| Detail | For this role |
|---|---|
| Department | Marketing |
| Level | Senior management |
| Reports to | Managing Director |
| Direct reports | DGM Marketing, Brand Manager, Marketing Communications Manager, Market Research Manager |
| Experience | 16 to 20 years in marketing, with at least 6 years heading a marketing team |
General Manager Marketing job description template
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Job title: General Manager Marketing
Department: Marketing
Reports to: Managing Director
Location: [City], [office, branch or site]
About the role
A General Manager Marketing heads the marketing function of a company or a large division, typically in Indian manufacturing, consumer durables, real estate or automotive firms. The GM owns the annual marketing plan and the advertising and promotion budget, decides brand and media priorities, guides launches and pricing communication, and manages DGMs, brand managers and agencies. A strong GM Marketing links marketing spend to market share and sales growth in terms the Managing Director and the board accept.
Key responsibilities
- Prepare the annual marketing plan with the sales and finance heads, covering objectives, target segments, launches, activity calendar and the promotion budget.
- Defend the advertising and promotion budget in the annual operating plan review, and fix its split across brands, regions and media.
- Decide brand positioning and campaign priorities for the portfolio, and approve every major campaign before release.
- Lead new product launches with R&D, production and sales, from the market need and pricing inputs to launch events and dealer communication.
- Appoint creative, media, digital and research agencies, negotiate annual retainers and media rates, and review their work every quarter.
- Review market share, competitor moves and dealer feedback each month, and adjust schemes, messaging or media together with the sales head.
- Approve price change communication, product literature and catalogues so that claims stay accurate and consistent across regions.
- Commission brand health studies and customer satisfaction surveys, and turn their findings into changes in the plan.
- Present marketing results, spend efficiency and the next quarter's plan to the Managing Director and the management committee.
- Design the marketing team's structure, hire DGMs and managers, and plan their development and succession.
Requirements
- Postgraduate degree in marketing, usually an MBA or PGDM, from a well-regarded business school
- A first degree in engineering or science helps in technical and industrial categories
- A senior management program from an IIM or similar institute is an advantage
- 16 to 20 years in marketing, with at least 6 years heading a marketing team
KRAs and KPIs for a General Manager Marketing
Key result areas for the appraisal form, each with a KPI you can measure every month or quarter.
| Key result area | How to measure it |
|---|---|
| Market share | Market share in priority product lines up by the points committed in the annual plan |
| Promotion spend efficiency | Advertising and promotion spend held within the approved percent of net sales for the year |
| New product contribution | Products launched in the last 3 years reach the revenue share set in the annual plan |
| Brand health | Awareness and preference scores in the annual brand study at or above last year's levels |
| Plan delivery | At least 90 percent of approved campaigns and launches delivered on the committed dates |
| Team strength | Key marketing positions filled within 90 days, with a named successor for each DGM |
Skills and tools
Tools used day to day: SAP or Oracle ERP, MS Excel and PowerPoint, Power BI dashboards, Retail audit and brand study reports, Media plans and TV ratings data.
Reporting line and career path
Next roles: Vice President Marketing, Chief Marketing Officer, Business Head
Interview questions for a General Manager Marketing
- How do you set the advertising and promotion budget as a percent of sales, and how do you defend it in a bad year?
- Tell me about a launch you led that missed its targets. What would you do differently?
- Sales wants deeper schemes while you want brand investment. How do you reach a decision with the Managing Director?
- How do you measure whether a regional campaign actually moved market share?
- Our brand study shows falling preference. What would you change in your first 90 days?
- How do you judge whether your agencies are giving you their best people?
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What does a General Manager Marketing do?
A General Manager Marketing heads marketing for a company or division. They prepare the annual marketing plan, own the advertising and promotion budget, decide brand and media priorities, lead launches, manage agencies and research, and report marketing results to the Managing Director. DGMs and brand managers usually report to them.
What is the difference between GM Marketing and DGM Marketing?
The GM Marketing owns the plan, the full budget and the brand decisions for the company or division. The DGM Marketing executes a part of that plan, usually a set of zones or product lines, controls the budget share given to them and stands in for the GM in reviews.
How much experience does a GM Marketing need?
Most companies look for 16 to 20 years in marketing, including at least 6 years leading a team, along with an MBA in marketing. A record of launches, agency management and budget ownership usually matters more than the exact number of years.