Campaign Manager: Profile & Role
The role of a campaign manager is a senior position within marketing. Campaign managers ensure the successful outcome of marketing campaigns. This includes the creation, execution, and monitoring of marketing campaigns. Campaign managers are expected to hold at least a bachelor’s degree and possess at least five years of relevant work experience. In addition, successful candidates are expected to have excellent writing and communicational skills as well as profound understanding of current marketing trends. This blog post helps you to understand what it takes to become a successful campaign manager.
Short Summary
- As a campaign manager, you are responsible for the creation, execution, and monitoring of marketing campaigns.
- Successful candidates are expected to have a set of skills ranging from strategic thinking to excellent writing skills and organisational skills.
- To thrive as a campaign manager, you need to build networks and keep up to date on current marketing trends.
Job description
Campaign managers work for large organisations, political parties or candidates, and marketing agencies. They are responsible for a wide range of duties: Firstly, campaign managers develop comprehensive campaign strategies. Secondly, they are responsible for the budgeting, the monitoring and the in some cases, the fundraising for the campaign. In this position, you will have to plan events, deal with the media, and manage the campaign team. As campaign managers are responsible for several marketing campaigns simultaneously, you need to be efficient at multitasking.
Responsibilities
- Developing campaign strategies
- Managing the campaign team
- Supervising, monitoring and analysing the success of the campaign
- Evaluate the success of the campaign
- Compile reports of campaign performance
- Attend exhibitions, shows, and promotional events that are part of the campaign
- Provide best practises for new campaigns
- Creating detailed budgets and deadlines
Different types
- Campaign manager
- Campaign chairman
- Campaign director
Salary
How much you can expect to earn as a campaign manager in the UK depends on factors such as your amount of experience, the nature of the campaign, and the size of the campaign you are responsible for. Campaign managers in the UK earn an average salary between £25,000 and £50,000 per year. On an entry-level, you might earn around £20,000. High-profile campaign managers of successful politicians might earn up to £70,000 or more.
Working hours
The typical working hours of a campaign manager are nothing like the regular 9 to 5 office job. As you will attend events and exhibitions on weekends and in the evenings as part of your job, you will be expected to work irregular hours. Usually, the job of a campaign manager also requires extensive travelling, sometimes even abroad.
On the plus side, many organisations offer flexible working-schemes and the opportunity to work remotely.
Employers
Campaign managers are either hired by companies, political parties, or other institutions such as non-profit organisations, or by marketing agencies.
If you choose to work for a political party, you will oversee and coordinate election campaigns at local, regional, and national levels. As a campaign manager for a non-profit organisation, you will most likely plan and execute fundraising campaigns or campaigns with which the organisation seeks to promote their causes.
Nowadays, many government agencies hire campaign managers. There you will develop and implement campaigns that have the aim to supporting specific initiatives.
Qualifications
Although there are no mandatory formal qualifications needed to become a campaign manager, most employers expect candidates to hold at least a bachelor’s degree. Depending on the institution you apply to and the size of the campaign you will be responsible, you might even need to provide a master’s degree.
In addition, employers expect candidates to have at least five years of work experience in a relevant field such as project management or communications. Political knowledge and a profound professional network are also crucial if you want to start a career as a campaign manager.
The Job as a Campaign Manager could be suitable for you if you have one or more of the following qualifications:
Skills
To be able to fulfil the multitude of duties the role of a campaign manager includes, you need to possess various prerequisite skills and qualifications. Some of the most important skills of a successful campaign manager are:
- Strategic Planning
- Visionary Thinking
- Leadership Skills
Does the Job as a Campaign Manager suit you? Typically, Campaign Manager should have or develop the following skills:
Strategic Planning
As a campaign manager, it is your responsibility to create and implement as well as monitor and evaluate campaigns. Therefore, it is important for a successful campaign manager to possess the ability to focus on creating a long-term vision for a project, a candidate, or an institution. This planning process consists of setting ambitious goals and developing strategies to achieve them, as well as monitoring the outcome of the campaign.
Visionary Thinking
Marketing campaigns are crucial for the success of an institution, a project or a politician. Successful marketing campaigns attract new customers or voters. Therefore, campaign managers need to possess the ability of visionary thinking. This refers to the capability of thinking beyond the present circumstances, and developing a somehow improved version of the future. A visionary thinker possesses the ability to explore new ideas, questions the existing norms, and is willing to take (and manage) risks.
Leadership Skills
The role of a campaign manager is a senior management position. Campaign managers are usually responsible for several marketing campaigns simultaneously. Therefore, campaign managers need to possess the ability and qualities that enable them to guide, motivate, and influences staff members. Leadership skills include profound communicational skills, the ability to solve problems and manage risks as well as making decisions.
