WORK INFO AND TIPS
Log In
Sign Up
Scanning job openings can be confusing. You see titles like Brand Manager and Marketing Manager listed side-by-side, or you see a “Director” role at a startup that sounds suspiciously like an entry-level gig. If you’re looking to build a career in the boardsports or outdoor industry, understanding the hierarchy and the distinct nuances of these roles is critical. You need to know what skills to highlight on your CV and, more importantly, what your actual day-to-day life will look like if you land the job.
While every role is different (especially when comparing a lean skate hardware brand to a massive global apparel company) there are standard distinctions you can rely on. Here is the breakdown of the four most common marketing titles you’ll encounter, translating the job descriptions into reality.
1. Marketing Coordinator
The Focus: Execution and Logistics.
The Marketing Coordinator is the backbone of the department. Usually an entry-level to junior role, this position is about making surf the plans actually happen. You aren’t expected to write the global five-year strategy; you are expected to ensure the assets are in the right folder, the samples are mailed to the photographers, and the social media calendar is up to date. In the boardsports world, this role is often ‘all hands on deck’. One day you might be formatting an email newsletter, and the nex you might be assisting at a trade show booth or organising gear for a team trip.
The Real World Scenario:
The Project: The Brand is launching a new winter outerwear line.
The Coordinator: You are uploading the product descriptions to the e-commerce site, coordinating the shipping of sample jackets to magazines for review, and replying to customer questions on the launch post on Instagram.
2. Brand Manager
The Focus: Identity, Storytelling, and Consistency.
This is where candidates often confused. Brand and Marketing are siblings, but they have different personalities. While a Marketing Manager usually focuses on numbers, reach, and conversion, the Brand Manager focuses on identity and feeling. The Brand Manager is the guardian of the brand’s ‘DNA’. In our industry, authenticity is everything. The Brand Manager ensures that every piece of content, every collaboration, and every event looks, sounds and feels core. They work closely with product designers, and creative teams, to ensure the vibe is right before it ever hits the market.
The Real World Scenario:
The Project: The new winter outerwear line.
The Brand Manager: You selected the photographer for the lookbook to ensure the aesthetic matches the brands specific style. You wrote the tagline for the campaign, selected which images and copy to use for the roll out and you make sure the colour palette of the creative matches the product design. You are constantly asking: ‘Is this cool? Is this us?’
3. Marketing Manager
The Focus: Strategy, Tactics and ROI.
If the Brand Manager builds the car, the Marketing Manager drives it. This is a mid-to-senior level role responsible for taking that brand identity and getting it in front of as many customers as possible to drive sales. This role requires a mix of creativity and hard analytical skills. You are managing the timeline, the budget, the retail partnerships, and usually, the Marketing Coordinator. You are the one reporting back to the business on what worked, and what didn’t…
The Real World Scenario:
The Project: The new winter outerwear line.
The Marketing Manager: You decided how much budget to spend on Instagram ads vs Google Search. You negotiated a partnership with a snow forecast app to display banner ads. You set the sales targets for the quarter and are tracking the data daily to see if the campaign is profitable.
4. Marketing Director
The Focus: Vision, Structure, and Business Alignment.
The Marketing Director is an executive role. In many organizations, they sit on the leadership team and report directly to the CEO. They are rarely in the weeds posting to social media, or tweaking pixels on a graphics file. The are looking at the horizon – planning 1, 3 and 5 years out. They determine the strucutre of the department, hire the managers, and ensure marketing supports the broader financial goals of the company. The act as the bridge between the creative energy of the marketing department and the financial demands of the boardroom.
The Real World Scenario:
The Project: The new winter outerwear line
The Marketing Director: You approaved the budget for the entire campaign six months ago. You decided strategically that the company needs to pivot towards ‘sustainability’ to stay competitive, instructing the team that this launch must highlight recycled materials to satisfy investor and market interest.
Wait, is a Marketing Director the same as a CMO?
Technically, no. But in the wild? Sometimes…
In a structured corporate environment (think Nike or VF Corp), a Chief Marketing Officier (CMO) is a ‘C-Suite’ executive who sits at the big table with the CEO and CFO. They are responsible for the entire company’s growth and stock perception. In this structure, the Marketing Director reports to the CMO. However, in smaller boardsports brands, you will often see ‘Title Inflation’…
The ‘Head of’ Role: A mid sized brand might hire a Marketing Director to run the whole show. Because they report directly to the owner or CDEO, they are effectively doing the job of a CMO, just without the ‘Chief’ title (and often without the ‘Chief’ salary).
The Startup CMO: On the other side, a tiny startup might give someone the title of CMO to make the company look bigger, even though that person is still doing the faily grunt work of a Manager.
The Litmus Test: If you want to know the seniority of the role, check who it reports to. If it reports to the CEO, you’re the top dog. If it reports to a VP or C-Suite level exec, you are a department lead.
The "Size Matters" Caveat
This the one major variable to keep in mind: Company Size.
If you are applying to a small, independent brand (common in boardsports), these titles often compress. A ‘Marketing Manager’ at a small brand might be doing the job of the Director, Brand Manager and Coordinator all at once. However, if you are looking at heritage brands or large conglomerate groups, these lanes are very distinct.
Which path is for you?
Start as a Coordinator if you are organized, eager and want to learn the nuts and bolts of the industry.
Aim for Brand Manager if you are creative, intuitive and care deeply about culture and storytelling.
Target the Marketing Manager if you enjoy strategy, analytics and leading teams to hit tangible goals.
Eye the Director Role if you have significant experience, a clear vision and the ability to align creative work with business revenue.
CURRENT OPENINGS
