Advantages and Responsibilities of a Brand Manager

Introduction

Brand Image simply defined as the perception of a brand or a product or an organization in potential customers is one the key selling points of any company. Companies such as Apple Inc., McDonalds, Bose etc., are all known for their brand image. Brand image not only promotes the organizations name but also is crucial in increasing the sales of a product. Brand Management is the concept of marketing that deals with analyzing how the brand is perceived, and planning how to promote the brand in the target market (Aaker, 2012). Brand Image can be built based on the tangible aspects such as the product and price or intangible aspects such as quality, comfort, and experience of the customer (Urde, 2013). Most of the companies hire brand managers to ensure that this aspect of the company’s publicity is handled efficiently (Golant, 2012).

Ashraf Homemade Ice-cream Ltd, has appointed Ahmed as the brand manager who would be handling the new product development and flavor naming process. The company is known for their high quality, fresh and amusing flavors and peculiar names. Ahmed would have to ensure the brand image is retained while developing the new product.

Advantages of a brand manager

Quite often companies wonder if they have to hire an employee separately to promote the image when they are already popular in their field. This approach is due to the cost incurred for hiring an employee and implementing the new ideas suggested by the same (Tuškej, 2013). Ashraf Homemade Ice-cream Ltd also, is highly reputed amongst its target customers and already has an image for creating innovative products. However, the company has realized that the cost incurred in investing on a brand manager is negligible when compared to the potential sales that would rise with the help of Ahmed. The key reason why Ashraf Homemade Ice-cream Ltd hired Ahmed is due the various advantages that come with a brand manager.

A brand manager is completely focused on the product development. This would ensure a concentrated resource at all times. Ahmed would be working on the new product development

According to oracle, 75% of the in-house managers are highly efficient at the production line but lack the skills required to develop an image in the market. A brand manager fills this gap.

Analyzing the current perception of the company in the market would need people who are experienced in business strategies, marketing, content management, communications and so on. A brand manager is package of all these.

Brand managers need no separate training. They just have to understand how the company function and what the company needs (Kirk, 2013).

Experienced brand managers come with knowledge of different ways to promote a brand. They can modify these ways to suit the company’s product and implement the same.

Responsibilities of a brand manager

The key responsibilities of Ahmed in Ashraf Homemade Ice-cream Ltd are

To understand what Ashraf Homemade Ice-cream Ltd does and how it does that same. Ahmed has to have a clear picture of the company’s values, vision and mission so as to create a product that is in sync with all the above.

To analyze how the current products such as Chubby Hubby are being received in the market. This analysis can be done through surveys and feedbacks.

Analyzing what aspects of the company are most valued in the market. Is it the quality of the ice creams, the names, the flavor or the customer experience? The output of this analysis will be the base of developing the new product

Understanding what the competition is doing. The price, quality, manufacturing rate, discounts etc., of the competitors has to be understood. The aspects that Ashraf Homemade Ice-cream Ltd lacks have to be improved in the new product.

The company does not have plain flavors or simple names, hence with the help of the above analysis Ahmed must be able to suggest flavors and names that would promote the brand name

He should be able to manage the budget provided by the company efficiently (Xiong, 2013)

He should have excellent communications skills to ensure that his idea is clear understood across the various departments involved and easily implemented

Take care of post implementation marketing plans.

Conclusion

A brand manager should be able to highlight the process of a company and find ways to reduces the cons by analyzing and understanding what the company does, how the same is perceived in the current market and what the company needs to do to sustain in the market

References

Golant, B. D. (2012). Bringing the corporate brand to life: The brand manager as practical author. Journal of Brand Management, 20(2), 115-127.

Aaker, D. A., & Joachimsthaler, E. (2012). Brand leadership. Simon and Schuster.

Xiong, L., King, C., & Piehler, R. (2013). “That’s not my job”: Exploring the employee perspective in the development of brand ambassadors. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 35, 348-359.

Urde, M., Baumgarth, C., & Merrilees, B. (2013). Brand orientation and market orientation—From alternatives to synergy. Journal of Business Research, 66(1), 13-20.

Tuškej, U., Golob, U., & Podnar, K. (2013). The role of consumer–brand identification in building brand relationships. Journal of business research, 66(1), 53-59.

Kirk, C. P., Ray, I., & Wilson, B. (2013). The impact of brand value on firm valuation: The moderating influence of firm type. Journal of Brand Management, 20(6), 488-500.

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