Brand and Product Management

Careers in Marketing - Brand and Product Management

Brand/Product Management entails stewarding the health of the brand, including overseeing all aspects of marketing related to the brand, developing, launching, maintaining, and increasing the perceived value of a product or service, and ensuring that all branding decisions ultimately result in more robust sales and financial health of the brand. It includes developing a brand and improving consumers’ brand perceptions by increasing key funnel metrics and enhancing positive brand associations in order to drive brand performance measured by metrics such as market share and sales. Strategic brand management can help companies improve brand recognition and market share, boost revenue, and achieve long- term business goals. The roles closely relate to the Marketing Strategy and Management domain. Product Management entails planning and developing new products and launching them. Products may be physical or digital, user experiences (UX), user interfaces (UI), or services.

  • Brand Manager/Senior Brand Manager

    A Brand Manager/Senior Brand Manager develops brand and marketing plans, strategies, and budgets that ensure the overall health of global or regional brands. They leverage research to identify growth opportunities and devise short-term and long- term plans for the brand, including developing an annual brand plan that highlights budgets, market share goals and other KPIs, planned marketing strategy activities, and any new products and line extensions. Brand managers often lead a cross-functional team and coach the Assistant and Associate Brand Managers. They are responsible for the day-to-day management of the brand with internal stakeholders and external partners. (MBA, 7+ yrs. Exp.)

    Assistant Brand Manager

    An Assistant Brand Manager supports senior managers on cross- functional initiatives and tasks that align with brand priorities. They manage budgets and timelines to drive the execution of brand plans, ensuring that all financial and timing milestones are achieved. They also track the brand’s market share and financial performance and assist in preparing reports and presentations for senior management. (BA/BS, MBA/MS, 4+ yrs. Exp.)

    Junior Brand Manager/Specialist

    A Junior Brand Manager/Specialist develops marketing plans and tracks a brand’s performance. They assist cross-functional teams in designing and implementing activities within a budget and timeline that align with brand priorities, optimize sales, and build ties with internal stakeholders and external partners. They work with the data analytics teams to generate actionable insights and prepare periodic performance reports. (BA/BS, MBA/MS, 2+ yrs. Exp.)

  • Chief Product Development Officer

    A Chief Product Development Officer devises, leads, and manages strategies for developing new products that serve short-term and long-term market needs. They are attentive to the latest trends inside and outside their industry to envision future changes that would affect the market and the industry. Their strategic vision leads the development of new product pipelines and the identification of strategic acquisitions or divestitures that enhance and grow the firm’s financial performance and market share in the long term. They articulate a vision for the products and conduct briefings with senior executives regarding ongoing operations and strategic initiatives that align with the company’s goals. (MBA/MS, 10+ yrs. Exp.)

    Product Manager/Product Design Manager

    A Product Manager leads the product development lifecycle including ideation and research, requirement gathering, design, development, testing, and launch of new products. They work closely with other departments, such as R&D, product planning, and product marketing, to determine customer needs and wants through a customer-centric approach, and design customer experiences, conduct competitive analysis, and evaluate market demand and competition. They establish metrics and KPIs to measure and track performances against goals, and iterate product features and enhancements based on data-driven insights. They work with market research and customer service teams to gain customer feedback and update the product roadmap. (MBA/MS, 6+ yrs. Exp.)

    Product Marketing Manager

    Product Marketing Managers are responsible for positioning the product and developing marketing plans, including pricing, communications, distribution channels, and promotions. They oversee marketing collaterals—websites, brochures, catalogs, advertisements, etc.—and develop and manage campaigns. These managers collaborate with Product Managers to ensure alignment, and work with market research teams to better understand customers, competitors, and market trends. They design and implement strategies and tactics to market the product to existing and prospective customers, and support sales teams by ensuring that they have the necessary knowledge and tools. (BA/BS, MBA/MS, 5+ yrs. Exp.)

    Product Analyst/Specialist

    A Product Analyst uses market research, analyzes trends and competitors within a category, performs product demos to peers and customers, gathers feedback, and offers recommendations to the product development team. They collaborate in developing business plans, launching new products, and estimating product release costs. Product Analysts and Specialists differ as a Product Analyst primarily focuses on product performance measures and metrics. In contrast, Specialists often serve as product experts, focusing on product features, benefits, and use cases. (BA/BS, 2+ yrs. Exp.)

    Product Development Coordinator/Assistant

    A Product Development Coordinator communicates with the production, design, and development teams to assist with new projects, timelines, and administrative tasks. They may research prices or packaging options, gather information, establish timelines, track projects, and test new concepts. (Certification, AA, BA/BS, 0-3 yrs. Exp.)