“Universities and colleges don’t look after the long-term career development of young people. That’s why we’re different.”
The School of Marketing is a fully-fledged apprenticeship provider that prides itself in ‘up-skilling’ new and existing marketers all around the world.
Earlier this month, the four-year-old institution announced that it had re-branded itself, creating a new website and brand positioning, as well as recruiting a raft of new industry-leading mentors.
Bossing the tagline ‘Stand on the Shoulders of the Industry Giants’, the re-brand campaign intends to advertise and highlight the expertise the industry leaders can offer to engage the next generation of marketers.
The likes of UK and Ireland L’Oréal chief marketing and digital officer Lex Bradshaw-Zanger, Ogilvy vice-chairman Rory Sutherland and EY global integrated CTM director Kate Mackie, will help fuel those looking to gain inroads and connections within the industry.
According to the School of Marketing, the speed of change and the need for individuals to ‘constantly upskill themselves’ has led to a significant skills gap in the industry, with ‘far less’ individuals considering a career in marketing.
How does the School of Marketing re-brand look to counteract this skills gap? What does this institution offer that other colleges and universities do not?
Marketing Beat speaks to the educator’s CEO, Ritchie Mehta, to explore the ways in which the School of Marketing looks to inspire a passion for marketing and enable marketers through all stages of their careers.
“If colleges, schools and universities did a good enough job, we wouldn’t exist.”
According to the CEO, employability is at the heart of what matters most to the institution.
“The number of barriers that exist to getting into the industry for young, disadvantaged or diverse people, is tremendous.”
“Youth unemployment today is at 17%, 42% with black youths. One in four young women in London are currently unemployed. COVID in many respects, exacerbated this problem also.”
The School of Marketing was created as a way breaking down these difficulties surrounding employment, “both to help young people realise what this industry could hold for them as a career route, and to help employers navigate maintaining young talent over the long term.”
Mehta believes that getting young talent to progress up to C-suite positions in the industry would have “a transformative impact on the marketing industry.”
“We run the UK’s largest marketing mentoring programme, with over 2000 young mentees and 80 senior mentors. We also have FTSE 100/250 CMOs, who are renowned experts in their field, giving up time to help nurture young talent.
“A lot of our young students don’t have the confidence to apply for a job, let alone gain a pathway into the industry. A real change is needed and our mentors recognise this need. The inaccessibility that we see from all parts of this country is worrying. Careers councillors in the north of the country for example, wouldn’t dream of saying that a young person may have the chance to move down to London and work for Unilever.
“If colleges and schools and universities did a good enough job, we wouldn’t exist. That’s the reality. We exist because of the lack of their ability to solve the problem in our industry.”
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“Every single young person that we take on as an apprentice gets employed.”
In highlighting the School of Marketing’s USP, Mehta points to the fact that colleges and universities do not typically offer apprenticeships.
“Our mechanism of employment is through apprenticeships. Every single young person that we take on as an apprentice gets employed with no student debt whatsoever.”
While the School of Marketing CEO is a “big fan” of the government’s apprenticeship model, he believes that it is “fraught” with significant inhibiting barriers, especially off the back of the pandemic.
“Some 58% of marketing functions do not have an apprentice. Our work is cut out for us to be able to change the hearts and minds of the people in those positions.
“If you ask me what next year holds for our young people, particularly those attempting to get into the industry … I think it’s disastrous and that it’s going to be far worse than what we experienced with COVID.”
Mehta believes that a movement is beginning to form, but he does not think it is “mainstream enough yet”.
“I think the industry, government, and higher education community, all need to better the perception and reputation of doing an apprenticeship. Employers are waking up to the fact that the degree model is quite broken. How many practical skills do you retain after four years of studying something and £50,000 worth of debt?”
“How many institutions do you know that use FTSE 100 CMOs to help young people get into the marketing?”
A key part of the School of Marketing’s re-brand involved getting marketing leaders on board to offer strong connections and key insights into the industry.
“To truly make an impact, we want people to learn from industry giants that have seen the pitfalls of what doesn’t work, and then stand on their shoulders to leverage the knowledge, skills, relationships they have formed,” Mehta added.
“These individuals see the vision and impact we have and want to contribute to it. What better way for an individual to improve their skills, than by learning from and forming relationships with the best.”
The CEO believes the best creative briefs can be “distilled into one word”. For this re-brand campaign that word is giant, because as Mehta says, “to be a giant, you must learn from giants.”
“When an industry leader comes in and shares perspectives we have to give a large element of empowerment. You can’t you can’t tell a CMO what to say … it would be the last time you speak to them.”
The school’s chief executive believes that long-term career guidance is not only helped by forming connections, but also involves “looking after tomorrow”.
“Universities and colleges don’t look after the long-term career development of young people. You pass your exams, get the qualification and then you’re stuck in the dirt. When you’re going for a job, where are the skills you’ve developed? How do you demonstrate them? That’s why we’re different … how many institutions do you know that use FTSE 100 CMOs to help young people get into the industry?”
“We are trying to help and inspire younger generations to create transformational change.”
Earlier this year, digital consumer research firm, Bulbshare, reported that a whopping 99% of Generation Z consumers have admitted to frequently skipping ads.
When asked about the general mistrust of marketing in younger generations, Mehta responded by saying that there was a “natural rationality” in being “apprehensive” as a young person.
“I think this is probably the biggest challenge that the industry has to face up to. If a person doesn’t trust the mainstream industry then they won’t want to join.”
“However, that’s not to say they won’t engage. Various YouTubers and TikTokkers have amassed huge audiences and done things better than an agency could itself. The innovation is exciting but the industry needs to find a way to harness, collaborate and get these young people on side.”
The CEO also believes that while his institution needs to inspire, the school and the marketing community need to “retain talent over the long term, in order to create transformational change.”
“It’s really important for us to be an influencing and guiding industry light for the next generation, but it’s also about how we influence and create change for further generations to come. We need to change systems, processes, structures and cultures to create real sustained change in the industry.”
