Questions for You to Ask Brand Management Recruiters

  1. What are the characteristics of successful people within your organization?
  2. What are the different levels of marketing management?
  3. How many people are at each level?
  4. What are the responsibilities/accountability associated with each level of management?
  5. At what level does the copy responsibility for the brand ultimately lie?
  6. At what level do you receive profit/loss responsibility? Please define what you refer to as "profit/loss."
  7. Is there any sort of plan that ensures a new brand management assistant gets exposure to new brands; established brands; brands driven by advertising; brands driven by the trade?
  8. Please explain the performance evaluation process at the first two levels.
  9. What is the brand manager evaluated on? Please rank the criteria in order of importance.
  10. At what level do you become the primary person on the brand that interacts with product development people; market research; sales; advertising agency?
  11. How strong do you feel each of the marketing support groups is in relationship to the others (i.e. art, marketing research, sales, promotion services).
  12. What is the process for determining the brand's marketing budget?
  13. Who takes part in the budget process? What is each person's responsibility?
  14. As a new brand manager, what is the average dollar amount of the brand's budget you will first be assigned to; the second brand you will be assigned to?
  15. For what reasons would you be reassigned brands as a brand manager?
  16. What signs do you see that indicate the continued support (or lack thereof) of the company introducing new products on an aggressive timing?
  17. Where do you see the majority of the new profits coming from in your company? (new-to-the-world brands/categories, new product lines, additions to existing lines, revisions in existing lines, repositioning, cost reductions.)
  18. What do you specifically attribute your company's success to?
  19. Do moves occur within divisions of the company?
  20. Explain the training program for the first year. What is the balance between formal/on-the-job training?