Marketing muscles don’t grow through familiar work

Article response by Becca Donaldson .

Read the full article from Marketing Week.

In a recent article, Grant McKenzie gives his opinion on how Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs) can help encourage marketing leaders to develop. He argues that change is essential, so CMOs need to create a culture where fear is managed and complacency is avoided.

As a marketing professional keen on pursuing constant growth – supported by the whole team at Refined Marketing – I found this article really interesting.

I'm viewing this article through the lens of a young marketer with around three years in the industry. I'm under no illusion that this constitutes extensive marketing experience, but I can assert that in those years, the industry has changed beyond measure.

As the marketing industry changes with the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) and constant algorithm changes, marketers have needed to adapt time and time again.

Taking one of my specific interests within marketing, search engine optimisation (SEO), Google's Core and Spam Updates have increasingly impacted the ways in which SEO professionals work. We've had to go back to the basics of SEO, ensuring that the fundamentals are implemented correctly before moving on. It's been a constant learning experience over these past few years.

The 70-20-10 rule in practice

What McKenzie says about the 70-20-10 rule:

Around 10% of what we learn comes from formal training – courses or online schools.

The 20% chunk of what we learn comes from direct working relationships with others, whether in communities or with peers and bosses.

But 70% of what we practically learn and how we really develop as managers and then leaders comes through the experiences we have.

How Refined flexes our marketing muscles:

• Upskilling is an integral part of how we grow as marketers at Refined. Recognising that we don't have all the answers and all the knowledge is empowering, allowing a journey of exploration. I'm currently participating in the Girls in Marketing Digital Marketing Growth Programme, and not only have I gained invaluable information I've been able to share with my team, I've made some incredible connections too.
• Refined Marketing's co-founders Katherine Milburn and Caroline Lobatto have over 40 years of combined design, branding and marketing experience across industries with a specialist focus on engineering, technology and manufacturing – what better people to learn from?
• Formal training and the sharing of experiences are certainly important for growth, but putting what we've learnt into practice is essential. Whether with our own marketing efforts or getting stuck into client work and taking on new projects, gaining our own experiences within the industry helps to solidify and affirm our knowledge.

Should there be a set tenure for marketing roles?

Marketing is fast-paced – there's no avoiding it. You need to be able to keep up in order to thrive in a role. However, does that equate to a set tenure for roles? At Refined, we aren't convinced.

If a marketer has passion, skills and a willingness to embrace both change and professional growth, then will they not have a positive impact on a company?

As our team continually commits to professional growth, as well as sharing knowledge, we are dedicated to helping our clients shine.

Reach out to our creative team at [email protected].

We create brands to outshine.

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