the general public. In the guide below, we profile the general day-to-day duties involved with a role in this particular area of design.

Graphic Design Jobs: A Profile

The job role of a graphic designer can be extremely varied, depending on a company’s particular design needs on a week-by-week basis. However, graphic design jobs generally include the following tasks:

• Liasing with business clients and in-house colleagues to determine design needs
• Producing a design concept to present to relevant staff
• Analysing the time requirements necessary to see a graphic design project through to completion
• Utilising a creative approach to design work to produce innovative, original ideas
• Carrying out design research to analyse market trends
• Drafting design briefs and pitching ideas
• Proofreading written work within a design concept
• Presenting drafts and final designs to account managers
• Working with new media and modern design technologies such as Quark Xpress and Dreamweaver
• Contributing to the development of ideas in conjunction with other design staff

Design Jobs: Graphic Designer Salary Guide

Starting salaries can vary within the design industry, with the majority of entry level graphic designers starting with a basic salary of £14,000-£20,000 a year. However, with experience and creative expertise, the prospects of career progression are extremely high within this sector.

After several years in the job, a senior graphic designer can expect to earn an annual sum of around £25,000-£40,000 a year. If you are fortunate enough to advance to the level of Creative Director within a company, you may be able to earn up to £65,000+ per annum. The chances of finding freelance work as a graphic designer are also favourable.

Find design jobs on Simply Marketing Jobs

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