Marketing Director

Marketing DirectorActivate Games AmericaReports to: VP of MarketingLocation: WarehouseType: Full-time / 40-50 Hours WeeklyAbout Activate GamesActivate is the world's first active gaming facility where players move, compete, and problem-solve in immersive, tech-driven game rooms. With rapid expansion across North America, we're building a category-defining brand at the intersection of entertainment, fitness, and technology.Position OverviewThe Marketing Director is responsible for leading the day-to-day execution of Activate's marketing strategy — translating brand vision into campaigns, content, and programs that drive customer acquisition, repeat visits, and revenue growth across all U.S. locations. This role bridges strategy and execution, managing internal team members and agency partners while owning key marketing channels and performance outcomes. The Marketing Director works closely with the VP of Marketing, Operations team, and Sales team to ensure marketing activity is aligned with business goals and measurable at the location level.Key Responsibilities1. Campaign Strategy & ExecutionPlan, execute, and optimize multi-channel marketing campaigns across paid, owned, and earned channelsTranslate national brand strategy into actionable, location-level marketing programsDevelop and manage a rolling marketing calendar aligned to seasonal moments, new openings, and revenue prioritiesOversee campaign briefs, creative development, and approval workflows with internal and agency partnersEnsure campaigns are launched on time, on budget, and measured against clear KPIs2. Brand & Creative LeadershipServe as the internal steward of the Activate brand — ensuring consistency across all touchpoints including digital, print, in-store, email, and socialPartner with Mediocre Creative and other agency partners to brief, review, and approve creative assetsOversee the internal production of marketing assets, ensuring quality and brand alignment from concept through delivery3. Channel Ownership & PerformanceOwn performance across key marketing channels including email/SMS (Attentive), organic social, paid media support, and maintain website content in the new CMSMonitor channel-level KPIs (traffic, conversion, repeat visit rate, booking revenue) and optimize based on data and provide regular reportingManage Lifecycle Marketing Manager on CRM and retention strategiesReview and validate agency-reported paid media performance against BigQuery dataProvide weekly and monthly performance reporting to the VP of Marketing and leaders4. Grand Opening & Local MarketingLead marketing execution for new location grand and reopenings, including pre-launch awareness, influencer activation, and week-of programmingBuild and maintain scalable local marketing playbooks that give operators clear guidance while maintaining brand standardsSupport grassroots community partnerships, nonprofit collaborations, and market-level campaigns in accordance with the strategic execution guidanceOversee and manage the local marketing budgets, approving and denying partnerships, managing the chamber relationships, ensuring local teams are trained on properly evaluating them for ROI5. Team & Agency ManagementManage and develop marketing team members including the Marketing Specialist, Lifecycle Marketing Manager, and Production Graphic DesignerSet clear expectations, provide regular feedback, and build a culture of ownership and accountabilityManage day-to-day relationships with creative and media agency partners — including briefing, timeline management, and performance reviewsIdentify gaps in team capabilities and make recommendations on resourcingRequired Experience7+ years of experience in marketing, with at least 3 years in a leadership or management roleProven track record driving customer acquisition and retention in a multi-location or franchise environmentStrong background in brand management, creative direction, and campaign executionExperience managing agency relationships and creative production workflowsHands-on knowledge of email/SMS marketing platforms (Attentive or similar)Proficiency with marketing analytics — comfortable working with Google Analytics, paid media dashboards, and data toolsExperience in entertainment, hospitality, fitness, or consumer brand marketing preferredExcellent project management skills — able to manage multiple campaigns and deadlines across marketsStrong communicator and collaborator across marketing, ops, sales, and tech teamsHighly organized with a bias toward testing, iteration, and continuous improvementComfortable in a high-growth, fast-moving environmentWhat Success Looks LikeCampaigns launch on time and generate measurable lifts in traffic, bookings, and revenueBrand consistency maintained across all locations and channelsAgency partners are well-managed, well-briefed, and delivering quality creative on scheduleMarketing team is clear on priorities, developing professionally, and executing at a high levelVP of Marketing has clear, data-backed visibility into marketing performance at all times