8 Common Marketing Interview Questions and How to Answer Them

The interview can be the most exciting part of the job application process—especially when you feel confident talking about your chosen field. Preparing for your interview by reviewing common questions and answers is one great way to boost your confidence.

In a marketing interview, you can expect to talk about your experience, your interest in the industry, what value you envision adding to the team, and your general work preferences. You can also anticipate getting answers to your questions about the position or company.

Typically, by the time you arrive at the marketing interview, you’ll already have gone through the initial application—when the company reviews your resume—and maybe even a screening interview with a human resources specialist, such as a recruiter. By this point, you should feel confident that you have the credentials the company seeks to fill this role.

The job interview is an opportunity for your prospective employer to learn more about the person behind those credentials and see your communication skills in action. Likewise, it’s a chance for you to explore the role beyond the responsibilities and decide whether this team feels like the right fit for your goals.

Keep reading to review specific questions you will likely encounter in a marketing interview.

8 Common questions in a marketing interview

You can’t know for sure what questions will come up in a marketing interview, but there is a good chance an interviewer will ask variations of these common questions. Thinking through how you might approach these questions ahead of time can help build confidence as you head into the conversation.

1. Tell me about yourself.

What they’re really asking: What experiences have prepared you for this marketing role?

This question is among the most popular icebreakers across all interview types. It’s an effective starting point in any conversation, but more importantly, it offers an opportunity to start shaping the conversation in the way that feels most beneficial to you.

As you approach answering this question, think like a marketer: What story do you want to tell about yourself, and what is the most effective starting point for that story?

Think about the skills you’ll want to highlight throughout this interview, and talk about your past experiences as they relate to those skills. It’s okay if you didn’t use those skills in a direct marketing capacity. This open-ended question gives you space to draw those connections yourself.

Other forms this question might take:

• Tell me about your background.

• How did you get started in marketing?

• What makes you the right person for this role?

2. Why are you interested in a career in marketing?

What they’re really asking: Why are you here?

Ground your past experiences in the present by offering a picture of your goals as they relate to this position. Think about the skills you hope to develop throughout your marketing career. What is it about those skills that feel exciting or important to you? And how do you hope to sharpen those skills in this role?

Try to stay focused on your short-term goals—the things you hope to accomplish in this particular role—but don’t shy away from connecting them to your long-term ambitions if that feels important to you.

Ultimately, you want to get a job that can carry you along your desired career path. Being honest about the path you see for yourself can help ensure that you join the right team, and can help you avoid positions that aren’t designed to nurture the particular progress you are hoping to make.

Other forms this question might take:

• What made you apply for this role?

• Why are you interested in working for this company?

• What do you like about marketing?

Tip: How to research a company

Help yourself feel more prepared for an interview by researching your prospective company. You can find a lot of information about a company on their website, in the job description, and on their social media pages. Here are some things you might want to know:

1. Company values, mission, and culture

2. Skills they value in their employees

3. Recent news and company events

4. Current clients, if applicable

5. A bit about your interviewer and prospective team

Read more: Your Guide to Landing an Entry-Level Marketing Job

3. What is a marketing trend or campaign you liked?

What they’re really asking: What do you think makes a “good” marketing campaign, and how can you bring those techniques to our company?

This question seeks to gauge how well your taste aligns with the company’s taste and to understand how you judge a marketing campaign’s success. Approach it genuinely and analytically.

As you answer this question, consider the campaigns you have reacted positively to from the standpoint of both the consumer and the marketer. What was it about that campaign that worked for you?

But don’t stop there. The most crucial part of this question is to assess how you might apply those positive attributes to future campaigns with this company, especially if the brand you’re highlighting is vastly different from the company you’re interviewing with. Show that you’re excited about the marketing techniques rather than the campaign’s subject matter.

Other forms this question might take:

• What brands do you like to follow?

• How do you measure a successful campaign?

• How do you stay up-to-date with the latest marketing industry trends and techniques?

To answer this and similar questions effectively, consider familiarizing yourself with the latest marketing techniques and strategies by taking a course. Unilever's Digital Marketing Analyst Professional Certificate program covers digital marketing channels, analytics, campaign performance, AI and automation in marketing, and more.

4. What do you think of our recent marketing campaign?

What they’re really asking: What value can you add to our marketing team?

This is another two-pronged question. Take this as an opportunity to show that you (A) did your research on the team, and (B) have thought about the perspective you are prepared to add.

Approaching this question with an awareness of the recent campaigns is crucial. As you prepare for the interview, take note of the company’s recent activity, or if it’s a marketing firm, the recent activity of their clients. Did they launch a new product? Was there a social media push surrounding any specific offerings?

Consider what aspects of those campaigns you felt connected well with their target audience, and support your assessment with the metrics you have access to, like social media ‘likes’ and ‘shares.’

If you see a potential avenue for improvement, one gentle way to present that feedback might be in the form of a question. For example, “I noticed you focused your efforts surrounding this launch on Facebook. Instagram has a passionate community as well. Is there a reason you didn’t pursue that platform?” This approach can showcase your interest in the company’s target audience and start a dialogue about your expertise. 

Other forms this question might take:

• How would you improve our recent marketing campaign?

• How familiar are you with our company's target market and/or clients?

• What do you already know about our company?

5. How do you manage the launch of a new product?

What they’re really asking: What knowledge do you already have, and where do you stand to grow?

Here, the focus turns toward your workflow and how you implement the skills you’ve highlighted. This is your time to really show off your expertise.

