Career in brand management: Top 3 skills a brand manager must possess

A brand manager is someone who is responsible for managing and taking care of the overall image of a company, its products or the people associated with the brand. One of the key components of their job is overseeing any aspect of marketing and thereafter take decisions that result in stronger sales. A brand manager is responsible for developing critical marketing and advertising strategies and looking after budgets. Additionally, brand managers also assist in the designing and layout of advertising concepts for print and digital media.

Role of a brand manager

Professional networking is an ideal way to get started on your journey to becoming a brand manager. Furthermore, it can also work towards positioning you as a desirable candidate for an organisation that interests you. Being a part of social events and professional networking workshops, you can work on reaching out to advertisers to bring in contracts and other value for the firm you will be working for. In addition, fostering professional relationships can lead to valuable referrals in the future.

Click here to understand the process of brand management

Skills that a good brand manager should have:

Customer understanding

Customer understanding is a crucial step in understanding what needs to be done. Once the understanding, taste and preference pattern of your customer is properly crafted in your mind, it will assist you to focus on your target market and help you empathize with them, so that you can communicate the value proposition effectively. It is a good practice for brand marketers to create customer personas on the basis of the quantitative analysis of their existing customers, qualitative case studies, and real-time product use cases. This helps you craft your communication line even more effectively.

Creativity

Brand marketers do not usually engage in writing brand or advertising copy or designing graphics and illustrations. However, they are the ones advising the copywriter or the illustrator and giving them briefs to execute the same. Hence, having a finger on the audience’s pulse should come with a sense of creativity. It is only when you have a mix of both that you will be able to dictate the tone of the messaging and reach your goals and target audiences.

Analytical Mindset

As a brand manager you will need to be an analytical person having a strong flair for numbers and data. As a brand manager you will be responsible for crafting the annual branding plan and strategy for the brands you represent. Developing, implementing and managing these strategies requires a tactical approach to marketing. In addition you will also need to routinely analyse data, market research, and campaign performance to determine the best strategies and approaches to enhance the brand’s performance and sales. As a fresher in the field you will need to be more confident in interpreting and translating it into actionable insights.

​​As a brand manager, in a way, you are your brand's main ambassador. Hence, you need to be their number one support system, both in the way you communicate with them along with your activity activation plans. Above all, the more natural your passion for working with the brands is, the easier it will get for you to engage your audience and thereafter persuade them to purchase your products.