1. Creativity and problem-solving
Let’s start with the obvious: success in marketing requires creativity. But creativity does not only involve coming up with ideas for campaigns or promotions: you also need to be creative in your manner of thinking. Can you think quickly on your feet? Can you find new solutions to existing problems? For example, are you able to change course when an idea you came up with turns out to not work well in practice? Can you change strategies in the middle of a pitch when you sense that the client or stakeholder is not buying what you’re selling? By bringing your creativity into other aspects of your work in marketing, you can set yourself apart as someone whose capabilities extend well beyond just coming up with creative ideas for branding and campaign management.
2. Attention to detail
Most marketing executives will have started their careers as a specialist in a particular area of marketing. Whether you started as a digital content marketeer or a trade and category manager, in your role as a specialist you will have undoubtedly focused your energy on the minute details of your specialization. As you grow in your career, it will serve you to carry this ability to focus on details with you. A visionary who can focus on strategy and commercial targets is great – but a leader who can also think about email campaign design, spelling and grammar of website content, and what fond to choose for merchandise even greater.
3. Knowledge of digital marketing
Marketing and digital marketing become more synonymous every year. Even if you are working on campaigns for traditional media, some insight into digital marketing will be a big plus once you evolve in your career to more senior leadership roles; it helps to know a little about SEO and SEA if you are directing SEO/SEA specialists in your team.
Understanding how digital fits into the omnichannel strategy is therefore a much needed baseline skill, as the overlap between traditional distribution channels and online strategy grows ever larger.
