What does a creative services manager do?
Creative Services Managers are experienced employees with a creative streak and a strong design background. They are usually assigned to workgroups or special projects related to branding and other similar concepts. They are heavily involved in the planning stage of the project or program. A Corporate Services Manager may be directly hired by the company or outsourced from an advertising agency. They are in charge of managing the branding, choosing the best design elements for the project, and creating design palettes.
Creative services manager responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real creative services manager resumes:
- Achieve thorough, accurate and edit proofreading for all package designs and cage instructions.
- Initiate RFP process for agency selection and manage all advertising agency activities.
- Review HTML code to ensure compatibility with major email clients and adherence to creative guidelines.
- Design and oversee creation of HTML email blasts, web newsletters and web landing sites.
- Partner with designers to develop annual reports, direct mail vehicles, flyers, and brochures.
- Design all creative work including, flyers, billboards, videos, promotional material, and print/digital ads.
- Proofread all communication materials and review for content accuracy.
- Proofread and rout vendor artwork internally to designers, program managers and quality assurance personnel.
- Suggest and setup in-house photography studio, able to provide both conventional and digital media which significantly reduce production cost.
- Assist with designing development tools to assist in asset production and rapid prototyping.
- Craft visual media components for film, JavaScript magazines and TV.
- Provide comprehensive creative planning, innovative concepts, and copywriting.
- Contribute to the rebranding of the company by creating layouts and color theory mock ups for the website.
- Develop JavaScript applications and games within the embedded framework.
- Generate substantial savings through implementation of update POS ordering strategy.
Creative services manager skills and personality traits
We calculated that 12% of Creative Services Managers are proficient in Graphic Design, Project Management, and Photography. They’re also known for soft skills such as Organizational skills, Analytical skills, and Communication skills.
We break down the percentage of Creative Services Managers that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Graphic Design, 12%
Managed graphic designer and senior public relations specialist; provided creative direction and oversight in support of internal and external campaigns.
- Project Management, 7%
Researched project management software programs and was instrumental in implementing a program that streamlined project tracking and approval processes.
- Photography, 7%
Suggested and setup in-house photography studio, able to provide both conventional and digital media which significantly reduced production cost.
- Video Production, 6%
Key creative contact for all marketing collateral, multimedia presentations and video production.
- Digital Marketing, 6%
Directed consumer facing retail and digital marketing creative.
- Adobe Creative Suite, 5%
Delivered visual solutions to support global marketing campaign execution leveraging Adobe Creative Suite.
Common skills that a creative services manager uses to do their job include "graphic design," "project management," and "photography." You can find details on the most important creative services manager responsibilities below.
Organizational skills. One of the key soft skills for a creative services manager to have is organizational skills. You can see how this relates to what creative services managers do because "advertising, promotions, and marketing managers must manage their time and budget efficiently while directing and motivating staff members." Additionally, a creative services manager resume shows how creative services managers use organizational skills: "delivered numerous large-scale web and graphic design projects to support organizational workflows and goals. "
Analytical skills. Many creative services manager duties rely on analytical skills. "advertising, promotions, and marketing managers must be able to analyze industry trends to determine the most promising strategies for their organization.," so a creative services manager will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways creative services manager responsibilities rely on analytical skills: "execute campaigns from budgeting and copywriting through optimization and analysis. "
Communication skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of creative services managers is communication skills. This skill is critical to many everyday creative services manager duties, as "managers must be able to communicate effectively with a broad-based team made up of other managers or staff members during the advertising, promotions, and marketing process." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "participated in a task force that redefined and implemented new project management processes for the high-performance communications team of 22 consultants. "
Creativity. A big part of what creative services managers do relies on "creativity." You can see how essential it is to creative services manager responsibilities because "advertising, promotions, and marketing managers must be able to generate new and imaginative ideas." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical creative services manager tasks: "assisted with the quality of tdk brand marketing, creative design and brand standardization for a high profile video game company. "
The three companies that hire the most creative services managers are:
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Compare different creative services managers
Creative services manager vs. Marketing director
Marketing directors are responsible for the overall branding and marketing direction of the company. They are in charge of identifying goals and strategies related to marketing. They create strategies that cater to the target market of the organization's products and services to help with sales. They lead the company's marketing department and create the company's brand promise. They ensure that all marketing collateral is in line with the rest of the marketing campaigns of the organization. They should be updated on all the current trends in the marketing world.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, creative services manager responsibilities require skills like "photography," "video production," "adobe creative suite," and "creative direction." Meanwhile a typical marketing director has skills in areas such as "market research," "sales strategies," "integrated marketing," and "crm." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
Marketing directors really shine in the manufacturing industry with an average salary of $131,349. Comparatively, creative services managers tend to make the most money in the technology industry with an average salary of $98,326.marketing directors tend to reach higher levels of education than creative services managers. In fact, marketing directors are 6.1% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.3% more likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Creative services manager vs. Manager, strategy
A strategy manager is an individual who reviews a company's objectives for growth and works with executives to formulate actionable plans to achieve these objectives. To make comprehensive recommendations, strategy managers must conduct data analysis of the organization as well as the overall industry. They must provide assessments of market trends and identify business threats and opportunities. Strategy managers should also work with department heads to develop individual team goals and break them down into actionable steps for the employees to complete.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, creative services manager responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "graphic design," "photography," "video production," and "adobe creative suite." Meanwhile, a manager, strategy has duties that require skills in areas such as "portfolio," "client facing," "business development," and "market research." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
Managers, strategy may earn a higher salary than creative services managers, but managers, strategy earn the most pay in the technology industry with an average salary of $116,769. On the other hand, creative services managers receive higher pay in the technology industry, where they earn an average salary of $98,326.In general, managers, strategy achieve higher levels of education than creative services managers. They're 23.7% more likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.3% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Creative services manager vs. Senior manager of marketing
A senior manager of marketing is responsible for monitoring the organization's marketing staff, reviewing and approving marketing campaigns, and identifying strategies to improve services that would generate more revenues and increase its profitability. The senior manager of marketing evaluates the current market trends to meet consumers' demands and organizes techniques to sell products and services to the target audience. They lead the development of promotional offers and brand awareness, interpret sales data, and monitor the marketing processes' progress.
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from creative services manager resumes include skills like "graphic design," "photography," "video production," and "adobe creative suite," whereas a senior manager of marketing is more likely to list skills in "integrated marketing," "sr," "crm," and "email marketing. "
Senior managers of marketing earn the best pay in the technology industry, where they command an average salary of $126,981. Creative services managers earn the highest pay from the technology industry, with an average salary of $98,326.When it comes to education, senior managers of marketing tend to earn higher degree levels compared to creative services managers. In fact, they're 12.8% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.3% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Creative services manager vs. Associate creative director
An associate creative director helps the creative director in creating design concepts and directions for multiple design projects, marketing materials, and campaigns. Other tasks include researching marketing trends and strategies and overseeing multiple design projects. The skills that an associate creative director should possess to accomplish his/her or her responsibilities include good interpersonal skills and knowledge of social media platforms and trends. The requirements to qualify for the job including possessing a degree in advertising, fine arts, or related fields and experience in supervising staff.
Types of creative services manager
Updated January 8, 2025
