Smart Skills
Brand Aid
Usha Albuquerque

Think of fast food, and Maggi noodles or McDonalds come to mind. Photocopying is always associated with Xerox, and toothpaste with Colgate. In fact, brand names are so much part of our vocabulary — Dettol, Johnson's baby products, Vicks, Coke and Pepsi, Flit — that they have become generic names to describe the product itself. This is what brand managers work towards.

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 equity. Brand management is, therefore, an aspect of marketing that ensures a value to the product.

A good brand name should attract attention, be easy to recognize, easy to remember and pronounce and suggest the company or product image. Establishing a brand name means building brand equity for the product or company.

Over the last 20 years, companies in India have shifted their marketing focus, from selling and distribution to product development and brand building.

Brand management is a marketing job and the key function in the consumer products industry. Brand managers are responsibile for a brand or brand family. It is their job to distill the brand's essence, map out their competitors in their brand's category, identify marketing opportunities, and be able to effectively communicate the unique benefits of that product or service.

Often brand managers work with the market research team by setting the agenda and criteria for creating and selecting the brand image, whether through pictures, product samples, and video clips. Once the research is complete, it is the brand manager's job to analyse the data that's been collected then develop a marketing strategy.

This marketing strategy may call for a new ad campaign, development of new products, or drawing out a new vision for the brand. Brand managers then also need to ensure that other functions such as promotions, market research, research and development, and manufacturing are integrated to implement the strategy that they have developed.

Product Manager: Product managers plan and develop the marketing efforts for a particular brand or product. This may require product managers to coordinate activities of other specialists in production, sales, advertising, promotion, research and development, marketing research, purchasing, distribution, package development, and finance. They must possess strong interpersonal, communication, and analytical skills; and have entrepreneurial leanings.

Product Development Manager: A Product Development Manager specialises in the development of a brand. Their mission is to successfully take a product from concept to commercialization. They are responsible for finding opportunities in the marketing of consumer products and consumer services. Product development managers require to have a unique combination of creative and analytical talents. They must be able to conceptualise new ideas, research the new ideas, and evaluate them objectively from a market and financial standpoint. They must also be able to handle uncertainty since new product development is ever changing.

Brand Manager: Brand managers direct the marketing efforts for a particular brand or product. Often brand managers are responsible for coordinating activities of several products of the brand, working with specialists in production, sales, advertising, distribution, package development, and finance. Persons involved in product must be results oriented and creative, and must have skills and understanding in market research, sales forecasting, and promotional planning.

Normally, careers in product and brand management tend to attract highly motivated individuals who communicate well with other people, can accept broad responsibilities easily and with little supervision, are willing to do some travelling, and thrive on constant change. Starting salaries are good, as for other MBAs, with career growth linked to achievement. So, if you have what it takes to make a success in this highly competitive field, brand management is another new and challenging career.

A basic business management qualification is essential to get into this field. While there are no specific courses in brand management, an MBA programme specialising in marketing includes modules on brand management. Those with qualifications in communication management and advertising can also move into this area if they posses the necessary qualities for success. The Mudra Institute of Communication (MICA), Ahmedabad, offers a two-year Diploma in Advertising and Communication, open to graduates of any discipline. The two-year MBA programme in Advertising and Communications is also offered by the FORE School of Management New Delhi; School of Convergence, IMI, New Delhi ; Rajendra Prasad Institute of Communication and Management, Mumbai; Bhavan's College of Communication and Management, Mumbai, and the Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies, Vile Parle (West), Mumbai. PG diploma courses are also available in advertising and communication management. Professionals with experience in marketing or market research can also look for a career in brand management.

The writer is a noted career expert