In today’s digital world, where countless brands compete for attention, standing out is essential for success. A brand’s identity and how it’s perceived by consumers directly influence its market positioning and share. This is where brand management becomes crucial—defining a brand’s identity, shaping its perception, and crafting strategies that highlight its unique value while setting it apart from competitors.
Brand managers play a key role in this process, acting as the voice and face of the company. They build a strong brand identity and reputation across online and offline channels, create brand guidelines, and align products with strategic goals through research and analysis. Combining creativity with analytical skills, they ensure a brand stays relevant in a competitive market. In this article, we’ll explore what a brand manager does, how to become one, effective brand management strategies, and how EDHEC’s Online Master of Science in Strategic Marketing can support your career journey.
What Is Brand Management?
Brand management is the process of creating, maintaining, and enhancing a brand’s identity, reputation, and market presence. It involves shaping how consumers perceive the brand through consistent messaging, strategic positioning, and cohesive visuals across all platforms. The ultimate goal of brand management is to build trust, foster loyalty, and distinguish the brand within the industry, ensuring long-term growth and sustained success in a dynamic market. However, strong brand management starts with a solid foundation—one that evolves with market trends and consumer expectations.
Brand Development: Building a Strong Foundation
Brand development is the foundation for long-term success, ensuring that a company’s identity evolves alongside market trends and consumer expectations. More than just establishing a brand’s look and message, it involves continuous refinement to stay relevant. A strong brand development strategy strengthens customer loyalty, reinforces brand equity, and ensures lasting recognition in an ever-changing business landscape.
Brand Manager Skills and Qualifications
A successful brand manager requires a diverse combination of skills to navigate the complexities of brand management and create lasting impact.
What Skills Does a Brand Manager Need?
Hard Skills:
- Expertise in marketing and branding, with a strong grasp of consumer behaviour and market research
- Analytical abilities to assess performance and refine strategies based on data
- Knowledge of design principles, such as layout and visual elements
- Strong verbal, written, and visual communication skills
- Proficiency in leveraging the latest marketing technologies and tools
- A good understanding of sales, budgeting, and financial principles
Soft Skills:
- Creative thinking to develop unique campaigns and ideas
- Strategic thinking to align branding with broader business objectives
- Leadership and collaboration skills for managing cross-functional teams
- Effective time management and multitasking abilities
- Adaptability to adjust strategies in response to evolving market trends
Brand Manager Responsibilities
A brand manager oversees the strategic and operational aspects of maintaining a strong, cohesive brand identity. Their role requires collaboration, creativity, and analytical expertise to ensure the brand resonates with its audience. Key responsibilities include:
- Conducting Market Research and Competitive Analysis: Conduct thorough research to understand industry trends, consumer behaviour, and competitor positioning, identifying opportunities for differentiation and growth.
- Developing Brand Strategies: Design and implement strategies that align with the company’s objectives, defining brand guidelines, messaging, and value proposition for marketing initiatives.
- Overseeing Marketing Materials: Assist with the creation of marketing materials, including design, layout, and messaging, ensuring alignment with brand guidelines.
- Managing Budgets: Establish and oversee budgets for marketing campaigns, events, and other branding activities to maximise return on investment.
- Cross-Department Collaboration: Work closely with teams like product development to align all branding and marketing efforts, maintaining consistency across touchpoints.
- Media Management: Oversee both digital and traditional media channels to ensure the delivery of consistent and impactful brand messaging.
- Evaluating Performance: Monitor marketing performance through KPIs, sales data, and campaign analytics, using insights to refine strategies.
- Building Partnerships: Establish partnerships with influencers, stakeholders, and industry leaders to enhance brand credibility and visibility.
- Ensuring Brand Consistency: Maintain a unified brand image across all communication and marketing activities.
Types of Brand Managers
While all brand managers work towards building and maintaining strong brand identities, their focus often varies depending on the type of brand they support. Here are some key types of brand managers and their areas of expertise:
Corporate Brand Manager:
Focuses on developing a cohesive identity for the organisation as a whole, refining elements such as the mission statement, values, and website to build a strong corporate image.
Product Brand Manager:
Specialises in managing and promoting individual products within a portfolio. Responsibilities include conducting market research, crafting product strategies, and launching marketing campaigns to boost visibility and sales.
Digital Brand Manager:
Manages the brand’s online presence, overseeing digital strategies such as social media, online advertising, and website content to increase brand awareness in the digital landscape.
