Marketing Lead
SPAR Retail International
Total years of experience :14 years, 8 Months
Brand, Media, Digital & Customer Experience
After consulting on the overall project, I transitioned into the role of marketing lead for the SPAR Qatar business. While doing this I was also responsible for leading all marketing efforts for the groups other retail and F&B brands as well.
HIGHLIGHTS
•Lead the development and localization of the global SPAR brand identity in Qatar
•Lead a workshop to align leadership team onto one common mission, vision and then translated into goals and action plans for the overall organization in line with brand key for 2018
•Managed the design of all marketing communication material including but not limited to instore, print, radio, PR, events and digital advertising
•Managed an annual marketing budget of over 4 million QAR
•Recommended and built the annual brand calendar which included promotions and advertising opportunities
•Built partnerships with third party delivery apps to ensure higher average basket value with increase in convenience proposition
•Initiated various content partnerships with relevant partner brands like ILoveQatar, Doha Family, Zomato, the Entertainer as well as social influencers in Qatar
•Initiated partnership talks with various start-ups and grocery/ food delivery solutions including Suncart, Carriage, Talabat and Wahab
•Coordination with internal fit out teams, and external vendors to ensure store design is as per brand standard
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
•Hiring, negotiating and day to day management of advertising, digital, PR, event agencies and internal marketing staff
•Leading commercial and operation teams to develop and execute quarterly brand and promo plans
•Implemented a system of instore marketing research to develop insights that lead to higher footfall and brand love
•Pre and post analysis of commercial promos to judge uptake and recommend profitable solutions
•Building partnerships with third party content and logistics providers
•Monitor competition through price surveys, and PR
•Defining and implementing a complete customer experience strategy including IVR, digital, FAQs, staff training
•Negotiation with vendors for trade marketing activities across instore, digital and other media
Al Watanyia International Holdings is a family owned multinational with arms in FMCG distribution, Food production, Food & Beverage Retail, Hypermarkets, Fashion Retail and Logistics. Working for them has given me the opportunity to build my marketing communication portfolio outside of core telecom offerings as well. I am currently leading marketing in the following areas:
•Repositioning of QNIE - Qatar’s second largest food distribution business
•Launch of a new multi outlet international Hypermarket chain - SPAR in Qatar
•Launch of a new multi outlet international Health & Beauty chain - Holland & Barret in Qatar
•Introduction of new multi outlet international F&B concepts in Qatar- Delifrance, PastaMania
•Building up a new marketing department to handle all group marketing needs
This involves:
•Hiring, negotiating, on boarding and day to day management of creative, digital, media and event agencies
•Delivery, execution and monitoring of annual and quarterly marketing plans and budgets with other commercial stakeholders in Qatar as well as principles to ensure complete alignment
•Meeting with and presenting plans and updates to the internal leadership and commercial team, as well as international franchise owners and excellence departments
•Execution, Management and Monitoring of marketing communications materials across multiple which include digital, outdoor, in store, radio etc
•Training and development of internal commercial and front line service staff to ensue brand promise delivery across all experience touch points
Re launched Qatar’s first and only youth brand Vodafone Falla in January 2015
HIGHLIGHTS
•Galvanized and led a team of 20 people across product, pricing, brand, customer care, digital, media, retail, channel, legal to rebuild and re launch the complete youth proposition in Qatar.
•Trained internal staff across on shore and off shore customer service, retail stores, distribution about the new youth brand
•Developed and launched the company’s first youth specific channel incentive across retail and mass market to increase engagement and targeted sales
•Initiated market research through focus groups and in-depth interviews to generate appropriate market sizing, brand and product insights as well as advertising strategy pre testing for youth launch
•Negotiated deals with third party co brand partners like Anghami (music streaming), Foodonclick (food delivery), Cineco (cinemas)
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
•Using the correct analytics, research and direct consumer connects to generate quality insights
•Ensuring the generation of right proposition for the market using the insights.
•Overall health of youth proposition after redesigning the proposition covering end to end priorities including communications, pricing, product, channel, reporting, commercial approval, commissions, launch plan and PR activities.
•Ensuring full socialisation and commercial approval of youth proposition using a crisp USP in a timely manner.
