Senior Brand Manager
RB pharmaceuticals
Total years of experience :18 years, 6 Months
Key Duties and Responsibilities:
• Develop an in-depth understanding of competitors’ strengths and weaknesses. Be acutely aware of their activities in the marketplace at any given time.
• Act as the “Managing Director” of the brand. Take passionate ownership of every aspect of the brand’s performance - sales, cost of goods, gross profit, BMI spending, product quality, presentation, stock availability, etc.
• Have an in-depth understanding of the Brand Strategy, and be the major architect of the evolution of the strategy over time. Ensure that the Brand Strategy document is reviewed annually (usually in September), with relevant members of senior management present at the review. Any changes agreed at the review meeting must be recorded in an updated Brand Strategy document, using the standard company approved format, and properly communicated to the relevant parties.
• Following the annual review of the Brand Strategy, the brand plan for the following calendar year must be prepared, and presented to senior management. Once management has approved the Brand Plan in principle, it forms the preliminary basis of the brand’s financial budget for the following calendar year.
• Responsible for conceptualizing, motivating and managing the introduction of new products, line extensions, and product improvements. The standard NPL process must be followed in this regard.
• Regular monitoring of sales, average selling prices, GP and BMI expenses versus budget, trade visits, customer liaison, sales force briefings, attendance at forecasting meetings, interaction with advertising agencies, promotional agencies and research suppliers, checking of invoices, liaison with other departments on a wide range of issues pertinent to the brand, etc.
• Corrective Action: In the event of adverse deviations from budget, the Brand Manager must ensure that timeous action is taken by the relevant parties to bring performance back on track. This could require action by one or more of the following departments: Sales, Forecasting, R&D, Purchasing, Manufacturing, Finance, Logistics, advertising agency, promotions agencies, research suppliers, etc. In so doing, the Brand Manager will need to interact effectively with other departments and exert strong influence even though he / she does not have formal line authority. This will require strong interpersonal and persuasive skills.
Achievements:
• Brand Strategy and Brand Plan development for entire portfolio completed
• Brand Spend planning
• Competitor analysis
• Forecasting monthly; monitoring of sales and stock/service levels, etc.
• Successful launch of a product development team including purchasing, procurement, planning/production, quality, R&D, etc in order to ensure successful tracking to launch on all new products
• Successful re-launch of a KVI brand within the portfolio, when stock was not being produced for a number of months prior to my joining the company, due to packaging supply issues
• Key interface between SBU head and agency in the product development phase
• Key stages during product innovation completed:
- Brand determination (offering to a particular gap in the market)
- Naming conventions (brand name development including logo, trade-marking, sub-brand names, etc)
- Product development, i.e. individual product identity once product i.t.o. formulation etc. confirmed
- Packaging development: supplier selection, packaging materials, artwork, etc.
- Launch strategy
• Compliance with ISO standards at every step in the process
• Successful planning and implementing of launch for specific brand, with target to turn it into a Masstige brand from where it currently is positioned as a mass market brand
• Increase in sales (YOY) by 59%. Gross Margin improvement by 1 percentage point over the year
• Successful re-launch of brand within the market, with 6 new line extensions, and a whole additional range under the same brand
General Admin Manager: Marketing, Finance & Human Resources Accomplishments:
• Launching of a website to acquire new business from online searches - increase in sales from online enquiries by 87% YOY (2013)
• Working with online advertising suppliers in order to ensure that the company has a good online presence
• Developing new signage for the business
• Developing new material for Sales Reps to use when calling on customers
• Working on ATL campaigns, specifically for Radio Islam and ITV (DSTV)
• Developed a complete sales system where none previously existed.
• Implemented new sales and accounting software to move a manual, paper-based company to a digitally run company within a year. Moved all paper records to the new system!
• Developed a complete managerial outline for continued growth and success of the departments
• Developed a new system for managing inventory, ensuring that stock numbers and levels are correctly reflected on the system at all times
• Making sure new costings are completed for all new stock received, and correct costs are reflected, with adjustments in selling prices (if needed)
• Ensuring that the best FX rate is received for payments of all overseas orders
• Making sure that any and all expenses have been procured with the best possible rate, thereby cutting running costs of the business
• Ensuring the smooth running of the manufacturing department, through the implementation of a manufacturing software component, in order for all orders to be delivered on time
• Securing new business by applying for BBBEE Accreditation - the company is now certified to be a level 3 contributor!
