Many people think that a marketing manager and marketing director denote the same job responsibilities. This is because both titles signify similar duties such as “managing” or “directing” a marketing strategy. However, they are not one in the same, and both titles come with their own roles, often depending on the structure of the marketing department. In this article, we will answer the question “ What is the difference between a marketing manager and marketing director?”
The American Marketing Association does a great job of putting these two roles into perspective for aspiring marketers. It is often observed that a marketing director is head of a marketing strategy regardless of whether there are anywhere from 0-20 employees under him/her. On the other hand, a marketing manager is often used to denote a role that presides over lower level employees that carry out integral tasks for the marketing strategy. These two terms are proportional in nature, and depend heavily on the size of the company, as well as its marketing department. Even so, their roles differ greatly when each position is at the same company.
The Marketing Manager
Because marketing and advertising are often joined into one department at many companies, the marketing manager is often designated to oversee both operations. The manager oversees employee projects and tasks that help the company launch products and penetrate the market. When a company outsources its marketing and advertising ventures to other agencies, the marketing manager is typically the person to hire the agency and oversee their operations.
The marketing manager must have at least a bachelor’s level degree in marketing or advertising, a degree that is required to even break into the field in most cases. The marketing manager will likely also deal with budgetary decisions and communicate with the sales department.
The Marketing Director
The marketing director, on the other hand, is responsible for developing and overseeing the execution of a marketing strategy. The marketing director will research to devise a marketing strategy, and will continue that research as the campaign progresses. As previously stated, the duties of this individual will rely heavily on how large the company is, as well as its policy. Some directors merely research, devise, and delegate duties to other individuals on the marketing team. However, when a marketing director is the only person in the marketing department, then he/she will be slated with these duties as well as the responsibilities of a marketing manager. The marketing director position typically requires a master’s in either advertising or marketing.
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The sales department is in close connection with the marketing director to provide feedback on marketing strategies. Using feedback from the sales department, the marketing director can determine whether or not the strategy is working, or if changes need to be made.
Salary
There are also differences in wages for the marketer versus the director. In 2011, marketing managers saw a median salary of around $73,000 per year, while marketing directors saw median salaries of up to $130,000 per year.
Overall, it is to be understood that marketing directors are often the most senior individuals in marketing departments, regardless of whether there is a single employee manning it, or 20. Managers always reside under directors, and directors will always exist prior to the hiring of managers. The hierarchy will always start with a director, and the managers will follow.
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