Inga Sventeckyte, M00267064

2/25/2010

Middlesex University

How do we
understand
who we want
to be?
MKT 1150 Professional Development. Block B.
Words 1,854

Page 1 of 8
Understanding the Marketing
Profession: why it is so
important?
Block B in Personal and Professional Development has been my favourite
part of studies for a couple of reasons. First, it helps you to understand whether
marketing profession suits you or no, and second, it helps you to understand the
world around you: companies and markets. This, hence, leads to understanding
what career you are aiming to chose. This course was very successful in case of
deep understanding of your future, career and industry.

The understanding of you future career, in this case marketing, helps

you to find and apply skills that are required to be successful. In marketing these
are: Good strategy planner [it is essential to have common sense, clear vision
and expectations], Brands knowledge [always useful to know who your
competitors are, and how do they work], Customer Behaviour knowledge [who
do you serve, and how you can do this better, in order to gain more sales, are
just essential in business, as air to people], Innovation Knowledge [you need to
know what is new, and go dozen steps ahead of competitor]. And all of these go
along with propositions, creating the good value, experiences, relationships,
brilliant sales and brand awareness performance. During block B we went
through all organization levels and had a deep look inside, in order to find out
what role marketing plays in particular businesses.

Alan Parker? Nassetta? Marriott?

I have chosen three companies to have a deep look at. The Whitbread
Plc, Hilton Hotels Corporation and Marriott: the three most known hotel chains. I
would like to discover what role does the marketing plays in the organisation,
and how it relates towards other departments.

Page 2 of 8
 (http://www.insightbridge.co.uk/latest-news/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/whitbread1.gif)

All I have found out during my visit to the Whitbread site is the fact that this
company does not have one marketing department, but, instead, every different
brand [and it is about six] got its own marketing department. So the information
and marketing strategy within different brand is completely different.
Organisational structure is impossible to find, because marketing in Whitbread is
commercial confident area, and it is not being shared because of obvious
reasons. I have seen the marketing director of the premier inn, so, for the fact, I
can tell these people do exist. I also could not find the CEOs Alan Parker’s
university degree, all I know by now is the fact that his first job was within hotel
business.

(http://www.cio.co.uk/cmsdata/news/119464/Hilton.jpg)

I found the whole way different history in the Hilton UK web site: the information
is far more accessible. The CEO and President of the company is Chris Nassetta,
has graduated in both University of Virginia and London School of Economics in
Financial Studies. He might report about his work only to shareholders and
owners of the company, but there is whole a lot people reporting to him.

Page 3 of 8
Key company people

Chief Executive

Chris Nassetta
President & Chief Executive Officer

President

Ian R. Carter
President - Global Operations - Hilton Hotels Corporation

Mark Wang
President - Hilton Grand Vacations Company, LLC - Hilton Hotels Corporation

Matthew L. Richardson
Global Head of Architecture, Design and Construction - Hilton Hotels Corporation

Paul J. Brown
President - Global Brands and Services - Hilton Hotels Corporation

Senior Vice President

Ellen D. Gonda
Senior Vice President, Global Communications and Public Relations - Hilton Hotels Corporation

Kevin J. Jacobs
Senior Vice President, Corporate Strategy - Hilton Hotels Corporation

Thomas C. Kennedy
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer - Hilton Hotels Corporation

Richard M. Lucas
Executive Vice President and General Counsel - Hilton Hotels Corporation

Matthew W. Schuyler
Executive Vice President & Chief Human Resources Officer
Surprisingly, I cannot see any marketing department, but there are two-
marketing related departments. First is Global Brands and Services, Second is
Global Communications and Public Relations. Which makes things quite
complicated; there are two marketing responsible people now. I think the
marketing department in the Hilton Hotel Corporation is very important and
secret, as they have two marketing-related departments.

Page 4 of 8
(http://www.topnews.in/files/marriott-logo.gif)

As I have studies the Board of Directors of Marriott I could not see any of
marketing-related people there. So I made a conclusion that the marketing
people might be reporting to the CEO J.W.Marriott.

During this work, I have realised that marketing is more serious and confidential
that I may have thought. And, is far more complicated than I could have
imagined.

How about Marketing in the Small

Business?
‘Is marketing only for big multimillion companies or I can even apply
marketing tools into selling flowers down the road?’ I would say no, you can
definitely do some big things in your small business. I had some big thoughts
about the two types of marketing back those days. For example, does the size
matter when it comes to the marketing? Does the marketing in a big firm differ
from the marketing in a small size firm? If yes, what differences are there?

When I thought about this, I came up with idea that marketing in the
small firm has got more freedom for creativity and flexibility. Much smaller costs
and far better positioning experience. For example, small businesses have got an
opportunity of using guerrilla marketing techniques, while big companies might
struggle with such creative campaigns. I believe it is a whole different idea when
it comes to the family businesses. As far as I can imagine, in family businesses
one of the family members should have marketing or promotions related
position. I believe when you are so close to the business and ‘board of directors’
it is very hard to run any creative marketing campaign, especially if the
president was born 70 years ago, and has his own opinion of what marketing is
all about. Perhaps, the worst scenario is being a marketer in a family business.

