What to Prioritize When Hiring Your Next Brand Manager

​As a company’s personification, a product brand elicits strong feelings among consumers – the best of which are brand love and a strong connection. A Brand Manager is the steward and protector of that company image, overseeing its development and maintaining its standing in the marketplace.

Why Companies Hire Brand Managers

Brand Managers regularly audit the marketplace to have the most current understanding of the brand’s position vis a vis the competition. They have a grasp on consumer sentiment, how consumers feel about the brand and its benefits, and potential growth opportunities. A strategic thinker, the Brand Manager plans promotions and activations that engage consumers, attract new buyers, move shoppers from consideration to trial, and inspire repeat purchases. They are responsible for marketing and advertising budgets for their brand, making sure the brand is consistently presented in the marketplace through all marketing communication and across all channels while also protecting its reputation and public perception.

Top Skills for Brand Management Success

From what we’ve learned from our clients, the most successful Brand Managers bring the following hard and soft skillset:

• Excellent holistic communication skills to enable great brand storytelling
• Technically savvy and comfortable with existing and emerging tools like CRM systems, social platforms, etc.
• Voracious and fast learners, able to immerse themselves in the company’s business, understand the strategy, and the future vision
• Strategic thinkers who make connections and understand potential impacts on the brand and its evolution
• Creative innovators who can ideate out of the box about brand development and marketing strategy
• Collaborative and persuasive, able to work cross-functionally to activate and execute marketing plans that include other marketing and creative teammates, external agency partners, as well as internal product, technology, finance, and legal colleagues
• Data-driven and analytically dexterous, actively use insights to inform strategic thinking and optimize decisions for peak performance
• Fluent in the latest marketing and technology trends when it comes to creative, design, production, and promotion channels

Always Preparing for the Future of Marketing

Brand Managers are expected to have their eyes on the horizon, watching for emerging trends, technology, and potential disruption. Perhaps no period in time has required this more than these pandemic-driven days. In addition to the societal and consumer behavior impact on the current market, other trends that will shape Brand Marketing include the continuing adaptation and adoption of AI, the hyper-customization of the consumer/brand experience (while balancing increasing expectations and regulations around data privacy), and the growing dependence on insights and analytics. The best Brand Management talent is able to navigate today’s changing landscape and plan for what’s next.

Connecting With Top Tier Brand Management Candidates

Whether you are a newly minted brand that needs a leader to launch it or a well-loved heritage brand that needs a steward to protect it, choosing the right brand management professional is a critical decision. A marketing recruitment agency like 24 Seven has a specialized network with thousands of qualified candidates. Our marketing recruiters will work closely with you to find a candidate who matches the needs of your open role from hard skills to soft as well as your company culture.

Learn more about how we can help you hire marketing talent today.