What's In A Name: Deciphering Confusing or Trending Titles in Marketing & Communications
Updated: Oct 7
It's easy to forget that marketing is not about clever language. It’s about creating clarity, connection, and value.
Scroll through job boards for ten minutes and you’ll start to wonder if marketing has become a branding exercise… for itself.
The titles are creative, compelling—and often packed with confusing jargon. Two roles can have wildly different names but identical responsibilities. Others sound impressive but obscure what the person actually does all day.
So what’s really going on?
Modern marketing has become highly specialized, cross-functional, and outcome-driven. As the field has evolved, so has the language we use to describe it. Clever titles are an attempt to capture everything that goes into being an expert. It's a mix of strategy, psychology, data, creativity, and technology.
Do you need to hire a Decider, or a Doer? The distinction matters. A marketing strategist is typically a senior-level hire who helps decide when, how, where, and why the work gets done. A marketing coordinator is typically enty or mid-level hire who specializes in execution and follow through. BOTH are vital to an org, but rarely found in a single person without the risk of burnout.
Generalist vs Specialist Titles
Generalists typically hold broad, multi-disciplinary roles that touch many areas of marketing. They oversee strategy and execution across channels—messaging, campaigns, content, analytics, etc.
Specialists, on the other hand, typically hold focused roles with deep expertise in one area. They can go deep on one channel or skill and optimize it for performance.
Generalist | Specialist |
Examples:
| Examples:
|
Strength: Big-picture thinking, flexibility, integration | Strength: Precision, technical skill, measurable impact |
Best for: Startups, small teams, leadership tracks | Best for: Corporate teams, scaling companies, high-performance channels |
Generalists connect all of the dots, while specialists analyze and optimize a single dot.
Reminder: If you're hiring a generalist, you're hiring 1 person to save money instead of the 5 people you actually need. Make sure to compensate them accordingly. :)
The Many Layers of a Marketer
Strategic Roles (Analysis & Direction)
"Strategist"
Translation: Big-picture thinker who decides what to do and why
Strategists connect business goals to marketing actions. They define audiences, positioning, messaging, and channels. If marketing were a road trip, the Strategist picks the destination and maps the route.
"Brand Architect"
Translation: Abstract and conceptual person who builds the structure of a brand
They define voice, identity, positioning, and perception over time. This is long-term, foundational work. They’re designing the house, not just decorating it.
"Positioning Specialist"
Translation: Niche and technical person who clarifies differentiation in crowded markets—arguably one of the highest-value marketing skills.
Editorial Roles (Words & Narrative)
"Storyteller"
Translation: Creative, emotional writer with strategic depth used to turn information into connection, and translate features into meaning. They make people feel something—and remember it.
"Copywriter"
Translation: Conversion-focused, communicators who write everything from websites to emails to ads. Good copy = action and revenue.
"Content Strategist"
Translation: Editorial planner who servces as the bridge between content and business goals. They decide what to publish, where, and why—ensuring content isn’t just noise, but a system.
Being a "marketer" is an enormous category, just as being as scientist or a doctor is. There are performance marketers, brand strategists, SEO specialists, marketing operations managers, communications directors... The list goes on. All of these professionals work in marketing while having very different skills, responsibilities, and career paths.
Growth Roles (Performance & Revenue)
"Growth Marketer"
Translation: Scrappy, experimental marketer obsessed with data and measurable growth. They test channels, optimize funnels, and focus on acquisition, activation, and retention. This is less about words and more about numbers.
Demand Generation Manager
Translation: Corporate pipeline builder who creates awareness and interest that turns into leads and sales opportunities.
Performance Marketer
Translation: ROI/conversion-driven channel optimizer who specializes in paid media (Google, Meta, etc.)
Relational Roles (People & Trust)
Community Manager
Translation: Social media moderator who builds relationships at scale by engaging audiences, fostering loyalty, and turning customers into advocates.
Audience Development Manager
Translation: Specialist focused on building and nurturing attention by growing email lists, subscribers, and engaged followings.
