Pros and Cons of a Marketing Education

Originally Published in Business North, March 2021  

I don’t recall when I first noticed that a lot of young people are interested marketing degrees. I'm an extrovert, so I frequently strike up conversations with people in grocery store lines. If I learn that the checkout person is in college, I often ask what they’re studying. It is amazing how many say, “Marketing.” 

Even before Mad Men marketing careers had some kind of chic mystique. And with the advent of online marketing, the field has become more interesting than ever. Maybe there’s something to be said for the thrill of sitting in an office here and influencing the behavior of consumers all over the world. 

As I thought about this subject and how to write about it, I felt it might be useful to pick the brain of someone who has been active on both sides of this matter, the academic side and “real world” activities in a corporate capacity. 

Over the years Parnell Thill has been an Adjunct Professor of Marketing and Business Development at St. Scholastica where he taught courses in the MBA program on distribution, promotion, pricing, communications and so on. He’s also taught or co-taught classes at UMD, St. Cloud State and Fond du Lac Community College. He is currently a Senior Marketing Manager at AMSOIL INC. after previously serving as VP Marketing at Ikonics.

 

The Value of a Degree

How important is a degree in marketing? Thill began by stating, “If the program is solid and the instructors equally solid--it is possible to have one without the other-- then the study itself is utilitarian in the way that rigorous study of any given subject is. That is, like physical exercise, the intellectual demands of studying marketing, given the broad nature of the topic, is gray-matter inducing. In other words, no one makes a living doing pushups every morning, but doing pushups every morning is still good for you.”

He elaborated by noting that the manner in which consumers consume may be evolving, but the fundamentals of “consumerism” remain constant. Those who appreciate and respect these underlying fundamentals will have an advantage over marketers who do not.

The Downside of an Education

When it comes to landing a position in marketing today, employers are more concerned with getting a candidate with experience, Thill said. “Increasingly, the word ‘experience’ is code for, ‘The kind of experience we need for an immediate impact within our organization and market.’ A general B.S. or B.A. degree in Marketing (or anything else) is not synonymous with being qualified to meet that definition of ‘experience.’”

Another variable Thill underscores is the cost. A college education is more expensive than ever. In the old days it could be assumed that future salary opportunities would offset the costs associated with college and post-graduate degrees. These expectations may be suspect today for many.

A third weakness of the academic route to a marketing career is the textbooks. “While exceptions exist,” he said, “generally, marketing textbooks—especially those concentrated on the ever-evolving tactical landscape in an attempt at relevance—are outdated within hours of their publication.” 

I suspect that this flaw is what leads art students to neglect art history and philosophy students to disparage the Greek classics.

Misconceptions about Marketing

I asked Thill what he saw as the biggest misconceptions about marketing. He began by reiterating something I’d noted in a previous column, the tendency to confuse marketing strategy with tactics.

“For me,” he replied, “the most fundamental and ubiquitous misconception about marketing is that marketing is synonymous with advertising. Or social media. Or graphic design. Or events. Or public relations.”  He then compared it to equating a steering wheel or tires, engine or chassis to an automobile. “All of these elements are critical, but only in concert with the system as a whole.”

“A related misconception,” he added, “is that marketing is a cute and fun add-on to the ‘real business’ of running a business, and therefore anyone can do it.”

An Alternative Marketing Education

To have a future in marketing is not an either/or decision of whether to go to school or not. Thill shared that there are alternatives. One model hearkens back to the trades model in which you follow a graduated progression through apprenticeship, journeyman, master, etc.  “This makes a ton of sense,’ he said. “It ensures that practical experience accompanies theoretical education.”

All too often, though, young professionals are in such a hurry to get to the top that they fail to learn all the lessons that can be absorbed on each rung of the ladder. In the Twin Cities, executive recruiters make good money plucking the discontented from here and plugging them in there. I saw how it’s done because I worked for a executive recruiter for four months and saw firsthand how others did it.

If money is the only objective, I suppose one can play that game. The better play (my opinion only) is to hone your skills and become the best you can be. Stay for as long as it takes in your current setting so that you’re worth what the next company will pay you. If the culture is right you may even retire there.

Suggested Readings

I can’t say enough for the value of books to advance any aspect of your career. Thus, I asked Parnell to make some book recommendations. Here are three.

On Marketing by Phil Kotler
Every marketing pro should have this oldie-but-goodie on the shelf, he said. Just as every aspiring musician should listen to early 20^th century blue and classical superstars like Mendelson and Mozart, in order to know “where we came from,” aspiring marketers should know the classics. This is one. 

Good to Great by Jim Collins
Perhaps it’s become cliché now, “but I think it’s a good example of the breadth of influence good marketing has on successful organizations,” he said.

I Hate Your Bike: Marketing Fundamentals for Experts and Posers by Parnell Thill
Tentatively scheduled for release in June 2021, we just had to put this in here. When my own marketing book is ready I will keep you posted. 

* * *

Related Links

No Silver Bullets and Four Other Things I've Learned About Marketing

Internet Marketing: Five Considerations

Why Print Still Matters for Marketers