Virtual Digital Marketing Director

Marketing Manager
Full-Time • On-Site, Armada, MI • Reports to Director of Marketing • Blake’s Orchard & Cider Mill
Since 1946, Blake’s Orchard & Cider Mill has been a cornerstone of Michigan agriculture and agritourism: an 80-year family operation with deep roots in Armada and a genuine growth ambition. Our mission is to cultivate growth in our people, our community, and our business. We operate across Armada, Almont, Big Apple, and South Lyon, and we welcome thousands of guests every year.

The
Farm is what we grow, the
Community is who gathers here, and
Family is how every guest should feel the moment they arrive. The Marketing Manager helps decide how all of that gets told. You are the primary copywriter, you lead our public relations work, you contribute creative ideas across campaigns, and you represent the brand on camera when the moment calls for it. You also own the master marketing calendar and the operating rhythm that gets campaigns across the line on time and on brand. We also work differently than most marketing teams our size.

You bring the brand voice, the judgment, and the taste. If you write well, think creatively, work with real pace, and want to shape how a beloved Michigan brand tells its story, we want to hear from you. Brand Storytelling & Copywriting
Serve as the primary copywriter across content, campaigns, email, SMS, web, and creative work, maintaining a consistent and on-brand voice

• Help shape and articulate the Blake’s brand story across campaigns, events, and seasonal moments so our voice and positioning carry through every touchpoint
• Generate and refine creative ideas for campaigns, events, and content; Represent Blake’s on camera and on set for brand video, partner content, behind-the-scenes moments, and media appearances

AI-Native Marketing Practice
Use Claude and Claude Design as core daily tools for drafting, iterating, ideating, and producing marketing work at speed

• Build AI into the marketing workflow: first drafts, campaign variants, research, competitive scanning, content repurposing, and creative exploration
• Verify what AI gives you before it leaves the building; names, dates, quotes, awards, and claims in press materials are checked against a source, never assumed
• Identify where AI can remove friction from the marketing operation and put those improvements into practice
• Stay ahead of new marketing AI tools as they roll out.

Trust & Communication
: strong media relationships are built over time and they are worth building well.

• Lead Blake’s public relations efforts including media outreach, press materials, partnerships, and reactive press opportunities
• Build and maintain relationships with local and regional media
• Write press releases, pitch stories, and manage media partnerships from first contact through coverage
• Serve as a confident on-the-record and on-camera representative of the brand when called on

Achievement & Accountability
: you turn strategic direction into finished work that goes live on time, on brand, and complete.

• Support the Director of Marketing by translating strategic priorities into actionable plans and completing the day-to-day work that brings campaigns to the finish line
• Own the master marketing calendar across all Blake’s business units and locations; Support execution of events, activations, and seasonal campaigns, including deployment of email, SMS, web, paid media with external partners, and social scheduling
• Manage project tracking, intake processes, and workflows; Monitor campaign performance and support post-campaign reporting

Creative Review & Brand Standards
You are a gatekeeper for the brand.
Review and approve creative deliverables, content, and campaign assets to ensure they are on brand, on strategy, and ready to launch

• Brief creative partners clearly and hold work to a consistent standard across internal and external contributors
• Maintain brand voice and visual consistency across every channel and every location

Blake’s runs across four locations and many business units.

Teamwork & Character
: your job is to make all of it feel like one brand.

• Partner with internal teams and business units to gather inputs, align on needs, and ensure marketing requests are clear, scoped, and well executed
• Keep stakeholders informed throughout each project; Connect execution and storytelling across Armada, Almont, Big Apple, and South Lyon so each location is supported within one cohesive Blake’s brand

Backgrounds vary: marketing, communications, agency, PR, or content. 3 to 6 years of experience in marketing, campaign execution, or a comparable creative and delivery role

• Strong copywriting skills: you capture brand voice across web, email, SMS, social, and press materials
• Demonstrated AI fluency in a creative or marketing context; Proficient on a Mac and comfortable working outside a browser: files and folders, spreadsheets, and software you have not used before. Strong organizational skills: you manage multiple campaigns and many moving pieces at once in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment
• comfortable writing press releases, pitching local media, and managing partnerships
• willing to represent the brand publicly when needed
• A creative thinker who actively contributes ideas in addition to executing assigned work
• Familiarity with digital marketing channels including email, SMS, social, web, and paid ads, and how they work together in integrated campaigns
• Hands-on experience with project management tools such as ClickUp or similar
• comfortable briefing creative partners and aligning stakeholders
• Reliable transportation and ability to travel to all Blake’s locations: Direct experience with Claude and Claude Design, or comparable AI tools used for copy, creative, and design production
• Interest in learning Claude Code, the terminal version of Claude we use for bigger jobs like bulk file work, data pulls, and building small internal tools. No coding background needed, we’ll teach it. Experience building AI into a team workflow rather than using it only as an individual
• Background with multi-location, multi-brand, hospitality, food and beverage, or retail businesses
• Experience with photo and video production, whether on set or coordinating it
• Familiarity with marketing analytics and performance reporting

On-site role based out of Blake’s Armada campus; Travel to Almont, Big Apple, and South Lyon as needed for campaign coordination, event execution, and content and PR opportunities

• Work is split between a climate-controlled office and outdoor settings across the orchard, retail, tasting room, and event venues

Your week stays at five days: the days simply shift to cover events and weekends. Standard Monday through Friday schedules apply during off-season months. For team members who want to take on more during our peak season, Blake’s offers an optional program: work six-day, sixty-hour weeks through fall and earn additional PTO plus a cash bonus. Participation is entirely voluntary and has no bearing on performance reviews or standing. Competitive base salary, performance-based incentive, 401(k) with match, full health/dental/vision benefits, PTO, and all the perks of working at one of Michigan’s most beloved farms.