A director of product marketing is a key member of a company attempting to monitor and sell to consumer markets. This director uses trend statistics to create company approaches to develop and promote products for profit. This director will work closely with other departments to design and initiate an advertising strategy for products or product lines. A director of this kind usually reports to a vice president of marketing and may also supervise a marketing team of his own.
Many companies employ marketing directors to help with strategy and product sales. A director of product marketing might work internally, solely focused on his own employer's advertising budget and direction. Other marketing directors work for advertising agencies who work on product campaigns for many companies simultaneously.
This marketing executive will research consumer tendencies and competitive businesses, develop plans for advertising products effectively, and communicate these reports to senior management or clients. Depending upon the size of the company and its strategic position, a director of product marketing might be responsible for a variety of demographics from local consumer research statistics to global reports. The director's job is to understand these demographics and utilize them to help organizations turn a profit.
Once market information is collected and reviewed, the director of product marketing must develop a merchandise plan for his company or customer. Product marketing directors must work on many different levels of collaboration. They must consider consumer activity and competitors. They may be responsible for coordinating with related departments, customers, and agencies when creating marketing plans. The main focus of this job is product sales, so a director of product marketing must be able to effectively communicate his ideas and designs to others.
A marketing director with a focus on products will likely supervise and review a staff of marketing employees whose talents may range from writing to sales to art. The director will develop the overall vision of a product marketing campaign and will lead this team in creating it. He will likely be involved in hiring, training, and assessing employee performance.
While most of this job depends upon maintaining relationships with others, much of the research in certain markets might be done individually by the director of product marketing. He will also place much focus on tapping into the market place and understanding its movement. Depending upon company and customer profiles, a director of product marketing might be required to travel to the marketplace, customer locations, and company sites. Directors of product marketing often spend much of the work day involved in strategic planning sessions to most effectively take advantage of market habits. These sessions may be with marketing staff, senior management, or customers.
