Being passionately curious, Annette’s consultative approach to understanding core requirements sparks innovative ways to drive success!
You poor brand manager. Nobody listens to you.
If the strategist, supplier or the marketing director really sat down and listened to the brand manager, they would get all the information they needed. A brand manager has a wealth of information to share. They understand what’s happening on the ground and have the feedback from sales who are dealing with customers and retailers directly. They handle the complaints and know their product intimately. This feedback is vital to grow the brand, but often ignored by the rest of the business who are part of making brand decisions.
Brand managers know what will work and what will not work. The problem is you struggle to express yourself within a plethora of conflicting messages both from the supplier and within your own company.
In your mind the consumer will notice your brand by seeing it full screen, in action, and brought to life, when in reality finance will only pay for a flyer.
South Africa is not a first world country, but we think like one. Somehow, the brand manager is required to execute extraordinarily ambitious projects with an infrastructure and a budget that struggles to support it.
The deadline doesn't change... and that means pressure to get it right first-time is enormous. The problem: the quality you want is double the price.
An event is building up, you think you have all the facts, but if something goes wrong, the brand manager cannot execute because it wasn't right the first time.
But you find a way! Because you're a brand manager that's what you do.
For 20 years I have been in the activation and events industry. I have worked for brands like Heineken, Mercedes-Benz, KWV, Liberty, Spur, Rhodes Food, Swartland, and Robertson Winery. I have worked on events such as the ABSA Cape Epic, Stellenbosch Wine Festival, WRX, and The Challenge (an international triathlon event). I have amazing relationships with brand managers, and understand what brands need to create high profile visibility and impactful consumer engagement.
Each brand has its own set of challenges and needs when it comes to selling the product.
Unless the brand manager has been consulted, the real requirements to market the product or service effectively aren't really known.
As a brand manager, you need to partner with suppliers who are fully engaged in your brand. You need to feel safe to know they understand your brand and are able to take the journey with you. And most importantly, they must have the time to engage and advise on suited solutions.
Now more than ever you have to navigate an ever-changing environment. More is being done over various platforms, which places demands on everyone involved in growing the brand. With so much to be done, time is an issue.
Fast-paced is the new norm, sometimes leaving critical information not shared or questions not asked.
There needs to be communication along every point in the supply chain. Your suppliers need to be transparent and keep you posted every step of the way.
Social media constantly drives the latest innovation to your doorstep, and we are constantly aware of the success of other brands.
Staying ahead and relevant is key to the survival of any brand. Even Coca Cola will agree!
Smaller brands fighting for a share of the market are often expected to offer something different or better than the rest, but without having the budget and resources available to large, international brands.
Hard deadlines are often set as part of the marketing strategy plan when products are launched into the market or upgraded. But external challenges such as availability of stock, late shipments or poor branding execution may prohibit a brand manager from delivering in time.
Hitting deadlines is always a stress for brand managers, but often a supplier will inform you at the last minute that something can't be delivered.
Suppliers need to have exhausted every option available to ensure you make your deadline, and keep you posted every step of the way.
Ah, the age-old fight – marketing versus finance!
Many companies set quarterly or annual marketing budgets, and this is often the first category cut when companies are struggling. Yet the expectation is that you will create the most powerful marketing executions on a shoestring budget. Managing expectations about the quality that can be delivered against the budget is essential.