So you’re looking to progress to marketing director. An extremely rewarding, high-octane and meaningful career lies ahead. But are you MD material?
To fly in this field, you need:
- Superb written and communication skills
Strong business sense
Creativity
Wisdom
Enthusiasm
Commercial understanding
Add stamina to that list too. MD’s are responsible for the marketing success of an entire company.
They manage teams and budgets, create and monitor campaigns, lead strategies, build client relationships and much much more! It’s non-stop action every working day.
If this sounds like your dream job, keep reading to learn what an average day in the office looks like for a high-flying marketing director.
The Sun Rises
6.30am
After a quick shower, you enjoy a hearty breakfast while reading today’s newspaper.
Scouting ads from competitors and reading up on industry news is a fundamental part of your morning routine. It puts your marketing brain into gear and helps you stay on top of competitor activity.
7.30am
You arrive at the office nice and early to take advantage of some quiet time before things get hectic.
Catching up on emails is your first task. If you’re working for a global organisation, a lot of communication happens overnight, especially in the US. You take this time to get up to speed and start brainstorming some strategic ideas as your team begins to trickle in.
8.30am
All your team members have arrived at work. It’s time to huddle in the conference room.
You lead your morning marketing meeting, discussing pending projects and deadlines, reflecting on the day’s deliverables and delegating marketing tasks to relevant team members.
The Madness Begins
10am
You head back into the office and it’s buzzing with activity – the phones are ringing, the kettle is bubbling and your colleagues are chatting away.
Back at your desk, you respond to emails and urgent phone calls. You also touch base with colleagues working on briefed projects for progress updates.
11am
Your current brainchild is a marketing campaign for a new product. You spend the next hour commenting on and signing off marketing materials, from ad designs to copy.
Before heading out for lunch, you check your emails and voicemails again. You also quickly browse the web for this week’s trends, comparing them to historic trends and reporting your findings.
Food O’Clock
12.30pm
Your body demands sustenance after an action-packed morning. You escape the office for some fresh air, stretching your legs as you walk briskly to your favourite coffee shop.
One bagel and a coffee later, you’re raring to work again. You take your rejuvenated self back to the office just in time for a meeting with a young marketing supervisor. They want to go over some promotional materials with you so you spend the next 30 minutes viewing samples, photos and ads, giving feedback as needed.
1.30pm
The advising continues. You check in on the company’s instant messaging platform, getting progress updates from your team members and answering any burning questions.
All The Meetings
2pm
It’s time for a meeting with the production manager who works at the factory producing your upcoming product. You leave the office and head over to the site. Together, you go through the results from the latest trials, noting your findings and making suggestions to move production forward.
3pm
Your third meeting of the afternoon is with an advertising agency to go over a new campaign proposal. You greet the team and listen attentively to the account executive’s presentation as she goes over marketing objectives, research, visuals, media proposals and finally the production details
At the end of the meeting, you schedule a follow-up session in a few weeks’ time, say your goodbyes and head back to the office.
Daily Tasks
4.30pm
After a much-needed coffee break, you check your emails again, sending follow-ups and responding as required. You also log into your project management system, actioning items and chasing any outstanding tasks.
5.30pm
Still at your computer, you open your marketing budget spreadsheet, making updates, analysing numbers and looking for opportunities to cut expenditure.
As your co-workers tie-up their tasks before heading home, you quickly check-in with them, obtaining progress reports and ensuring everyone is onboard the agenda for tomorrow.
6pm
Buzzing from a highly-productive day, you wind down by giving social media and Google analytics a once over to understand what’s working and what isn’t. You pop your findings in an email to the social media manager, ready for discussion in your next meeting.
Calling It a Day
You finish the day as you started, reading the newspaper and checking your phone on the commute home, browsing competitor activity, trends and industry news from the day.
You arrive home exhausted but wholly content. You can’t wait to greet the morning with a clear head, prepped for smashing another glorious day as a marketing director.
The Right Career for You?
Want to be at the heart of the action? Don’t mind the prospect of long, full days filled with networking, advising, strategising and creative thinking? Then becoming a marketing director might just be the perfect move.
To understand if your experience fits the bill and to discuss opportunities give us a call on 0161 359 3789 (Manchester) or 0207 871 7665 (London). You can also send us your questions via email to hello@weareadam.com.
