Short answer? A marketing manager creates the plan—including strategy, campaigns, and branding. A marketing coordinator keeps it on track.
Longer answer? If you confuse the two, your campaign’s going to hit a wall, your team will burn out, and you’ll end up wondering why you’re the one doing everything yourself (again).
So let’s break it down—without the corporate speak or textbook definitions. This is what the difference between a marketing manager and a marketing coordinator actually looks like inside a real company, from a team that helps fix marketing chaos and branding breakdowns every single day.
Why This Matters
You’re likely here because:
- You’re hiring and don’t want to screw it up
- You’re cleaning up a mess someone else made
- You’ve been doing both jobs and want your life back
We work with marketing teams all the time—directors, managers, teams of two, teams of twenty. And if there’s one thing we see repeatedly, it’s this: The title says one thing, the job description says another, and expectations are all over the place.
This article clears that up. It’s the guide we’d send to our favorite marketing director who’s stretched thin and doesn’t have time for HR guesswork.
What a Marketing Manager Really Does
A marketing manager is a decision-maker. A planner. A leader.
They’re responsible for setting the strategy and making sure the team—and the budget—are all aligned to hit company goals. They’re in meetings with leadership, collaborating with sales, and building the campaigns that move the needle.
They’re not just managing people. They’re managing outcomes.
What You Can Expect From Them
- Build and execute full-scale marketing plans
- Lead teams, vendors, freelancers, and agencies
- Align campaigns with business goals
- Set budgets and timelines
- Own the calendar and hit deadlines
- Analyze results and adjust strategy
- Answer to leadership
This isn’t someone you hire to “help with social media.” This is someone who builds the roadmap, tracks the numbers, and pulls in the right resources to get the job done.
What a Marketing Coordinator Actually Does
A marketing coordinator is a support role. They execute. They organize. They follow up on details no one else has time for—and thank God for that.
They don’t build strategy. They make sure the strategy gets done.
They work best when they’re paired with a strong manager or director who can point them in the right direction. Think of them as project wranglers and internal traffic control.
What You Can Expect From Them
- Track timelines and task progress
- Schedule campaigns and content drops
- Gather feedback and manage approvals
- Update decks, reports, and calendars
- Coordinate with sales and product
- Chase down missing assets
- Keep things from falling through the cracks
They’re organized. Reliable. Often underpaid. And absolutely essential when your team is drowning in details.
Where It Goes Sideways
Most companies blur the line between these roles. Here’s how that usually plays out:
Scenario 1: You hire a coordinator but expect them to build a strategy They flounder. They ask for direction. You don’t have time to give it. Deadlines get missed. Everyone’s annoyed.
Scenario 2: You hire a manager but only give them execution tasks They’re bored. They feel underused. They leave in six months. You start over.
Title doesn’t matter. Outcomes do. If you hire someone expecting them to solve a problem, be clear on whether that problem is strategic or tactical.
Who Reports to Who?
In a well-structured team, a marketing coordinator reports to a marketing manager. The manager sets priorities. The coordinator makes them happen.
Simple, right? It should be.
But we’ve seen plenty of teams where coordinators report to directors or CMOs directly. That’s fine—if the company is small, and the expectations are realistic. But when you skip layers, don’t expect magic.
Give your coordinator structure. Give your manager ownership. Give yourself the breathing room you’ve been begging for.
Bonus Confusion Roles
Let’s clear up two titles that often muddy the waters.
Business and Marketing Manager
This one’s a hybrid. Usually found at startups or lean teams. They do marketing—but also business development, sales support, sometimes even operations.
They’re like a Swiss Army knife, but sometimes they’re so spread thin, nothing gets done well.
Field Marketing Manager
Different beast. These folks don’t live in the office—they live at events, in local markets, out in the world representing the brand.
They’re doing:
- Trade show logistics
- Local campaign coordination
- On-the-ground brand activation
If your brand has physical presence or location-based campaigns, field marketers are key.
What You Actually Need
Here’s a quick cheat sheet if you’re still unsure who to hire.
Hire a marketing manager if:
- You need someone to create campaigns, not just run them
- You want strategic oversight across multiple channels
- You’re managing a team and need help leading it
- You’re in meetings all day and someone needs to own outcomes
Hire a marketing coordinator if:
- You already have the strategy and just need help executing
- You’re missing deadlines due to logistics, not planning
- You’re spending your day chasing assets instead of moving forward
- You need someone to keep the process from falling apart
Still not sure? Look at your calendar and ask: “Do I need help leading or help doing?”
That’s your answer.
MOCK’s Take
If this all feels like a lot—it is. That’s why our clients hire us.
We partner with managers and coordinators. We fill gaps. We support the plan. Or we help build the plan if there isn’t one. Either way, we come in fast, stay flexible, and make your team look great while we’re at it.
We’re not just another vendor. We work like an extension of your team—without slowing it down.
And we actually hit deadlines.
At The End Of The Day
The difference between a marketing manager and a marketing coordinator is simple—but how you use them is everything.
One leads. One supports. Both are essential.Use them right, and your campaigns flow.Use them wrong, and you’re back in another meeting trying to fix it.
We’d rather help you get it right the first time.
Call in the Support You Need
Let’s make your life easier, starting now.
- Website: https://mocktheagency.com/
- Phone: 470-225-6814
- Email: hello@mocktheagency.com
- Address: 247 14th St NW, Atlanta, GA 30318
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