Corporate Director, Marketing and Brand Management

Overview:

Cedar Fair is seeking a Corporate Director, Marketing and Brand Management to be based at our Knott's Berry Farm location.

FUN is our business and we’re looking for a standout brand marketing director with strong leadership skills to guide a multi-park team in the creation of compelling marketing strategies, communication, content, advertising and brand activation that will inspire more families and individuals to experience one-of-a-kind FUN at our two West Coast theme and water parks, Knott’s Berry Farm and California’s Great America.

This position owns the parks’ brand story and its translation into effective marketing and communications strategies, tactics and campaigns that achieve annual attendance and revenue goals. This role will oversee a team of marketing and communications professionals at both Knott’s Berry Farm Cedar Fair’s year-round theme park located in Buena Park, California and its separately gated water park, Knott’s Soak City, as well as California’s Great America amusement park in Santa Clara, California.

Key responsibilities include developing and implementing new consumer marketing and communications strategies leveraging performance metrics, brand/industry research, market dynamics, analytics and guest insights across paid, earned and owned channels while supervising multi-location park-based teams and collaborating with central-led business partners on advertising, CRM, eCommerce, operations and business intelligence. This position will report to the Corporate Vice President, Marketing/Brand Management and Sales in Sandusky, OH and will be based out of Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park, CA.

Salary Details: $130,140- $162,660 per year. Based on experience.

Responsibilities:

• Develops strong and cohesive teams that have clear and concise direction with appropriate support to achieve brand team and park/company objectives. Fosters integration and collaboration between park-based brand marketing and communications initiatives with centralized business partners, advertising agencies, internal creative and operational partners in Charlotte, NC and Sandusky, OH to achieve annual business and brand objectives.
• Continually strives to find ways to improve the guest experience that drives satisfaction, attendance and revenue growth through park brand plans and consumer demand activations. Alongside VP, develops annual marketing strategies for Knott’s Berry Farm, Knott’s Soak City and California’s Great America, while supervising a Marketing Brand Manager and Communications Director.
• Develops and presents marketing roadmaps to inform and direct stakeholders on key initiatives including but not limited to consumer promotions, new capital/product launch/naming/asset development, seasonal events, local partnerships, tourism and DMO/CVB marketing opportunities. Facilitates corporate and park integration and ensures execution across paid, earned and owned channels, driving awareness, consumer consideration, intent to visit and long-term brand affinity/loyalty.
• Utilizes attendance, sales data, NPS & OSAT, scores, local market insights and omni-channel marketing dashboards to provide weekly business intelligence to VP and park General Managers around trends and business performance; leverages data to influence annual and reactive efforts in media spend, creative messaging, channel planning, pricing and promotional efforts.
• Directly manages park-based Communications/PR leadership and sets measurement and goals for traditional media relations and influencer outreach, content and coverage as well as all owned social media content planning, creation & analytics to support overall business and brand goals.
• Directly manages a Marketing Brand Manager and team responsible for leading consumer demand ticket sales strategy, planning and execution; ensures local brand activation, event and ticket/pass promotion and upsell, local partnerships (retail/CVB/DMO/tourism/ attractions) along with review of all advertising creative and paid media to ensure brand and park message priorities.
• Leverages market and consumer insights to make recommendations to VP, inclusive of product development, capital and overall guest experience opportunities in order to grow, retain guests and attract new audiences. Key stakeholders include Corporate Marketing, Operations leadership, Planning & Design, Entertainment, Food & Beverage and Park Operations in general.
• Works closely with Corporate Sales Directors, Season Pass, Business Intelligence, eCommerce, Advertising teams, as well as Brand peers to monitor marketing and sales plans and activities to ensure integration and alignment throughout the year. Responsible for communications of plans, changes, challenges and results across all support functions and park stakeholders.
• Identifies short- and long-term resource needs, including development and management of park-based full-time, part-time and seasonal associates, annual marketing budget, forecasts and expenditures.
  
  
  

Qualifications:

• Minimum of 4-6 years of experience, leading and building multi-location teams and collaboration.
• Bachelor’s degree in marketing, communications, brand management with hospitality, entertainment industry experience preferred. Corporate and field management a plus.
• Excellent written and verbal communications and presentation skills.
• Strong financial acumen and analytical aptitude.
• Experience in managing advertising/content/PR agencies and creative reviews.
• Travel required up to 50%.
• Highly proficient at PC-based Microsoft Office Suite, specifically Excel, PowerPoint and Word.
• Ability to pass a background check, if 18 years of age or older, which may include, but is not limited to, credit, criminal, DMV, previous employment, education and personal references, per Company policy, unless prohibited by federal, state, or provincial law.
• Ability to work nights, weekends, and holiday periods to meet business needs.
• Must possess a valid Driver's License.