what is a brand manager?
As a brand manager, you influence the way customers perceive your employer’s business and brands. You essentially manage the company’s image, which means the strategies you develop should improve that image and make the brand and its products more recognizable. To help your employer stay one step ahead of the competition, you need to be creative, possess technical skills and have business acumen.
In addition to inspiring customers to be more enthusiastic about brands and products, you build support for your efforts among your fellow employees. When employees view brands and products in a positive light, the customers who interact with them sense and appreciate their enthusiasm. This improves customer loyalty and boosts repeat business. You need to implement diverse strategies to improve brand awareness and build value, which is likely to involve identifying the most effective ways to use digital marketing and communication tools to portray the brand’s unique value proposition.
what does a brand manager do?
As a brand manager, your job is to work alongside a marketing team to ensure the information they convey to the public is in line with the brand’s core messaging. After studying the market and customer wants and needs, you’ll develop a brand tone that will send a consistent message on various social media platforms to improve awareness. Brand managers create advertising materials and coordinate marketing campaigns, and they also work with production teams to reconcile product features and packaging with the brand image.
Would working as a brand manager suit your skills and business acumen? Then read on to find out what competencies and qualifications you need to thrive in a brand manager role.
view jobs near youaverage brand manager salary
When you compare these salaries to your income requirements, you should bear in mind that brand managers are often paid more when the brands they manage are successful. You may not receive weekly or monthly commissions like a sales representative, but you could receive monthly, quarterly or annual bonuses if your efforts improve brand awareness and customer perceptions of quality and reliability.
The salary you earn as a brand manager could increase as you gain experience, and obtaining professional credentials could also lead to a pay raise. Several organizations offer brand manager certification courses, and you can earn some of them online. If you want to increase your earning power as a brand manager, you should think about obtaining the Brand Management Certificate from Cornell University Online, the Certified Brand Manager Credential from the Association of International Product Marketing & Management or the Brand Manager Certification from the Sales and Marketing Certifications Institute.
Wondering what you can earn as a brand manager? Find out immediately with the Randstad salary checker! You can quickly and easily see what the average salary of a brand manager is.
types of brand manager
As a brand manager, you shape the message that determines how the public will perceive your employer. The brand you promote could be a person, a group of people, services or products. The most common types of brand managers include:
- personal brand managers: If the brand you manage is a famous person or a group of famous people, like a band, your duties may include scheduling interviews, developing social media strategies and coordinating with publicists and agents.
- product brand managers: Most brand managers work for companies that sell products or provide services. As a product brand manager, your goal is to improve brand awareness and consumer perceptions of value, quality and durability. To achieve this goal, you’ll work with marketing specialists to design product packaging and branding materials that convey the intended message.
working as a brand manager
Working as a brand manager involves building a positive reputation for the company you work for to increase visibility and build public trust. Here are some of the specific tasks, work environments and schedules of brand managers.
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brand manager job description
Some of the duties of a brand manager include:
- researching the consumers and market: As a brand manager, it is important to understand the market your employer operates in and the consumers who use its services or buy its products. To gain this understanding and develop a consistent brand image and voice, you should research the target audience to learn more about its preferences and buying habits.
- developing a brand identity: Your primary focus as a brand manager will be developing and promoting a strong brand identity. Having a respected brand could help your employer build strong customer relationships that lead to repeat and referral business. Your efforts should reflect your employer’s corporate culture, and you should make their products or services stand out in a crowded and competitive marketplace.
- planning strategies to build a brand identity: Managing a brand goes beyond creating a consistent message that carves out a position in the marketplace. Successful brand managers are always looking ahead, so you have to identify areas where messaging could be lacking and develop strategies that clear up ambiguity and add clarity.
- developing custom brand management product campaigns: As a brand manager, your goal should be keeping your employer ahead of their competition. That may involve creating personalized branding campaigns for various products and services and deciding how to use social and mainstream media platforms to reach the target market.
- assisting with launching new products: Your duties as a brand manager include working to ensure that new product launches go smoothly. You could work with graphic designers to develop packaging that makes a new product stand out, and you may use social media platforms to reach out to potential customers and build anticipation.
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brand manager work environment
Brand managers work in a wide range of industries because companies in virtually all market sectors worry about image and public perception. Manufacturers rely heavily on brand managers, and so do retailers, software developers and service providers. Brand managers usually work in demanding environments and must meet strict deadlines, so you should be able to work well under pressure. Most brand managers work in offices, but you may spend quite a bit of time on a factory floor if you work for a manufacturer. You should be comfortable using computers and other electronic devices commonly found in office settings, and you may have to travel during major product launches.
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who are your colleagues?
The colleagues you work with most closely as a brand manager include sales executives, sales representatives and marketing managers who could help you develop promotional strategies. You may also work closely with production assistants and procurement specialists to maintain or improve product quality. When you plan brand-focused marketing campaigns, you work closely with event and social media managers, public relations officers and other specialists.
