Manager, Digital Brand - Culture, Creators & Lifestyle

Job Summary

The Manager, Digital Brand - Culture, Creators & Lifestyle will oversee how the Tampa Bay Lightning brand integrates and engages with culture, developing strategies to expand the brand's reach beyond hockey into lifestyle, entertainment, and community-driven moments. This role will lead the identification, recruitment, and management of creators, influencers, and cultural partners, building authentic relationships and scalable programs that drive relevance and audience growth among new fan segments.

About the Role

This role partners closely with Social Media, Digital Brand, Partnerships, and broader Marketing teams to define and activate culturally relevant moments, tentpole campaigns, new entertainment IP, and creator-led initiatives that align with brand priorities and drive new digital revenue.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

• Develop and lead the strategy for creator, influencer, and cultural marketing initiatives that expands the brand beyond core hockey audiences and embeds the brand into the everyday lives of fans
• Identify, recruit, onboard, and manage relationships with creators, influencers, talent, and cultural partners, ultimately building a scalable creator ecosystem
• Conceptualize and execute culturally relevant marketing campaigns, new entertainment IP, tentpole activations, and brand moments across lifestyle, entertainment, and community spaces
• Partner with Social Media team to translate creator partnerships and cultural moments into platform-native content and audience growth strategies that drive new digital revenue
• Contribute to the development of short-form, platform-native strategies and content concepts tailored for TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, and emerging channels
• Create, capture, and edit lightweight, mobile-first content when needed in support of creator collaborations, cultural activations, and real-time brand moments
• Ensure creator-led content and cultural activations are aligned with platform best practices and evolving content formats
• Collaborate cross-functionally with Digital Brand, Partnerships, Ticketing, Retail, Community, and Innovation teams to integrate creator and cultural initiatives into broader marketing plans that drive new digital revenue
• Identify and develop non-endemic brand partnerships within lifestyle categories including fashion, music, art, food, and gaming
• Stay informed on emerging trends, platforms, creators, and cultural movements to proactively identify new opportunities for brand relevance and revenue growth
• Define success metrics and partner with Analytics teams to evaluate the effectiveness of creator programs, campaigns, and cultural marketing initiatives
• Contribute to planning processes by identifying new audience growth opportunities, cultural entry points, and scalable program concepts
• Serve as an internal thought leader on creator marketing, influencer strategy, and cultural engagement best practices
• Represent Vinik Sports Group professionally at all times

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Communications, Business, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience
• Minimum 4–6 years of experience in digital marketing, influencer/creator marketing, brand marketing, or related field
• Proven experience building and managing creator, influencer, or talent partnerships that drive measurable new digital revenue and brand audience growth
• Strong understanding of the creator economy, social platforms, and content ecosystems across TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and emerging channels
• Familiarity with mobile-first content creation, including shooting, editing, and optimizing content for digital and social platforms
• Demonstrated ability to identify and activate culturally relevant marketing opportunities across lifestyle categories (e.g., fashion, music, entertainment, gaming, community)
• Experience developing or contributing to platform-native content tailored to short-form video formats (e.g., TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts)
• Strategic mindset with the ability to translate insights, trends, and business objectives into actionable marketing programs
• Experience working closely with social media, content, and brand teams to inform storytelling and content strategy
• Data-driven approach with the ability to evaluate performance and optimize creator and cultural marketing initiatives
• Highly organized with the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and prioritize effectively
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to present ideas and strategies clearly
• Self-motivated, proactive, and comfortable operating with autonomy in a dynamic environment