The Head of Marketing: A Role That’s Often Misunderstood
Most companies get this hire wrong because they don’t actually understand what marketing is. It’s not one job—it’s at least three. That’s why turnover is high and why so many marketing leaders fail. If you don’t set the right expectations and allocate resources correctly, you’ll end up with someone who’s either stretched too thin or focused on the wrong things.
Marketing Strategy: Owning the Narrative
This is the foundation. It’s about positioning, storytelling, and shaping perception. It’s understanding market dynamics, consumer psychology, and what actually moves the needle. A great marketing strategy makes everything else easier—without it, you’re just throwing money at tactics with no direction.
Promotion: Execution That Drives Results
Campaigns, media buying, PR, partnerships, influencer amplification—this is where most people think marketing starts and ends. But without strategy, it’s just activity with no impact. The right execution isn’t about doing more, it’s about doing what matters, at the right time, to the right audience.
A&R Alignment: Marketing Can’t Be an Afterthought
Marketing doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Whether it’s working alongside A&R or directly influencing the product (songs) itself, the best marketing leaders aren’t just reacting to what’s already been created—they’re shaping it. If marketing gets involved too late, you’re already behind.
Project Management: The Glue That Holds It Together
Marketing is a high-stakes, high-speed function with a lot of moving parts. Without strong leadership, campaigns get messy, deadlines slip, and opportunities are missed. A great marketing leader isn’t just creative—they’re operationally excellent, ensuring everything runs like a well-oiled machine.
Branding & Aesthetics: Bringing the Project’s Vision to Life
Branding isn’t just about logos and color palettes—it’s about creating a world around the artist and the music. A strong visual identity reinforces the narrative, making the project feel cohesive and intentional. It’s not about a perfect font or a trendy design; it’s about crafting an aesthetic that amplifies the story, deepens fan connection, and makes the album feel like an event, not just a release. When done right, it turns a collection of songs into a movement.
Most companies think they need marketing when what they really need is a strategy to make the artist matter. Promotion alone won’t break an artist—without the right positioning, cultural relevance, and fan connection, no amount of advertising or PR will move the needle. The best marketing leaders don’t just create buzz—they build careers, turning artists into movements and moments into legacies.
