From Beanie to Beret – The 5 hats of Marketing

I’m often told that hats suit me.

An unusual fact I know.

I don’t even wear hats very often, (I’ve only been to Royal Ascot once, and I’ve probably worn a few at the odd family wedding). But when I do, friends, and even sometimes perfect strangers have said to me “that hat suits you”.

So what do hats have to do with a career in marketing? Well quite a lot as it happens.

Wearing ‘many hats’ is often a prerequisite for a career in marketing. The nature of the role can demand a chameleon-like ability to adapt to various tasks and responsibilities, especially with the ever changing landscape of trends, technology and consumer behaviour. In this article I’ll explore the 5 different ‘hats’ I wear in my professional life, and how each one plays a vital role in the path to a successful career.

Bowler: The Brand Guardian

Famously worn by Charlie Chaplin and Winston Churchill, the bowler hat represents timeless professionalism, structure and consistency, all qualities that align with being a brand guardian. A company’s brand is one of its most valuable assets. It’s who they are and who their clients perceive them to be. As marketers we have the crucial job of upholding the integrity of a brand by ensuring our company’s message, brand guidelines and tone of voice remain consistent across all touchpoints. Just as the bowler hat maintains its polished image, a brand guardian ensures a company’s identity remains reliable, and aligned with its values, ensuring a cohesive experience for its clients.

Beret: The Creative Hat

What comes to mind when you think of a beret? For me it’s associated with artistic expression, originality and creative-thinkers. As marketers an exciting part of the job is flexing our creative muscles, whether it’s discussing campaign ideas, designing eye catching visuals, creating social media content or writing engaging copy. The creative hat is the freedom to think outside the box, creating something original that resonates emotionally with your audience, and helping your company’s brand stand out from their competitors (this hat is my personal favourite!).

Fedora: The Strategic Hat

Detectives and intellectuals are known for donning the stylish fedora (at least in the movies anyway!). And just like a detective, the strategic hat requires marketers to piece together vital clues to understand the bigger picture. Clues like identifying target audiences, setting key objectives, and understanding consumer behaviour, to name a few. When you wear the strategic hat, you need to strike the right balance between being creative and logical. Every action needs to align with the company roadmap, keeping everyone focused and adapting to changes while maintaining momentum towards the business’s long-term vision and goals.

Sombrero: The Project Manager Hat

Ok the hats are getting more elaborate now, but stay with me. The Sombrero is known for its wide brim, covering a large area and protecting it from outside nuisances. Whether it’s a marketing campaign, event, product launch or new website, the project manager hat involves covering and coordinating a number of multiple moving parts. This is where the organised amongst us come into our own, expertly overseeing tasks, deadlines and budgets to ensure all the moving parts come together smoothly and on time – and swatting away any mosquitoes that threaten to mess everything up!

Beanie: The Data Hat

The trusted beanie, a staple in most wardrobes (especially during the harsh winter months). Like a beanie, analysing data and SEO (search engine optimisation) provides an essential layer of protection, safeguarding a business’s online visibility and competitive edge. The ability to understand why a marketing campaign has performed well (or not so well), to reveal customer behaviour triggers and to measure return on investment make this hat a vital one. Without taking time to analyse the data, we can’t make informed decisions or identify opportunities which could mean some decisions are based on guess work instead of actual evidence. Data is undoubtedly the ‘cool kid’ on the block, a key tool in modern digital marketing which empowers businesses and helps them reach a wider audience.

So, while I may not choose to wear hats in my personal life, the many ones I wear at work help me to make an impact in an industry that’s always evolving. The hats keep my role varied and exciting, ultimately guiding how I approach challenges, and helping to put me on the right path to a long and (hopefully) successful career.

Remember, wearing many hats is more than just a fashion statement – it’s a testament to your versatility. If effortlessly juggling different hats comes naturally to you, a career in marketing might just be the perfect fit. And if that’s the case, don’t overlook the insurance industry, an industry rich with exciting opportunities for marketers to make a real impact in a constantly modernising world.

And if you’re a business owner juggling many hats, securing the right insurance policy needn’t be one of them.

We’ll take care of that for you – risk less and contact Macbeth today on 0118 916 5480