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What does a Director of Marketing do?

Sheri Cyprus
Sheri Cyprus

A director of marketing is responsible for overseeing the running of his or her department. He or she must ensure that clients' marketing projects are completed both profitably and satisfactorily for the company and the client. Marketing directors work with target market information for client products and services daily because a key task of this position is to strategize as well as implement marketing campaigns.

Marketing campaigns and client projects vary depending on the company, but they usually involve setting price points before promoting the product. A director of marketing analyzes information about which consumers are most likely to want or need a client's product, then prepares a workable campaign plan directed at this target audience or market segment. The target market for each client product may be close in age, income level or share other characteristics; in this way, a selling price can be established to meet this segment's needs. The director's campaign plan often includes creating awareness of the product as well as innovating a sales promotion strategy for getting the target market to take action and make a purchase.

A director of marketing may give presentations to company executives.
A director of marketing may give presentations to company executives.

Delegating work to staff is a regular responsibility for most directors of marketing. Managers typically report to them, especially those in the sales department. A director of marketing usually checks sales figures regularly to see how well products are selling. It's also usually the director's job to monitor sales in order to try to increase them by developing new marketing plans and promotions. In some companies, a director of sales and marketing is one job. In others, the position may focus strictly on product marketing and work separately from a sales director.

Marketing directors usually spend their work days in an office environment.
Marketing directors usually spend their work days in an office environment.

Marketing directors usually spend their workdays in an office environment. They either work within a company or corporation on the client side or in a marketing agency providing services for many different clients. While a director of marketing's job description is typically a 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday position, many people with this title work longer hours in order to provide top-notch performance on client projects. Some directors of marketing travel regularly to meet with clients, while others may only have local client meetings.

A director of marketing is responsible for creating campaigns to advertise a company's new products.
A director of marketing is responsible for creating campaigns to advertise a company's new products.

Regular marketing department meetings are usually held by the director as well. The director of marketing typically decides on the topic for each meeting as well as sets goals for employees who report to him or her. A director of marketing usually evaluates his or her staff's job performance at regular intervals as well.

Discussion Comments

anon999922

I am a young woman who is struggling with finding the correct career to take my path in and I found this article very helpful. Thank you to whoever published this and if you could give me any tips on to how to be really successful in this area I would really appreciate it.

tigers88

I was the director of marketing for a mid sized real estate company. It was a big job. We had lots of different responsibilities and lots of different objectives.

We had to market the realtors, the houses, we had to appeal to both buyers and sellers and broadcast our services into a regional market. I had a team of five people working under me and we were always busy. There was lots of day to day operations stuff but we also had to make long term plans and constantly analyze the market.

Lots of people choose a realtor based only on the advertising they see. A well coordinated marketing effort is key to a successful operation.

everetra

@allenJo - If you ask me, I think that branding is the most important task in marketing. Copywriting is important but branding is what sets a customer apart from the competition. It’s name identity and associating values with that name. I think that’s the marketing director’s main job.

allenJo

@MrMoody - Yes, marketing is basically a sales job, whether you are starting out at the director level or below. I’ve done some copywriting myself and I’ve discovered that many of the principles that apply to selling also apply to copywriting, which is simply selling in print.

For example, you need to focus on benefits, not features, appeal to people’s wants and desires and also learn how to overcome objections and qualify prospects.

It’s handled a little differently in writing but it’s still the same ultimately. I recommend that you get started in copywriting if you want to climb the ladder into this lucrative career. You can start out freelancing, pitching your services to the ad agencies. They might hire you on full time later.

MrMoody

@Mammmood - I think marketing careers offer a lot of upside potential for creative individuals who know to sell.

I know of one guy who started out in the lower ranks at an advertising agency and eventually became the president of the company.

It’s easy to see why. If you can help your customers make a lot of money, you can make a lot of money too. It’s a win-win proposition.

Marketing people need to have vision, too. They need to have big ideas and ambitious goals. People who solicit help from advertising agencies aren’t trolling for a few minnows in the ocean – they want to catch the big fish, so to speak. So I think you need to be big and bold in your thinking, not just creative.

Mammmood

I worked at a company where I had some frequent interaction with the director of product marketing. I didn’t work in marketing myself but I did have some experience in freelance writing, and I was able to bring some of my skills to the table.

I learned a lot too. In this particular company the marketing director was conducting an Internet marketing campaign to promote the business. They were using pay per click and other keyword campaigns.

It was kind of challenging because the business was highly specialized, targeting the industrial space. In pay per click you have to use just a few keywords so we had to zero in on just the right words for that industry.

We evaluated the campaigns too. While they worked, because we worked in technical industry we found that we got more business through word of mouth.

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    • A director of marketing may give presentations to company executives.
      By: Dmitry Goygel-Sokol
      A director of marketing may give presentations to company executives.
    • Marketing directors usually spend their work days in an office environment.
      By: Tissiana Kelley
      Marketing directors usually spend their work days in an office environment.
    • A director of marketing is responsible for creating campaigns to advertise a company's new products.
      By: design56
      A director of marketing is responsible for creating campaigns to advertise a company's new products.
    • A director of marketing oversees the development of a product's packaging.
      By: michaeljung
      A director of marketing oversees the development of a product's packaging.
    • A director of marketing may determine which publications to put advertisements in.
      By: matka_Wariatka
      A director of marketing may determine which publications to put advertisements in.
    • A director of marketing may create buzz campaigns that include text advertisements.
      By: bloomua
      A director of marketing may create buzz campaigns that include text advertisements.
    • Delegating work to staff is a regular responsibility for most directors of marketing.
      By: DragonImages
      Delegating work to staff is a regular responsibility for most directors of marketing.
    • A director of marketing may be required to work long hours.
      By: V&P Photo Studio
      A director of marketing may be required to work long hours.