There is no doubt that job interviews can be really stressful. This is especially true because landing the right job could really define your career in a big way. Nonetheless, our take is that an interview should not be an interrogation. Instead, we suggest that students should take an interview as two-way communication, the objective of which should be to find out how fit they are for a role.
That said, we don’t want to take away the need for preparing well for an interview. While we are not suggesting potted answers as they are annoying and imply that you disrespect the job position, there is no harm in having an idea about how to answer a question.
Presented below are 12 frequently asked Marketing interview questions and an idea about how to answer them:
Q1: Tell me something about yourself? Or introduce yourself.
Ans. 1: This is truly a marketing question! It is all about your own marketing and gives you the chance to summarize who you are, what you can offer, and how you are different from the crowd.
Eight out of ten times, your interview will begin with this question. So, if you play your cards right, it can set the tone for your interview.
Q2. What is Marketing? Or Define Marketing?
Ans. 2: This is a no kid stuff. The objective is to check your core knowledge of marketing. People have been seen getting lost between Marketing and Sales. Don’t make that mistake. The answer should be comprehensive and crisp. It should mainly focus on what is marketing, what is its scope, and what it is not?
Q3. What is the broad difference between Marketing and Selling?
Ans. 3: As already mentioned above, Marketing and Selling are two different aspects, and you should be clear about that. Selling is a subset of Marketing. The scope of Marketing is much broader than that of selling.
Q4. What are the 4Ps of Marketing?
Ans. 4: This is a core subject matter of Marketing. The concept of 4 Ps dissects the marketing between Product, Price, Promotion, and Place.
Q5. What are the 7Ps of Marketing?
Ans. 5: The subject of modern marketing includes the 7Ps of marketing. With the emergence of Service Marketing, 3 more dimensions have become relevant to 4ps of marketing. These 3 Ps are People, Processes, and Physical-evidence.
Q6. What is the Product Life Cycle (PLC)?
Ans. 6: Just like humans, products also go through a cycle.
As a human is born, a product is introduced to the market.
As a human goes through puberty, a product grows into the market.
As a human achieves manhood or womanhood, a product reaches maturity.
As a human age; a product decline and finally exist the market.
Quite simple. Isn’t it!
Q7. Why did you choose Marketing?
Ans. 7: By asking this question, the interviewer basically wants to check your motivation for choosing marketing. Are you really driven into marketing or pushed into choosing the marketing? Here, you must be honest and tell the truth as an interviewer can see through if you bluff.
Q8. What is Branding?
Ans. 8: This is a very common question. Branding is not the logo, the name, or the slogan of a company. It is the image of a product in the mind of your customer. Branding is a deep subject. A textbook definition may get you passing grade, but it may not land you to a good job. We suggest that you develop your understanding around the subject and add case studies to you answer. It will help in a big way.
Q9. What is Niche Marketing?
Ans. 9: A lot of companies have developed a niche that they want to guard against the competition. Thus, Niche Marketing deals with promoting and selling products or services to a well-defined customer segment or market.
Q10. What is the difference between B2B and B2C Marketing?
Ans. 10: Here, you must know that the approach to marketing to a business customer is way different than marketing to a retail customer. Thus, the triggers for business customers are different as they purchase based on logic, applications, and profit. On the other hand, a retail customer mostly buys on emotions.
Q11. What is Digital Marketing?
Ans. 11: One of the things that has drastically changed marketing most in recent years is technology. In fact, it has challenged and changed many rules of marketing. Digital Marketing is what you get when technology meets marketing. To quote the Wikipedia, “Digital Marketing is the marketing of products or services using digital technologies on the internet, through mobile apps, display advertising or any other digital medium.” However, the impact is large. You should therefore answer this question in its entirety. Apart from defining Digital Marketing, talk about possibilities, opportunities, and challenges to impress the interviewer.
Q12. What is the Marketing Mix?
Ans. 3: This is a simple question and it asks for a straight answer. So, there is no need to be creative here.
These are then the few of the top questions that are generally asked in job interviews today. As a thumb rule, you should answer anything related to marketing in a straightforward way. Nevertheless, to make your answers more comprehensive always give examples, or refer to case studies.
Remember, don’t tell them what you know; show them what you can do!
Wishing you all the very best!
