Brand manager is one of those professionals whose work is vital. He is responsible for the promotion of products (both new and existing) and recognition of the most companies. However, to find a qualified employee is not so simple.

Do you need a brand manager? According to Abrahamyan Nara, senior recruiter at SBC-HR, if a company sells products united by one brand, it is in need of such professional. “The successful business brand manager is one of the key figures for large and medium-sized companies, manufacturers and retailers are constantly in need of qualified specialists of this kind,” – adds the expert. A successful implementation of the goods and services, says Alexandr Zorkin, CEO of Starcom Mediavest Group Moldova, depends on the competent brand positioning, and from the work of the brand manager. Summary: Brand Manager is needed at any company interested in creating a positive image of its product and enhancing its sales.

Seller of a Good Impression

Many employers recognize the importance of the presence of brand management, but not everyone understands what his duties are. Moldovan labor market is clearly experiencing a shortage of qualified specialists of this kind. And inexperienced employee together with the inability of management to deliver expectations properly can lead to zero branding effectiveness.

Brand is not a synonym for the trademark but a product image in the consumer’s mind. Accordingly, the main goal of brand manager is to create the necessary presentation of the product for the target audience. At the same time, depending on the specifics of the company (area of activity, market positioning, advantages, price range, etc.) methods to achieve that goal can be different.

“The brand manager has quite a serious list of duties, – says Alexandr Zorkin. – In general, his work is the following: he shall conduct a study on the image of the brand, the analysis of activity of competitors, identify new trends in the market and based on the results of a study to develop a strategy for the development of the brand. Then proceed to its implementation through a variety of marketing activities (advertising campaigns, presentations, etc.). ”

To be effective, a brand specialist should establish cooperation with the sales, advertising and design, financial and other services.

In addition, says Alexandr Zorkin, nowadays, when the Internet has become the main tool for purchasing decisions, brand manager has to supervise the work on the creation and filling of the site and company pages on social networks.

If done correctly, the result will not take long: a new or little-known product will be recognizable from the end-user, there will be demand formed, and as a consequence the share of the product market presence will increase.

Who is Suitable for the Position?

We don’t have Branding Departments in Universities yet, so such professionals have usually the education in the related field. And the requirements for the candidate will have to be formulated, based on the specifics of the company.

At the same time it is not recommended to hire specialists with no experience. “The potential candidate should have experience in a similar or related position (usually the career of a brand manager begins with marketing). Here, graduate degree is necessarily (in the field of marketing and advertising, perhaps economic). The candidate must be able to work with the information, organize it, and analyze “, – says Nara Abrahamyan.

Alexandr Zorkin said that a qualified employee in this position – a specialist with experience of 3-5 years, who worked on the creation, strengthening and maintaining the image of particular brand. “He needs to know the preferences and needs of potential customers and clients to learn and be able to apply the full range of modern promotional tools,” – continues Alexandr Zorkin.

To find a specialist one can use traditional recruiting resources, but the need for brand managers with experience in a particular segment of the market will have to connect additional sources (professional forums, search companies, recommendations, etc.). “There are these professionals in the country, but most of them were raised in the companies. Their loyalty is very high, and encourage them to go to another company is very difficult, – says Nara Abrahamyan. – You can entice only those who have worked with the same products as yours. But outside expert is often expensive and does not always produce the same results as in a previous job.” Therefore, if the company can afford to train their personnel in marketing or advertising, it would be the best solution.

Source: Business Class, June 2016

Prepared by Eugene Cheban