Be sure to highlight how you approach a campaign from the early stages of ideation through post-event debrief and long-term marketing plans. Wherever possible, call upon specific examples from your past experiences. Point out successes you’ve had—including times you’ve successfully improved your processes—and any reasoning that guides you through your process.

Additionally, mention the parts of the process that you tend to enjoy the most, and the areas you are working to gain more experience in. This will offer your interviewer more insight into your goals. This might also be a good time to ask whether this role will allow you to flourish in the areas you enjoy, and grow the skills you are hoping to enhance.

Other forms this question might take:

• What social media platforms are you familiar with?

• What platforms fit best with our brand?

6. What motivates you?

What they’re really asking: Do your work preferences align with our company culture?

This question is typically used to assess whether you’ll be equipped to do your best work in the environment this role offers. Keep your answer centered around the things that inspire you within the context of your job.

Here, you can draw upon the information you’ve already gathered about the work environment at this company and flag elements that sound encouraging. For example, “I liked when you mentioned weekly team catch-ups. I feel empowered to contribute when I am aware of everyone’s projects.”

Frame your response in the affirmative rather than the negative—meaning, state the things you do like rather than the things you don’t. This will help keep your conversation positive.

Other forms this question might take:

• How do you work best?

• How do you respond to negative feedback?

• How do you navigate difficult situations?

As employers focus more and more on your soft skills (also called workplace skills), consider developing them in an online course, such as the IBM People and Soft Skills Assessment course. This program covers presentation skills, communication skills, handling challenges, solving problems, and implementing solutions.

7. What are your hobbies and interests?

What they’re really asking: How will you get along with our team?

People spend a lot of time with their coworkers, and some teams value having colleagues they can engage with and relate to. Asking about your life outside of work can help your interviewer get a better sense of your personality and how well you might fit into the team’s established dynamic.

This question is an opportunity to form a connection and open up about who you are and what you value. You may come upon some shared interests during your pre-interview research, or you may offer a hobby that is totally new to your interviewer.

Either way, try to show what you’re capable of when you feel passionate——and, even better—what happens when you can carry elements of that passion into your work.

Other forms this question might take:

• What is your greatest accomplishment outside of work?

• What media do you consume?

8. Do you have any questions?

What they’re really asking: Are you interested and curious?

This frequent interview closer gives you a chance to close out the narrative you began with that very first question, “Tell me about yourself.” If you use this time effectively, you can leave your interviewer with exactly the impression you want them to have.

To answer this one, think about your most important goals and values in the workplace. Show that you know what you are looking for by speaking clearly and confidently, and frame your questions around what you need to succeed in this role. If it feels right, you might even react to their response by reinforcing how their answers align with what you can offer.

Don’t feel like you have to save all your questions for the end of your interview. If the topics you were curious about come up throughout the interview, weave them in. This can help make the interaction feel more like a conversation with two active participants and will allow you to demonstrate your engagement over your entire time together.

Still, it’s good to have some additional backup questions to end with if you ask all of your questions before this last one comes up. If that happens, that could be a good sign that you and your interviewer have the same priorities.

Here are some questions that might help you determine whether the company you’re interviewing with is the right fit for you.

Questions to ask in a marketing interview

- What qualities or skills does an ideal candidate have?

- How do you measure success in this role?

- How do you describe the team culture?

- What does growth look like on this team?

- Do you have any suggestions on how I might improve my candidacy?

- Do you have any lingering concerns about me or my work?

- What are the next steps in the process?

Read more: 30 Career-Focused Questions to Ask in an Interview

4 Mid-level marketing interview questions

If you are interviewing for a higher-level marketing position, such as a marketing manager or marketing director role, be prepared to talk more specifically about your previous experience and how your responsibilities have grown and evolved over time.

Here are four ways interviewers might phrase mid-level marketing interview questions:

1. What are your responsibilities in your current role?

2. How has your role evolved since you first started?

3. What has been your most significant career achievement to date?

4. Why are you looking to make a change? 

To answer any one of these questions, incorporate elements of each. Tell the story of your career from where you started, to where you are, to where you’re going. Talk about career highlights and how they’ve prepared you to move forward. Share your career vision, and end by offering where you think this company and, more particularly, this role fits in.

Read more: Marketing Career, Education, Tips & Insights

How to prepare for a marketing interview

In addition to considering how you might answer the questions above, prepare for your marketing interview by learning as much as possible about the company and people you are interviewing with. Browse their company website and social media channels, and find the LinkedIn profile of your interviewer. Review the job description carefully, and consider how you might discuss your qualifications as they relate to the company’s needs.

Once you understand the company’s work, think about your past projects. Revisit your work that feels related to this company’s work in any way: subject matter, target audience, or skills utilized. Compile your work samples in a portfolio so that you can be prepared to send, should they request one.

Most importantly, feel confident in everything you have to offer. You were invited to this interview because the team is interested in your work and wants to meet you. Getting to the interview stage is, in itself, a testament to your abilities.

Read more: How to Prepare for an Interview

Explore marketing with Coursera

Taking online courses can be a great way to prepare for an upcoming interview, build job-ready marketing skills, and discover career opportunities. Coursera offers a variety of programs to suit your needs.

To earn a credential and expose yourself to important strategies and techniques, consider the Meta Social Media Marketing Professional Certificate or the Google Digital Marketing & E-commerce Professional Certificate on Coursera. Throughout either program, you can complete hands-on projects for a portfolio to share with a future employer or to use at your own business.

For even more learning, consider a BSc in Marketing with the University of London or an iMBA with a Digital Marketing Specialization from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, both available on Coursera.