Marketing Director
Isam Kabbani for Supply & Trade ( IKKfoods)
Total years of experience :21 years, 9 Months
Recruited to develop and manage the marketing functions of IKKFoods, a company within a local conglomerate with an annual turnover of 220 Million SAR (approx. 58.6 Million US$).
Key Responsibilities:
• Marketing Strategy: Developing the marketing strategy for the company and its brands in line with company objectives.
• Marketing Lead:
o Daily Activities -
Managing all activities for marketing department and the marketing team.
Monitor performance of 4 different brands, SKU’s and product categories.
Working closely with design, activation, media and production agencies.
Maintaining effective internal communications to ensure that all relevant company functions are kept informed of marketing objectives.
o Campaign Management -
Coordinating marketing campaigns with sales activities and promotions.
Planning and implementing promotional campaigns.
Manage and improve lead generation campaigns, measuring results wherever possible.
o Budget Management - Overseeing the company’s marketing budget to ensure ROI is met.
o Social Media Management - Developing Digital-Social Media and other print marketing activities.
o Merchandising Management -
Designing, Production and execution of all POSM and activation in trade Channels through merchandising team and agencies.
Planogram creation, implementation and compliance audits across all trade channels.
Managing Merchandising projects through external agencies (Brand Partners) in Key Accounts.
o Contract Negotiation - Negotiate contracts with select wholesalers and retailers in close co-operation with sales teams.
• Brand Management:
o Overall responsibility for brand management and company corporate identity.
o Managing a team of two product brand managers, a graphic designer and a marketing assistant and assigning tasks and assisting in day to day issues.
Achievements:
• Developed new sales vendors and established mutually beneficial relationships.
• Sourced new and high-quality suppliers in different product categories with prices.
• Redesigning of the IKK company logo and Victoria, Al Sawsan, Al Basha brand logos and their brand identities.
• Worked on the brand architecture for the company and its four brands.
• Establishing a Social Media presence from scratch, running campaigns, using influencers and growing reach.
Recruited to manage the marketing functions.
Key Responsibilities:
• Team Structuring & Management:
o Instrumental to setting up the client servicing team and leading new business/client development across KSA, GCC & Egypt.
o Leading active participation in team trainings and project brief discussions.
o Ensure fieldwork quality control measures are put in place and followed.
o Monitoring and ensuring timely project completion and deliveries.
o Overseeing client proposal preparation and ensuring timely submissions to clients.
• Strategy & Planning:
o Preparing the sales plans and setting annual sales targets for individual teams.
o Involved in project budgets preparation process, estimating cost and profitability.
• Market Research & Strategy:
o Providing consultative advice to clients on their business/research needs and designing the required research studies to address them.
o Working with clients in determining the strategic implications of research findings and developing comprehensive marketing plans as a part of ICR ME’s strategic marketing planning services.
Achievements:
• Developed new clients and convincing existing clients to work with a newly established business.
• Training and Managing a new team to achieve sales targets in a relatively short span of time.
Key Responsibilities:
• Strategy, Sales & Planning:
o Responsible for Business planning, Sales implementing strategic & tactical initiatives aimed at enhancing sales, profitability. Devised strategies for client retention plus enhancement of existing clients.
o Developed strategic and in-depth presentations for FMCG clients addressing critical business queries on brand performance, product distribution issues, share decline and category insights.
• Project Management:
o Led and supervised a Client service team responsible for day to day client servicing of 14 plus clients tuning to a total value of 1.5 Million USD.
o Managed client CR projects (Qualitative and Quantitative) from initial stages of establishing quotas and sample sizes, costing, proposal preparation, final analysis and presentation.
o Experienced on U&A, Brand Equity, Pricing and Product Pack test studies for varied clients.
o Handled the Pepsi QC sampling project across Egypt, Saudi Arabia and GCC markets.
o Category Management -
Assisted key clients to optimize their shelf efficiency and reduce out of stock (OOS) situations using retail research and Category management solutions.
Proficient hands on experience in multiple FMCG product categories such as Personal Care, Soft Drinks, Salty Snacks, Dairy Products, Juices, Tea and many others throughout Saudi Arabia and GCC markets.
o Ideation and Development - Worked actively with clients on concept development, NPD, Pack innovations, Promotions.
o Market Research - Derived and delivered actionable insights to clients from conducted research projects and provided necessary consultation on the way forward on identified issues or recommendations.
o Industry Census - Worked on and delivered multiple industry census projects covering KSA and GCC retail environment.
o Research Methodology - Conducted numerous client workshops and presentations on retail and consumer research methodologies.
Achievements:
• Exceeded annual sales targets and accomplished an average 8-10% yearly team sales growth during tenure with the company.
• Signed new clients like OKAM, Tamer, NASHAR, SAUDI PAN-GULF, and ORIENT PTCL.
• Developed and created a new product idea called M.I.C.E to help clients understand cross category insights and identify new opportunity product lines; the idea generated an additional revenue of 200 K USD across KSA and UAE in 2012. The product won second place at the innovation competition at the Nielsen GLM in Florida, USA in Jan 2013.
Key Brands /Clients assisted:
AFIA-Savola Oils, SADAFCO, United Sugar, OKAM, Halwani, NASHAR, Carlsberg, Rabea-AMS Baeshen, PepsiCo, Sunbulah Group, Al Wefag, Tamer, Orient PTCL
Key Responsibilities:
• Worked diligently with marketing teams across several regional and local FMCG manufacturers.
• Provided comprehensive analytical support to clients to help in making marketing/sales related decisions across GCC.
• Worked meticulously on customized Pepsi sampling projects in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, GCC, North Africa and other markets for six years.
• Led a team of Data Analysts from the stage of Client Meetings to the final stage of report and presentations.
• Organized and delivered multiple client workshops and seminars on retail audit methodologies, software’s and data usage.
Achievements:
• Progressive internal growth from an Analyst to Account Manager within a period of 5 years.
• Achieved annual sales targets of $400K and exceeded $1.3 million yearly turnover during tenure.
• Developed client portfolio by signing new clients such as AMS Baeshen, NBCC, SADAFCO, DOLF, KDD, Best foods, TEMA during tenure.
• Played a pivotal role in hiring, training and developing the KSA team members.
Key Brands /Clients assisted:
AFIA-Savola Oils, PepsiCo, United Sugar, Halwani, Carlsberg, Luna-NFIC, Teashop-NBCC, Radwa Food Co Ltd, Rabea-AMS Baeshen, Sunbulah Group, SADAFCO, Nutricia, Nestle, Red Bull, DOLF, Ulker, Unilever, Americana, KDD, Panda, Best Foods, Fine Tissues, TEMA, Alali.
Key Responsibilities:
• Responsible for monthly sales & marketing performance reports and collecting market intelligence, analyzing findings to the Regional GM, Sales and Marketing Teams.
• Identified new business prospects and provided key backend support to the sales team.
• Created and designed all fare calculations for SIA ex-Jeddah with the supervision of SM and GM.
• Designed, created and distributed flyers essential to travel agents and corporates with the assistance of the various stakeholders.
• Successfully promoted SIA through all new product launches and agency updates, seminars, presentations and seasonal holiday package promotions.
Achievements:
• Made responsible for the management of the entire passenger loyalty program and managing its priority club member activities in KSA.
• Designated as the team leader for relief team in case of landing emergencies.
Member of the English debate team. Green House Football Team Green House Table Tennis Team