Generalists vs specialists: Are stretched marketing teams losing tactical skills?
Are tactical skills under threat with teams spread thin, entry level roles becoming more generalist and the price for specialist talent rising?
The world of marketing is always changing. But does the industry have the right people, with the right skills and experience, to reach where it currently wants to go?
Apparently not. According to Marketing Week’s 2025 Career & Salary Survey, there are significant skills gaps across the marketing sector. In particular, people with the tactical marketing skills required in modern teams are increasingly hard to find.
Over half (56.9%) of the more than 3,500 respondents highlight performance marketing skills as a problem area, with social media (46.1%), ecommerce (41.3%) and content and copywriting skills (40.6%) all exhibiting a skills shortage.
None of these tactical marketing disciplines are new, so why should there be such a mismatch between demand and supply when it comes to specialist skills?
