11 April 2024
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Gone are the days when businesses could rely solely on traditional marketing channels to reach their audience. The evolution of technology and changes in consumer behaviour have given rise to a new breed of marketeers: Multi-channel marketing professionals orchestrate marketing campaigns across various platforms to connect with customers on their preferred channels.
We asked AIM’s marketing team for their thoughts about the changing role of the marketeer and how the role is evolving to keep pace with the constant emergences of new technologies.
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| From left: Jade Allen - Graphic Designer, Jill Minter - Head of Marketing and Communications, Jas Jandu - Marketing and Communications Officer, Conner Thornewill - Marketing Officer |
“I remember the early days of brainstorming lunches and relying on ‘gut feelings’ when planning campaigns but in the last few years marketing has started to undergo a digital revolution.
From ‘Blanket Bombing’ to ‘Laser Targeting’, digital tech now lets us target specific audiences with laser precision, using data from websites, social media and personal shopping/buying habits etc, marketers can now send personalised adverts seconds after you’ve engaged with a post on social media.
Content still reigns supreme, whether creating blog posts or TikTok dances, engaging content is key. Tech helps us to create diverse formats, reach wider audiences, and build communities.
Many of the laborious and tedious tasks like scheduling tweets are now automated, freeing up time for the good stuff: strategy, creativity, and building relationships.
Tech has become so complex that new roles like ‘Multi-Channel Marketer’ have sprung up. They're the wizards behind the scenes, integrating different tools and platforms to create seamless customer journeys.
Whilst the future of marketing is tech-driven, it won’t replace the human touch. It's about using tech creatively and ethically to connect with real people and create unforgettable experiences”.
“Historians believe the origins of graphic design can be traced back to early cave paintings from about 38,000 BC. They were, after all, a form of communication. However, I'll not take you that far back; instead, I'll talk about graphic design in the mid-20th century.
Saul Bass was a graphic design pioneer, and if you like old films, you'll have seen much of his artwork without realising it. His film posters were revolutionary. Some that spring to mind are Anatomy of Murder (1959), Love in the Afternoon (1967), The Man with the Golden Arm (1955), and Vertigo (1958). One method he used to create his posters was Cutting and collaging. Essentially, cut and paste and arrange. In short, once he had arranged the poster, it would then be photographed, a negative created that would be used as a template, printing plates produced (each colour would have to have its own printing plate), and how the poster was printed would depend on the complexity of the design—a lengthy and costly process to create just one, albeit impressive, poster.
Bringing you back to the present, the whole process by which Saul Bass created a poster can be done using a computer and design software, including replicating certain styles such as screen printing. This shift has dramatically increased efficiency, opening up new possibilities to experiment and innovate. Now that we can do so much on a computer, designers can try new and exciting things, constantly challenge themselves, and develop their skills.”
“My marketing career began back in 2005 when things were very different - the only digital platform I remember using was a website! All other marketing activities were conducted using traditional marketing channels that were predominantly transactionally focused. From booking print advertising in magazines and newspapers, to looking through hundreds of printed newspaper clippings to see the impact of our PR efforts. Even mail campaigns back then were done by post. Everything was paper-based and laborious, with short-term windows in which to make an impact with your marketing.
New technological innovations such as Web 2.0 and social media platforms, were just starting to emerge. These technologies forced us to create new ways of working and to skill-up, fast, to ride the wave of this digital renaissance.
Fast-forward to the current day and we can book advertising digitally and send e-mails to thousands of contacts with the click of a button. Marketing is now more targeted, focusing on building long-term relationships and tailoring messages to the needs of niche groups of customers. With the emergence of AI, we are further exploring ways in which it can be used to complement our current marketing processes to reach and support more customers”.
“Starting as a digital marketing apprentice in 2017, my career has progressed in line with the evolution of multi-channel, V-shaped marketing.
I've grown up as an active participant of the digital evolution; As a child I’ve experienced music and movies moving from tapes to CDs/DVDs to streaming, and as a teenager embraced the birth and growth of social media. I’ve witnessed websites advancing from basic pages filled with words and images to platforms for personalised customer experiences. Growing up with these technological advances, and with an interest in technology, means I can easily adapt to the emergence of popular types of digital infrastructure and spot opportunities for optimisation.
Complacency is the enemy of progress, and whilst I can adapt to new platforms, the emergence of AI and its place in marketing is a new challenge I must face and explore quickly. As we begin to utilise AI more as an organisation, I am looking at the vast number of ways this new tool could support us and, at the same time, identifying where it may not be beneficial. I believe it's not how many tools you have but how you use them that makes the biggest impact”.
The marketing landscape is evolving; Organisations need people who can embrace change and thrive on new opportunities. Multi-channel Marketer apprentices are by their very nature, adaptable, quick thinkers and innovators so are an essential investment for any business looking to grow.
If you are interested in recruiting an apprentice or are a training organisation with a cohort of multi-channel marketing apprentices, have a chat with our apprenticeship team.
