Brand & Marketing Leader

REVIEW CRITERIA:

MANDATORY:

• Strong Senior Brand Strategist Profile
• Must have 4+ years of pure brand strategy experience at branding/strategy agencies (not advertising/campaign-only roles)
• Must have hands-on experience with brand strategy frameworks for new brand creation and rebranding initiatives (brand persona, positioning, narrative, tone of voice, guidelines)
• Must have experience conducting and leading brand workshops, integrating research inputs (primary + secondary) into insights and brand positioning
• Must have B2C brand strategy experience (B2B exposure is highly preferred but optional)
• Must have strong writing and storytelling skills to translate brand positioning into compelling narratives, messaging, tone, and strategic decks.
• Must be able to manage end-to-end brand strategy projects, including research synthesis, workshop facilitation, positioning, framework creation, and collaboration with design teams for visual translation.
• Must have a portfolio or compilation of case studies showing rebranding projects, positioning frameworks, workshop involvement, research synthesis, and strategy-to-design translation
• Preferably a degree/master’s in Marketing, Brand Strategy, Design, or Communication from reputed institutes (e.g., MICA, NID, Srishti, or similar).
• Must come from Branding Studios, Brand strategy firms, Strategic design consultancies, branding agencies etc.

ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

We are looking for a senior brand strategist professional, who can help us deliver innovative strategic directions that benefit our client’s business with measurable results. The candidate should have thorough knowledge and experience in the methods and application of tools to deliver an effective programme. Candidates should have experience with both mass and premium brands as well as FMCG, durables, and service categories.

Experience with digital-first or digitally marketed brands is an advantage that we look forward to.

ROLES & EXPECTATIONS-

• Drive brand and business strategy processes in our firm.
• Thorough practical knowledge and experience in implementing methods, tools and processes with capabilities to handhold teams to deliver at the highest standards.
• Proficient in conducting research programs to uncover customer and user needs, business and market findings, drawing insights for branding, service and CX design for digital and traditional applications.
• Conduct primary and secondary market research in marketing, sales and consumer experience.
• Programming workshops, conducting them and creating a comprehensive outcome report with insights and recommendations.
• Bring an idea to life on a whiteboard, articulate it, create systems and deliver.
• Strong understanding of pan-India markets across a wide range of verticals and categories.

IDEAL CANDIDATE:

• Excellent storytelling skills, capable of good verbal and written communications, client interfacing and presentation skills.
• Proficient in putting together presentations and strategy decks.
• Good articulation and writing skills.
• Understanding business, data tools and analytics (The math of it)
• Capable of managing and building relationships with senior client executives with strong domain-level competence along with a well-informed worldview.
• Team player capable of working across verticals with leadership skills.

ADVANTAGEOUS / OPTIONAL SKILLS-

• Experience in ethnographic, observational and behaviour studies.
• Management skills, idea creation, directing and delivering through a creative team.
• Interest in trends and analysis of brands, brand strategies and staying up-to-date and well-informed.
• Experience in analysing the brand and marketing landscape and writing advisory and opinion articles on branding and brand communication.
• Well-informed and knowledgeable with a world view.
• Observant and aware of current trends and their evolution.

Strong Brand Marketing Manager profiles, with experience with well-known B2C brands

Mandatory (Experience 1): Must have total 6+ YOE, and recent 3+ years working in end-to-end Brand Marketing (including Brand building, positioning, & brand strategy)

Mandatory (Experience 2): Must have strong hands-on experience in Brand Marketing for a Top / well-known B2C or Fintech brands

Mandatory (Core Skills): Must possess creative thinking, strong project management skills, and be execution-focused; should have managed brand campaigns including creative development, production, social content, media planning, and buying..

Mandatory (Education): Candidates from Top college like IIMs, ISB, MICA, VGSOM-IIT Kharagpur, IIT etc (Note: College can be ignored if candidate is from unicorn companies like Bharatpe, Unilever, Reliance, Groww etc)

Mandatory (Company): Well-know B2C Brands in FMCG, Fintech, BFSI, Consumer Tech, or Lifestyle brands.

• Define and execute innovation pipeline for the brand – knowing the stage Gate process
• Conceptualizing & launching new products – have past successes in conceptualizing a brand from scratch / repositioning etc.
• Responsible for driving and delivering business results on the brand
• Identify opportunities for the brand to grow which involves forecasting consumer insights and any opportunities and/or threats emerging from the competitive or technology landscape.
• Custodian of data for the portfolio; Analyse & Publish analytics for relevant categories/brand to aid critical brand decision making
• Work with activation and creative agencies on aspects like artwork, adaptations, in-store activations etc.

• Category Management
• Understanding of Marketing Communication Development and Assessment
• Strong Analytical Skills
• Knowledge of Business & Financial Analysis

Responsibilities :

• Design and execute ‘ Brand positioning strategies ‘ for campuses . Including the execution of quick wins and strategic alignment of long term plans
• Plan and organize ‘campus engagement events’ for better brand positioning
• Primary and secondary research to forecast  and mitigate any brand threats or perception mismatches
• Work with multiple stakeholders in creating brand strategy, designing new programs to help campus students and entry level graduates start and pursue their learning journey from onboarding through deployment
• Project management skills to manage delivery of branding materials like digital content, blogs, mailers, websites, brochures, posters, standees, newsletters, WhatsApp communication posters, events, video storyboarding, press write-ups, with individual accountability
• Conceptualize, create and edit presentations for learning strategists, managers, leadership team, with a high level of accuracy and aesthetic value
• Efficient in designing collaterals with new age themes, attractive messaging, taglines, hashtags, WIIFM strategy that drives a call to action.

