Regional marketing directors are high level marketing professionals responsible for orchestrating and supervising multifaceted campaigns that pertain to specific regions. For instance, one regional marketing director might be responsible for researching, guiding, and optimizing online, television, and magazine marketing initiatives on the east coast of the United States. Another regional marketing director, on the other hand might work in a region as specific as a certain city or state, while another might oversee all marketing campaigns in a continent or country. To become a regional marketing director, it is essential to earn an undergraduate degree in a field such as marketing or sales, and in more competitive job markets it might also be a good idea eventually to earn a graduate degree in a related field. A person who wants to become a regional marketing director also should plan on getting about five years of experience heading marketing initiatives that enable him or her to master interpersonal skills, written and spoken communication, basic computer skills, and principles and practices related to various marketing strategies.
Anyone who would like to become a regional marketing director can benefit from choosing a particular field in which to practice as a marketer early in his or her career. People who work in marketing in the software industry, for example, might have skills sets and bodies of knowledge that are different from those who market foods or retail stores. In some cases, people discover where their areas of interest are by studying related subjects in school. Some people, on the other hand, discover which paths are best for them as they develop their professional careers.
In order to become a regional marketing director, it is important to become comfortable with all marketing tools and procedures in your field. For example, it might be common for a regional marketing director to have experience in graphic design as well as in buying advertisement space in periodicals and on television networks. This kind of professional might also be responsible for composing press releases and contacting the media to direct public image. A person who wants to become a regional marketing director should make an effort to get involved in all aspects of his or her field.
It also is important for a person who wants to become a regional marketing director to have a deep understanding of his or her region. An individual looking for a regional marketing director position for New York City, for instance, should have years of experience in marketing or sales in this particular market. He or she should have a general understanding of the spending habits, tastes, and needs of target demographics in a particular region.