Brand Marketing Manager (FMCG) at Ascentech Services Limited

Purpose:

• To define brand strategy and architecture, analyze market/ customer trends and competition, provide inputs into developing new products within the limits of category business plan with the objective of enhancing brand market share, sales volume and profitability. End-to-end responsibility for the brand. 

Areas of Responsibility:

Brand Planning: 

• Prepare brand architecture (target markets/ group, products, launch and phase out support); 
• Conduct competition analysis for market practices in supporting brand (promotions/ activations); 
• Plan for brand initiatives based on growth prospects and gaps in current portfolio; 
• Share plan with Media/ MR team and seek inputs on related activities/ cost/ calendar;
• Conduct overall analysis on marketing spends for the brand in order to ensure achievement of brand market share and health index.

Brand Communication, Development and Execution:

• Provide briefs to agency based on brand architecture (consumer/ product attributes, differentiation, competition etc.); 
• Review concept/ routes options prepared by agency; Coordinate for research of identified route options; 
• Analyze feedback and shortlist route; Review scripts prepared by agency; Conduct script/ animations research; Analyse feedback; 
• Select production house for ad creation; Participate in pre-production meetings to provide insights; Monitor and review ad production; 
• Monitor effectiveness of brand communicate post deployment in order to ensure effective brand awareness and recall.

Portfolio Planning:

• Conduct industry analysis on products, competition players, growth segments, emerging segments etc.; 
• Identify gaps and white spaces in current portfolio; 
• Plan for introduction of new products in portfolio/ initiatives for products in current portfolio in order to ensure portfolio meets the requirements of market/customers.

Packaging Development:

• Prepare packaging brief with inputs on target group, market, competition, differentiation etc. to develop superior packaging structures in design.
• Pack test with consumers on likability and purchase intent. Projects to adhere to benchmark costs.

Trade Promotion: 

• Coordination with trade promotion & Sales vertical for brand schemes.

Brand Plan Review:

• Monitor and review progress of brand against defined plan (using Research Agency data, Brand track etc.); 
• Analyze competition performance; Discuss findings with HO and identify actions/ initiatives for market, manufacturing and product development in order to ensure performance of brand as per plan.

Consumer Promotion:

• Monitor and review implementation in order to create effective pull for products by the consumer in the market.

Market Research Conceptualization, Execution & Findings Implementation:

• Analyse data and identify key trends/ correlations from the MR report prepared by agency; Identify key action points and share with relevant functions (PD/ Packaging etc.);
• Share findings with marketing head and finalize initiatives to be taken up for alignment of initiatives with consumer/ market requirements.

Media Implementation:

• Discuss brief with media team/ agency and explain script; In cases interact with media partners and review media innovation if any; 
• Evaluate initiatives with Media Team performance and identify reason for success/ failure in order to ensure effective brand awareness and recall.

New Product/ Product Extension Planning, Development and Launch:

• Gather input on new product from usage and attribute study for the category/ products; 
• Identify new product positioning/ story and directional product/ emotional attributes; 
• Prepare and provide new product brief (market size, competition, flavors, grammages, differentiation etc.) to PD; 
• Test prototype samples and provide inputs to PD team during development phase; Coordinate for CPT with MR/ PD team; Analyze CPT results;
• Evaluate financials and discuss with PD/ Manufacturing in case of issues; 
• Present product for approval to HOD & Leadership; In Order to ensure successful launch of new product/ extensions in the market.

Operating Network

• External: Creative agency; Packaging agency; Activation agency; Media agency; Research agency
• Internal: Marketing, Manufacturing, Finance, Procurement, Research, Product Development, Quality, R&D, Legal, TM, Sales & Logistics team

Education & Relevant Experience 

• MBA in marketing from Tier I Top Management Institute with experience in FMCG business.
• Experience in Brand Management/Category management is must.
• Knowledge and Business Understanding-
• Experience in Food & Beverage - Consumer Brands is a plus.
• Experience in Sales, managing agencies is a plus. 
• Strong Experience in Brand Management (product, price, promotion, placement) managing a brand and showing demonstrated success growing the brand, market share, equity. 
• Knowledge of statutory compliance related to the category products (legal declarations/ implications);
• Basic knowledge of category/ product specific manufacturing process and technology;
• Basic knowledge of finance (overhead/ revenue apportionment, budgeting, product pricing etc.)