TRAINING: All the right credentials - It is now de rigueur to have a marketing qualification in an increasing number of top firms, but are they worth having? Robin Cobb looks at the choice on offer

A profusion of qualifications has been created by professional

marketing bodies and the academic world. It’s a moot point whether this

is in response to demand for such credentials or is responsible for

creating it. Either way, the marketing courses are themselves

energetically marketed and the demand is burgeoning.

Certificate and diploma courses of the Chartered Institute of Marketing

and the CAM Foundation are general. Others are more specific to

individual disciplines. Beyond that, there’s the option of doing a

Master’s degree in marketing or an MBA.

Corporations with large marketing departments are leading the way in

encouraging and supporting staff in these studies. Some virtually make

it a requirement for career progress.

IBM, for example, has put more than 1000 worldwide marketing staff

successfully through training programmes, ranging from the CIM

Certificate to its Diploma or equivalents, and it is lining up another

5000 potential candidates.

This is since embracing qualification training only five years ago in

the UK and then extending it globally. Now the company is entering its

first volunteers from among senior management in the UK for a Master’s

degree. Ultimately, it expects to sponsor PhD candidates.

An architect of this development is IBM marketing training manager Peter

Jones. ’We are trying to create an IBM ’multiversity’,’ he says.

Much of IBM’s programme parallels that of the CIM, tweaked to the

corporation’s own marketing needs and practices. The higher levels are

conducted through Manchester Business School. To a lesser extent, IBM

sponsors the programmes of the Institute of Sales Promotion, Institute

of Direct Marketing and Institute of Public Relations - ’although these

do not have equivalent academic merit and don’t give a pathway to other

marketing qualifications’, according to Jones.

As well as working with IBM on its programmes, Manchester Business

School is one of three centres accredited by CIM for its diploma course.

MBS programme director Alan Pulford says that industry is adopting the

higher-level marketing qualifications at a far greater rate than are

agencies and consultancies.

’The client side is becoming better qualified all the time. We are

approaching a point where the client is clued up in modern management

and marketing thinking, but the agency is not able to converse in the

same language. The creative, enthusiastic approach of the agencies is

not enough if they can’t deal with clients at a strategic level.’

Jones agrees: ’We are taking a view that it is to our advantage to build

skills internally rather than pay fees to outside consultants,’ he

says.

’We have hired consultants to advise, finding instead that they are

learning from us.’

Nestle is another client that puts a high value on training. Hilary

Parsons, communications manager, says: ’When we recruit personnel for

our marketing function, one of the key qualities we look for is

commercial perspective and this could be demonstrated by having

completed a CIM qualification or having obtained a business related

degree.’

Alice Hannon, junior brand manager at Nestle, comments: ’I chose to

pursue the CIM Advanced Certificate as an academic background to the

practical experience I have obtained working at Nestle and to acquire a

greater understanding of the theory behind marketing practice. As a

result, I feel I have gained a wider marketing perspective and my

confidence at work has increased.’

For marketers like Hannon looking to broaden their qualifications, the

CAM Foundation aspires to challenge the CIM in the setting of wide-based

marketing credentials. However, its new chief executive, David

Royston-Lee, admits there is a considerable distance to be made up.

He sees one of his main tasks as promoting an understanding of the

differences between CIM and CAM courses. CIM tends toward the

theoretical, he contends, whereas ’if you do the CAM course it is

immediately practical.’ But he concedes: ’CIM has been much better at

marketing its courses.’

A new weapon in CAM’s armoury will be launched next year. This is the

Diploma in Integrated Marketing, a super-diploma intended to have a

status similar to that of a Master’s degree.

As a holder of the CAM Diploma in Advertising, Martin Hart, head of

sponsorship at TV watchdog ITC, comments: ’It’s time a new diploma

replaced CAM’s more specialist ones in advertising and PR. People

working in aspects of marketing and communication outside of advertising

or PR are not persuaded to carry on to a diploma after taking the

certificate.’ Nevertheless, he considers his diploma to have helped him

in his career.

The Institute of Sales Promotion has just issued its 1999 syllabus,

promising ’a comprehensive programme which is constantly being added

to’.

IMP, the country’s biggest promotional marketing agency, encourages and

pays for its staff to go for the ISP Diploma, with an average take-up of

14 a year. Board director Ian Thomas, who took his diploma back in 1987,

notes: ’Sales promotion is a combination of common sense and

intellectual marketing knowledge. There’s a lot in the ISP Diploma that

can be carried forward into any area of marketing.’

This year’s top diploma student was Fiona Chapman, a junior promotions

manager at Heinz. ’I came over to this job from sales at the beginning

of the year, selected for my knowledge of Heinz rather than of sales

promotion,’ she says. ’The diploma course has been very good for me,

particularly regarding the laws and codes that apply and how sales

promotion fits into the marketing mix.’

The IDM Diploma is the only specific qualification in direct

marketing.

Around 90% of candidates are sponsored by their employers and hold

either a degree or a CIM Diploma.

’We encourage our people to do the course, paying half the fees and

giving study leave,’ says David Poole, managing director of DP&A. ’There

is fuller commitment if there is a buy-in on the part of the

individual.’

He observes: ’The agency industry generally is quite exploitative of its

staff and we put a lot of effort into staff development to differentiate

ourselves from our competitors.’

The IPR’s Diploma is for aspiring corporate directors of communications

and agency heads. IPR president, Peter Walker, says: ’It is intended for

those who have developed their technical skills through working in PR,

to lift them to the next stage where they can advise and counsel as well

as do.’