Customer Marketing Manager
Translation: Post-sale role specializing in retention and expansion by building loyalty, upsells, and turning customers into long-term revenue.
“There has never been a better time to be an expert. “Don’t pivot away from your expertise because of fear. Double down on it. “When everyone is pivoting, there may be an opportunity in staying put.”
Justin Oberman
Experiencial Roles (Design & Expression)
Creative Director
Translation: Visionary leader ensuring everything looks and feels right. They guide visual identity, campaigns, and creative output across channels.
Brand Designer
Translation: Aesthetics-focused strategist who turns positioning into logos, colors, typography, and design systems.
Visual Storyteller
Translation: A hybrid designer/content creator who communicate ideas through imagery, video, and design—not just words.
Systemic Roles (Execution & Scale)
Marketing Operations Managers
Translation: Backend support engine support tools, automation, data, and workflows that make everything run.
Funnel Builder
Translation: Specialist who designs the customer journey from click to conversion. They connect landing pages, emails, offers, and automation into a cohesive system.
Lifecycle Marketer
Translation: Technical and niche professional who manages and optimizes the customer journey at every stage, from first touch to retention.
“The ‘why’ in marketing… is growth.”
Yves Briantais
Successful Recruiters or Headhunters, don't market themselves as "Talent Magnetss", "Talent Acquirers" or "Recruiting Ninjas." They call themselves exactly what they are: a Recruiter or Headhunter.
Staying the Course: A Lesson for Marketers
Sometimes we spend so much time figuring out what to call ourselves that we forget to just own what we’re already good at.
When the market changes, it can be tempting to pivot or rebrand. You may add more skills, services or titles as a way to differentiate, but that may end up repelling future clients in the long run. Your expertise remains the same, but you polished and changed the label to match. You may know exactly what you mean. Your buyers don't.
The trouble for consultants and freelancers is that we’re great problem solvers. There’s so much we can deliver, yet talking about that muddies the waters leaving clients confused. So save the value-add until you’re having the conversation.
Don't throw away the professional identity you've spent years building, just for fleeting moments. Find the hook that clients most struggle with and focus on that. Double down on the outcomes you provide. Use your target audience's language, and say what you mean. What are the one or two words your customer is actually using (and searching) to describe your work or role?
When you can narrow your offer to the one thing you're known best known for, positioning yourself becomes much easier. That doesn't mean you can't expand your skills or offers behind the scenes, but what the public sees should be clear and simple.
"Calling yourself a 'brand manager' may sound impressive but it's meaningless because few people know what makes a brand successful, let alone how to do so. The strongest brand is the one that sells most in its category."
Drayton Bird
"Clever positioning creates distance. Familiar language can remove it. Saying what you do in words people understand beats impressive-sounding bullshit every time."
Mike Beasant
You don't necessarily need a new business. You may need a clearer commitment to the business you already have.
The Real Takeaway
The best marketers today are not defined by their title. They are defined by their ability to integrate across functions.
A great strategist understands storytelling.
A great copywriter understands conversion.
A great technical marketer understands customer psychology.
The future of marketing isn’t about specializing and identifying with the trendiest title—it’s about becoming a full-stack professional who can think, create, analyze, and connect all in one.
Underneath all the lingo and jargon, the job of a marketer remains the same: Understand people. Communicate value. Create connection. Drive action.
Final Thought
You can call us whatever you want. Marketing titles will continue to evolve and change, but the core of this work is ultimately to improve visibility and scalability over time.
What matters most is the ability to think critically, communicate meaningfully, and create results for our clients that actually move something forward.
The marketers who stand out aren’t the ones with the catchiest titles. They’re the ones who translate
complexity into clarity
strategy into action
ideas into impact
If you’re building a brand, refining your message, or trying to make your marketing feel more cohesive, intentional, and effective, this is exactly where I come in. My approach blends strategy, storytelling, and systems thinking to help you not just show up—but resonate.
If that’s what you’re looking for, you know where to find me. :)
Erin Ratliff is a holistic marketing mentor specializing in organic growth + visibility for heart-led, energy-sensitive soul-preneurs who value personal and planetary healing.
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