The best brands are not successful because of luck. They are successful because they have a talented Brand Manager coordinating all the moving parts that help them reach their customer base. Brand Managers are more than just a title. We are designers. We are listeners. We are creators. We implement campaigns, run reports, analyze your performance, and pivot accordingly based on the new data. We do a lot!
So, you can imagine how sensitive I am when I see the Brand Manager title assigned to job descriptions that don’t reflect the full scope of responsibilities. These other "Brand Managers" only create a strategy for your business. They run a brand analysis to see where your company fits into a certain market, then direct you, the business owner, on how to apply this strategy. This strategy-only approach drives me crazy.
Would you hire a Brand Manager that only did one part of the job?
Your answer should be NO.
Would you be satisfied if a Brand Manager or Brand Strategist took the copy you provided and remixed it into a nice pretty CANVA document and handed it back?
Again. Your answer should be NO. That isn't going to get you where you need to go.
This is how it should work . . .
In marketing, brand management begins with a brand analysis. This step helps brands understand how they are perceived versus how they should be perceived in the market. Then a plan is created to help the brand achieve its new objectives and goals and reach its target market. The brand management team designs a plan for implementation. When a brand is properly managed by a skilled Brand Manager, your company doesn’t have to stress that you won't have what you need to GO LIVE.
So when would you hire a qualified Brand Manager? When you need visual tools and direction on how to use those visual tools to market and get Infront of your target audience.
Your Brand Manager should have an Associate's or Bachelor’s degree in marketing, public relations, graphic design, or a related field. They should be able to identify a brand’s target audience, provide visual direction, engage your audience with essential messaging, and move forward with a brand strategy for marketing. More importantly, they should have a ton of new ideas, a proven track record or a portfolio that showcases their success with other clients. Real results – Not just fluff and the title!
Branding is worth the investment. You and your business should enjoy all benefits of brand management – not just the strategy part. Graphics is the visual fun part so let's start there.