Retail Brand Manager:
Concentrates on branding within retail environments, focusing on in-store promotions, visual merchandising, and creating a positive customer experience to drive sales.
Social Media Brand Manager:
Focuses on managing a brand’s presence across social platforms, creating engaging content, interacting with audiences, and leveraging trends to build brand loyalty.
Event Brand Manager:
Specialises in organising events like product launches, sponsorships, and experiential marketing campaigns to connect with audiences and create engagement around the brand.
Service Brand Manager:
Highlights the value of a company’s services by creating campaigns that address customer pain points, share success stories, and promote service benefits.
Brand Manager Software
Brand management is a cornerstone of any successful marketing strategy, making it essential to choose tools that seamlessly integrate into your broader marketing ecosystem. Effective brand management goes beyond just strategy—it’s about ensuring consistency in your brand’s identity, engaging meaningfully with customers, safeguarding your reputation, and staying ahead of trends or news that could impact how your brand is perceived. The right software empowers brand managers to achieve all this with efficiency and precision.
Tools and Programs Brand Managers Use
Here are some essential tools that brand managers use to monitor, analyse, and strengthen their brand presence:
Media Relationship Management and Listening Tools:
- Meltwater: Meltwater is a media intelligence and analytics platform that helps businesses monitor brand mentions across various channels, including online media, social networks, and offline sources. It provides in-depth analytics to help brands understand public perception and manage their public relations effectively.
- Cision: Cision offers a comprehensive suite of public relations solutions, including an extensive media database, press release distribution tools, and media monitoring capabilities. It helps PR professionals build relationships with journalists and measure the impact of their media campaigns.
- Muck Rack: Muck Rack is a media relations platform that allows communication professionals to connect with relevant journalists, track brand mentions, and measure the effectiveness of their PR efforts. It also includes collaboration features for PR teams to streamline their workflow.
Social Media Listening Tools:
- Sprout Social: Sprout Social is a social media management platform that offers publishing, engagement, monitoring, and analytics tools. It helps brands optimize their content strategy, track social conversations, and engage with their audience in real time.
- Brand24: Brand24 is a real-time social listening tool that enables businesses to track brand mentions across the web and social media platforms. It provides sentiment analysis, instant alerts, and detailed reports to help brands understand their online reputation.
- Hootsuite: Hootsuite is a widely used platform for managing social media presence. It allows brands to schedule posts, monitor conversations, and measure engagement across multiple social networks, ensuring a consistent and effective brand strategy.
CRM Tools:
- HubSpot CRM: HubSpot CRM is a free, user-friendly platform that offers a complete suite of tools for managing customer relationships. It includes lead tracking, marketing automation, and sales pipeline management to help businesses streamline their interactions with clients.
- Salesforce: Salesforce is a leading CRM solution that provides advanced analytics, AI-powered insights, and scalable tools for sales, marketing, and customer service. It helps businesses automate processes and improve customer engagement at every touchpoint.
- Zoho CRM: Zoho CRM is a flexible and cost-effective CRM system that offers lead management, workflow automation, and integration with various third-party applications. It is designed to help businesses improve customer relationships and drive sales growth.
Data Visualisation Tools:
- Tableau: Tableau is a powerful business intelligence platform that transforms raw data into interactive dashboards and visual reports. It helps organizations analyze data trends and make data-driven decisions with intuitive and customizable visualizations.
- Google Charts: Google Charts is a free cloud-based tool that allows users to create interactive charts and graphs. It integrates easily into websites and applications, making it a useful solution for displaying real-time data insights.
- Microsoft Power BI: Microsoft Power BI is a robust data visualization tool that enables businesses to create interactive reports and dashboards. It integrates seamlessly with Microsoft products and provides deep analytical insights to drive strategic decision-making.
Market Research Platforms:
- SurveyMonkey: SurveyMonkey is an online survey platform that allows businesses to create, distribute, and analyze surveys. It offers customizable templates and advanced analytics to gather valuable customer insights and market research data.
- Make My Persona: Make My Persona is a free tool from HubSpot that helps marketers create detailed buyer personas. By answering guided questions, users can generate a comprehensive profile of their ideal customer to refine marketing strategies.
Design Tools:
- Canva: Canva is an intuitive online design platform that allows users to create professional-quality visuals for social media, marketing materials, and presentations. It offers a vast library of templates, images, and design elements to streamline content creation.
