What do Brand Managers do? Here’s a Job Description
Think of your favourite shoe brand.
I’m pretty sure you were able to come up with one in a matter of seconds. What exactly is it that makes the brand your favorite? Is it the brand’s values and the way you feel when you see the brand on TV or on Instagram? Is it the excitement and anticipation of the newest innovation that’s just around the corner? Or Is it the way it addresses social issues, fights for corporate responsibility and sustainability?
Whatever your excuse may be, it is clear that you resonate with the brand. That did not happen by accident. It means the Brand Managers of that company have successfully done their job.
It is a Brand Manager who makes all of this and more, possible. Brand Managers sail the ship and ensure that the initiatives of the brand are steered in the right direction. While millions of businesses across the world are trying to build an online brand from scratch in the most crowded space ever, it is a Brand Manager with the right vision, skill set and mindset that makes them stand apart.
Who are Brand Managers?
Brand identity is the key component of all major brands. Leading that charge, brand managers make substantial efforts to ensure that the multiple functions that influence the brand’s identity are working in tandem and reinforcing the driving message associated with the brand.
Brand Managers maintain the long-term vision of the brand and execute it to make it fit the current and potential consumers. Brand Managers work to ensure that the brand remains recognisable, up to date and exciting to its customers. They plan ways to promote — and change the public perception of — brands.
Robert Walters, CEO of a global specialist recruitment agency operating in 31 countries sums it up nicely: “A Brand Manager is responsible for adapting a brand strategy for a company’s target market. As the ‘brand guardian’, brand managers maintain brand integrity across all company marketing initiatives and communications, and may manage a portfolio of products.”
Organisations hire Brand Managers to work ‘in-house’ on their own brands, where they work solely on a single brand. It is also possible for Brand Managers to work at a marketing agency, where they may be working on a number of brands for different clients.
Job Description of a Brand Manager
The Brand Manager is responsible for the day-to-day management of production, social media, public relations, Project organisation and other tasks. The Brand Manager works closely with the Brand Director to interface with the various departments of the agency to move executable components of the core strategy and communication campaigns through the agency. This includes meeting with the creative team concerning creative issues and input, the media team concerning the media strategy, the social media team concerning daily community management and long term online projects and promotions, and the production manager concerning creative scheduling and timing.
What are the responsibilities of a Brand Manager?
A Brand Manager is the main point of contact for everything brand-related at a company. They are responsible for the overall brand image and ensuring that it properly resonates with its target market. Brand Managers are responsible for understanding what makes the target audience tick and for developing marketing campaigns that position the brand according to those motivators. These marketing campaigns will not only drive customer engagement but will further define the brand’s reputation and image in relation to the market.
To accomplish this, Brand Managers may be tasked with a wide variety of responsibilities.
So, it’s imperative that a Brand Manager is a team player and an exceptional communicator who can create a unified message for the brand by bridging these varied interests.
