Brand Manager - William Grant and Sons Portfolio

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Meaningful Work From Day One

William Grant & Sons (WG&S) is one of the leading international spirits companies, with a portfolio of premium and super-premium spirits brands, such as Glenfiddich, The Balvenie, Monkey Shoulder, Grant’s, Tullamore Dew, and Hendrick’s Gin.  Brown-Forman has been appointed the exclusive distributor for WG&S’s full portfolio in Japan, effective January 1, 2025.

This role works closely with the Marketing Manager to lead Monkey Shoulder, Grant’s, Hendrick’s Gin, Tullamore D.E.W. Irish Whiskey, Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum, and Drambuie Scotch Liqueur within Brown-Forman Japan (BFJ).  It covers the full spectrum of Brand Management from strategic planning to the development, successful execution, and evaluation of all marketing programs.  It champions the brands across the entire BFJ organization and works closely within Marketing and cross-functionally with Finance & Supply chain to ensure effective implementation of the plans and to drive profitable growth.

The role leads the Monkey Shoulder & Grant’s business day-to-day, while overseeing an Assistant Brand Manager who will support Monkey Shoulder & Grant’s, while leading the other brands.

What You Can Expect

Supports and influences strategic brand & business planning:

• Collaborates closely with the Marketing Manager as a strategic thought partner

• Develops business plans, forecasts, and growth strategies to maximize brand profitability and value share.

• Translates global brand strategies into actionable plans, covering all elements of the marketing mix, to deliver impactful results, in alignment with BFJ and WG&S ambitions and guidelines.

• Analyzes business performance, market trends, consumer insights, and competitor activities to inform strategic planning.

• Manages financial aspects of the brands, including budget allocation and A&P tracking & control.

Leads brand plan implementation and evaluation:

• Serves as a passionate brand advocate, embodying and promoting the brand’s values and essence in all interactions, internally and with trade professionals.

• Develops and leads campaigns & initiatives, including ATL, experiential marketing, event activation, on & off-premise trade marketing, and brand advocacy.  Partners closely within the extended marketing team, cross-functional teams and agencies to develop briefs, shape and drive effective execution of media, PR, channel/customer, and shopper plans.  

• Monitors and analyzes category & competitive dynamics, brand performance, and program/activity effectiveness to course correct and improve strategies & plans. Collaborates with the Insights team to develop relevant consumer & shopper insight.

• Prepares situation assessments, performance reviews, execution metrics, A&P and other reporting for internal stakeholders and WG&S, with supporting documentation.

Nurtures strong collaboration with internal and external stakeholders:

• Acts as a liaison between internal BFJ and WG&S teams to synchronize brand efforts and secure full alignment.

• Prepares & presents annual integrated brand business plans and monthly & quarterly brand business reviews to BFJ and WG&S leadership

• Cultivates best in class collaboration with marketing departments, cross-functional teams, and agencies to ensure unified brand messaging.

• Facilitates brainstorming sessions, workshops, and collaborative projects to foster innovation and alignment.

• Advocates for diversity & inclusion within the marketing agenda and within the organization.

What You Bring to the Table

• 5+ years of relevant marketing experience

• Forward thinking and entrepreneurial mindset

• Effective use of data and insight to inform business plans and decisions

• Ability to set prioritize, organize and manage multiple projects to completion by specific deadlines

• Strong project management skills and time management to meet the deadline

• Strong collaborative leadership skills, talent for building and maintaining productive working relationships with diverse local & international colleagues and partners

• Persuasive communication skills (influencing, listening, presenting, writing) in Japanese and English; able to build stories and explain business plans & results in a clear, concise, and visually appealing manner

• Ability & willingness to travel internationally and attend evening and weekend events, when needed

• Adaptability, flexibility and resilience

• Honesty and integrity

What Makes You Unique

• Experience marketing for FMCG, luxury goods, beverages, or emotional lifestyle/image brands; prior experience with premium & super-premium international spirits. 

• Keen eye for curating refined brand experiences that align with the lifestyles of super premium shoppers.  Appreciation of craftsmanship and understanding of brand storytelling.

• Blend of marketing and business acumen. 

• Experience working for a foreign company, especially a U.S. or European company

• Self-starter with proven ability to identify issues and projects, plan and prioritize with demonstrated ability to organize and manage multiple projects to completion by specific deadlines

• Humility and a good sense of humor

Who We Are

We believe great people build great brands. And we know there is Nothing Better in the Market than a career at Brown-Forman. Being a part of Brown-Forman means you will grow both personally and professionally. You will have the opportunity to solve problems, seize
opportunities, and generate bold ideas. You will belong to a place where teamwork matters and where you are encouraged to bring your best self to work.

About William Grant & Sons

William Grant & Sons is an independent, innovative, family-owned distiller and distributor headquartered in the United Kingdom and founded by William Grant in 1887.   Today, the global premium spirits company is run by the fifth generation of his family and distills some of the world's leading brands of Scotch whisky, including Glenfiddich, The Balvenie, Monkey Shoulder, and Grant's, as well as other iconic spirits brands such as Hendrick's Gin, Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum, Tullamore D.E.W. Irish Whiskey, and Drambuie Scotch Liqueur.

What We Offer

This role provides a rare opportunity to work with 2 of the world’s leading premium+ spirits companies:  Brown-Forman and William Grant & Sons. 

Total Rewards at Brown-Forman is designed to engage our people to ensure sustainable and profitable growth for generations to come. As a premium spirits company, we offer equitable pay structures for individual and company performance alongside a premium employee experience. We offer a range of premium benefits that reflect our company values and meet the needs of our diverse workforce.

#LI #jackdaniels

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