Luxury brand managers establish an enduring impact on customers while boosting market presence and sales figures while ensuring marketing and promotional endeavours of the company accurately reflect its intended message.
As a luxury brand manager, you will handle all marketing facets linked to a company’s brand, ensuring that branding choices lead to increased sales. You will collaborate with various marketing sectors, including research, content creation, social media, and design, to ensure this synergy.
Your average workday could involve conducting market research, seeking insights via data analysis and predicting trends, liaising with multiple teams to hone branding strategies, managing budgets, and maintaining relationships with company stakeholders.
Responsibilities
As a luxury brand manager, you will need to:
- Take responsibility for the brand image of your client.
- Conduct market research.
- Define policies and strategies for marketing communications.
- Establish business plans.
- Monitor product lines and analyse product prices.
- Oversee road shows, exhibitions, email campaigns, and TV adverts.
- Create names for products and services and develop ideas for future launches.
- Work with marketing, design, social, and content teams.
- Analyse data for insights, trends, and information.
- Manage budgets and ensure marketing campaigns are delivered on time.
- Maintain relationships with company stakeholders.
- Utilise social media monitoring tools.
- Take an active role in media relationship management.
- Use data visualisation tools.
Salary
- The starting salary for a luxury brand manager is £32,500 per year.
- The average salary for an experienced luxury brand manager is £53,528.
- Senior and lead luxury brand managers can earn up to £69,709 per year.
Working Hours
Brand managers are employed in both internal marketing teams and consulting firms. Usually, their work schedule aligns with typical office hours, from 9 am to 5 pm, Monday through Friday. However, they may need to work evenings and weekends to meet deadlines or to participate in events such as exhibitions, conferences, and product launches.
Frequent travel is a part of their role to collaborate with various creative agencies. Moreover, those managing global brands often have to travel abroad.
What to Expect
- For luxury brand managers who work for global brands, international travel is often required.
- The majority of luxury brand managers work in in-house marketing departments. However, consultancy work is available for experienced brand managers with the right contacts.
- There are opportunities in all sectors of the luxury industry. However, some brands choose to exclusively work with brand consultancies.
- The luxury brand manager job market is highly competitive, often favouring those who have experience in product marketing or development.
- Day to day, you will be working in a deadline-orientated, busy and creative environment.
Qualifications
Entry into brand management roles isn’t strictly defined, but most individuals in these positions possess a degree in luxury brand management and a business background.
However, there are opportunities for non-graduates too, who can work towards a professional marketing certification while holding a junior position. Training is provided through on-the-job experience and programs run by various experts, ranging from beginner certificates to advanced qualifications.
Degrees in advertising, business administration, media and marketing can also help luxury brand managers advance into higher roles.
Skills
As a luxury brand manager, you will need:
- Writing skills: Vital for crafting effective brand messaging and ensuring accurate execution by copywriters.
- Communication abilities: Necessary for conveying strategic recommendations to marketing teams and stakeholders.
- Strategic insight: Understanding market dynamics, the company’s position in it, and strategies to engage customers.
- Project management skills: Competence in handling multiple projects simultaneously, including overseeing new campaigns and coordinating various elements like graphic overlays and email content.
- Personnel management skills: Experience in leading teams directly or providing branding guidance to multiple teams.
- To be comfortable with adaptability: Ability to respond to changing market trends and consumer needs, along with a curiosity for trends and innovations to refine brand strategy.
Work Experience
Aspiring luxury brand managers can acquire relevant experience through junior marketing or sales positions. Starting as an associate brand manager and progressing to managerial roles is also a common path.
Roles such as market research analyst, social media manager, content marketing manager, or digital marketing manager can lay the groundwork necessary for a career in luxury brand management. These positions enhance one’s grasp of consumer behaviour and effective messaging techniques, both critical elements in brand management.
Career Prospects
After establishing yourself as a brand manager, your career path offers several avenues for advancement. Many brand managers progress to senior brand manager positions and may eventually take on roles as marketing directors or product managers.
The enhanced communication and strategic planning abilities developed during your tenure as a brand manager can facilitate your transition to more senior positions, where you’ll manage broader aspects of the company’s marketing strategy.
Employers
Job opportunities in luxury brand management span various sectors of the industry, encompassing areas like retail and manufacturing. Most large commercial marketing departments offer in-house roles, while specialist brand and advertising consultancies also seek such professionals.
The competition for roles in luxury brand management is intense, and candidates often secure these positions after gaining some experience in product marketing or development.
Industries seeking luxury brand managers include:
- Electrical products and tech.
- Beverages
- Apparel
- Food
- Entertainment
- Leisure activities
- Travel and tourism
- Financial services
Luxury brand manager positions can be found on general job advertising websites, including Total Jobs and Indeed, and retail-orientated platforms, such as Retail Choice.
Related Courses
The MBA with Luxury Branding at UWS London is an exceptional choice for those aspiring to become luxury brand managers. Located in London, a global epicentre for luxury brands and fashion, the course offers students direct exposure to the industry, fostering a deep understanding of global luxury trends.
The curriculum is designed to reflect the luxury industry’s dynamic growth, focusing on consumer behaviour, market trends, and current sustainability issues. This comprehensive approach helps students develop strategies for diverse and evolving markets.
The MBA not only boosts career prospects by opening doors to managerial positions but also connects students to a global network of MBA alumni, further enriching their professional journey. Covering various facets like supply chain, retail strategy, and omnichannel marketing, this specialised program delves into the intricacies of luxury branding, equipping students with the skills to manage and grow luxury brands effectively.
