| I've been a "marcom" professional for more | | | | on one-on-one, community, and word-of-mouth |
| years than I care to admit. And to this day, when | | | | messaging. It leaves out branding, events, |
| asked what I do for a living, marcom elicits a | | | | coaching, and much more. |
| quizzical look, or a hmmmm, or simply the next | | | | So, I've worked hard to perfect my own clear, |
| question in the series, "what's that." | | | | concise explanation of just what a marcom |
| Say you are a crisis manager, teacher or even a | | | | professional does. In short,- communications. |
| publicist, and the questions end there - the name | | | | That's it, one word - communications. My |
| pretty much communicates the job description. | | | | counterparts and I take the talking points or |
| Not so with a marcom professional. | | | | messages of a client or individual project, add in |
| I used to give my "60-second pitch" explaining | | | | some research and find the very best |
| that marcom is short for marketing | | | | combination of venues for getting these |
| communications, and that it simply means that I | | | | messages to the folks who want, need or will use |
| assist clients with their communications, marketing, | | | | them in the most timely and cost efficient way. |
| and outreach activities. | | | | Marcom professionals are an interesting breed. |
| "Oh, - you are in public relations." Well, that's part | | | | Most of us do have our specialties - brand |
| of it. | | | | development and management, writing, project |
| "I see - you are in advertising." Sometimes I | | | | management, media relations, crisis |
| create or manage advertising. | | | | communications, research, community relations, |
| "Uh-huh - marketing, so you're in sales." In a way, | | | | events....the list goes on. But, old school marcom |
| sales from the standpoint that I communicate | | | | folks like me are considered "generalists." We |
| who and what my clients are and do, and inform | | | | have, and can do all of the above - and more. |
| their targeted audiences of what they have to | | | | What's more, a seasoned marcom professional |
| offer. But,not sales in the general sense of the | | | | readily moves among clients (or employers) in |
| word. | | | | most any industry. There may be terminology |
| Inevitably, these conversations eventually circle | | | | and nuances to master, but communications skills |
| back to, so what exactly do you do? | | | | are communications skills for the long term. I've |
| I looked on the Internet for a definition of | | | | had the good fortune of successfully representing |
| marcom, and found this one from Whatis.com: | | | | quite a diverse array of clients such as: promoting |
| Marcom is an abbreviation for "marketing | | | | the North American premiere of a new show by |
| communications." Marcom is targeted interaction | | | | a Tony-Award winning composer; planning and |
| with customers and prospects using one or more | | | | managing the grand opening of a well-known |
| media, such as direct mail, newspapers and | | | | manufacturer's new factory; crisis communications |
| magazines, television, radio, billboards, | | | | during a labor-union dispute; producing TV and |
| telemarketing, and the Internet. A marketing | | | | radio ads about substance abuse; and managing |
| communications campaign may use a single | | | | extensive research on the awareness Americans |
| approach, but more frequently combines several. | | | | have of emergency preparedness. |
| And that didn't quite do it for me, because I felt it | | | | So, there you go, I'm a marcom professional--I |
| relies too heavily on mass media, and not enough | | | | communicate...and thoroughly enjoy doing so. |