Product Manager | Ceramics, Fittings, Bathing, Wellness and Furniture
Ideal Standard MENA
Total years of experience :17 years, 6 Months
• Understanding Markets
o Develop Key insights and drive market strategy for the assigned categories as part of key responsibility.
o Analyze market trends, understand consumer requirements, anticipate threats and recommend response to competitive activity.
• Category Strategy & Plans
o Develop and manage Category strategy plans to define market needs and drive sales and margin growth
o Create competitive and sustainable pricing strategies along with Sales so as to have a market based approach.
• Marketing /Category Roadmap:
o Develop and execute the short term (1year - Launch calendar and product plans) and long term (3years) NPD roadmap to share realistic future plans with the teams.
o Build the yearly marketing roadmap. Support and monitor the product development process
o Cooperate with the Central Product Team on any product matters.
• Portfolio Management
o Manage existing products, life cycle management, and packaging.
o Apply brand guidelines for communication, packaging, etc.
o Drive sales and profit growth of the assigned portfolio in the MEA region
o Develop and execute a plan for portfolio maintenance (i.e. SKU rationalization) on a regular basis.
• Analysis:
o Monitor sales & Margins performances by product range and by country and identify sales opportunities or threats.
o Establish metrics to ensure effectiveness of category plans and implement corrective measure when needed.
o Manage Product category to budget - P&L approach
• Brand Activation:
o Develop regional launch pack (i.e.: Selling story, goodies, brochure, catalogue, video, catman or merchandising concepts with POS, Press pack, regional communication campaign…), drive and supervise roll-out in the region.
o Train and communicate with the local teams on core features of the products to highlight strategic advantages towards competitors.
• Product Marketing
o Develop and execute the brand marketing strategy and business plans for B2B/ B2C/ B2G in developed and emerging markets. Thorough implementation of principal guidelines, ensuring that all the respective brands within the company apply and adhere to the guidelines across all managed marketing activities.
o Formulate and implement strategic ATL/ BTL marketing campaigns, customer loyalty programs, Trade marketing campaigns, investor relations campaigns & public relations. Deal with Creative & PR agencies. Administered budget of up to 27 Million AED
• Product Management
o Monitor retail channel (both local and export markets) product portfolio and developed annual product strategy for 'Margin’ which included plans to improve product pricing and increase field engagement. Product portfolio of over 10000 SKU’s
o Periodically analyze consumer insights, marketing results & report performance vs. target goals. Gather product feedback & market testing for the innovation and development of next gen product.
o Once launched, supervise product life cycle and maintain its competitive position, support sales and manage communication for changes and replacement plans.
o Accelerated growth of mature product portfolio from 3% to 11% yearly.
• Trade Marketing
o Channel management, strategic planning and implementation of product launch event, exhibitions, showroom merchandising and effective marketing collateral.
o Conceptualize, plan and execute trade fairs, tradeshows, local and international events.
o Launched 6 company owned showrooms & 26 trader stores.
• Digital Marketing
o Supervise online reputation management through development & maintenance of websites (11 group websites), social media and other digital platforms like mobile apps, engagement softwares etc.
o Developed strategic digital content and implemented SEO Google to improve online hit rate by 240% & increased mobile engagement by 26%.
• Market Research
o Design and commission various competition and market researches to produce data that is used to set product direction and to develop profitability strategies on the basis of sales, CRM, PP, ASP and stock analysis.
• CSR & Training
o Plan & execute the CSR Calendar to meet organizational objectives. Produced G4 report.
o Provided training and support to field sales, internal sales & distribution channels.
• Responsible for Pan India marketing, branding and promotional Activities
• Planning and execution of strategic ATL / BTL campaigns, visual merchandising, corporate communications and Public Relations for all associated brands. Online Reputation Management (Website, Web-marketing, social media, SEO etc)
• Agency management: Coordination with Media Agencies and Creative agencies. Development of Sales Support collaterals like Brochures, Catalogues, Jingles, Films etc
• Product Launch events, Exhibitions, CSR activities, Dealer's meet, Architect's meet etc.
• Market research, budgeting, competitive analysis, product portfolio management, strategic marketing, event planning, public relations, merchandising and launch done for new brands viz Kludi RAK, JOOP Homes, ESPRIT Homes and Elegance Ceramics
• Closely worked on many projects with renowned publications like society interiors, home trends, better interiors, good homes, casaviva, inside outside, Elle décor, CW interiors, construction world, living etc, ideal homes, home décor and gardens, architects and interiors India etc
• Heavy buying and planning of media with hundreds of publications and channels across India. Administered budget of 5 million USD
• Agency management: Coordination with Media Agencies, public relation agencies and Creative agencies. Development of Sales Support collaterals like Brochures, Catalogues, Jingles, Films etc
• Execution of New Product launches, Trade Fairs, events & exhibitions and loyalty programs for Pan India Franchise Network
• Solely responsible for budgeting, planning and buying of all the print publications for SOTC and Kuoni travels
• Responsible for group company Corporate Communication, internal and website management and publication of in-house magazine.
• Media management, contract management, negotiations and needs assessment done with publications like Time of India, Hindustan times, Malyala manorama, Dainik Bhaskar, Dainik jagran, patrika, Traveller, Food and travel, lonely planet, Elle etc
MBA Projects: online brand building importance of instore branding ingredient branding
* Selected College Representative * First prize in Inter-college Script writing Competition * Successfully organised various events and seminars * Was part of founding team of SBC Voice newsletter School of Broadcasting and Communication, Mumbai. Master's in Mass Communication. participated in many TV shows, anchoring, articles in newspapers, internship at advertising agency, broadcast journalism, copy writing