WHAT does a day in the life of a brand manager/ marketer entail?
WHAT does a day in the life of a brand manager/ marketer entail?
My day usually starts at 7am and ends at 7pm.
Dealing with people takes up the largest portion of my day. An average day will have me in various meetings with clients, suppliers or partners.
It will also include time with my team, planning upcoming work and managing our current work. We sometimes have brainstorming sessions on future campaigns, looking at how we can improve our thinking, add value or be more effective.
Why did you decide on this career?
I have always been business-minded, but have been more swayed to the fun, personal side of business. When I was exposed to marketing just after school, I was gripped and fascinated. I love trying to figure out people and understand the influences involved in shaping the way they think and act.
How did you get into this career?
I worked for various agencies/companies and worked out early on that I would prefer working for myself - having the freedom to do what we believed was best.
What's challenging about the job?
Our business is centered on working with people and all our Word of Mouth (WoM) campaigns involve unleashing WoM from hundreds of influential people.
Our challenge is to ensure we are good leaders and are able to get the best out of everyone we work or engage with. We can never slack, we can never be unprofessional and we can never be disrespectful to anyone, and the challenge is to maintain that level all the time.
That is why everyone on our team needs to love people and understand how to look after and get the best out of others.
What do you love most about your career?
That we have a blank canvas for every campaign and that we can evolve our offering based on what is best for the brand.
Also, the fact that we are always engaging with influential people means that we are always meeting amazing individuals who inspire us and continually remind us why SA is such a great and promising nation.
What type of person would make a success of this position?
This is what we look for when we are hiring new staff:
l Personality and character - great with people, good values.
l Attitude - hard working, shows initiative, always adding value, always learning.
l Has a passion for understanding the psychology of humans and what makes them/us tick.
l An interest in marketing. We believe that great marketers understand people, rather than the theory on marketing.
What subjects do you need to pass in high school to study towards this career?
Marketing is not a science, so you do not need high results to get into the industry.
I did not go to university, just did a diploma in marketing. I am a believer in self-education.
What does one study at tertiary level to get into this career?
You can go to an advertising school or study for a BCom, MMA or even psychology/anthropology.
What growth prospects are there for this career?
Growth is dependent on yourself as well as the leadership of the company you work for. In general this industry acts as a great stepping stone to others.
What is the entry-level salary for this job?
Anywhere from R6000 to R12000 depending on your role and where you are working. If you prove yourself, you can progress very quickly.
lHaveYouHeard is a Cape Town-based specialist marketing agency.
Marketing is about people
WHAT does a day in the life of a brand manager/ marketer entail?
WHAT does a day in the life of a brand manager/ marketer entail?
My day usually starts at 7am and ends at 7pm.
Dealing with people takes up the largest portion of my day. An average day will have me in various meetings with clients, suppliers or partners.
It will also include time with my team, planning upcoming work and managing our current work. We sometimes have brainstorming sessions on future campaigns, looking at how we can improve our thinking, add value or be more effective.
Why did you decide on this career?
I have always been business-minded, but have been more swayed to the fun, personal side of business. When I was exposed to marketing just after school, I was gripped and fascinated. I love trying to figure out people and understand the influences involved in shaping the way they think and act.
How did you get into this career?
I worked for various agencies/companies and worked out early on that I would prefer working for myself - having the freedom to do what we believed was best.
What's challenging about the job?
Our business is centered on working with people and all our Word of Mouth (WoM) campaigns involve unleashing WoM from hundreds of influential people.
Our challenge is to ensure we are good leaders and are able to get the best out of everyone we work or engage with. We can never slack, we can never be unprofessional and we can never be disrespectful to anyone, and the challenge is to maintain that level all the time.
That is why everyone on our team needs to love people and understand how to look after and get the best out of others.
What do you love most about your career?
That we have a blank canvas for every campaign and that we can evolve our offering based on what is best for the brand.
Also, the fact that we are always engaging with influential people means that we are always meeting amazing individuals who inspire us and continually remind us why SA is such a great and promising nation.
What type of person would make a success of this position?
This is what we look for when we are hiring new staff:
l Personality and character - great with people, good values.
l Attitude - hard working, shows initiative, always adding value, always learning.
l Has a passion for understanding the psychology of humans and what makes them/us tick.
l An interest in marketing. We believe that great marketers understand people, rather than the theory on marketing.
What subjects do you need to pass in high school to study towards this career?
Marketing is not a science, so you do not need high results to get into the industry.
I did not go to university, just did a diploma in marketing. I am a believer in self-education.
What does one study at tertiary level to get into this career?
You can go to an advertising school or study for a BCom, MMA or even psychology/anthropology.
What growth prospects are there for this career?
Growth is dependent on yourself as well as the leadership of the company you work for. In general this industry acts as a great stepping stone to others.
What is the entry-level salary for this job?
Anywhere from R6000 to R12000 depending on your role and where you are working. If you prove yourself, you can progress very quickly.
lHaveYouHeard is a Cape Town-based specialist marketing agency.
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