The End of “Marketing” as a Catch-All Role
Written by: Jules Flesner
In the 1960s my mother attended Gem City Business College in Illinois. They taught her makeup tips, like how to make her nose look smaller (it wasn’t big to begin with!?), and even how to walk up office stairs in high heels.
This was just one generation ago!
I once asked my mom, if she'd been given the same opportunity I had to pursue higher education and a specialized career, what would she have chosen? She thought about it for a while but couldn’t come up with a quick, clear answer. Personally, I can think of a million things she’d be incredible at, from landscape and sustainable design to creative direction. But for my mom, career options were limited. Nursing, teaching, and secretarial work were among the few carved paths.
Through the 20th century, especially in the 1960s when my mother was entering the job market, “secretary” was one of the most common job titles, and the role was held mostly by women. It came with stereotypes like being soft-spoken and non-confrontational, while handling tasks such as typing, filing, dictation, scheduling, and supporting mostly male company or department leaders.
By the 1970s and 80s, the gendered one-size-fits-all expectations of the “secretary” role were changing. By the 2000s, most companies had updated titles to “executive assistant,” “office manager,” or “project manager” etc. with more respect for the diverse and evolving workload.
Today, “secretary” is widely considered old-fashioned. (Yet, interestingly, many AI “assistant” chatbots are given traditionally white, female-sounding names, but that's a whole other conversation! I digress...)
Just like “secretarial” work, the word marketing has lost relevance.
It’s too broad, too vague, and simply outdated. Today, a single “marketing” role is often expected to juggle CRM software, early-stage AI tools, graphic design, social media, content writing, reputation management, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), paid ads (PPC), Answer Engine Optimization (AEO), website design, customer experience (CX) design, sales support, analytics, reporting, nonstop budget and strategy changes, and more… phew!
Most companies cannot update their org charts fast enough. Leadership often doesn’t fully understand what modern marketing truly involves. This misunderstanding leads to staff cuts without proper planning to cover realistic workloads.
Just one example of a sudden shift in today’s "marketing" workload comes after the FTC junk fees rule and wave of major lawsuits over pricing and fee transparency. In 2025, regional marketing directors at property management firms are crying "help!" as they face new state regulations and realize just how much work it takes to meet them*. Addressing price transparency alone can be a full-time workload involving dozens of stakeholders, customer touchpoints and back-end software integrations.
In the 2020s, forward-thinking companies are moving away from vague “marketing” departments and one-size-fits-all roles, shifting toward specialized roles like CX specialist, content strategist, graphic artist, transparency director, AI tools manager, or growth lead.
Workers want a fairer share of responsibility that matches the real demands of today’s business world, where advanced technical skills are essential.
My mother made sure her daughters had more career opportunities, and I am forever in awe of her perseverance and support. It’s an honor to carry on a trailblazing legacy by helping businesses evolve past outdated marketing strategies and position for success in the modern AI era, The Survival of the Wittest℠.
*If you lack internal bandwidth, please know this- you are not alone! Vermillion Design + Co. can help you address compliance proactively, far cheaper than facing costly legal risks. Submit an intro call request and tell your boss "you're welcome in advance.”
Disclaimer: This post is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Always consult a qualified attorney for guidance on your business and compliance related to pricing transparency, software and emerging technology, and HR policies. Vermillion Design + Co. is not a law firm. We’re a creative agency making people, businesses, and their policies, manuals, training materials, and sales support collateral look really sharp (and accurate) so their businesses can survive and thrive in the AI + transparency era.