Marketing Manager, Community & Experience

Exploding Kittens•Los Angeles, CA

3d•$100,000 - $120,000

About The Position

We're looking for a people person and problem solver with hustle, creativity, and a knack for turning casual game-players into superfans. As our Marketing Manager, Community & Experience, you'll be the face of the Exploding Kittens marketing team out in the wild. You have a natural instinct for what works across digital and IRL spaces, creating memorable in-person experiences, and making sure our games find their way into the hands of players everywhere. This is a roll-up-your-sleeves role for someone who thrives in social settings, isn't scared of ambiguity and balancing physical events with scalable digital initiatives. You can play many roles, know how to stay organized and keep several balls in the air. You will be supporting the team's larger marketing goals through physical and digital community activations.

Requirements

4-6 years of marketing, community management, or event coordination experience (or equivalent hustle in volunteer/grassroots work)
Strong people skills (you can strike up a conversation with anyone)
Experience planning and running events, from small meetups to large-scale activations
Comfortable traveling, working nights/weekends as needed for events
A passion for games and a willingness to learn the EK brand inside and out
Highly organized with the ability to juggle multiple events and outreach efforts at once
Strong knowledge of social media and ability to activate content and digital communities
Experience working with hobby/game stores or in the tabletop gaming industry
Existing network within the board game, hobby store, or events scene
Openness to travel and be on site for activations

Responsibilities

Collaborate seamlessly with the Community Operations Manager and Associate Director of Marketing to ensure a consistent brand experience across all activations and touchpoints
Strategize, coordinate, and execute IRL activations including festivals, conventions, hobby store game nights, seasonal retailer activations, in-store and pop-up demos
Plan and execute activations at non-traditional venues: college campuses, breweries, bookstores, coffee shops, family entertainment centers
Run grassroots marketing, sampling, and outreach programs to reach 'people who love games' beyond traditional gaming audiences â identify and connect with event organizers, hire agencies and influencers, and reach out to bars, cafes, hobby stores, and other venues to get our games in front of new audiences
Support retail partners (Target, Walmart) with in-store demos and seasonal activations
Execute hobby store marketing partnerships: game nights, sampling events, giveaways, and special promotions
Attend and activate at conventions and gaming events (important, but not the sole focus)
Develop KPIs and frameworks for what success looks like across field activations
Brand Representation: Act as the friendly, energetic external face of the EK marketing team at every activation, ensuring we leave a lasting positive impression. Able to lead conversations and drive results with a wide variety of personalities (including EK executives)
Own Instagram Broadcast channel and other social media community channels
Identify and evaluate emerging community platforms and channels; pilot new opportunities that align with audience behavior and brand goals
Help shape and execute TikTok Shop affiliate and community strategy in partnership with Sales and Marketing; coordinate with external contractors and UGC creators to support launches and priorities
Manage UGC creator relationships across lifestyle/parenting/entertainment verticals (not just gaming)
Host influencer events and orchestrate Lives across multiple content categories
Digital Community Engagement: Strategize, manage and nurture connections with fans through email newsletters, live streams, and organic UGC initiatives
Gather customer insights from field touchpoints and all activations to inform broader marketing strategy
Support product launches with experiential components
Performance and Budget Tracking: Manage post-event follow-up and reporting including internal and external budgets, lead reporting, thank-you emails, ROI analysis and performance summaries