Demand generation and field marketing are two distinct but closely related roles within the marketing function of a company.

Demand generation is the process of creating interest in a product or service among potential customers. It typically involves a combination of tactics such as email marketing, content marketing, social media marketing, and search engine optimisation (SEO). The goal of demand generation is to generate leads and sales opportunities for the sales team.

Field marketing, on the other hand, is the practice of promoting a product or service to customers and prospects in a specific geographic area. This is typically done through face-to-face interactions, such as events, trade shows, and roadshows, as well as through local advertising and promotions. Field marketing is focused on building relationships and creating a local presence.

Some of the key responsibilities of a demand generation role can include:

Creating and executing campaigns to generate leads and sales opportunities
Developing and managing lead scoring and nurturing programs
Building relationships with sales teams to understand their needs and priorities
Analysing data and metrics to optimise campaign performance and ROI

Some of the key responsibilities of a field marketing role can include:

Planning and executing local events and promotions
Building relationships with local influencers and partners
Gathering market intelligence to inform product and marketing strategies
Managing budgets and tracking expenses for field marketing activities
Collaborating with the product and demand generation teams to align field marketing efforts with overall company goals

Both the roles support and complement each other. Demand Generation focus on creating leads and opportunities, while field marketing focus on building relationships and creating local presence. Together they create a comprehensive strategy that helps companies to generate demand, create awareness and drive sales.

In today’s fast-changing digital world, demand generation and field marketing roles are evolving to keep up with the latest trends and technologies. Here are a few strategies for reinventing these roles in this environment:

Embrace digital technologies: demand generation and field marketing teams should be proficient in digital marketing technologies such as social media, SEO, and analytics to understand the customer and target audience better, and create targeted campaigns that reach them.

Focus on customer-centricity: in a digital world, customer-centricity is more important than ever. Demand generation and field marketing teams should be able to understand the customer’s pain points, needs, and preferences, and align them with the product and marketing strategy.

Leverage data and analytics: demand generation and field marketing teams should leverage data and analytics to understand customer behaviour, track campaign performance, and make data-driven decisions.

Adopt an agile process: demand generation and field marketing teams should adopt an agile process to respond quickly to the fast-changing market trends and needs.

Personalise communication: with the use of technology, teams can have access to more customer data than ever before. Personalising communication and targeting campaigns to specific segments of the market can increase customer engagement and drive revenue.

Embrace content marketing: content marketing has become an essential part of demand generation and field marketing. Teams should be able to create and distribute valuable and relevant content that will resonate with customers.

Leverage Influencer marketing: influencer marketing can be a powerful tool for demand generation and field marketing. Partnering with influencers can help reach new audiences and build credibility.

Invest in employee’s skills: demand generation and field marketing teams should invest in their employee’s skills, particularly in digital marketing and technology skills. By providing your team with the tools and resources they need to stay up-to-date with the latest trends and best practices, you can help ensure that your demand generation and field marketing strategy is always at the cutting edge.

Incorporate virtual events and digital experiences: the rise of virtual events and digital experiences has been accelerated by COVID-19. Incorporating virtual events and digital experiences can help to reach a larger audience and track engagement in a more accurate way.

In summary, to reinvent demand generation and field marketing roles in a fast-changing digital world, teams should embrace new technologies, focus on customer-centricity, leverage data and analytics, and adopt an agile process. Additionally, personalisation, influencer marketing, and digital events and experiences are also key components of demand generation and field marketing today.