brand & sales manager should be bff

REAL STORY - CONT

• (2011) A WELL KNOWN MUTINATIONAL CONSUMER GOODS COMPANY JUST LAUNCH NEW PRODUCT TO THE

MARKET. THE PRODUCT IS A DRINK FOR KIDS, IT IS A POWDER PACKAGED IN A SMALL SACHET WITH

COMPETITIVE PRICE. THE BRAZILIAN MARKETING DIRECTOR KNEW THAT THE FIRST THING THEIR NEED TO

FOCUS ON IS TO ESTABLISHED BRAND AWARENESS AND PROVIDING BRAND EXPERIENCE TO THEIR TARGETED

CONSUMERS. SINCE IT IS A NEW PRODUCT, NOBODY KNOW WHAT IT IS, THEN THEREFORE AT LEAST THIS YEAR

HE THINK THAT THEY NEED TO FOCUS ON BRAND TO PENETRATE THE MARKET. HENCE, THE COMPANY HIRE AN

ADVERTISING AGENCY TO STRATEGIZE AND IMPLEMENT THEIR LAUNCH CAMPAIGN FOR 6 MONTH PERIOD. THE

AGENCY DIVIDE THE CAMPAIGN PHASE INTO TREE PHASES, AND THE FIRST LAUNCH PHASE, WHICH INVOLVES

ABOVE THE LINE PLATFORM AND ON GROUND BRAND ACTIVATION WAS A SUCCESS. IT WAS WENT WELL UNTIL

THEIR FIRST PHASE LAUNCH REVIEW MEETING THAT INVOLVES BOTH BRAND AND SALES DEPARTMENT.

REAL STORY - CONT

• THE BRAND ACTIVATION ACTIVITIES IS A SUCCESS WHERE THEY CAN ENGAGE WITH THE AUDIENCE BEYOND

THE AGREED KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATOR (KPI). THE MEETING WENT SMOOTH UNTIL THE SALES

DEPARTMENT REPRESENTATIVE ARGUE THAT THEY NEED TO SET UP A NEW KPI FOR SALES. THAT WAS THE

POINT WHERE DEBATE BETWEEN BRAND AND SALES DEPARTMENT BEGAN AND PUT THE ADVERTISING

AGENCY’S ACCOUNT TEAM IN AN AKWARD SITUATION. THE BRAND DEPARTMENT ARGUE THAT THIS PERIOD

SHOULD BE A PERIOD FOR BRAND DEVELOPMENT, NOT FOR CONSUMER ACQUISITION. WHILE SALES

DEPARTMENT ARGUE THAT THESE CAMPAIGN ACTIVITIES A JUST A WASTE OF MONEY IF THE COMPANY CANNOT

GET SALES REVENUE FROM THE PROGRAM. AFTER A TWO HOURS OF DEBATE, THE COMPANY DECIDED TO DO

INTERNAL MEETING, AND THE MEETING DISMISSED. AFTER A WEEK OF INTERNAL DELIBERATION, THE COMPANY

DECIDED TO DISCONTINUE THE PROGRAM. UNTIL TODAY (2013) HARDLY HEARD BY THE CONSUMERS.

JUDGEMENT – WHO IS RIGHT AND WHO IS WRONG? • EVERYBODY IS RIGHT! IN CONSUMER GOODS INDUSTRY, BRAND IS TREMENDOULSY IMPORTANT. BUT, IN

EVERY BUSINESS, SALES IS THE ULTIMATE GOAL. THE IMPORTANT STANCE TO BE IN THE MINDSET OF EACH

DEPARTMENTS IS THAT THEY BOTH HAVE TO FOCUS ON GENERATING SALES. THEREFORE TO SOLVES THE

CASE EACH DEPARTMENT SHOULD FOCUS ON HOW THEY’RE GOING TO GENERATE SALES... AND IT REQUIRES

EACH DEPARTMENT TO UNDERSTAND HOW BRAND AND SALES COMPLEMENT EACH OTHER.

How can we sale this

brand in the long run if

the consumer dont

know it!?

How can we gain

revenue if the budget

wasted on brand

campaign?

OBJECTIVE, OUTPUT, AND CONTRIBUTION

• EACH DEPARTMENT HAS ITS OWN TASK, THEIR OWN WORK OUTPUT TO ACHIEVE THE OBJECTIVES, AND

THE OUTPUT CONTRIBUTION TO THE BUSINESS. THIS TABLE SHOWS THE SIMPLIFIED VERSION OF IT.

Aspects task output Contribution

Brand manager Create product

differentiation,

established values, and

convey it to the market

Brand identity and brand

campaign program

Brand equity (awareness,

association, perceived quality,

loyalty, and more brand assets)

Sales manager Create sales and

revenue

Distribution channel, sales

promotion program, sales

force management, retail

account management.

Sales revenue and profit.