Key Responsibilities

• Day to day management and successful long-term relationships with different accounts.

• Experience in fronting client relationships directly

• Handling operations and client management
• End to end project management
• Briefing the creative team, helping in the creation of a concept.
• Facilitating communication between Client Service Operations & other business units to ensure an effective operating environment.
• Focusing on the strategic aspects of maintaining and growing long-term relationships.
• Establishing growth plans for teams and managed accounts
• Strategizing and executing campaigns for clients.
• Identifying prospective clients, establishing strategic partnerships and alliances
• Working with senior management keeping them informed of new developments, service issues and new business opportunities.
• Managing paid social media campaigns 

Preferred Requirements:

• 4-10 yrs RELEVANT experience 

• Must have worked with digital agencies managing social media marketing and performance marketing (preferable)

• Also willing to consider exceptionally talented folks from offline agencies

• Located in Bangalore and willing to travel to HSR layout

• Experience in fronting client relationships directly

• Experience in social media marketing (organic & paid)
• Experience in relationship management, strong verbal and written communications skills

Your responsibilities will include:

• Developing and executing a results-driven, multi-platform communications strategy and plan in line with brand vision.
• Creating and managing all marketing materials and collateral in line with brand direction
• Implementing online marketing activities including Social Media.
• Tracking effectiveness of various campaigns and course correcting as required
• Managing communications spend and working with vendors and agencies, to develop supporting assets
• Leading the planning and implementation of PR and initiatives related to the brand
• Key Requirements
• You have a degree in Marketing, Business Administration or related field.
• You have prior experience in a similar role.
• Strong knowledge of content development and SEM.
• A strong network of PR and media contacts would be highly advantageous.
• You have exceptional verbal & written communication skills.
• You have a high level of attention to detail including proven ability to manage multiple, competing priorities simultaneously.
• You have excellent interpersonal skills and are adept at building relationships with different stakeholders.

Duties/Responsibilities:

The person plays a dual role of Public Relation and Influencer Manager.

Public Relations

• Combine creativity, communication, and storytelling to create meaningful public relations campaigns that promote our products/ Founders.
• Pitch stories to top-tier local and national journalists, editors, media outlets, TV, radio, podcasts, niche blogs, and other online outlets.
• Cultivate, strengthen, and maintain media relationships.
• Create media materials such as press releases, talking points, run sheets, and messaging documents.
• Seek and manage business award submissions, interview opportunities, and speaking engagements for Co-Founders.
• Secure, track, and measure results.

Influencer Marketing

• Grow and maintain relationships with influencers to create excitement and mass brand exposure across social media platforms
• Mine the social media platforms for top-tier influencers, celebrities, content creators, and talent that can increase brand reach.
• Manage and update internal influencer database to ensure platform and metrics stay updated.
• Collaborate with internal creative and social marketing teams to drive influencers to create high-quality and engaging content.
• Continually engage with existing influencers and creators via email, DMs, and phone to build strong, long-lasting relationships. Manage day-to-day communications with talent/influencers.
• Manage all influencer requests, place and track product samples requests.
• Oversee gift boxes and other special packaging needs for high-touch influencers.
• Think creatively and add new ideas to pitch for new and exciting influencer programs.

Qualifications/Skills:

• 5+ years experience in public relations, in-house, or agency.
• Course in Mass Communication.
• Strong experience writing news releases, media advisories, feature stories, blogs, and media pitches.
• Existing relationships with top-tier local and national journalists, editors, media outlets, TV, radio, podcasts, niche blogs, and influencers preferred.
• Social media wizard who is well-versed in all platforms (IG, YouTube, Facebook, Twitch, TikTok, etc.) and in tune with how the influencer marketing landscape differs across each respective platform.
• Deep expertise in identifying key tastemakers, celebrity endorsers, and influencers.
• A passion for building and cultivating relationships with influencers.

Other Requirements

• Previous experience working with consumer products and fashion brands.
• Passionate about social media trends and pop culture in general.
• Love working in fast-moving, high-growth companies.
• Meticulous organizational skills.
• Self-starter, comfortable with managing multiple priorities at any given time.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.
• Outstanding relationship-building skills

Key Responsibilities

• There are two main responsibilities of the role:
  • to increase the overall top line by increasing the application rate(optimizing the funnel) 
  • ensuring more users are retained post the first consumption cycle. 
• Create and refine effective programs that leverage tenure and customer behaviour data, and include a mix of triggered and targeted campaigns.
• Identify key, measurable metrics for Customer lifecycle programs with a focus to test and scale rapidly.
• Create, implement and optimize daily/weekly/monthly campaigns and user journeys (retention and reactivation - both automated and not automated)
• Generate deep insights about customers that increase their retention, root-cause & predict churn and lead to inventing new ways to delight and retain customers. Will include conducting primary & secondary customer research through surveys and talking directly with customers. 
• Experiment across the whole retention & re-activation funnel constantly looking for maximum impact on DAU (daily active users)
• Brainstorm new ways of segmenting potential customers and means of communication, leading to quick-test pilots with clear measurable outcomes