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work schedule
Brand managers typically work a standard 40-hour workweek, but some companies now offer their management staff flexible scheduling options. Brand manager is an executive position, so you may not earn overtime pay if you work more than 40 hours in a workweek. However, the job market is highly competitive, so some employers compensate executives who put in more hours even though the law does not require them to. You'll spend your workdays working with your colleagues to develop brand strategies, and you may be required to attend conferences or meetings from time to time. If you work as a freelance brand manager or accept a short-term contract, you may be able to work from home and set your own hours.
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job outlook for brand manager
If you do not have experience in brand marketing, you may initially only be able to find a junior or assistant brand manager position. As you hone your skills and gain experience, however, your chances of promotion will improve. Obtaining relevant credentials and certifications from organizations like the Association of International Product Marketing & Management or the Sales and Marketing Certifications Institute could lead to more rapid promotions.
Brand managers have important and influential roles, and they are sometimes offered senior executive positions when their efforts have built strong brand images and earned the public’s trust. A background in brand management could also provide a solid foundation for entrepreneurial endeavors. If you enjoy brand management and enjoy success in the field, you could become a consultant or start your own company.
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benefits of working for randstad as a brand manager
Working through Randstad offers you a range of benefits:
- being paid weekly
- flexibility
- always a contact person you can fall back on and ask for help from
- many training opportunities
- a range of jobs in your area
Want a permanent contract? But you wonder why it would be interesting for you to work with a staffing company? A temporary job as a brand manager is often a stepping stone to an attractive permanent job. Every year, thousands of people earn a permanent contract with great employers thanks to a temporary job found through Randstad. What's more, many companies recruit their permanent employees through Randstad too!
brand manager skills and education
Most employers look for candidates with bachelor’s degrees when they hire brand managers, but excellent communication skills and relevant experience could lead to a job offer even if you did not complete college. When employers are looking for only college graduates, a bachelor’s degree in business or marketing will probably open the most doors. However, a degree in an unrelated field would likely be enough to land a brand manager position if you have good ideas and enthusiasm.
Senior brand managers are usually individuals who have received promotions from management roles because they have performed well and the products they manage have resonated with consumers. You could also increase your chances of obtaining one of these senior positions if you possess an advanced degree in a relevant field. Qualifications that could impress an employer and lead to a job offer or promotion include a master’s degree in integrated marketing and brand management and a master of business administration (MBA).
skills and competencies
Some of the qualities of a brand manager include:
- storytelling skills: As a brand manager, you should be able to create content and innovative campaigns that resonate with customers. Storytelling skills could help you to convey product features to your audience and build trust. Most successful advertising and promotional campaigns use stories that consumers can identify with.
- multitasking skills: Brand managers have a lot of responsibilities and should be able to meet advertising and publication deadlines. Multitasking skills are necessary to manage advertising and marketing campaigns for multiple products, and you must perform each task properly. If you want to enjoy success as a brand manager, you should be able to juggle many tasks without compromising performance.
- interpersonal skills: Working as a brand manager involves dealing with people involved in the design, production and promotion of products. Having good interpersonal skills could help you to connect and collaborate more effectively with your colleagues. You'll be working with various professionals as a brand manager, so having good listening skills and building relationships based on cooperation and mutual respect is important.
FAQs about working as a brand manager
Here you will find answers to the most frequently asked questions about brand managers.
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what is the role of a brand manager?
A brand manager is responsible for shaping the message that customers receive about a product or service. Brand managers make sure that this message sets the brand apart from competitors and conveys its core strengths. Brand managers work with a wide range of marketing and design professionals to make sure that advertising campaigns, product packaging and promotional materials all work together and send a consistent message.
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what is the difference between a marketing manager and a brand manager?
Marketing managers find new customers. Brand managers, on the other hand, build the image of a company by making sure that existing and new customers learn about the things that make products stand out. When marketing managers find new prospects, brand managers turn them into loyal customers who refer their friends and acquaintances.
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what skills does a brand manager need?
You should have good analytical and communication skills if you want to enjoy a successful career as a brand manager. Brand managers must be able to find useful and relevant information in performance and research data and then use it to develop creative and effective brand marketing campaigns.
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is a brand manager a good job?
Brand managers have good and secure jobs because just about every company worries about its image and reputation. This is an exciting and challenging field, and helping businesses to grow and thrive can be extremely rewarding.
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is a college degree necessary to land a job as a brand manager?
Most employers look for college graduates when they fill executive positions, but you may find a job as a brand manager without a degree if you have relevant experience and a track record of success. There are also several brand management certifications available that could improve your chances of landing a job in the field.
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how do I find a job as a brand manager?
Applying for a brand manager job is easy: create a Randstad profile and search our brand manager jobs for vacancies in your area. Then simply send us your CV. If you do not have a resume, no worries. Just check out our resume builder. This state of the art tool will help you to create your own resume. Need help with your application? Check out all our job-hunting tips!
