Marketing Manager

Excelsior, MN | Full-Time | Reports to Ownership The Opportunity This is a marketing leadership role for someone who wants to own it — strategy, execution, and results — at a premium, fast‑growing recreational brand with deep roots in the Minnesota lake lifestyle. You will lead marketing across all dealership locations and channels: boat sales, service, events, Pro Shop, and customer experience. You will inherit a lean, talented team and have the mandate to bring structure, strategy, and measurable impact to a function that is ready to level up. About the Brand This is Minnesota’s premier dealership for Malibu and Axis boats — premium inboard watersports boats built for wakeboarding, wakesurfing, and lake life at its finest. With multiple Minnesota locations and a loyal, passionate customer base, the brand is built both online and on the water. The marketing calendar is rich: signature customer events, in‑water test drive experiences, seasonal activations, model previews, and community programs that reflect a family‑oriented, lake‑first identity. What You Will Own Marketing Strategy and Planning Develop and lead an integrated, multi‑location marketing strategy tied to boat sales, service growth, Pro Shop engagement, and customer retention. Build and manage the annual marketing calendar across email, social, website, events, inventory campaigns, and seasonal priorities. Translate business goals into clear plans with timelines, deliverables, and measurable outcomes. Partner with ownership, sales, service, and Pro Shop teams to align marketing with inventory needs and dealership goals. Lead Generation and Sales Enablement Create and manage initiatives that drive qualified inquiries, test drive requests, event registrations, and inventory engagement. Develop customer‑facing materials including boat feature content, inventory campaigns, event collateral, and product positioning tools. Ensure online listings are accurate, visually compelling, and aligned with sales priorities. Digital Marketing, SEO, and Website Own website content with a focus on SEO, AI search visibility, lead capture, inventory accuracy, and customer experience. Manage email marketing end to end: campaign planning, audience segmentation, newsletters, promotional emails, and performance tracking. Oversee Google Ads and Google Analytics to drive qualified traffic and measure digital ROI. Support CRM and lead management including audience segmentation, campaign workflows, and lead source tracking. Social Media and Content Direction Lead social strategy across Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, and other platforms — with the authority to recommend the right channel mix for this audience. Oversee content planning, calendar development, post themes, brand voice, and performance tracking. Guide creation of photo, video, reels, and short‑form content that showcases boats, customers, events, Pro Shop products, and the lake lifestyle. Drive follower growth and community engagement, including responding to comments and building authentic brand presence. Brand, Creative, and Campaign Execution Maintain brand consistency across digital, print, email, signage, apparel, dealership displays, and customer communications. Lead creative development for campaigns, promotions, events, and inventory marketing. Oversee asset production including graphics, eblasts, flyers, signage, and event materials. Coordinate with designers, print vendors, and website partners. Events and Experiential Marketing Lead promotion and execution for signature events including test drive experiences, VIP nights, model previews, boat shows, and customer community programs. Develop event marketing plans that include pre‑event promotion, registration, on‑site content capture, and post‑event follow‑up. Analytics and Reporting Track and report performance across email, website, social, campaigns, events, and advertising. Monitor key metrics — open rates, site traffic, social engagement, lead sources, campaign results — and use data to improve. Prepare regular marketing updates for leadership with results, priorities, and recommendations. Manage two direct reports: a graphic designer who also leads the Pro Shop, and a coordinator focused on design, events, and social media. Lead with clarity, accountability, and a coaching mindset — each team member has different experience and different needs. Build structure around marketing requests, project timelines, content approvals, and cross‑functional communication. Manage external vendors and agency partners to deliver high‑quality work on time. What We’re Looking For Required 4+ years of integrated marketing experience, ideally in retail, lifestyle brands, powersports, marine, automotive, outdoor recreation, hospitality, or a customer‑experience‑driven business. Demonstrated end‑to‑end marketing ownership: strategy through execution across email, social, website, events, print, and digital. Experience managing and developing a team with different skill sets and working styles. Strong digital fluency including SEO, Google Ads, Google Analytics, email platforms, CRM, and social media management tools. Familiarity with AI tools and how to apply them in a marketing context. Strong writing, visual judgment, and brand storytelling skills. Ability to manage competing priorities in a fast‑paced, seasonal business. Availability for occasional evenings and weekends during peak boating season, and events throughout the year. Preferred Background in boating, marine, powersports, luxury retail, or outdoor recreation. Passion for lake life — or the genuine curiosity to develop it. Experience with paid social, marketing automation, and content direction for photo and video. Point of view on social media channel strategy and audience development. Salary: Competitive, starting around $80-100K (commensurate with experience). Health insurance (Blue Cross Blue Shield). 401(k). Flexible PTO. Company‑wide paid holiday closure between Christmas and New Year’s Day. How You’ll Work This role is based in Excelsior, MN (transitioning to a new Excelsior location) with full‑time in‑office presence Monday through Friday. Flexibility is earned as trust is built. This person will need to be self‑directed and capable of managing both their own time and their team’s without heavy oversight. #J-18808-Ljbffr