Marketers overwhelmingly view themselves as “creatives” but there is a sharp contrast in how both professionals and students perceive their own strengths in other areas, suggesting young people want to break down the barriers and bring in a fresh perspective.
In September 2021, DMA Talent launched the “What Type of Marketer are You?” quiz, to emphasise what types of careers the creative, data and marketing industries can offer.
With over 2,300 quiz completions, the DMA found that creatives are the most common personality type among both students (27%) and current industry professionals (29%).
Meanwhile, persuaders are the rarest personality type across students (7%) and industry professionals (3%). However, there was a notable difference between them (4%), with students more likely to identify this way. This could mean there is a growing talent pool for sales, PR and account management talent in the near future, the DMA suggests.
In addition, there is a large increase in the percentage of “thinkers” among the student demographic (+6%).
DMA director of insight Tim Bond said: “The next generation of marketers looks to have a similar balance of personality traits when compared with current industry professionals, however, there are some notable differences too. There appear to be more persuaders and thinkers among students, determined to challenge the status quo, which could be beneficial to organisations seeking talent with a fresh perspective.
“Each marketing personality type offers unique characteristics which can help organisations to ensure they are continuously evolving. So, it is pivotal that organisations have the right tools and processes in place to attract students from a diverse pool of talent.”
Designed to raise awareness of the wide range of careers and job types the industry offers to students, the quiz was launched to coincide with GCSE results day and International Youth Day to boost its efforts to attract young students into the creative, data and marketing sectors.
It used a series of scenario and personality-based questioning to help emerging talent better understand what role and career path might be right for their qualities. The quiz was developed in partnership with the DMA’s B2B Council, using the Leadfamly marketing gamification platform.
DMA Talent general manager Kate Burnett said: “Talent has increasingly become of one of our industry’s most pressing concerns since the pandemic began. We need young people, with a range of personality traits, skills and experiences, within our businesses for a number of reasons.
“They are essential for helping organisations to stay relevant to customers, bringing fresh insights and a unique perspective on how to attract a younger demographic.”
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