He contends it is also a useful extra string to the bow for those in

more generic marketing management. ’They are going to have to manage PR

resources and not all are aware how it can add value with measurable

outcomes.’

WHICH QUALIFICATION? A QUICK GUIDE

Most qualifications fall into one of two categories: certificate or

diploma. Certificates are designed for those planning to embark on a

marketing career or who are in the early stages of one. Diplomas are for

the experienced, usually at management level and are a ’must-have’ for

most aspiring marketers. Broadly, certificate courses teach the nuts and

bolts, while diploma courses go on to strategic applications. The

duration of most courses is an academic year.

Chartered Institute of Marketing

As well as the CIM’s new Chartered Marketer qualification (see page 34),

it also has an intermediate Advanced Certificate leading to direct entry

to the CIM Postgraduate Diploma course. Its diploma is usually

approached through an intensive course of five residential weekends

spread over four or five months. Courses are held at the CIM College of

Marketing in Cookham, Berkshire, at Napier University, Edinburgh, and

the Manchester Business School. The inclusive cost is typically pounds

4500. The diploma qualifies towards a Master’s degree in marketing.

Feedback: Regarded as a prestigious qualification for the generalist

marketer, although more academic than the diplomas for specific

disciplines.

It is still the most popular and seen as something of an industry

benchmark.

CAM Foundation

The certificate calls for around 180 hours’ study of marketing,

advertising, PR, media, sales promotion and direct marketing, and

research and behavioural studies. The diploma requires three papers, a

core one in management and strategy and the others in either advertising

or PR. Alternatively, the core paper can be taken with the ISP Diploma

in sales promotion or the IDM Diploma in direct marketing.

There are part-time or weekend courses at about 20 colleges.

Registration fees for the certificate are pounds 75 and for the diploma

pounds 70. Exam fees for the certificate are pounds 33 for each of the

six subjects covered and for the diploma, pounds 38 per subject. Course

fees vary but are typically pounds 100 for each module.

Feedback: CAM qualifications are seen as placing emphasis on advertising

or PR rather than the broad marketing spectrum. This is being addressed

with the introduction next year of an all-embracing Diploma in

Integrated Communications.

Institute of Sales Promotion

The ISP Diploma is a five-month correspondence course with options of

attending evening seminars in London and one-day tutorials held in

London, Edinburgh, Leeds, Manchester, Bristol and Birmingham. It is

normally taken after basics and foundation courses. Costs: pounds 575

for ISP members and pounds 690 for non-members, with extra fees for

seminars and tutorials.

Feedback: Seen as a highly practical qualification and important for

understanding the regulatory minefield that surrounds sales promotion,

as well as for SP techniques.

Institute of Direct Marketing

Studying for the IDM Diploma can be by evening courses (two evenings a

week for 30 weeks) at ten locations around the UK, or intensive courses

(residential or non-residential) over three separate weeks with

assignment work in between. A distance learning programme has also been

introduced this year. Most candidates already hold a first degree or CIM

Diploma.

Course costs: evening classes pounds 1650; residential intensive pounds

4650; non-residential intensive pounds 3250; distance learning pounds

1495.

Feedback: Well regarded by direct marketing specialists and supported by

both industry and agencies. Particularly valuable in understanding DM’s

role in the marketing mix.

Institute of Public Relations

A foundation course will take six months to complete. The diploma course

consists of two 12-week semesters with two hours’ teaching per week.

This is followed by three months’ self-directed learning with tutor

support.

Venues are Queen Margaret College, Edinburgh, Leeds Metropolitan

University and Hackney Community College, London. Course costs: pounds

750.

Feedback: Ideal for a career in PR, but less likely to impress if it is

intended to cross over into other or broader marketing sectors.

Multimedia Marketing Consortium

The Interactive Marketing Award is a computer-based learning programme

created by ten universities for ’own-pace’ studying. Materials are ten

CD-ROMs and work books, supplemented by online tutor support. Designed

to improve the professional standards of those with no formal training,

it is recognised by the CIM in the continual professional development

component of its Chartered Marketer status.

Cost: pounds 1450 (plus VAT).

Feedback: Too early to tell, but it has been adopted by, among others,

IBM as part of its comprehensive beginners-to-veterans marketing

training programme.

KEEPING UP TO SPEED: CIM’S CHARTERED MARKETER STATUS

One of the biggest recent developments in the field of marketing

training has been the introduction of ’Chartered Marketer’ status by the

CIM. Qualifying requires commitment to continuing updating of skills, on

top of being full members or fellows of CIM and holding its diploma.

The first group of Chartered Marketers, numbering 1890, was created in

October. They demonstrated they had spent at least 35 hours a year over

two years in recognised continuing professional development

activities.

These could be studying for higher degrees, attendance at short courses,

distance learning, language training or in-company management

development programmes. Alternatively, part of the time could be

occupied in training or mentoring others, attending conferences and

exhibitions, committee work, private study and presence at meetings of

professional bodies. To retain the designation, it is necessary to

requalify annually.

Sandra Booth, CIM’s manager for continuing professional development,

says that CM status ’is recognising that one’s qualifications have a

shelf-life and their value can deteriorate, so one needs to keep up to

speed every year.’

IBM marketing training manager Peter Jones, who holds the CIM Diploma

and, at the age of 52, is studying for a Master’s degree in marketing,

says: ’People who have done a marketing degree or MBA ten years ago can

be very out of date. They need to maintain the currency of their

marketing skills and Chartered Marketer is a good vehicle for this.’

This article was first published on Marketing