At Fender Musical Instruments Corporation (“FMIC”) our brand mission is to serve players at every stage with products and brand experiences that fuel the pursuit of musical expression. An American icon, Fender was born in Southern California and has built a worldwide influence extending beyond the studio and the stage. A Fender is more than an instrument, it’s a cultural symbol that resonates globally.
We are looking for a talented Director of Artist Marketing - EMEA to join our European marketing team in London. Artists are the foundation for everything we create, and our goal is to become a best-in-class marketing partner to new and existing artists who are driving guitar forward in music and culture.
Based in London, UK the ideal candidate will play an integral role in FMIC’s expansion of artist marketing programmes. They will lead the Artist Relations team in the EMEA region as we build ambitious growth plans for the future. They will be able to identify and build highly effective relationships with artists, music industry personnel and influencers; expand on-stage & in-studio artist adoption through product seeding and sales; and drive the development of integrated marketing initiatives (product launches, content/social media, digital and artist-driven concepts) and programmes that elevate the artist, build the brand and create demand.
About the Job:
• Develop and lead the Artist Marketing strategy for FMIC brands (Fender, Jackson, Gretsch, Charvel & EVH) across the EMEA region
• Lead the Fender EMEA Artist Relations team and build a culture of innovation & creativity to drive industry-leading co-marketing opportunities for FMIC brands & artist partners.
• Drive best-in-class support and service to FMIC artists at every stage, through sales and seeding, to ensure the right product is with the right artists, in the right place, at the right time
• Partner with global & regional marketing teammates and product teams to introduce artists to the FMIC brands, provide strategic insights, guidance and align the right artists with key product launches, product lines and marketing initiatives
• Work closely with artists’ management teams and marketing partners to drive strategic planning and identify opportunities to grow the visibility and co-marketing potential of FMIC artists and properties (brand websites, social media, content, etc.)
• Work closely with marketing teammates to elevate artists with consumers, media and influencers, via artist- and brand-right marketing strategies spanning product, content, PR, social, grassroots, events, album/song launches, collaborations and giving
• Drive growth and engagement of FMIC and artists’ social channels via brand-right marketing strategies that elevate the artist and inspire / engage players and fans
• Own the planning & development of artist-driven concepts & initiatives through continual internal & external communication with artists, their management teams, industry contacts and FMIC marketing staff
• Generate content and business relationships that contribute to other areas of company growth (media exposure, web traffic, digital subscriptions, etc.)
• Partner with category and cross-functional teammates to build a pipeline of Signature artist projects with the ability to sell-in ideas, communicate KPI’s, and develop/hit milestones while effectivity managing the relationship with the artist and their team.
• Drive the global, multi-cultural expansion and authenticity of FMIC brands
What You Need:
• Minimum 10 years of music, recording and entertainment industry experience a brand or agency with a direct focus on identifying and supporting artists to build marketing and/or grassroots programs
• Proven track record of successfully collaborating with multiple emerging and high-profile music artists, songwriters, entertainers, celebrities and influencers
• Track record of upstream planning resulting in business growth (i.e. category/share growth, impressions/engagements, etc.)
• Established team leader with at least 5 years of people management experience and a solid track record of employee development.
• Proven ability to build/manage cross-functional processes and communication in order to ensure operational excellence, elevate product, expand the reach of our channels, and grow the business.
• Active and willing network of managers, agents and influencers in music & recording
• Musical instruments background, with some level of proficiency on guitar or bass
• Service mindset — willing to champion & grow the evolving roster of artists internally at Fender and to support them with service (gear, repairs, exposure, networking, etc.) that goes above & beyond industry standards
• Demonstrated capability to develop, implement, and execute strategies that align with company marketing efforts and other marketing disciplines including PR, Social Media, Content and Retail/Events
• Current with digital marketing best-practices across content, social/shared and owned
• Demonstrated experience utilizing digital communications & social media tools to build relationships and identify and support emerging online artists
• Strong written, verbal and presentation skills
• Self-starter, able to build a plan, communicate a plan, execute and evaluate/report
• Team-player and collaborator, motivated to create wins for the artist and the team
• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing or Business preferred, but not required
• Appreciation for, and working knowledge of, Fender’s unique position in music & culture
• Experience working in multi-cultural environments and with multi-cultural brands
