Director, Marketing Strategy

Detroit Pistons•Detroit, MI

About The Position

The Director, Marketing Strategy is a strategic leader who turns fan and market insights into business results and helps shape how the Detroit Pistons show up in campaigns, culture, and partnerships. The role helps define and articulate the Pistons' brand DNA, including what the organization stands for, what makes it distinctive, and the emotional connection it seeks to create with fans. This foundation guides brand communication and engagement across campaigns, content, social platforms, partnerships, and fan experiences. Working at the intersection of brand strategy, audience intelligence, and marketing operations, the Director builds insights that inform campaign and messaging decisions, partners with Corporate Partnerships to ensure sponsor relationships strengthen the brand, and establishes processes that bring structure, accountability, and measurable results to the Brand and Integrated Marketing team. The position reports to the Chief Marketing Officer and collaborates with Sales, Corporate Partnerships, Creative, Business Strategy & Analytics, Community Relations, and the broader Brand and Integrated Marketing team. The role leads brand strategy and integrated campaigns, turns research and performance data into actionable marketing recommendations, develops campaign measurement and reporting, evaluates sponsorship opportunities, and builds scalable marketing workflows. It also leads and mentors the Brand & Lifestyle Marketing Manager and serves as a strategic steward of the brand across campaigns, partnerships, messaging, and fan experiences.

Requirements

7–10 years of progressive experience in brand marketing, marketing strategy, or a related field, including at least 4 years in a leadership capacity.
Proven experience developing brand positioning, messaging frameworks, and integrated marketing campaigns across paid, owned, and earned channels.
Ability to translate consumer insights, market research, and campaign performance data into actionable marketing strategies and business recommendations.
Experience developing marketing operations processes, campaign measurement frameworks, and cross-functional workflows.
Understanding of sponsorship strategy, brand partnerships, and evaluating opportunities for brand alignment and business impact.
Strong knowledge of cultural marketing, lifestyle branding, and engaging diverse consumer audiences.
Demonstrated ability to lead teams, influence cross-functional stakeholders, and present strategic recommendations to executive leadership.
Excellent communication, organizational, and analytical skills, with the ability to balance creative thinking and business performance.

Nice To Haves

Experience in professional sports, entertainment, consumer brands, or lifestyle marketing.
Experience collaborating with sponsorship or corporate partnership teams.
Familiarity with Detroit's cultural landscape, communities, and consumer audiences.
Relationships with creators, cultural influencers, or community organizations in Detroit or other relevant markets.

Responsibilities

Define and establish the Pistons' brand DNA, positioning, personality, and emotional connection with fans, translating these principles into consistent storytelling, messaging, and brand experiences.
Lead the development and execution of integrated brand campaigns across the fan lifecycle, including season launches, franchise milestones, marquee games, and key business initiatives.
Translate audience insights, brand positioning, and organizational priorities into campaign strategies, creative briefs, and messaging frameworks.
Guide lifestyle and cultural marketing strategies connecting the Pistons with music, fashion, sneaker culture, Detroit pride, and other fan passions.
Oversee influencer and creator strategies to expand cultural relevance and strengthen relationships with diverse audiences.
Translate audience research, CRM data, digital engagement, and brand health insights into marketing strategies, messaging, and channel investment decisions.
Partner with Business Strategy & Analytics to identify priority audiences, market opportunities, and strategies to expand brand awareness and fan engagement.
Develop campaign performance scorecards and reporting frameworks connecting brand awareness, fan acquisition, engagement, and cultural reach to organizational KPIs and revenue opportunities.
Present marketing performance, strategic recommendations, and business insights to senior leadership.
Partner with Corporate Partnerships to evaluate sponsorship opportunities, co-branded activations, and integrations for audience alignment, cultural relevance, and long-term brand value.
Help establish brand guidelines and partnership standards that protect brand integrity while expanding reach and engagement.
Build and lead marketing operations processes, including campaign intake, prioritization, creative briefing, timelines, and performance tracking.
Develop scalable workflows and reporting practices that improve collaboration, efficiency, and accountability across the Brand and Integrated Marketing team.
Lead and mentor the Brand & Lifestyle Marketing Manager, fostering a collaborative, creative, and results-driven team culture.
Serve as a strategic brand steward, ensuring consistency across campaigns, partnerships, messaging, and fan experiences.
Collaborate with Integrated Marketing, Creative, Sales, and other business teams to align brand strategy with marketing execution, fan engagement, and revenue objectives.