By Laila Maline
In successful modern enterprises, a brand manager is an important key player. Their role is complex and involves high-stake tasks such as fostering trust in the brand. Managing the brand’s reputation, determining product-market fit, developing marketing and advertising strategies are some of the brand manager’s key roles. Naturally then, successful brand managers require a broad skill set that enables them to work cohesively with other departments and ensure that the many pieces of the puzzle fit seamlessly together to strengthen the company’s brand. If you’ve always wondered what it takes to be a successful brand manager, here are the traits you can work on to be one!
But before we get ourselves into the traits of a successful brand manager, let’s understand the job responsibilities that come with managing the face of a brand!
Responsibilities of a successful brand marketing manager.
A brand manager overlooks all activities related to how a brand is perceived by an audience.
Some customer-facing businesses might enlist the responsibility of brand management on to more than one brand manager. Normally, this role would work in conjunction with a staff within the marketing department.
Brand marketing managers will analyze the intended market for a brand or a product. They design strategies to better position the brand’s products or services in the marketplace.
Brand managers ensure a service or product lines with the target audience.
This requires brand marketing and management professionals to constantly monitor marketing trends and keep a close eye on competitive products in the market. This also means that they need to have a strong grasp of the target market, and also potential target markets.
They also meet with clients regularly and they oversee a team of junior marketers. Their initiatives include campaigns, events, corporate responsibility programs, and sponsorships.
Developing and executing brand strategy as a brand manager.
Brand managers are responsible for guiding the market research team by setting the agenda and criteria and also selecting the stimuli, such as product-benefit statement, pictures, product samples, and video clips. Once the research is complete, it is the brand manager’s job to first analyze the data that’s been collected and then develop a marketing strategy.
Developing and executing brand strategy includes the following for a brand manager:
- Creating and evaluating brand image
- Strategizing how to increase brand awareness
- Overseeing advertising placement
- Monitoring the progress of sales
Now that we’ve covered the responsibilities of a brand manager, let’s dive into the traits required by an individual to ensure effective brand management!
Related: 5 Careers in Branding You Should Explore
What makes a good brand manager?
Strong analytical and organization skills make the foundation of a brand manager.
Having a good understanding of their audience and customers as well as possessing strong creative, analytical, and organizational skills are imperative. A Brand Manager must also have a good handle on consumer and market insights, including the ability to analyze market data, as he or she may be tasked with conducting consumer research.
An understanding of how effective targeting works.
It’s a skill to know that fewer target consumers will deliver a better overall result. Usually, that means stepping back from the segmentation and only going after 10% or 20% of the potential market. Tight target segments mean the marketing has a chance to succeed. A good marketer takes the time to understand their market. They find the correct target audience, however small it may be.
Process design and automation of marketing.
A good brand marketing manager will take the time to understand that it’s not the automation that increases productivity, but the process changes that are enabled by this automation.
Deploying marketing automation will require skills such as process modeling, project management, the ability to train and manage change, as well as ease with technology. Knowing this makes all the difference.
A genuine fascination with their brand and everything it represents.
However, this advice comes with a part two as well. An effective brand manager has a genuine fascination with all brands — not just the brand that they are managing.
If you have a deep interest in how brands work, half of your job is done.
Statistical analysis and data visualization!
Good data visualizers possess the brilliant ability to reformat valuable and insightful data. Visual graphs, charts, and graphics make those numbers easier to digest . Data visualizers are utilized to create powerful, data-driven content that is appealing to users. A good example of this would be infographics!
The ability to tell stories.
Successful promoting and marketing is all about telling a compelling story. This story forms the foundation of how an audience interacts with your product, so a great manager really understands how to build a great story around the product s/he is promoting!
