Marketing vs. Communications: What You Need to Know About Earning a Degree and Career Potential

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are nearly 400,000 marketing professionals in the United States - and the profession is expected to add more than 24,000 professionals to the workforce by 2032, representing faster-than-average growth. Communications-related jobs have a similar strong outlook.

But one thing that almost all marketing and communications professionals have in common is a MarCom bachelor's degree. In this post, we'll explain what MarCom is, typical career paths for MarCom professionals, and the value of earning a bachelor's degree at Champlain College Online. Read on to learn more about a career in this field.

What is MarCom?

"MarCom" stands for "Marketing Communications," defined as utilizing various marketing channels to communicate messages to a target audience. A good marketing or communications professional is tasked with delivering highly effective messaging that drives results, measured monetarily or by increased brand awareness. Common mediums include email marketing, social media, digital marketing, and print marketing, among others.

Any marketing effort aims to deliver messages that inspire action from its target audience. Marketing initiatives may include a brand awareness campaign to introduce a new product or service, a campaign to sell more products or services and improve a firm's profitability, or a brand management campaign to improve a company's image.

Most MarCom professionals begin in entry-level Specialist or Coordinator roles, typically performing general marketing and communications duties. As they advance in their career, professionals often move into more specialized roles, such as Marketing Manager, Social Media Marketing Manager, Public Relations Manager, Media Director, Brand Ambassador, or Marketing Director.

Understanding Marketing

Simply put, marketing initiatives are designed to get an audience - usually an external one - interested in the product or service that a firm specializes in. Developing a great product or service offering is one thing, but if people don’t know about it, how will a business sell and profit from it? Yet, marketing is more than just putting out an ad and hoping people see it. Marketing efforts consist of assessing and researching the market, identifying an ideal customer demographic, and then communicating to this demographic via the mediums it uses - ideally in an engaging and informative way. There's a lot of strategic planning involved in any successful marketing campaign.

The Art of Communication

You can't have effective marketing campaigns without solid written or verbal communication. While marketing professionals help develop the strategy and create a plan for reaching their target audience, communications professionals are tasked with developing the content and messaging to compel the target to act. Marketing professionals may also handle the communications aspect of marketing. However, many firms often have separate communications personnel that partner with marketers on such initiatives.

Communications often strongly focus on storytelling and are written to the specific channel intended to be published. Good communications are engaging, informative, and designed to inspire action. They leave the audience with a desire to learn more about the specific product or service.

Common MarCom Tools

An ideal marketing and communications professional needs to have a mix of marketing savvy and writing skills. Copy needs to be written or communicated to entice a consumer to act. Any communication needs to ensure it's being carried out over the right channels and mediums to reach its audience the most effectively. Some common marketing and communications tools and strategies used to reach consumers may include:

• Print, digital, billboard, TV, or radio advertisements
• Specialty sales promotions
• Social media advertising on TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook, X, Instagram, and more.
• Email campaigns and newsletters
• Direct mailings
• Augmented and virtual reality promotions
• Content marketing
• Text message marketing

What's the Difference Between Marketing and Communications?

Marketing or communications? What is the better career path for you? Both have various similarities and differences - either can make for a great career based on the type of professional position you seek and what responsibilities best suit you. In this section, we'll cover some key similarities and differences between a career in marketing and a career in communications to help you determine the best path.

Similarities

• Both marketers and communications professionals must think strategically to execute strategies and meet any set goals.
• Marketers and communications professionals are tasked with engaging consumers, albeit in different ways.
• Both use similar tools and must have the right skills to use these tools to convey messages properly.
• Both marketers and communications professionals often need to work together. You often can't have a good marketing plan without quality content to back it up.

Differences

• Marketing tends to be customer-centric and sales-driven. In contrast, communications professionals are tasked with writing clear, concise copy to help the audience understand the product or service.
• Communications professionals are often given the freedom to be creative with copy to create unique, engaging, and compelling content. Marketing professionals are tasked with delivering the content in the most impactful way.
• Marketers need to think strategically and manage budgets when creating a robust plan.
• Marketers often need to research and study data analytics to ensure an effective plan to meet a firm's goals.
• A marketer's work tends to be more front-facing, whereas communications professionals do  behind-the-scenes work.

Why Earn a Bachelor's Degree in MarCom?

Most employers require their MarCom professionals to have a bachelor's degree in MarCom or a related field, making higher education a necessity for such professionals. A good program does more than just deliver up-to-date education and instruction on the latest mediums and channels; it also gives students the chance to learn hands-on. Direct, hands-on experience, among other program benefits, is one of the advantages of studying marketing and communications at Champlain College Online.

In addition to providing a world-class education for students, there are various other benefits to studying marketing and communications at Champlain. For instance, the program is 100 percent online and offers the flexibility to fit into any student's busy lifestyle. Champlain's program is regionally accredited, is taught by experts who have worked in the field, and allows students to specialize in a certain subset of marketing, like digital media, marketing strategy, market research, and more.

Career Options for Graduates with a MarCom Bachelor's Degree

Once you've earned a Marketing and Communications Bachelor's Degree, you can take various career paths. Some common positions MarCom graduates hold include:

• Product Manager
• Brand Manager
• Media Planner
• Market Research Analyst
• Communications Specialist
• Content Writer
• Journalist or Reporter
• Editorial Director
• Technical Writer
• Digital Marketer
• Social Media Manager
• Public Relations Specialist

Explore MarCom with Champlain

If you like thinking strategically and working creatively, then a MarCom career could be for you. The key to any career in marketing and communications is first earning a MarCom degree. Champlain can help give you the skills, knowledge, and perspective to succeed with our online Marketing and Communications Bachelor's Degree Program.

There are many opportunities available for students who study MarCom. Being that there's an expected employment uptick over the next several years, companies are likely going to need marketing and communications professionals to continue to grow their businesses. Champlain College is committed to more than just providing a world-class education, but supporting students with their career goals after graduation - wherever those career goals may take them. For more information on Champlain College's program and the value-added support and mentorship we provide in the months and years after graduation, contact us today.