L.A.'s Playa Vista Area: A Fit Zone For Marketing Managers
Astute marketing managers are always needed to help enterprising organizations estimate the current demand for products and services. If a new commodity or commercial advantage is in order, these strategic planners will likely oversee the evolution of the freshly introduced brand or utility.
In Los Angeles, marketing managers earn an average annual salary of more than $96,000, with top professionals reaping yearly wages nearing $130,000, according to current data. It is a multi-disciplinary vocation that is experiencing marked growth, especially within L.A.'s choice zone for businesses associated with media and technology.
"The Playa Vista area has been attracting creative, vibrant high-tech firms, from Google and Yahoo to YouTube and Facebook, and the wide range of satellite firms that accompany this cluster of successful companies," said Marce Kelly, an associate professor at Santa Monica College. "All of these businesses will likely require marketing managers who understand how to develop and implement cutting-edge marketing strategies."
How is the need for highly skilled marketing managers progressing?
"The move away from traditional promotional platforms has accelerated, as the move toward online platforms has gained momentum. Marketing managers must be more tech-savvy than ever."
What should marketing managers anticipate in the coming years?
"The ability to measure the return on investment of every dollar spent will become even more important over the next ten years. Marketing promotion will continue to move online, and globalization will continue to blur the lines between nations."
How can striving managers secure sound positions in this field?
"I advise them to take their education seriously, seek relevant internships, and network effectively from the start of their education and throughout their careers in the marketing field."
How is your school preparing the next wave of marketing managers?
"Santa Monica College's business classes immerse students in a highly current, application-oriented program. The SMC Career Services Center offers world-class career counseling and access to excellent internships, which are pivotal to landing the best positions."
What is your message to aspiring marketing managers?
"I encourage them to know their social media and exercise their creativity. Remember, you'll only get money for results that you can measure."
Sharon Raiford Bush is an award-winning journalist who covers topics of social interest in greater Los Angeles. Some news articles she has authored have been archived by the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC. Sharon also contributes to Examiner.com.