- Adobe Photoshop: Adobe Photoshop is the industry standard for image editing and graphic design. It provides advanced tools for photo manipulation, digital artwork, and branding materials, making it essential for marketing professionals.
- Figma: Figma is a cloud-based UI/UX design tool that enables teams to collaborate in real time. It is widely used for designing websites, mobile apps, and digital experiences, offering powerful prototyping and vector design capabilities.
Project Management Tools:
- Asana: Asana is a project management platform that helps teams organize tasks, track progress, and automate workflows. It offers advanced collaboration features to ensure efficiency in managing marketing campaigns and brand initiatives.
- Trello: Trello is a visual task management tool that uses a card-based system to help teams organize projects. It is known for its simplicity and flexibility, allowing users to customize workflows according to their needs.
- Monday.com: Monday.com is a work management platform that enables teams to plan, execute, and track projects. It offers integrations with various marketing and business tools, making it a versatile solution for brand managers.
Email Marketing Tools:
- Mailchimp: Mailchimp is a popular email marketing platform that provides automation, audience segmentation, and performance analytics. It helps brands create personalized email campaigns to engage customers and drive conversions.
- ActiveCampaign: ActiveCampaign combines email marketing with CRM capabilities, offering advanced automation features. It enables brands to deliver targeted, behavior-based email campaigns for improved customer engagement.
- Campaign Monitor: Campaign Monitor focuses on professional email design, offering customizable templates and detailed analytics. It allows brands to craft visually appealing campaigns that maximize audience interaction.
SEO and Content Optimisation Tools:
- SEMrush: SEMrush is an all-in-one SEO platform that provides keyword research, competitor analysis, and content optimization tools. It helps brands improve their search engine rankings and visibility.
- Ahrefs: Ahrefs specializes in backlink analysis and competitive SEO insights. It enables businesses to monitor their domain authority, analyze competitor strategies, and optimize content for higher search rankings.
- Semji: Semji is an AI-powered content optimization tool that enhances writing for better SEO performance. It provides recommendations to improve readability, keyword integration, and search engine positioning.
AI-Powered Tools:
- Jasper: Jasper is an AI-powered content generation tool that assists with creating blog articles, ad copy, and social media posts. It helps marketers produce high-quality content at scale.
- ChatGPT: ChatGPT is an AI-driven assistant that supports content creation, customer engagement, and brainstorming for marketing strategies. It enhances productivity by generating relevant and creative text.
- Sprinklr: Sprinklr is a customer experience management platform that leverages AI for social listening and audience engagement. It helps brands monitor sentiment and respond to trends in real time.
- Dynamic Yield: Dynamic Yield is an AI-powered personalization platform that enables brands to deliver tailored marketing campaigns and website experiences based on user behavior.
Internet Marketing Tools:
- Google Ads: Google Ads allows brands to run highly targeted pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns across search engines and partner websites. It provides data-driven insights to optimize ad performance.
- Meta Ads Manager: Meta Ads Manager (formerly Facebook Ads Manager) enables businesses to create, track, and optimize advertising campaigns on Facebook and Instagram. It offers detailed audience targeting and analytics to maximize ad impact.
How to Become a Brand Manager
A career as a brand manager requires a blend of creativity, strategy, and leadership. By mastering the art of building and sustaining a brand’s identity, brand managers play a critical role in driving a company’s success. Here’s how you can take the first steps toward this exciting career.
1. Obtain a Relevant Bachelor’s Degree
Start by earning a bachelor’s degree in fields such as marketing, business, communications, or a related discipline. This educational foundation will provide you with essential knowledge in consumer behaviour, market research, and strategic planning.
2. Gain Practical Marketing Experience
After completing your degree, seek entry-level positions in marketing or related areas. Roles like marketing coordinator, social media specialist, or content writer can offer valuable hands-on experience. Aim to accumulate at least three years of relevant experience to build a solid foundation.
3. Develop Key Skills and Qualifications
Enhance both hard and soft skills crucial for brand management:
- Analytical Abilities: Assess market trends and campaign performance to inform strategic decisions.
- Creative Thinking: Innovate and develop unique marketing campaigns that resonate with target audiences.
- Communication Skills: Articulate ideas clearly and collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams.
- Project Management: Oversee multiple projects, ensuring timely and successful execution.
- Adaptability: Stay updated with evolving market trends and adjust strategies accordingly.
