Brand Managers, what exactly do they do?

[n(n)]

Could someone perhaps give some examples of what a brand manager does in the fashion industry, or what brand managing in general entails?

 

[csmboy]

they run the operational side of a brands collection development.....They generally source fabrics, trimmings, fastenings, linings etc etc basically everything that goes into the manufacturing of a garment. They oversee the whole of the collection, from initial toiles to the final samples. Also depending on the structure of the company, could be involved also in the final production of the collection for the stores - but generally there is a separate production manager for this.

In basic terms they are the middle person between the designer and the manufacturer, they should do within reason everything the designer requires, but generally has a budget to work to.

 

[n(n)]

they run the operational side of a brands collection development.....They generally source fabrics, trimmings, fastenings, linings etc etc basically everything that goes into the manufacturing of a garment. They oversee the whole of the collection, from initial toiles to the final samples. Also depending on the structure of the company, could be involved also in the final production of the collection for the stores - but generally there is a separate production manager for this.

In basic terms they are the middle person between the designer and the manufacturer, they should do within reason everything the designer requires, but generally has a budget to work to.

Really? I thought they were involved in creating concepts and trying to convey a certain image to the public.

 

[BetteT]

And yet.... here's what it says in Wikipedia:

Brand management is the application of marketing techniques to a specific product, product line, or brand. It seeks to increase the product's perceived value to the customer and thereby increase brand franchise and brand equity.

Marketers see a brand as an implied promise that the level of quality people have come to expect from a brand will continue with future purchases of the same product. This may increase sales by making a comparison with competing products more favorable. It may also enable the manufacturer to charge more for the product.

The value of the brand is determined by the amount of profit it generates for the manufacturer. This can result from a combination of increased sales and increased price, and/or reduced COGS (cost of goods sold), and/or reduced or more efficient marketing investment. All of these enhancements may improve the profitability of a brand, and thus, "Brand Managers" often carry line-management accountability for a brand's P&L profitability, in contrast to marketing staff manager roles, which are allocated budgets from above, to manage and execute.

In this regard, Brand Management is often viewed in organizations as a broader and more strategic role than Marketing alone.

Which seems to support n(n)'s opinion above. This interests me, so I'm going to see if I can find out anything about the other opinion ... sometimes terms overlap.

 

[BetteT]

From changingminds.org:

Brand management is:

The total approach

Brand management starts with understanding what 'brand' really means. This starts with the leaders of the company who define the brand and control its management. It also reaches all the way down the company and especially to the people who interface with customers or who create the products which customers use.

Brand management performed to its full extent means starting and ending the management of the whole company through the brand. It is simply far too important to leave to the marketing department. The CEO should be (and, in fact, always is) the brand leader of the company.


Creating the promise

Creating the promise means defining the brand. A good brand promise is memorable and desirable. It cannot be effective if nobody remembers it, and is no good either if nobody wants it!

A good brand promise evokes feelings, because feelings drive actions. Volvo offers feelings of safety. Mustang offers feelings of excitement.

The promise must be unique and identified with you alone. Within an industry, promises can be very close, but if you want any hope of success, you must stake out the very specific territory of your promise and know clearly how it is different from the promises of other firms.

The right promise is not just something you make up on a Friday afternoon. It comes through a deep understanding of your marketplace and your customers. It also comes from a deep understanding of the capabilities and motivations of the people in your company. Creating a promise you cannot consistently keep, year after year, is plain suicide.


Making the promise

Once you have created the promise, the next (and not so trivial) step is to somehow inject it into the minds of your customers, your staff and everyone who receives anything from you or has any impact on what you deliver.

This is where marketing people come into their own. Although it is still not their sole preserve, a large part of marketing, which includes advertising and PR, is about positioning the company and its products in the minds of customers and against your competitors.


Keeping the promise

Ah, now. Creating and making the right promise is one thing, but then you have to keep it. If you do not, you brand will still exist, but now the promise will be of slipshod products and inconsistent delivery.

Keeping promises means managing capability. It means consistent processes that are capable of delivering what is required. It means technology and systems which are reliable and usable. It means motivated people who are willing and able to deliver the goods.

 

[BetteT]

Here's something from About.com

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Marketing Job Title: Brand Manager[/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Job Description: Brand managers plan, develop, and direct the marketing efforts for a particular brand or product. It is not uncommon for a brand manager to be responsible for coordinating activities of specialists in production, sales, advertising, promotion, research and development, marketing research, purchasing, distribution, package development,
and finance. [/FONT]

Now this sort of feeds into what csmboy was saying about overseeing the operational side of developing the line ... at least a Brand Manager might supervise and direct production, based on the marketing needs of the company. But it seems that it is much broader than just the operations ... it's everything to do with marketing and brand recognition and value ... and that includes making decisions about what a company will produce, the profitability of the company (costs of production and pricing) and the image of the company.