Summary
A luxury brand manager is usually responsible for overseeing the entire creative process for a single product or an array of services and products for a given company
Top notch brands hire luxury brand managers for promoting their products and services
Till even a few year ago, the market for luxury brands in India was quite limited. While there has always existed a certain niche urban clientele for such products, the last decade or so has seen a sharp rise with more and more luxury brands entering the Indian market as well as a large number of local brands positioning themselves in the luxury, premium space. What sets these brands apart is their value proposition. Unlike other brands where the buzzwords are utility and value, a luxury brand promises exclusivity, quality and pride of ownership. Naturally then, these brands do not sell to the masses. And with the change in value proposition and target audience size, the role that a brand manager must play also changes.
If you are looking for a competitive profession working with luxury and premium products - then this might just be the job for you. Read on to know more…
Responsibilities
A luxury brand manager is usually responsible for overseeing the entire creative process for a single product or an array of services and products for a given company that operates in the luxury space. Brand managers work internally with the organisation's marketing department and their major responsibilities include providing branding, marketing, or advertising consultancy on important projects. Some of the day to day activities of a brand manager includes:
- Conducting minute market research to be able to better position the brand and its communication line
- Monitoring the latest market trends to give the brand name an edge over the rest
- Identifying potential areas where the organisation needs to invest in order to stand at par with the consumption habits and requirements of their customers
- Looking after the marketing campaigns and other press releases, to ensure that the messaging and design has the intended effect and attracts the right consumers.
- Collaborating with in-house teams to improve the brand image, products, quality and design.
- Compiling customer reaction reports and taking necessary actions on them
- Working on product launch events and thereafter fostering the required hype for the product to be launched.
Career options
Some of the exciting job roles in the field of luxury brand management include:
Merchandise manager
Merchandise managers play a crucial role in the product lifecycle, beginning from product manufacturing, design and packaging to the final store shelf presentation. A fresher entering these fields needs to conduct a lot of conscious research, pay close attention to details and trend analysis. Depending on the size and type of organisation you are placed at, your job will carry varying degrees of responsibility.
Fashion PR
Fashion PR is one of the most popular job profiles in lifestyle and fashion organisations. Fashion PRs craft communication strategies that forms an integral part of public relations, stakeholder communication, corporate communication as well as risk communication.
The basic goal of a fashion PR is to build relationships with different groups of people, ranging from customers, employees, suppliers and other stakeholders, so as to increase the awareness of the brand along with improving public perception.
Fashion buyer
Becoming a fashion buyer is one of the most desirable careers in the fashion industry. However, while on the surface it appears to be a glamorous role where a typical buyer travels the world to pick up the latest pieces from the best fashion hubs, this is a profile which requires a combination of skills to succeed and move forward. A fashion buyer is solely responsible for selecting and ordering what is sold in the stores for maximum profit. As a fresher willing to enter the field, this demanding job role will require you to stay on top of trends, have sound business knowledge and great communication skills.
To start your career in luxury brand management, your first step should be to get a thorough understanding of how the industry operates - especially since this niche industry is very different from the usual commercial market brands. You can consider specialising in in luxury brands at a postgraduate level. You can also consider getting an online certificate for the same.
Some of the best online courses available in luxury brand management are:
- Management of Fashion and Luxury Companies by Coursera
- Advanced Certificate in Brand Communication Management by upGrad
- Introduction to Luxury Brand Management by Udemy
Click here to learn about more courses that teach brand management
Luxury brand management has been around for as long as the fashion industry has existed, but it is only in recent decades that the profession has gained popularity. To continue to maintain their appeal as premium and exclusive products meant for a select few, luxury brand managers must take strategic steps towards advertising and branding in the right way. With the increase of luxury products and brands on a national and international level, these job profiles are highly sought after and brands are always on the lookout for fresh talent.
Last updated on 19 Oct 2022