4. Consider Advanced Education
Advanced education can accelerate your career by providing deeper insights and enhancing both your knowledge and practical experience. Designed for working professionals, our highly-ranked online programs allow you to advance your career while continuing to work. Our Master of Science in Strategic Marketing equips you with the expertise and credentials needed to excel in brand management and pursue higher-level positions.
5. Obtain Relevant Certifications
Earning certifications can enhance your skills and marketability in brand management. Look for industry-recognised programs that focus on branding, product management, or agile marketing to strengthen your expertise and stand out in the field.
Platforms like Google Digital Garage and HubSpot Academyoffer free, industry-recognised courses that can be valuable additions to your professional credentials. For instance, the HubSpot Content Marketing Certification provides in-depth knowledge beneficial for brand managers. Similarly, Google Digital Garage offers a Fundamentals of Digital Marketing course that covers essential topics in the field.
6. Network Within the Industry
Build relationships with professionals in the marketing and branding sectors. Attend industry events, join professional associations, and engage in online communities to expand your network and stay informed about job opportunities. At EDHEC, participants gain access to an extensive alumni network from day one, offering invaluable connections and insights.
7. Stay Informed About Industry Trends
The marketing landscape is dynamic. Regularly read industry publications, participate in webinars, and take courses to keep abreast of the latest trends, tools, and best practices in brand management.
By following these steps, you can position yourself for a successful career in brand management, equipped with the knowledge and skills to build and sustain strong brands.
Career Progression in Traditional Brand Management
Advancing in brand management comes with its challenges, particularly as roles become scarcer at higher levels like Vice President or CMO. Professionals often face a choice: stay with their current company or seek opportunities elsewhere to climb the ladder.
Another key decision is whether to specialise in a specific industry, such as healthcare or technology, where expertise is highly valued, or remain a generalist for broader opportunities. Both paths offer unique advantages and depend on your passions and career goals.
Brand Manager Jobs
Assistant Brand Manager:
Supports brand initiatives by conducting market research, analysing consumer data, and assisting in the development of marketing strategies.
Brand Manager:
Oversees the development and execution of brand strategies, manages marketing campaigns, and ensures brand consistency across all channels.
Senior Brand Manager:
Leads brand strategy for a portfolio of products, mentors junior team members, and collaborates with cross-functional teams to drive brand growth.
Associate Brand/Marketing Director:
Assists in setting strategic marketing direction, manages brand budgets, and analyses market trends to inform decision-making.
Brand/Marketing Director:
Develops and implements comprehensive marketing plans, oversees brand positioning, and manages relationships with key stakeholders.
Senior Brand/Marketing Director:
Shapes long-term brand vision, leads large-scale marketing initiatives, and ensures alignment with overall business objectives.
Vice President, Marketing:
Sets overarching marketing strategies, manages departmental budgets, and leads teams to achieve corporate marketing goals.
Senior Vice President, Marketing:
Oversees multiple marketing divisions, drives strategic initiatives, and collaborates with executive leadership to align marketing with company vision.
Chief Marketing Officer:
Leads the entire marketing function, defines the company’s marketing strategy, and represents marketing interests at the executive level.
Each role builds upon the previous one, requiring increased strategic insight, leadership capabilities, and a comprehensive understanding of market dynamics.
What Is the Difference Between Brand Managers and Marketers?
Strategy and Execution
Brand managers are responsible for defining and maintaining a brand’s identity. They focus on crafting long-term strategies that align with the company’s values and vision, ensuring consistency across all internal and external touchpoints.
Marketers, on the other hand, are responsible for implementing campaigns and driving engagement. They focus on customer-facing activities like advertising, social media, and events to promote the brand and increase visibility in the market.
How They Work Together
While brand managers define the “why” behind a brand’s identity, marketers focus on the “how,” ensuring the message reaches the target audience effectively. Together, they create a cohesive brand experience that builds trust and loyalty.
Salary and Career Outlook
The need for marketing managers continues to rise, creating excellent opportunities for brand managers. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the demand for advertising, promotions, and marketing managers is expected to grow 8% from 2023 to 2033, a rate faster than the average for all occupations.
Brand Manager Salary in Paris
In Paris, brand managers can expect to earn an average annual salary of around €85,400. Salaries typically range from approximately €39,600 at the lower end to €134,700 for the most experienced professionals in the field. Factors such as industry, company size, and level of experience significantly influence earning potential, making brand management a lucrative career path in France’s competitive job market.
