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