Career Path
If you want to start a career as a campaign manager, you are expected to hold at least a bachelor’s degree in a relevant field, have gained a minimum of five years of work experience and further advanced training.
Educational Background
There are no formal qualifications to be met to become a campaign manager. Nevertheless, most employers will expect candidates to hold at least a bachelor’s degree in a relevant field such as marketing, political science or communications. As a senior campaign manager, you might even need to possess a master’s degree. Alternatively, you can apply for a management-program and qualify for a senior campaign management role on-the-job.
Gaining Experience
As a campaign manager, you will not only develop marketing strategies and supervise the implementation of these strategies, you will also lead several teams. Therefore, you need to gain profound work experience in marketing, PR, general management and leadership.
You might start your campaign management career with a junior role in marketing or PR. Alternatively, you could apply as an assistant campaign manager and gain valuable experience from a senior campaign manager.
Continuous Learning
The role of a campaign manager is a demanding position as you are responsible for the success of a political party, a new product range or even the overall image of an institution. Therefore, you need to enhance your marketing knowledge, keep informed about new marketing trends, and have a profound insight in the industry you work for.
For a campaign manager, continuous learning includes reading publications, attending conferences and fairs as well as being part of networks.
A Day in the Life of a Campaign Manager
Working in campaign management is challenging and diversified. The day-to-day business of a campaign manager depends on the size of the institution they work for, the industry, and the level of campaign management they work in. Nonetheless, there are certain tasks that most campaign managers have to fulfil daily.
Developing and monitoring of strategic marketing campaigns
No matter if you work for a political party, an NGO or a company – as a campaign manager you are responsible for the development of marketing plans and strategies. Your starting point will be to set strategic goals, then to identify a target audience and finally develop a successful campaign. Together with several teams, you will implement the campaign. To guarantee the success of the campaign, you need to monitor the progress continuously.
Budget management
Being responsible for the success of a marketing campaign also means being responsible for the budget. This includes both the creation and the managing of the campaign budget. Campaign managers allocate funds to various campaign activities, monitor expenses, and ensure that the campaign operates within its financial limitations.
Especially as a campaign manager who works for an NGO, budget management also includes fundraising. There, it will be one of your duties to develop fundraising strategies, identify potential donors to raise the necessary funds for the campaign.
Managing of Teams
The role of a campaign manager also includes leading and supervising internal teams and the work of external partners. Firstly, this includes the overseeing and managing of the campaign team. Campaign managers assign tasks, provide guidance and support, and ensure that everyone is working towards the campaign’s objectives.
Tips for Thriving as a Campaign Manager
As the role of a campaign manager is a versatile one, there is a multitude of skills that help you to thrive in your field of work. Nevertheless, here are some tips you might consider if you plan to climb the career ladder in campaign management:
- Build reliable Relationships
- Advance your communicational Skills
- Cultivate Resilience
Build reliable Relationships
As a campaign manager, reliable relationships are crucial for your work. This includes the relationship with internal and external partners, as well as the media. You can achieve this through actively networking and building connections within your industry or field. Take the time to build personal relationships with key stakeholders, such as the candidate, campaign staff, volunteers, donors, and community leaders. Maintain a professional demeanour in all interactions. Be respectful, courteous, and considerate of others’ time and boundaries.
Advance your communicational Skills
It is part of your job not only to write concepts and compile reports, but as well to represent your institution or candidate. Therefore, exceptional written and verbal communicational skills are crucial for a campaign manager. This includes clearly communicating goals, expectations, and responsibilities to your team. Keep external partners and the media informed and maintain open lines of communication with candidate, campaign staff, volunteers, and stakeholders.
Cultivating Resilience
As a campaign manager, you will face setbacks and have to deal with crises regularly. This is why successful campaign managers need to cultivate resilience. Therefore, it is crucial to cultivate resilience. This can be achieved by developing coping strategies, and practising self-care, as well as developing a growth mindset. The latter is the belief that challenges and setbacks are opportunities for learning and growth.
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Frequently Asked Questions
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does a campaign manager earn?
As a campaign manager, you can work in different industries and settings. The salary can vary profoundly whether you work for a major political candidate, a medium NGO or an international company. However, the average salary of a campaign manager is around £35,000 to £45,000 per year.
On an entry-level, you might start will an annual salary of £20,000. Once you gain experience, your salary might rise to £70,000 or more.
What is the job of a campaign manager?
The role of a campaign manager includes a multitude of responsibilities and duties which can vary depending on the industry you work in, the size of the company, and the career-level you are working at. However, campaign management in most cases includes the following responsibilities:
- Strategic planning
- Communication with stakeholders
- Managing the budget and deadlines
- Managing the media relations
- Manage the campaign team
- Monitoring the campaign’s success