The Brand Director is taking on a plate-full of assignments, from creative communications, marketing strategies, advertising and customer experience – changing the way you do business form the boardroom to the production line.Reinvention of an old tradeYou might think this position is new; it’s not. 1930s brought in a lot of marketing innovations, including a new perspective of brands and how they’re managed:In addition to having a person in charge of each brand, there should be a substantial team of people devoted to thinking about every aspect of marketing it. This dedicated group should attend to one brand and it alone.- Neil H. McElroy (The McElroy Memo – Procter & Gamble)This created a Brand Management department that found success in managing product-lines in brand-houses such as P&G.But it’s not the ’30s any more, times have changed and so did the marketing landscape. Throughout the years new positions have opened, from creative directors, marketing directors, social-media directors to all sorts of other directors in between. So, who directs the directors?The missing linkBrand Director is primarily an in-hose position that maintains the specifics of brand value, position and persona among hired advertising firms, marketing specialists, copywriters… etc.Creeping down from the heights of global firms, this position will soon be filled in medium-sized businesses near you. As these companies have already embraced marketing as part of their business strategy, the next logical step is brand awareness/expansion.Brand Director in not just another pawn in the managerial hierarchy. This individual reports to the top, the executives: the particular group of leaders who understand brand concepts the least.Why is this individual an assetIn essence, brand management is a decision-making mechanism. Based on market intelligence, the Brand Director executes marketing initiatives that ultimately benefit the brand.Brand Director’s responsibilities are no less spectacular then their qualifications:
Understand all aspects of organizations: markets, customers and business model.
Execute brand-centric strategy in conjunction with marketing strategy
Business, product or service market positioning.
Creative in visual communications as well as contend development
Cross-media advertising competency
Media buying and negotiations
Creating and managing diversified team
Research trends and related market shifts
Leverage social media for brand expansion
Sell concepts to both executives and management
Market research to assess brand perception
With University education and at least 5 years of agency or in-house experience.The issueBrand departments, investor communications and marketing departments, if occupying same space, will run in to conflicts. All these departments believe they’re the mouth-piece of the company. Same issue comes down between marketing and brand directors – turf war is emanate.An long-term investmentWith a hefty price tag (between $75-100K/year), a brand director will ultimately change the way marketing departments operate and engage prospects. Even with a short stints (such as a consultant), this individual has the power to alter the projection of a business and re-define its market space. This is a substantial power transfer form the top-floor executives, to more results-oriented position that brand directors occupy.