A brand manager may meet regularly with copywriters, designers, and the PR team.
Generally, becoming a brand manager requires the right mix of education, technical skill, and business experience. Most brand managers have college and graduate degrees in a business-related field. In addition to the title, the employee generally must demonstrate creative skills for advertising and promotion and technical skills such as project and budget management. Additionally, many top companies require three to five years of assistant experience before moving up to a brand manager position.
Brand managers look at different demographics, including age-classified populations, when determining a marketing strategy.
Many large companies manufacture or sell a variety of products offered under individual brand names. These products can range from consumer items, such as food or cosmetics, to business necessities, such as heavy equipment. A brand manager is generally responsible for creating a positive and credible image for the brand in the appropriate market, implementing advertising and marketing campaigns that sell the product, and carrying out these tasks within prescribed timelines and budgets.
Choosing the right degree program can be important as it is often a prerequisite to becoming a brand manager. A bachelor’s degree in marketing or communications can be a good first step. Other possible degree fields include general business, sales, finance, or accounting. Whichever field you choose, a business-related college degree is often a requirement for entry-level employment.
To become a brand manager and move up from the assistant level, it is usually necessary to obtain a master’s degree in business. This is usually done while working as an assistant. Many companies will help pay for a graduate degree.
Doing the job of assistant brand manager well is a good first step toward advancement. In the starting position, the potential brand manager must demonstrate the ability to determine the needs of the brand and lead effective campaigns to promote it. At the same time, the assistant who wants to be promoted needs to exhibit strong interpersonal, administrative, and financial skills. At this level, future brand managers also demonstrate that they can handle increasing levels of responsibility, work under pressure, and make sound business decisions.
A brand manager’s job is a lot like running a business, so many have characteristics similar to those of entrepreneurs. The job requires vision, creativity, sales skills, leadership and responsibility and is a core job in most companies. This is why a fairly long apprenticeship of three to five years of satisfactory experience is often a necessary requirement for the job.