THE CORE QUESTION

WHY THIS GUYS SHOULD BE BEST FRIEND FOREVER?

First.... these are the arguments

why sales manager must be BFF with brand manager?

Must build equity!

Must make money?

The previous table shows how different their focus

differences. Therefore the question to be answer is...

ARGUMENT #1

GREAT BRAND MAKES SALES PERSON’S MOUTH A SLACK.

IMAGINE IF THERE’S A TWO SALES PERSON FROM TWO DIFFERENT BRANDS, BUT FROM THE SAME CATEGORY,

AND THEY BOTH AIMING AT ONE CONSUMER SIMULTANOUSLY. WHICH OF THESE BRAND SALES PERSON

REQUIRE MORE WORDS TO CLOSE THE DEAL?*

*the simulation is made based indonesian market context

ARGUMENT #1

VS

VS

VS

VS


ARGUMENT #2

GREAT BRAND GIVES MORE MONEY TO SALES ACCOUNT.

BUSINESS ENTITY AIM FOR HIGHER SALES MARGIN. THE REAL PRODUCTION COST MAY BE SMALL, BUT THANKS TO

BRAND ACTIVITIES, COMPANY CAN INCREASE THEIR MARGIN AND ULTIMATELY GET OUT FROM A SITUATION LIKE

PRICE WAR. *


ARGUMENT #2

VS

VS


ARGUMENT #3

GREAT BRAND KEEP THE CONSUMER BACK FOR MORE.

GREAT BRAND COMES WITH GREAT EXPERIENCE. WHEN CONSUMERS FALL IN LOVE WITH THE EXPERIENCE, IT

DELIVERS THE PROMISE, IT JUST KEEP THEM BELIEVE THE BRAND AND REPURCHASE THE PRODUCT. SALES PERSON

JUST NEED TO WAIT AND SEE (NOT RECOMMENDED ACTION). *


ARGUMENT #3


ARGUMENT #4

WHEN GREAT BRAND LAUNCH NEW VARIAN, SALES

PERSON JUST NEED TO CATER THE QUESTIONS.

A GREAT BRAND STANDS FOR A PROMISE. HENCE THE NEW VARIAN WILL CONTINUE TO DELIVER THE

PROMISE WITH MORE VALUE ON THE TABLE. THE LOYAL CONSUMER WILL DEFINETELY COME TO SALES

COUNTER AND TELLS (OR CLARIFY) WHAT THEY KNOW ABOUT THE NEW VARIAN. THE SALES PERSON

JUST NEED TO CONFIRM IT.*


ARGUMENT #4


ARGUMENT #5

GREAT BRAND BECOME THE SALES REPRESENTATIVE AT THE

SUPERMARKET SHELF.

IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO HAVE A SALES REPRESENTATIVE IN EVERY AVAILABLE MARKET PLACE. THEREFORE, LET THE

BRAND SPEAK FOR ITSELF IN THE MARKET AND EVEN LET THEM SHOUT FROM THE SUPERMARKET SHELF. GREAT

BRAND SPEAKS THE LANGUAGE OF ITS CONSUMER, SO SALES PERSON CAN GIVE THEM THE JOB.*


ARGUMENT #5


ARGUMENT #6

GREAT BRAND GIVES PRIDE TO THE SALES PERSON.

A SALES PERSON FROM A GREAT BRAND GET VALUABLE IMPACT ON THEIR PERSONAL IMAGE (AND SELF

CONFIDENCE OF COURSE). IT IS THE SAME WITH AN EMPLOYEE FROM A REPUTABLE COMPANY, THEY

MUST BE PROUD TO SAY OUT LOUD TO THE WORLD THAT THEY WORK IN A COMPANY WITH A REPUTABLE

BRAND.*


ARGUMENT #6


CONCLUSION

ACTUALLY BRAND MANAGER JOB (IF SUCCESSFUL), EASEN THE SALES

MANAGER’S JOB IN THE COMPANY.

AND IN THE LONG RUN, ACTUALLY THE COMPANY MAKE MORE MONEY FROM BRAND. HOWEVER, JUST KEEP

IN MIND THAT GREAT BRAND COMES WITH GREAT EXPERIENCE. THEREFORE THE PRODUCT ITSELF SHOULD

BE GREATLY RESEARCHED AND DEVELOPED TO MEET THE CONSUMER NEEDS.

CONCLUSION

LAST BUT NOT LEAST, THIS IS MY ARGUMENT WHY BRAND MANAGERS SHOULD BE BFF WITH SALES MANAGERS...

SALES MANAGER’S SUCCESS KEEP BRAND MANAGER’S SALARY PAID.

SO FOR BRAND MANAGERS, KEEP THIS IN MIND... SALES! SALES! SALES!

THANKS

[email protected]

brand & sales manager should be bff

Business

brand sales person

brand department

brand activities

brand experience

brand awareness

brand development

brand assets sales manager

sales revenue