What is a Marketing Manager?
Marketing Managers are responsible for developing, implementing and executing strategic marketing plans for an entire organization (or lines of business and brands within an organization) in order to attract potential customers and retain existing ones.
They must be great business leaders as well as great marketing leaders. That’s because they are responsible for working with executives to determine budgets and targets, and they are often charged with developing pricing strategies for products and services.
While the marketing department looks to Marketing Managers for guidance and direction, executives count on them for profitability and results. They generally work in corporate environments as part of a larger marketing, creative, communications or digital team. As part of an organization, they play a critical role in aligning creative direction with the company’s strategic goals.
Education Requirements
- Come from a variety of academic backgrounds, including marketing, communication, business and other fields
- Bachelor’s degree
- Some companies require their marketing managers to have a master’s degree
- 7 years of experience
Marketing Manager Essential Skills
- Intimate understanding of traditional and emerging marketing channels
- Excellent communication skills
- Ability to think creatively and innovatively
- Budget-management skills and proficiency
- Professional judgment and discretion that comes from years of experience in the field
- Analytical skills to forecast and identify trends and challenges
- Familiarity with the latest trends, technologies and methodologies in graphic design, web design, production, etc.
Marketing Manager Roles & Responsibilities
- Oversee all marketing campaigns for their company or department
- Implement strategy
- Promote a business, product, or service
- Ensure the company is communicating the right messaging to attract prospective customers and retain existing ones
- Represent the marketing team to cross-functional groups including product management, sales, or customer support
- Updating senior leadership on the progress of marketing activities and reporting on the results of campaigns
Day-to-Day Duties
- Manage and coordinate marketing and creative staff
- Lead market research efforts to uncover the viability of current and existing products/services
- Collaborate with media organizations and advertising agencies
- Brainstorm ideas for new campaigns
- Coordinate with the sales team and other departments to produce effective strategies
- Monitor current campaigns, ensuring their staff meets deadlines and complete necessary tasks
- Analyze data to evaluate the success of their marketing efforts and come up with new ideas to improve brand marketing and exposure