Why Brand Managers Are Important
Brand managers play a critical role in shaping how consumers perceive a product or company. They ensure consistency across all touchpoints, building trust and loyalty among customers. By defining a brand’s unique value proposition and promoting it through targeted marketing, they help businesses stand out in competitive markets.
Effective brand management drives immediate sales and fosters long-term success through brand loyalty and customer retention. Without a strong brand manager, a company risks losing its identity, eroding its reputation, and falling behind competitors in the marketplace.
What Is a Unique Value Proposition (UVP) and Why It’s Important?
A Unique Value Proposition (UVP) is the brand’s “why” statement—the core reason customers should choose it over competitors. It defines the unique benefits a product or service offers and how it solves a customer’s needs in a way no other brand can. By communicating what makes a brand valuable and distinctive, a UVP ensures it stands out in a competitive marketplace.
An effective UVP helps combat brand parity, the perception that competing brands offer similar value. For instance, Nike’s UVP centres on empowering athletes of all levels with innovative products and a motivational brand message, setting it apart from other athletic wear companies.
In brand management, a UVP is essential for shaping strategies, messaging, and customer engagement, providing a consistent framework that keeps the brand relevant and memorable.
How to Create Effective Brand Management Techniques
Effective brand management ensures a strong, cohesive identity that resonates with consumers and builds long-term loyalty. Here are some essential techniques to implement:
Start with Branding Fundamentals:
Establish a clear mission statement, vision, logo, and target audience. These elements form the foundation of a strong brand identity and guide all future branding efforts.
Tell Compelling Stories:
Leverage emotional connections by sharing stories that highlight how your products or services positively impact customers. Storytelling helps humanise the brand and strengthen consumer relationships.
Maintain Consistency Across Channels:
Use tools and software to ensure consistent messaging and visuals across all platforms—social media, websites, print, and more. A unified presence reinforces brand recognition.
Define a Clear Brand Voice:
Develop and maintain a consistent tone and language that reflects the brand’s values. This helps build trust and familiarity, regardless of the medium or channel.
Implement Internal Brand Guidelines:
Align internal teams by creating rules around the use of logos, fonts, colours, and messaging. This ensures brand cohesion and avoids confusion or misrepresentation.
By following these techniques, brand managers can build recognition, foster loyalty, and increase the value of their brand over time.
What is Brand Equity and Why It Matters?
Brand equity refers to the commercial value a brand gains from its reputation and customer perception. It is not about direct monetary value but rather the trust, loyalty, and recognition that influence a consumer’s willingness to choose one brand over another. High brand equity often translates to greater sales, as customers associate the brand with quality, reliability, and a sense of value.
Take Apple as an example. Apple’s brand equity is built on years of delivering high-quality, innovative products and creating a strong emotional connection with its users. This equity allows Apple to command premium pricing and maintain customer loyalty, even in highly competitive markets. Customers associate Apple with cutting-edge design, seamless technology, and exclusivity, making it a preferred choice worldwide.
How to Know If a Career as a Brand Manager Is Right for You
A career as a brand manager can be exciting and rewarding, but it requires a specific combination of interests and skills. Here are some questions to ask yourself to see if this role aligns with your goals and strengths:
- Do you enjoy thinking about marketing strategy at the highest level?
Brand managers focus on overarching strategies that define a brand’s identity and long-term growth. - Are you passionate about storytelling and building strong brand identities?
Brand managers thrive on shaping a brand’s voice and making it resonate with target audiences. - Do you enjoy strategic thinking and long-term planning?
This role requires developing comprehensive brand strategies and aligning them with business objectives. - Are you detail-oriented and organised?
From managing campaigns to ensuring consistent messaging, brand managers need to handle multiple moving parts effectively. - Do you have strong leadership and collaboration skills?
Brand managers work across teams, including marketing, sales, and design, to bring a unified vision to life. - Are you curious and adaptable?
Staying on top of market trends, customer behaviours, and emerging technologies is essential in this ever-changing field.
If these qualities resonate with you, a career in brand management could be an excellent fit.
Pursue an Online MSc in Strategic Marketing to Propel Your Career
EDHEC’s Online MSc in Strategic Marketing equips you with the expertise and tools needed to excel in a brand management career. From mastering marketing strategies and brand positioning to honing analytical and leadership skills, the program offers a comprehensive curriculum tailored to the demands of today’s competitive market. With a focus on practical, real-world applications and cutting-edge insights, this MSc prepares you to lead impactful brand strategies, making it the ideal choice for those aspiring to thrive in roles such as Brand Manager or beyond.
