Brand Manager

**Overview**
- Responsible for ground level execution of strategic transformation initiatives and outcomes for the brand
- Execute brand strategy through rigorous planning and monitoring of marketing activities - to drive sales and share growth in line with overall corporate strategy and ambition

**Responsibilities**
- Execute launch of new categories across oats & sweet-baked including positioning in the anchor demand spaces, product attribute enhancement, flavour range selection, innovation pipeline, capability strengthening, delivery of impact & stakeholder management
- Work closely with the Brand Manager ensuring regular updates, escalations & de-bottlenecking in-line with overall governance structure as defined by the organization
- Lead cross-functional projects for new categories, liaising with internal stakeholders (Sales, Marketing, R&D and Mfg.) to drive initiatives across product attribute enhancement, flavor range optimization, innovation launch pipeline, marketing planning & commercialization
- Perform regular follow-ups with distributors to track sales progress & flag gaps
- Actively track financial performance of the brand and highlight risks/ gaps to the leadership
- Conduct robust cost benefit analysis for each initiative under new categories to ensure overall economics are in line with organization objectives & are not profit dilutive
- Support in insight development, performance tracking and identifying opportunities for growth of the portfolio through exciting adjacencies & product extensions
- Assist in the development & execution of annual brand and communication plan to deliver targets, in-line with brand codes of new categories
- Proactively manage brand’s A&M budget to ensure sufficient campaign funding with keen view of overall brand budget
- Work closely with the sales team on account specific and national on-pack promotions and activations - Translate local knowledge to engaging activations, to drive awareness & local adoption (ad copies, POSM, packaging)
- Act as a “guardian of the brand” ensuring all local executions are in-line with PepsiCo standards
- Work with agencies for product research, activations & promotion plans
- Extensively work with agencies to identify & onboard relevant brand ambassadors
- Manage approval process (packaging, promotion) with agencies, suppliers & govt authorities
- Lead on ground analysis of consumer behaviour, market trends & competitor activity to identify potential growth opportunities
- Drive innovation agenda for brand portfolio, lift & shift opportunities, product enhancement & flavor range optimization initiatives in collaboration with insights, research and production teams
- Align field operations to marketing calendar & provide support
- Monitor & report on industry / category best practices - through competitor benchmarking
- Develop & communicate channel specific initiatives with GTM team & salesforce, with focus on driving rapid growth; collaborate & support them throughout execution
- Work closely with DX function for execution of trade / consumer offers customized with a channel-tailored agenda

**Qualifications**

**Experience/Education**
- Graduate/Post-graduate from premiere institutes preferably related to Business
- 5-8 years of experience
- Prior FMCG brand marketing experience

**Competencies**

**Brand building & activations**
- Led new brand/sub-brand launch hands-on
- Created & executed comprehensive brand plans & granular marketing activity calendars
- Managed BTL activities like pack design, PR, digital & shopper

**Stakeholder management**
- Strong cross-functional collaborator
- Exposure to internal commercials, financial acumen including brand P&L awareness

**Project management**
- Strong project management skills and ability to drive multiple projects through business stage-gate process
- Experience of 3rd party agency mgmt.

**Championing transformation**
- Leverage data and research to form great ideas and recommendations
- Operate in a fast-paced environment and deliver results
- Strong track record of championing new ideas & brands