ROLE: Marketing Manager

COMPANY: The Blake Group

REPORTS TO: CEO

LOCATION: Durban, Mount Edgecombe

CONTRACT: Permanent

CORE PURPOSE

We are looking for a dynamic and innovative Marketing Manager to promote our companies’ brands and services. In this role the incumbent will be responsible for optimizing our marketing strategies, managing the marketing department’s budget and staff as well tracking and analyzing the performance of advertising campaigns, and ensuring that all marketing material is in line with our brand identities. They will also be required to work collaboratively with business unit Heads, to make appropriate recommendations and strategize, to positively contribute to brand sustainability and marketing effectiveness across the Group’s entities. To be successful in this role you should have hands on experience with web analytics tools and other related marketing software and the ability to turn creative ideas into effective advertising projects.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Accountability for Brand Management and corporate identity across all Group entities
• Ensure Group entities remain committed to and aligned to Group brand and CI directives
• Accountability for digital lead generation: develop strategies and tactics to get the word out about our companies, to drive qualified traffic to our websites and businesses
• Experiment with a variety of organic and paid acquisition channels like content creation, content curation, pay per click campaigns, event management, publicity, social media, lead generation campaigns, copywriting, performance analysis
• Drive business units to produce valuable and engaging content and package appropriately for our websites, blogs and relevant social media channel in order to attract and convert key target groups
• Accountability for the content sourcing, collation and distribution of the Group Quarterly Customer Newsletter
• Prepare and monitor marketing budgets across group and subsidiary companies on a quarterly and annual basis while managing funds effectively and wisely
• Oversee and approve marketing material from website banners to hard copy brochures, case studies and other marketing and sales collateral required by each division
• Oversee and coordinate marketing events and conference participation to ensure the Group is appropriately represented and derives real value from representation and participation
• Analyse trends and adjust email and advertising campaigns accordingly
• Measure and report on the performance of marketing campaigns, gain insight and assess against goals
• Increase brand awareness by ensuring relevant differentiation, value, accessibility and emotional connection
• Ensure consistency of customer experience across a multi-channel environment.
• Drive brand understanding and support throughout the business
• Maintain brand identity consistency across divisions
• Help determine identities for new brands/sub-brands
• Anticipate and accommodate new brand identity needs
• Translating the business’s market position to a strong and consistent brand identity
• The incumbent will be required to identify and promote key points that differentiate Blake from its peers

CUSTOMER ENGAGEMENT

• Knowledge of database management and segmentation
• Effectively define our most important customers
• Understand what motivates the customer and ensure we are consistent on customer offerings across various channels
• Strategically, select a brand position that could provide the brands with industry advantages
• Reinforce our value proposition at each point of customer contact
• Measure the ongoing strength of the brand with our customer and making adjustments as necessary
• Ensure we maintain and/ increase our share of wallet across the customer life-cycle
• The incumbent must be able to contribute on an ongoing basis to the development and evolution of the group as well as the underlying entities value proposition to customers and clients
• The incumbent must be able to work collaboratively to ensure that the marketing strategy converts to sales and new business

TEAM MANAGEMENT

As the Marketing Manager you have x1 Graphic Designer reporting directly to you. You are responsible for:

• Managing the Graphic Designer and work briefed into their space from the Group and all of its subsidiaries
• Building a high-performance team of highly engaged and empowered associates through mentoring, coaching and development and ongoing feedback
• Encourage open and honest relationships within the team
• Partner with HR to ensure that appropriate action is taken when managing associate misconduct or poor performance
• Assist in the recruitment of departmental vacancies
• Live the company values

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

• Related Degree/Qualification in Marketing Management/Brand Management
• Related degree/qualification in Digital Marketing advantageous
• Experience in managing multiple brands and projects
• Understanding of the diversity in clients related to brands
• Exposure to different brand strategies
• Knowledge of competing markets relative to divisional brands
• A basic knowledge of our industry will be an advantage (BPO, Debt Collection and Technology)

ATTRIBUTES/SKILLS

• Strategic ability combined with creativity
• Analytical
• Visionary
• Technology savvy
• Project management
• Influencing skills
• Innovation
• Strong organizational and planning skills
• Consultative skills with heightened level of listening ability
• Ability to report and respect deadlines
• A sense of aesthetics and a love for great copy and witty communication
• Up to date with the latest trends and best practices in online marketing and measurement
• Ability to multi-task and manage business expectations