Rise of the Analyst Marketer

When I talk to veteran marketers, some of them are concerned about the changes they must make to adapt to the Internet. I think it is entirely natural that we have some fear in the face of such big changes. Each of us finds ourselves somewhat nervous under some circumstances-it stands to reason that some of us get concerned when we face such massive change affecting our livelihoods. I spoke to someone yesterday who seems emblematic of the changes that so many of us our seeing in the marketing profession. When Imran Khan started his business career, he didn't fit anyone's idea of a marketer-he had a background in public accounting and no marketing degree. "When I came to America, I sent out 500 resumes and didn't get a single internship offer," he recalled. "People told me that I had no idea about American culture and what makes Americans tick." But Imran is not the kind of person who is easily dissuaded. Imran decided to pursue Internet marketing because it was an "unexplored territory where there were no experts." Imran worked in Internet marketing for several companies before joining not changing. Ask yourself: If you sent Imran Khan your resume, could you get hired? Mike Moran is an IBM Distinguished Engineer, expert on Internet marketing, and the author of Biznology newsletter and blog