CIM Impact Of Marketing Report Series
The Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) stands as the leading body for the marketing sector. With a membership exceeding 30,000 globally, this international organisation encourages collaboration among marketers worldwide, elevating industry standards collectively.
Since 2022, the CIM have produced three impact of marketing reports. The aim of each report is to understand the state of the UK marketing industry and marketing’s changing role in society. The first instalment of the series, ‘Rebuilding Better Customer Experiences’ explored how marketers can adapt to the new normal and keep the customer at the heart of the business. The second report, ‘Rebuilding for Globalisation’ discussed how marketers can make the most of the global opportunities that are available. The third and final instalment to the series, the most recent report, looks ‘inwards’ at the sector to explore how marketers can rebuild their careers in a post-pandemic world and make the most of the opportunities available to them.
Impact Of Marketing Report: Key Takeaways
Outlined below are key insights from the report, categorised for marketers and employers.
Insights For Marketers
- Pressure Points: The report highlights concerns among mid-level marketers, with 57% of 25-34-year-olds expressing apprehensions about burnout. Additionally, 47% of this demographic seek clearer career progression paths. Notably, the rise of remote work underscores a perceived lack of organisational understanding regarding marketing’s significance, potentially stemming from a more transactional approach to marketing.
- Confidence in the UK Marketing Industry: Nearly half of respondents fear that the UK marketing industry may lag behind international competitors, with 67% focusing primarily on UK campaigns only.
- Digital Skills Gap: A significant knowledge gap exists in analytics and data, hindering effective campaign performance measurement and improvement. Ongoing investment in skills is imperative to address this challenge.
- Legislative Concerns: Marketers anticipate the need to adapt to evolving regulations, such as the Online Safety Bill and FCA’s Consumer Duty, again necessitating acquisition of new skills.
- Staff Turnover: Over half of respondents cite a lack of clear direction, exacerbating concerns among those contemplating leaving the industry. Clear career pathways and goals are essential for sustaining employee engagement.
Opportunities For Employers
- Mental Health Initiatives: Post-Covid, 74% of respondents perceive improved employer focus on mental health, with 57% reporting positive impacts from company initiatives. Continued emphasis on mental well-being is vital.
- Team Collaboration: Face-to-face interactions positively influence productivity, highlighting the importance of striking a balance between remote and in-person work.
- Diversity: A perceived increase in ethnic diversity within marketing teams allows for broader perspectives and enhances personal professionalism.
- Wage Considerations: 74% of marketers have seen wage increases since the pandemic, necessitating employers to remain competitive and address employees’ rising cost-of-living concerns.
“It is crucial that on an individual level, we focus on pushing our careers in the right direction. For this to happen, marketing managers and organisations alike need to create the right conditions for employees to have the opportunity to progress.”
Chartered Institute of Marketing
Mackman Group Contributes To The CIM Impact Of Marketing Report
Paul Mackman, Managing Director of The Mackman Group and Non-Executive Director at CIM since 2024, featured in the report and reflected on positive developments within the marketing landscape.
“The role of the marketer has seen positive developments over the past 12 months with marketers increasingly representing the voice of the customer to influence strategic decision making within organisations. Encouragingly, we are also seeing a trend for marketers collectively championing positive change and increasingly acting as a force for good; a trend which was borne out by the recent CMO75 research findings. As a result of this, the last 12-months have seen a significant increase in marketers allocating budgets to market research projects to gain greater insights into customers’ needs and wants. However, marketers still face the same old challenge of demonstrating return on marketing investment. Ill-defined or ambiguous briefs make measurement difficult but marketers who are able to rise above this challenge and demonstrate returns will find it easier to climb the career ladder. Compounding this issue is the lack of useful historical data. The landscape has changed significantly in the wake of covid, Brexit, and the cost of living crisis. The measurement situation continues to evolve further, with Google starting to disable third-party cookies from Chrome. Marketers will have to adapt to ensure their digital skills remain up to scratch.”
Did you know, The Mackman Group became the first ever CIM Company Affiliate in 2023.
Read The CIM Impact Of Marketing Report
Visit the CIM website to read the report, or view the full report as a downloadable PDF.