What exactly do marketing managers do?  That is the question! 

One thing that is clear is that a marketing manager does not just sell.  They must understand the customer and manage the customer journey.  They must be able to develop a marketing strategy and manage the marketing mix.  They must be able to instill a marketing led philosophy throughout the organization.  They must be able to measure success and manage failure, as well as ensure timely delivery.  They should be able to perform research and identify primary opportunities.  The marketing manager should be accustomed to managing budgets and agencies.  The marketing manager should be adept at making customer driven decisions.

It is important to know what others are doing in the marketplace.   Using Sony and the Betamax as an example, "The Betamax video recorder hit stores in 1975.  A year later, Sony's rival released another video recorder -- the VHS.  By early 1977, four other companies were selling VHS machines.  Meanwhile, Sony chose not to license Betamax technology.  Because the two formats were incompatible, consumers had to choose between the two.  As Sony was the lone Betamax producer, you can guess which system they chose." (AOL.com, 2013) This is a self-telling story of keeping your eye on the competitor.

  

It is also important to align with what each customer desires.  Smith & Wesson, yes, the famous gun company, once tried to produce a bicycle to appeal to the public.  A what you say?  I was taken aback, too.  When I think of a bicycle, I think of Schwinn and see a family happily biking their way through a serene park-like setting to a picnic. Smith & Wesson does indeed produce bicycles but they are geared towards the law enforcement industry.  "A study commissioned by the company found brand awareness so strong that consumers said they would consider S&W not only for handguns, but for other products as well.  As long as that something isn't mountain bikes.  S&W had been selling bicycles designed for law enforcement, security and emergency response since 1997.  So in 2002, it took another step by offering mountain bikes to consumers too.  Unfortunately, while the bikes continue to be loved by public service officials, the public never caught the fever." (AOL.com, 2013)  A marketing failure?  Possibly, but I have a tendency to believe that it was more of an ill-fated product alignment with the market desires.  I wonder what would have happened if they had decided upon a thermos?

Identifying trends, research, and cultural effects are a must do for the marketing of every product. Let’s use the marketing blunder of American Motors and the car model of the Matador.  "The Matador did not do well in Puerto Rico where 'matador' has the connotation of 'killer'.  Bull-fighting was abolished on the island more than 100 years ago when the U.S. took control of Puerto Rico." (Texin, 2009)  Now tell me, who would want to ride in a car called killer?  This is a primary example of NOT doing your homework!

A value must be created that delivers satisfaction and loyalty.  Customer loyalty is very significant in the creation and maintenance of competitive advantages.  It would stand to reason that even with small increases in loyal customers a large amount of profitability can be realized.  Loyalty on the company’s behalf is remembering what your customer base likes, keeping in touch with the customer, rewarding them for choosing your company, and figuring out what you can do to make them even happier.  Loyalty on the consumer’s behalf is primarily comprised of a continuance to use the company’s product or service. 

So what is the role of the marketing manager when it comes to customer loyalty?  According to Cohen, "The marketer finds out what the customer wants and influences the organization to produce it."  (Cohen, 2012)  The marketer must convince the organization that the market orientation should be tied into the customer focus and that a higher level of overall satisfaction and loyalty will increase retention.  In a nutshell, a happy customer positively influences the profitability level of the business.

It takes a cornucopia of information, research, metrics, studies, investigations, and other methods of exploration and influence to come up with the right marketing mix.  The marketing manager must be able to understand the entire puzzle of the target market, loyalty aspects, value that is created as well as deliver the same to the marketplace.

Cohen, William (2012-09-26). Drucker on Marketing: Lessons from the World's Most Influential Business Thinker (p. 34). McGraw-Hill. Kindle Edition.

Texin, Tex. "Translations That (Allegedly) Embarrassed Their Marketing Departments."  Marketing Translation Mistakes. 2009. Web. 12 Apr 2013.

"Top 25 Biggest Product Flops Of All Time." Daily Finance.  AOL.com, 2013. Web. 13 Apr. 2013