Real-Life Communication
Communication skills are crucial to any brand manager's job
duties. They're needed to build working relationships with other company
departments, store clients and public consumers.
"Communication skills
are likely the single most important aspect of the position," says brand manager
Erin Duncan. "There's a lot of relationship-building with different levels
of customers. A great deal of this communication is oral, but you always have
to follow up with written contact."
Brand manager Rob Peter says listening
is also important when it comes to these relationships. "Communication works
both ways -- talking and listening to a source in sales or what have you regarding
ideas or programs that we want them to execute. You want to be sure that your
objective to either the research house or the advertising agency is understood."
Brand
manager Esi Eggleston agrees. "You're communicating your ideas to the
people that you work with, which is critical. You're communicating it
to your managers so they buy into your proposal, so it's absolutely critical.
It's a combination of both oral and written skills, because you're
both writing memos and holding meetings to communicate your ideas."
You
are a brand manager in a leading role in the marketing department at your
company. You are thinking of launching a new product but first want to use
your staff as a sounding board.
Write a 150- to 200-word memo to your
fellow marketers, explaining why you think this would be a good product to
put your brand's name on. Include the following points in your memo:
Freshfeel
Skin Peel
- Peel's benefit: removes dead surface skin cells, leaving skin "feeling
fresh"
- Made with cucumber peels, consistent with Freshfeel's natural, botanical
image and brand strategy
- Financial incentive for the consumer: at $3.99, the product is a third
of the price of the leading skin peel
- Research indicates the product is popular with women in the 18 to 25 age
bracket -- target market for the line
- Adding it to the Freshfeel line would make five products -- good amount
for a gift package set