A tremendous evolution within the marketing landscape has unexpectedly occurred due to the ongoing pandemic. This great wave of change has marketers across industries reevaluating long-term marketing strategies, everyday processes and technologies to keep up with the rapid change of consumer behaviour. One thing is certain amongst all other uncertainties: marketing continues to provide brand assurance, commitment and a sense of a community to consumers. With marketing evolving to an essential service, today’s marketers are hard-pressed to keep up with pivotal changes and maintain relevance. Learners engaged in the Chartered Marketer (CM) program, gain firsthand insight from instructors facing these challenges and experiences.

 

Becoming A Marketing Leader

The pandemic has been “the catalyst for permanently shifting laggards online – and having made the necessary investment in effort and technology, many will simply not go back.”, shares Brent Chaters, Managing Director Digital Customer & Marketing Transformation Practice at Accenture and Committee Chair of the CMA’s Board of Directors, in his observations of the Five New Human Truths That Experiences Need to Address in the Wake of Covid-19. As businesses adjust to a renewed online marketing world, marketers need to be ready to assist and support that transition. With this in mind, marketers will need to take stock of where their knowledge may be lacking to address this change.

Short term solutions may fill gaps and there are multiple available online, but the CM program stands out because it’s designed using the most modern instruction techniques and best practices for adult learning. It also builds on the core competencies module by module, so learners emerge confident rather than rushed and frazzled. The program strives to not only teach strategic and applied marketing but also inform and influence learners through leadership training. This way, they no longer run the risk of being blindsided or worse, scrambling to learn new technologies when a new shift occurs (and it will as all marketers know change is guaranteed in the field). Learners are taught how to anticipate, address, and react to societal shifts that impact marketing in Canada. All of this starts off the jump in Core One. It’s the mark of a true marketer who is ready to lead through change, rather than get lost in it.

Achieving Compassion with Online Marketing

When the pandemic first arose, many marketing campaigns were either put on pause completely or criticized loudly for their tone-deaf insensitivity. Then came marketing initiatives reflecting authentic connection and support while remaining true to their brand. Harry Rosen for example during the first week of the lockdown stepped up to “produce some handsome-looking non-medical facemasks.” Thanks to truly listening and staying engaged with customers throughout this time, marketing evolved to something more. Trinh Tham, Chief Marketing Officer at Harry Rosen shares, “We posted our story organically on Instagram and LinkedIn in the hopes of encouraging others to do the same and we were surprised by the quick and positive sentiment from our community.” The messaging delivered demonstrated compassion.

This is only one of many similar marketing stories shared and celebrated in the last few months. These actions and subsequent campaigns demonstrate the quick thinking and versatility of marketers who know how to design, brief and deploy effective marketing through thick and thin. As learners make their way through Core Two of the CM program, they develop this skill with video resources from expert marketers across many disciplines. In Core Three, this is taken one step further by bringing the focus back to the consumer. Learners are guided back to the customer first mindset to construct and execute a marketing and media plan effectively. Learners won’t be expected to review outdated marketing case studies here. They’ll be asked to create mock-ups and pitch decks on current case studies while keeping their customers’ needs top of mind with the input of real-life experts. Plus, engagement is encouraged in forums where learners will chat about their own marketing efforts and plans to gain insights from each other.

Market Further with Electives

As new changes continue to appear on the horizon, “companies [will] need to review their assumptions around their customers’ expectations and adapt to them.”, John Bardwell, Founder and Managing Director of TMG International Inc. reflects. It starts with marketers being proactive, which requires analytical skills that span from interpreting the changing market to examining current strategies. More so than ever, empathy needs to be involved every step of the way so there’s no disconnect between brand and audience.

The CM Brand Elective allows learners to explore brand marketing through a focused lens and challenges them to ask key questions. It’s the perfect elective for marketers to take what they’ve learnt and dive deeper. This is just one of the CM Designation electives that benefit today’s marketer. As many companies focus on anticipating what is next, having this sort of specialty will ensure CM holders continue to move forward in a post-pandemic market assertively.

Continuing the Marketing Evolution

With the pandemic ongoing, every moment, although uncomfortable, offers a learning opportunity. The beauty of marketing is the field is never stagnant and allows for creativity and innovation no matter the industry. Contributing to the marketing evolution requires marketers whose thirst for learning stops at no circumstance. The CM program recognizes that and works to fulfill that endeavour by having each graduate commit to continuous professional development.