Marketing talent seeks companies with purpose, WFA research

Global marketing talent wants to work for brands and companies with a clear purpose, according to new WFA research. 

A “strong/clear corporate purpose and mission” was named as the No. 1 corporate attribute by client-side marketers when asked to rank the factors that would attract them to work for a company. “Strong brands in portfolio” came second with “a solid track record of performance” in third.

The results come from a global survey of client-side marketers conducted by the WFA in conjunction with 12 national advertiser associations, covering a wide range of markets, from the US and UK to South Africa and Brazil. More than 430 marketers took part.

The research highlighted that different facets of corporate culture and business approach appeal to different groups and regions. Purpose, for example, was less important for media and digital marketers, those based in South East Asia and entry-level marketers.

Male marketers were more keen than other groups to work for companies with strong brands in the portfolio, while female respondents and those based in Europe over-indexed on sustainable and ethical business models.

The results also reveal the marketing approach and key capabilities that were most likely to appeal to marketing talent. Respondents to the survey thought that companies that put the customer first were most attractive, followed by those with a strong innovation pipeline and those with a high reputation for producing strong marketing talent.

Consumer-centricity was more appealing to marketers with more than 20 years’ experience, product innovation indexed more heavily in Latin America, while European marketers were keener that their employer should be known for its pipeline of marketing talent.

Other key findings from the research include:

• A strong insights capability was more attractive to female marketers but less relevant to those working in procurement.
• An impressive creative track record was particularly appealing to marketers in South East Asia and those in the early stages of their career.
• The ability to win awards was highlighted by entry-level marketers as an attractive feature as well as those in the Middle East and Africa.
• Mid-level managers and procurement respondents were more likely to warm to companies that had strong agency partnerships.

Ultimately, most respondents would like to work for a marketing department where the culture is dynamic, high energy and informal, and one that also makes internal progression a priority over hiring external talent. They would like the focus to be output oriented, with a focus on speed over precision with an agile working culture. 

When asked which companies overall were most attractive as employers, most respondents picked Apple, followed by Unilever and Procter & Gamble, only 7% of those questioned said their current employer embodies most of the attributes they are looking for.

“Marketing talent is more selective than ever; seeking to work for brands and companies that have clear values and a vision that goes above and beyond driving business performance and delivers meaningful and measurable societal benefit. This report helps identify some of the ways in which companies can attract the best talent,” said Stephan Loerke, CEO of WFA.

WFA members can download the report here.

About this survey

This survey was conducted in Q3 2020 in conjunction with 12 national advertiser associations, namely: AAI (Ireland), AANA (Australia), ABA (Brazil), ANA (US), ANDA (Colombia), APAN (Portugal), ISBA (UK), Marketing Finland, MASA (South Africa), MAZ (Zimbabwe), RVD (Turkey), and SDE (Greece).

Respondents came from all over the world with 49% in Europe, 56% of the sample was female and 51% held marketing roles focused on brand/product. Respondents were mostly senior with 12% at VP level or above and 35% at director level. Twenty-two percent had worked in marketing for more than 20 years and 38% had worked in the sector for 10-20 years. Respondents covered at least 15 categories.

About WFA

The World Federation of Advertisers makes marketing better by championing more effective and sustainable marketing communications. It is the voice of marketers worldwide, representing 90% of global marketing communications spend – roughly US$900 billion per annum. WFA connects the world’s biggest brand owners and national advertiser associations in more than 60 markets, bringing together tens of thousands of brands at local level. Together, they create a global network which offers a unique source of leadership, expertise and inspiration. For more information: www.wfanet.org