Marketing Manager: Brand

Are you a creative thinker with a passion for building and elevating brands?

We’re seeking a dynamic Marketing Manager to join our team and lead our Brand initiatives. If you are a resilient, efficient, and confident individual with a creative flair, this could be the role for you

As the Marketing Manager: Brand at Ackermans, you will be instrumental in shaping and enhancing the brand's identity and perception across South Africa. You will lead the development and execution of the brand strategy, ensuring alignment with business objectives and driving awareness, engagement, and loyalty among our target audience. In addition to overseeing content development and studio management, you will manage sponsorships, events, and influencer partnerships, as well as agency relationships and third-party providers.

**KEY RESPONSIBILITIES**:

- **Brand Strategy Development**: Lead the development of a comprehensive brand strategy aligned with the company's objectives, ensuring consistency and relevance across all touchpoints.
- **Content Development and Studio Management**: Oversee the development of content for all marketing collateral, including the website, social media channels, direct marketing materials, in-store point of sale and e-commerce platforms. Manage the content team, design team, and photography studio team to ensure high-quality, on-brand content creation.
- **PR, Sponsorships and Events**: You will play a pivotal role in managing Ackermans' public relations efforts. This includes developing and implementing PR strategies to enhance the brand's reputation, manage crisis communication, and cultivate positive relationships with media outlets and key stakeholders. You will work closely with PR partners and team to identify media opportunities, coordinate press releases and media interviews, and monitor media coverage to ensure accurate and favorable representation of the brand. By effectively leveraging PR initiatives, you will contribute to building trust and credibility for Ackermans among consumers and industry stakeholders. You will also identify and evaluate potential sponsorship opportunities and events that align with Ackermans' brand values and objectives. Negotiate and manage sponsorships and event partnerships to maximize brand exposure and engagement.
- **Influencer Management**: Develop and implement influencer marketing strategies to amplify brand messaging and reach new audiences. Identify and cultivate relationships with influencers and brand ambassadors, managing campaigns and partnerships to drive brand advocacy and awareness.
- **Agency Management**: Oversee relationships with external agencies and third-party providers, including advertising agencies, PR firms, and marketing agencies. Provide strategic direction and guidance to agencies, ensuring that their work aligns with brand objectives and delivers measurable results.
- **Trend Analysis**: Conduct trend research through Pepkor resources and analysis to understand consumer trends, competitor activities, and market dynamics. Use insights to refine brand strategies and identify opportunities for growth and differentiation.
- **Integrated Marketing Communication**: Develop and implement integrated marketing communication plans to drive brand awareness and engagement across various channels, leveraging sponsorships, events, and influencer partnerships effectively.
- **Performance Monitoring**: Establish KPIs to measure the effectiveness of brand initiatives and campaigns, monitoring performance metrics regularly and optimizing strategies based on data-driven insights.
- **Cross-Functional Collaboration**: Collaborate closely with internal teams, including marketing, merchandising, retail operations, and customer service, to ensure alignment and consistency in brand execution.
- **Budget Management**: Develop and manage the brand budget effectively, allocating resources to initiatives that deliver the highest ROI and impact on brand equity and perception.

**JOB RELATED KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS REQUIRED**

**Knowledge**:

- Understanding of brand positioning, differentiation, and competitive analysis to develop effective brand strategies that align with the target audience and support business objectives.
- Knowledge of marketing principles and concepts, consumer behaviour, market segmentation, and marketing research methods.
- Understanding of consumer psychology and behaviour to anticipate and respond to evolving consumer preferences, motivations, and trends.
- Awareness of industry trends, market dynamics, and competitive landscape to identify opportunities for the brand.
- Deep understanding of brand identity elements (such as brand values, personality, voice, and visual identity) and brand architecture to maintain brand consistency and coherence.
- Knowledge of effective communication strategies and messaging techniques to convey the brand's story, values, and value proposition across various channels and touchpoints.
- Awareness o