First 100 days

(and this really is an unashamedly FMCG view!)

Over several years of involvement with marketing careers, I have found that marketers aspire in general to one of two career outcomes. Either they want to stay close to brands, products and consumers; in other words they want to stay as marketers. Or they aspire to some form of general business leadership role as “General Manager� or “Chairman� of a company. For these latter people the route through marketing is precisely that – a route through to some other form of business leadership role. Some people have said to me that they want to keep their options open and that they aspire simply to a senior role down either path. And clearly there are some people who are talented enough to build the capability to be great in either role. However, it is my contention that truly successful general business leadership is distinct from great marketing leadership, and that each separate role require distinct and different competencies and experiences; in other words they belong ultimately to separate career paths.

Consider this:

As CEO of a regional European business you are appointing a new general manager for one of your major markets. Two promising candidates are proposed, both from a marketing background and both with a strong track record. One of them is a great brand developer, having developed consumer mixes for the region supported by great advertising. He has worked in the relevant country and has some experience of consumer activation marketing. His most recent role has been as regional brand director for a portfolio of brands. The second candidate has an impressive track record as a marketer within local companies. She has some brand development experience, has also spent several years working in sales and had one assignment in logistics management. Her most recent role was as marketing director in a medium sized territory. Pretty obvious which one would get the job, isn’t it?
Reverse the scenario, and assess the candidates for the role of SVP Brands across the region. Once again, the answer is pretty obvious.

Now although this might sound like an invented scenario, in my experience I have found it all too common. The tragedy has been that each of these two individuals would have thought themselves worth a crack in either of the roles; and neither of them would have considered their likely progression into the very senior role with anything like enough forethought and planning.

It is a competitive world, if you will allow me the cliché, and natural talent combined with a successful track record in “marketing� is not always going to land you that top job – because there might always be someone with equal talent and a more appropriate track record. So, figure out what you aspire to be as a marketer, and then plan your career development accordingly!