In a week 13, in one of the seminars we were given a task of answering

the questions, which might have led us to the ‘bright’ point of understanding of

Page 5 of 8
whether we are an entrepreneurs or no. This, actually, helped me a lot. I had a
food for my brain for a whole week. I will share my answers and some of the
thoughts in a minute.

What is an entrepreneur?

-The person who sets a new enterprise/ business based on his own
creative idea, in order to make money (reasons may vary).

List/Explore the key dimensions you believe make-up the profile of an

entrepreneur?

-I believe, the key skills if you will, would be ability to identify the market
opportunity and to exploit it, then the essential key is being responsible,
observe. Also every entrepreneur should be a leader, very brilliant risk manager,
accountant and psychologist. He should understand people and money very well.

How does one become an entrepreneur?

-By taking risks and responsibility for your own idea, which, hence might
turn into profitable business?

Entrepreneurial opportunities discovered or created?

-Both. An entrepreneur needs to discover an opportunity and create the

market.

Can entrepreneurship be practised within an organisation?

-Hardly. I just don’t believe it is possible. My first thought was about

franchise business. But I think those people don’t even dream about mind
freedom [when you owning a franchise you don’t have that much of the creative
freedom].

What is the role of entrepreneurship in society?

-The capitalism is based on entrepreneurships [enterprises]. It touches

upon markets, politics, and society. The entrepreneurship creates a societal
benefit, which is why the capitalism exists.

There is one very important thing I have realised. Therefore, I am very cynical
person when it comes to the business, I still would be more than happy owning a
small business, rather than working as a CEO in some large international
company.

Are we going to China?

Page 6 of 8
 Well, for many years China has been coming to our houses as clothes,
accessories and all other sort of things from shoes to microwaves. I guess, now it
is our turn to go to China. I can sense a huge opportunities and money coming
from China in let’s say 10-20 years. One fact, which makes me feel good, is by
2020; potentially there will be 1 billion consumers. 1 billion of potential
customers, and people to be marketed! Isn’t this good?

I can imagine the future marketing profession. I don’t think that in future
marketing will be just in one department; I believe it will consist from couple
other marketing dimensions. Such as Marketing Communications, Brand
Management, Marketing Strategy. The operations are going to be far more
complicated than they are now, better structured. As the many international
organisations will turn they heads to China, the marketing will need to be more
focused on China Psychology and reflect on that, in order to gain market share in
China. As the companies are very well known in America or/and Europe, they will
need to start from the start in China. [This is where marketers need to be].
Hence, marketing profession might be one of the most popular and demanding
professions. So, one of the best advice I have received, was to learn mandarin
language. Which, I might do straight away.

One of my favourite lectures during Block B, were ones Dr Phillip Frame

gave. He is absolutely brilliant! Although, he’s subject is HR, I found him very
knowledgeable and interesting. In general, I like the idea of other department
lecturers giving lectures to the young marketers. It was very valuable!

He was talking about the values, attitudes and culture within the
company. The way it does stick together and the way it works out. Apparently, it
is very sensitive subject to me, so I discovered many essential points to pay
attention to. Such as age of people I work with (I have never seen myself as a
teenager. Nor my parents did. This is why I had problems in communicating with
older people), background (I never thought that background might have such an
impact on the behavioural patterns!). All these things might seem to be very
boring, but in reality they are essential things to know while working within huge
organisation.

The Career of my Dreams.

Unfortunately, I wouldn’t like to work as a marketer in any of world’s
organisations. I believe I might be too entrepreneurial to let my decisions to be
approved by somebody who is ‘higher’ than me. Perhaps, I have got different
world view than others, and my strategies might be just right. But somebody
does not like, because does not understand it. This is a classical example when
thing goes wrong. I would not like it to happen. I am the risk taker, so I would

Page 7 of 8
rather go for more dangerous profession. Such as trader, hedge fund manager,
investor, entrepreneur.

This block B was some kind of an eye opener. I have realised, that my dream
work is actually not marketing, but a risky entrepreneurship. I always liked
marketing because of its strategy planning and brand management, but,
perhaps, I just have been born to be a trader.

Sources of Information
D. Jobber ‘Principles and Practice of Marketing’ 5th Edition, 2007

P. Fisk ‘Marketing Genius’, 2006

‘Business: The Ultimate Resource’, 2002

Whitbread.co.uk (Whitbread Plc web site, the place where I have find out that
marketing in that firm is forbidden word to say)

Hilton.co.uk (Information about Board of Directors was found there)

Marriott.com (I have tried to find as much as I could).

Page 8 of 8