Brand Manager at CFAO Motors Kenya limited (Formerly Toyota Kenya)

The purpose of the job is to implement the CFAO Motors Kenya strategy through initiating proactive marketing action plans, monitoring efficiency and effective=ness, and drive the achievement of aagreed targets. The Brand Manager is expected to deliver the overall Marketing & Communication objective of enhancing brand visibility and upholding/promoting a positive organizational brand image & reputation.  He/she will achieve this by leading the development and execution of all the brand plans and marketing initiatives within CFAO Motors Kenya.

These brand plans are developed in collaboration with the Business Unit heads, and are aimed at creating awareness and uptake of the existing and/or new products and services, in order to deliver on the organisation’s growth strategy and overall Business unit objectives. The role holder is a brand champion and is responsible for cascading and managing the brand guidelines as they are applied across the different marketing and communications engagements, to ensure a strong and consistent brand is delivered at all times.

The role holder is also responsible for tracking and monitoring the overall brand health and brand equity, as well as the implementation of Brand Health Measurement programs in order to establish market perceptions/insights and level of affinity for the brand.

The key roles and responsibilities include:

• Develop annual brand plans and Implement approved marketing initiatives for different products in CFAO Motors Kenya (Toyota, Suzuki, Hino, Yamaha, Winpart, Automark and Autofast) together with respective teams in line with the overall strategic objectives of the company to facilitate achievement of sales targets for the brands.
• Act as a strategic business partner to the respective Business units, aligning on their strategic initiatives, offering marketing direction and support, ensuring their objectives are met within budget and efficiently, with demonstrated Return on Investment (ROI)
• Develop and implement the annual marketing brand plans in collaboration with the Business Unit heads, to drive their strategic objectives and aligned to the overall Organisational objectives
• In collaboration with Business Unit heads, develop, track and monitor annual marketing budget for different brands to ensure the allocation of sufficient funds for successful implementation of the marketing initiatives.
• Monitor, control and reporting on the utilization of the marketing budget in order to support efficiency in the management of costs at CFAO Motors Kenya
• Financial acumen with strong capabilities around financial analysis, reporting and interpretation of business numbers to inform business strategic initiatives and drive marketing decisions
• In charge of all digital assets for CFAO Motors Kenya including and not limited to websites, digital and social assets both internally and externally and responsible for managing 3rd parties in charge of managements of said assets to drive marketing strategic objectives and brand building for CFAO Motors Kenya
• Initiate implementation of brand surveys as well as market intelligence, research and surveys to ensure relevant and up to date customer and industry information to inform business and marketing initiatives.
• Working in collaboration with the brand executives, Review and submit reports on the implementation of the marketing strategies and brand plans to ensure Return on Investment (ROI) against all marketing initiatives.
• Act as a Brand owner, by entrenching the brand guidelines internally and externally and ensuring brand standards are maintained at all times across Above the Line (ATL), Below the Line (BTL), digital and experiential touch points
• Working closely with the Marketing Manager, in charge of planning, preparation and execution of all brand building initiatives for CFAO Motors Kenya
• In charge of Quarterly reviews of the marketing plans in collaboration with the brand executives to ensure the plans are aligned with the corporate CFAO Motors Kenya marketing strategy.
• In collaboration with the Marketing Manager, incharge of recruiting and management of external agency relationship across creative, PR and digital, ensuring onboarding and management of the agency relationships, as well as monitoring performance against set scope of work, with period reviews and reporting in adherence to contractual agreements.
• In charge of building a strong digital brand for CFAO Motors Kenya, in collaboration with Marketing Manager and external agency partners, to drive top of mind awareness for CFAO Motors Kenya brand and all products within the business in support of the overall business strategic objectives.

Knowledge/Skills & Experience

Minimum level of academic and professional qualification required to perform effectively in the role

• Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing or relevant field from a recognized institution
• Post graduate Diploma in marketing
• Minimum level of academic and professional qualification required to perform effectively in the role
• Minimum 7 years of working experience in a relevant field from a reputable organization
• Computer literacy
• Good knowledge of Marketing, PR, communications or advertising
• Automotive industry awareness
• Strong budgeting and financial reporting
• Sound digital marketing understanding
• Knowledge of the current state of affairs both local and international
• Knowledge of relevant legislation and its impact to the automotive industry