of Segment - Youth
Over delivered growth target and showed tremendous skills; I was promoted from a Brand Manager to the position of Segment Marketing Head - Youth
HIGHLIGHTS
•Led a team to conceive and launch a new youth sub brand that contributed over PKR 1 billion in just 5 months
•Launched the country’s first youth relevant sales promo which contributed over PKR 122 million in under one month
•Developed an alternate channel and customer service strategy that has made Circle the fastest growing brand within its category
•Re launched the co-branding partnership with Manchester united to ensure more focused initiatives resulting in better bottom line and equity building
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
•Managing a team including brand, segment and analytics resources, as well as 8 regional resources
•Delivery, execution and monitoring of annual and quarterly marketing plans with other commercial stakeholders to ensure top and bottom line growth
•Managing regional award winning agencies which included creative, media, activation and digital internal resources as well as external agencies to ensure optimization of spends and delivery on all brand and segment objectives
•Developing brand strategies - consumer segmentation, brand portfolio analysis, Target Audience profiling, Consumer Insight generation, Communication strategy, Communication big idea development, Contact point (media) strategy, Campaign execution (including TVC development)
•Lead and define market research to ensure all category related exercises remain relevant and profitable
•Management and efficient use of budget exceeding PKR 400 million annually
HIGHLIGHTS
•Revamped the brand communication platform by introducing a new brand guidelines document which was implemented across the organization and lead to increase of brand equity scores to place it at the top of the telecom league
•Introduced the concept of consumer connects and TUB to ensure insightful and relevant communication, and brand health tracker for better monitoring of brand equity indicators
•Led a cross functional team including sales, retail, digital, segments, customer services and public relations to launch the five year celebration campaign across the organization - and received a star performer award for this campaign
•Developed brand strategy for the financial services brand “Timepey” and youth brand “Circle”
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
•Development, execution and monitoring of annual brand plans for all brands
•Hiring, training and management of creative, media, activation and digital agencies to deliver on annual brand targets
•Launch of full 360 campaigns which included but was not limited to TV, radio, digital, activation, trade, customer service and organizational communication as well
•Manage market research activities across brands - including consumer connects, market visits, brand health tracker
•Management of Annual budget exceeding PKR 600 million
Part of a team which revamped the brand positioning of Telenor’s youth brand “djuice” through a campaign which one Best Print Ad, and Telecom Advertisement campaign of the year
•Introduced the concept of alternate value proposition which gave the brand the first mover advantage into co-branding with leading brands such as Cinepax, Timex, Hardees, Nike etc.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
•Development, forecasting and delivery of quarterly market and brand plans to improve equity, positive word of mouth and overall brand health measures
•Developed thorough consumer/industry understanding via the DUI process to reach key consumer insights to build into award winning campaigns
•Worked and lead cross functional teams with segments/VAS departments to design & implement various offers that improved and grow business indicators including ARPU, APPM, Churn, net and gross additions and overall bottom line.
•Managed an annual budget exceeding PKR 250 million annually
•Developed brand strategies - consumer segmentation, brand portfolio analysis, Target Audience profiling, Consumer Insight generation, Communication strategy, Communication big idea development, Contact point (media) strategy, Campaign execution (including TVC development)
•Drove insights by using various research tools such as DUI (Data - Understanding - Insight Generation), AMRB Millward Brown - Brand Health tracker (to track brand health on monthly and quarterly basis), Encounters (to judge efficacy of media vehicles to optimize spends), and APPRAIS (to improve relationship with media and advertising agencies)
•To Negotiate and implement CSR and other initiatives to ensure positive word of mouth and brand building
•Led and developed the co brand partner network to ensure brand recall across overall ecosystem of customer life cycle
•Led a team of internal and external stakeholders which included segments, VAS, advertising, media buying, and digital teams to ensure insightful communication across targeted touch points that deliver on objectives within limited budgets.
Project Veet
As part of my graduate internship I was given the job of looking into the past and current trends of the HRC categories and recommend a future growth strategy. The internship project consisted of:
HIGHLIGHTS
•Developed a new visibility strategy for the HRC category in the lower lingerie segment leading to uptake in sales
•Developed a first of its kind tier based retailer promo which increased sales and retailer goodwill
Revamped the brand identity of the Pakistan’s leading prepaid brand “Jazz”
•Launched various thematic campaigns to ensure growth in brand equity
•Launched a unique 1+1 promo that increased overall activity levels as well as improved the bottom line of the segment
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
•Development of annual brand plans along with other commercial stakeholders
•Management of all communication on the brand including creative, media integrations, brand activations and digital advertising and integrations
•Overall lead on brand strategy by using tools like Brand Key, Mind mapping, APPRAIS
Segment
Conducted brand activation “Mobilink mobile fair” in Peshawer which was attended by over 8000 people in just 3 days
•Initiated on ground branding activities to increase awareness in the region
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
•Rollout of all OOH campaign in the North 1 and 2 regions across 20 cities
•Management of on ground events - movie shows, employee hangouts, corporate events, golf events, concerts
•Coordination with regional sales and trade teams for all channel development, branding and visibility drives
•Management of a suite of OOH, activation and sales vendors to ensure efficient rollout as well as delivering post evaluation of activities to management
•Weekly market visits in the region to ensure supply, visibility and retailer knowledge was as per plan
•Coordination with brand team to select most efficient mediums in the region to promote their respective brands
6 months consultancy with FC Barcelona on redefining their future retail business model
(Online) Brand and Business Alignment
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courses: OTHER TRAINING COURSES AND CERTIFICATIONS Fundamentals of Business Strategy January 2016 – February 2016
courses: 2015 Facebook Blueprint – Online training Senior Management Development program 18 Sept 2013 - 1 Oct 2013 China Mobile Management College – Beijing and