SENIOR GLOBAL BRANDS MANAGER - ASD (SHOPPER)

Company overview

Asahi Europe & International is a subsidiary of Asahi Group Holdings Ltd, a global beverage and food company listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, Japan.

Employing > 12,000 people, Asahi Europe & International is the custodian for leading super premium lager brands Peroni Nastro Azzurro, Grolsch, Asahi Super Dry, plus international Czech lager brands, Pilsner Urquell and Kozel.

The business has world-class brewing and production facilities in 8 markets – UK, NL, ITL, PL, CZ, SK, HU, RO. In most of these markets, we are the leading brewer with full portfolio of famous brands. Commercial operations in other parts of Europe, USA, Canada, LatAm, Africa and Asia are served through our global distribution network.

Main purpose of the job

The Global Brand Manager works closely with the Global Marketing Manager (Commercial) to support the development and execution of the brand’s overarching commercial agenda in line with the mid-term/3-year plan.

They will support the GMM(C) on Market growth/annual plans, Innovation agenda, Occasions development and Global Customer Partnerships, as well as personally owning the shopper/trade marketing agenda across Master Brand and Innovations (plus Sports Partnerships, where necessary).

Working closely with the key markets (US, China, UK, Australia, South Korea) they will help deliver annual activation plans that bring superior results. They will be responsible for the development of the tools driving brand choice at point of purchase and brand growth plans in these markets.

The GBM owns various agencies’ work, from briefing to execution. He/she is competent at influencing and engaging stakeholders, drawing on previous Global/in-market experience.

Accountabilities and deliverables

• Support the GMM(C) with Market growth/annual plans, Innovation agenda, Occasions development and Global Customer Partnerships.
• Lead the shopper/trade marketing agenda and production of assets across Master Brand and Innovations (plus Sports Partnerships, where necessary).
• Be the shopper/trade marketing expert in the team, sharing cross-industry best practice.
• In partnership with the Insights team, manage campaign development and validation across key markets, reflecting efficiencies across the regions despite different brand challenges and market development stages.
• Responsible for tracking the brands’ commercial performance across key markets against the brand dashboard, actively investigating the root causes for performance (good and bad) and course correcting or accelerating accordingly.
• Manage marketing spend/budgets related to activity development, ensuring effectiveness and efficiency

Qualification criteria

• Brand marketing experience (4+y), ideally within broader functional scope, e.g. strategy & insight, trade, innovation
• Experience working on asset development and execution, managing agencies involved in the projects, ensuring delivery.
• Experience working across Eastern markets would be considered an advantage.
• Development of brand toolkits, customer sell-in and internal brand advocacy
• Strong project management skills
• Proficiency in English; other regional relevant language skills are advantageous.
• Excellent influencing skills.
• Strategic thinking capabilities, with a hands-on, can-do mentality
• Ability to draw sharp and simple conclusions from sets of data.
• Ability to build and maintain effective and efficient co-operation and relations with various parties in multinational environment
• Drive and proactive approach.

Key Competencies

Functional Competencies

• Insight development: Capability to understand and develop deep understanding and rich insights around our category, consumers, shoppers, customers, channels and competitors to create long term competitive advantage. Able to distinguish observations, facts and real insight in a natural way.
• Foresight: Ability to see beyond today and, more often than not, correctly identify relevant consumer trends and translate to business opportunity.
• Exceptional brand marketing skills: Successful background demonstrating brand marketing competencies: campaign development and execution, packaging development, agency management / leadership, insights and tracking / reporting.
• Brand development skills: Proven examples of brand building fundamentals – Positioning, Creative Platform and consumer facing executions that drive results.
• Commercial Management: Comfortable working with financial KPIs with proven ability to drive profitable revenue growth. Understands the key levers driving brand profitability (volume, pricing, channel / customer / pack mix, COGS, CAPEX), can quickly diagnose the root causes and propose adjustments to the base plan.
• Cross functional engagement: Proven ability to work across Commercial, Supply Chain, Finance, HR, Corporate Affairs. Can establish trust through building strong personal relationships and credibility than enable a deep influence across the business.
• Business Acumen: Having the commercial understanding, tools and competency to build brands, through Channels, Stakeholders and Customers, supporting our company’s financial objectives and revenue goals.
• Stakeholder and Project Management: Maintaining key relationships with external agency stakeholders and key internal partners delivering excellence in the management of projects

Leadership Behaviors (5 Leadership Behaviors linked to the 5 Marketing Principles).

• BOLD: We make our priorities clear. The only risk is not taking risk. Understands and is comfortable with qualified risk and uncertainty. Inspires others to think big and reach places of discomfort. Wants to make an impact.
• CURIOUS: We focus on real people. Always wants to understand “why?”. Never satisfied with the current answers and feels constrained if thinking continues unchanged.
• COMMITTED: We create iconic brands. Devoted to marketing excellence and building the strongest brand platforms. Never satisfied with OK. Marketing is a source of pride.
• EMPOWERING: We aim higher. Inspires does not dictate. Sets expectations on delivery and execution that agencies strive to achieve passionately.
• CO-OPERATIVE: We succeed together. Enjoys the marketing community and the challenge of the group. Encourages open communication and direct and constructive debate.

We are committed to nurturing a workplace where we celebrate and respect difference, and support everyone to be true to who they are! At Asahi Europe and International we believe you can SHINE AS YOU ARE - no matter your age, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disabilities, religion, or beliefs. We want to support you to be courageous in your individuality and to know that whoever you are and whatever your circumstances, you can belong with us without having to conform.