• Constant check on all outstanding accounts, and liaising with lawyers in the event of default on payment
• Implementation of a switchboard + VOIP to decrease telephone costs - decline in costs by 42%
• Applying for income tax certificates for all employees
• Ensuring all employees are registered for UIF
• Ensuring all employees are on a Retirement Annuity scheme
• Ensuring that the working conditions of all employees are in accordance with the guidelines issued by the Labour Department
• Payment of salaries and wages timeously
• Payment of RA deductions over to RA host
• Recruitment of new personnel - searching for candidates, conducting interviews, etc
• Employing 6 new personnel within the last 2 years in order to help the business cope with the expansion it has experienced
1) Junior Brand Manager - Home Care Brands
• Managing the smaller brands Ajax and Bingo, incl. financials for the brands
• Managing the budgets
• Running team meetings
• Assisting the brand manager
• Attending focus groups for a new product to be launched
• Launching new promotions to the commercial team
• Taking over certain activities in new product launches
2) Business Development Manager - Shoprite/Checkers
• Complete & ongoing analysis of the company's brands within the Shoprite/Checkers group
• Analysis by store-type/region, determining the different brands which needed to be targeted per store-type
• Analysis by region as well
• part of "shopper" task force, working with the marketing team from Shoprite/Checkers, in order to drive our categories within the group
• Completed quarterly reviews in order to present to the Shoprite/Checkers group
• Completed bi-annual and Annual reviews in order to present to the Colgate-Palmolive GLOBAL team
• Reviewed the effectiveness of in-store media as well as broadsheet advertising, adjusting spend accordingly in order to get the best "bang-for-buck"
• Analysing the effect of broadsheet advertising on different brands, within different regions
• Ad-hoc analyses as requested by team members for different meetings
3) Brand Manager - Oral Care, Colgate Toothbrushes
• Achieved market share growth in assigned function, drove sales on brushes to beat competition
• Working with global teams in order to develop or tweak new products for successful launch into the South African market
• Working with the extended global team in order to get new products approved to be launched into the South African market
• Developed a complete brand strategy, incorporating new product launches, including launch activity, into the mix, making use of both consumer and shopper insights in order to drive the brand.
• Co-ordinating the launch programme to external customers as well as employees.
• Worked on a bottom-end penetration as well as consumption program, to drive the brand within the lower-LSM market
• Managed a complete marketing budget for the year, ensuring that the budget was utilised effectively in order to receive an increased budget YOY
• Managed financials for the brand, always ensuring that the most was done to increase profitability margins of the brand
• Developed review presentations, to report on the brand to the GLOBAL team
• Developed launch as well as progress presentations in order to present the brand to the extended team
• Developed briefing presentations in order to brief an ad agency to develop a launch/promotional campaign
• Working closely with ATL as well as BTL agencies, allowing the brand equity to be leveraged across all channels
• Headed up various project teams, delegating effectively, and motivating the team continuously
• Attending monthly cross-functional team meetings (including supply chain) in order to determine fluctuations in brand P&L's, and make decisions if necessary
• Researching consumer markets, monitoring market trends and identifying potential areas in which to invest, based upon consumer needs and spending habits
• Translating consumer and shopper insights into successful brand campaigns
• Overseeing the production of newspaper and magazine advertisements, websites, exhibition stands, road shows and liaising with art designers, copywriters, media buyers and printers
• Working with the divisional team (NYC) in order to develop and finalise TV advertisements
• Looking at the pricing of products and analysing the potential profitability
• Supervising the sign off of marketing literature and campaigns, liaising with legal and compliance personnel, ensuring the designs and messages meet the company brand and regulatory guidelines
• Monitoring product distribution and consumer reactions through focus groups and market research
• Analysing the market for potential gaps in order to launch new products into the market
1) OTC Healthcare
• Launched New Product (Strepsils 2's)
• Developed POS Material
• Taxi Branding Campaign
• Road-show Campaign
• In-store Promoter Campaign
• Cash Van Distribution Campaign
• Briefed Agencies
• Ran Agency Meetings
• Dealt with Regulatory
2) Trade Marketing
• Analysis of Promotional Activities
• Recommendation to the Business
• Analysis of Trade Spend
• NPD Tracker Development
• Pricing Survey
3) Home Care
• Ran Product Training Session
• Ran Project Team Meetings
• Presented to Management Team
• Presented NPD to Sales & Operations Team
• Ran own NPD Project from start to launch Feb '07
• Ran In-store Promoter Feedback Session
• Managed Brand While Brand Manager was away
• Learned and completed the P&L
• Developed an Artwork Tracking Schedule
• Handled Registration with the Department of Agriculture
• Marketing Invoicing (JDE)
4) Key Accounts (Pick 'n Pay)
• Developed Tracking System (Sales vs. Target (PnP))
• Development of Trade Spend Monitor (PnP)
• Tripled turnover in secondary store taken on by owner for the holiday period (YOY)
• Suggested the owner partner with many new housing developers in order to increase the distribution of his products (Being curtaining, sheeting, etc)
GRADUATED, BCOM TRIPLE MAJOR (MARKETING, FINANCE, INFORMATION SYSTEMS) ACHIEVEMENTS: - ORGANIZATION OF NUMEROUS SPORTING EVENTS. - ASSISTED IN THE ORGANIZATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF FOODSTUFFS FOR THE NEEDY. - MEMBER OF THE MSA, A STUDENTS’ ORGANIZATION ON CAMPUS. - BUSINESS INFORMATION SYSTEMS TUTOR AT WITS. - THIRD PLACE FOR INFORMATION SYSTEMS COMPUTER PROGRAMME 2003
MATRICULATION WITH EXEMPTION (TOP 3 IN SCHOOL) ACHIEVEMENTS: - MEMBER OF THE SRC, - SCHOOL DEBATING COMMITTEE, - SCHOOL NETBALL TEAM, - NUMEROUS SPEECH CONTESTS, QUIZZES, AND SCIENCE-FAIR AWARDS. - PARTICIPANT IN VARIOUS OLYMPIADS