Senior Marketing Manager Brand, Sponsorship and Foundation at Standard Bank Group

JOB PURPOSE

The Senior, Marketing Manager, Brand, Sponsorships and Foundation Manager will drive and build the Stanbic brand across Stanbic Holdings; Stanbic Bank, Stanbic Foundation, Securities and Bancassurance brand. The role holder is a passionate steward of the Stanbic Brand (read: Bleeds Blue), focussed on innovation, identity and protection with an eye to how our brand is creatively and innovatively expressed through a visual, verbal and sonic system that consistently adapts as the marketing and consumer landscape changes.

The role holder will unlock a deeper understanding our diverse audiences across brand and client segments, and what connects them to brands and culture, to drive relevance with our core audiences and expansion of the brand to new audiences (such as main markets). This role will unlock insights to arm the segments marketing team and the broader organization with deep consumer and brand truths to build consumer/customer empathy and brand understanding across the business as well as inform key decisions to drive business and brand growth.

The ideal candidate has extensive brand strategy experience (agency and/or client-side), is a believer in human truths and the power of good storytelling. The ideal candidate is energized by brand transformation, and is passionate about contributing to the greater health and success of their team and cross-functional teammates while cultivating a culture of data and insights-informed decision-making.

This role will directly contribute to broader organization goals including increasing brand awareness (spontaneous and aided), brand warmth, digital platforms growth, and audience engagement across all our assets (digital and offline), by ensuring that all content is true to our brand, reflects Stanbic’s commitment to Kenya and South Sudan’s growth, and the legacy of Stanbic and indeed Standard Bank Group.

KEY RESPONSIBILITES

Strategy

• Set and execute brand strategy aligned to annual and the 2-3 years business strategy and purpose both internally and externally
• Drive the seasonal planning process for the agreed key strategy milestones, and guard execution
• Drive identification of 2+ years brand assets, sponsorships and brand partnership opportunities, across Stanbic Holdings, and thereafter, drive effective execution, ensuring brand and commercial expectations are met, maximizing ROI
• Provide data-driven insights to drive strategic brand and commercial choices. Own the tracking and analysis of brand performance through continuous market and competitor landscape tracking (including SOV), industry trends, brand tracker and the customer satisfaction index
• Own the implementation and guardrails of our brand identity as per Standard Bank Group standards. Drive cohesive implementation of the brand architecture and toolkits across client segments, corporate functions, the foundation, sponsorships and events
• Maintain and continuously enhance the strategic brand framework toolbox including policies, standards, guidelines and easy-to-use artefacts
• Inspire and provoke new approaches and forward thinking among brand leadership by sharing innovative external practices and connections
• Build influence among leadership through highly effective communication, partnership and provocation, ability to engage and influence decision-making

Build the Stanbic Brand

• Provide domain expertise to colleagues as needed on brand and brand-activation related matters
• Work collaboratively with teams and partners to drive brand implementation, ensuring the continuous and consistent application of our tone of voice and visual identity across all assets including sponsorships and events
• Conceptualize and execute through-the-line brand campaigns, activations and events that are truly at Brand and Enterprise level
• Set minimum standards and provide toolkits to drive a consistent brand experience across customer and stakeholder touchpoints across the Bank and indeed Stanbic Holdings
• Monitor, drive insights and thereafter necessary action related to our brand health and client engagement and satisfaction performance for the Bank and the sub-brands
• Contribute development of strategies for incorporating new brands/sub-brands into the Stanbic/Standard Bank fold including naming conventions for new products/solutions

Stakeholder Management

• Collaborate with different stakeholders within the bank to develop and implement Brand plans with specific focus on the Master Brand, Corporate functions and the Stanbic Foundation
• Drive the Brand building agenda for the Stanbic Foundation in partnership with Head, Foundation and the Chief Executive office
• Own agency partners management across advertising, digital and media from sourcing, engagement and performance review and management on an ongoing basis.
• Develop and maintain effective and mutually beneficial relationships both internally and externally, including brand assets, foundation and sponsorships partners

Licence to Operate

• In partnership with Group Brand colleagues, collaborate, as required, to set brand policy, including brand architecture and positioning, for the Standard Bank Group and its substitute brands
• Monitor and provide guidance on brand naming, product naming, trademarks and domain name standards
• Govern brand trademarks and brand intellectual property aligned to the intellectual IP framework and regulatory requirements with support from the Legal and Governance function

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelors or Master’s degree in Business, Strategy, Marketing or a related commercial field
• Marketing certification including CIM is a plus
• Atleast 10 Years’ experience in Brand strategy and management experience including at product segments and sectors.
• Experience in insights and brand planning, conversant in multiple strategic planning tools such as strategic frameworks, insights, and storytelling
• Experience and understanding of brand strategy foundations (incl. Brand positioning, brand architecture, brand expression), and how to effectively apply them across the organization (incl. product, content/editorial, employee engagement and events)
• Ability to work autonomously and create simplicity out of the complex, focusing on key outcomes amidst competing priorities and tight deadlines
• Ability to manage and influence across highly cross-functional teams, driving participation and partnership
• Ability to both define and synthesize primary and secondary data to form insightful observations and clear, actionable brand and business implications
• Eager to learn, problem-solve and make an impact across the organization and its brand and commercial performance