| Detail | For this role |
|---|---|
| Department | Marketing |
| Level | Mid level |
| Reports to | Trade Marketing Manager |
| Direct reports | None |
| Experience | 2 to 4 years in trade marketing, sales or channel marketing |
Trade Marketing Executive job description template
Copy this job description, replace the text in square brackets and post it on your careers page or a job portal.
Job title: Trade Marketing Executive
Department: Marketing
Reports to: Trade Marketing Manager
Location: [City], [office, branch or site]
About the role
A Trade Marketing Executive drives a brand's visibility and sales at the point of purchase, working between marketing and sales. They plan in-store promotions, retailer and distributor schemes, point-of-sale material and channel campaigns, and make sure they reach the shelves and shops. The role is common in FMCG, consumer durables and retail. A good one gets the brand seen and stocked across stores, runs schemes that lift off-take without wrecking margins, and keeps the sales team and channel partners supplied with the right material.
Key responsibilities
- Plan in-store promotions, displays and point-of-sale material for retail and distribution channels.
- Design retailer and distributor schemes, offers and incentives with the sales team.
- Make sure point-of-sale material and displays reach stores and are put up correctly.
- Support product launches with channel visibility and trade activation plans.
- Track scheme performance, off-take and return on trade spend by channel.
- Coordinate with sales, distributors and vendors on execution across regions.
- Visit markets and stores to check visibility, stock and competitor activity.
- Manage the trade marketing budget and keep spends within plan.
- Prepare sales team material such as product information and scheme details.
- Share market and competitor feedback with the brand and sales teams.
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in marketing, commerce or a related field
- An MBA in marketing or sales is an advantage
- Knowledge of retail and distribution channels
- 2 to 4 years in trade marketing, sales or channel marketing
KRAs and KPIs for a Trade Marketing Executive
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 |
|---|---|
| Trade visibility | Brand visibility and display targets met across the covered stores |
| Scheme performance | Trade schemes lift off-take while staying within the approved cost |
| Execution | Point-of-sale material deployed correctly in a high share of target stores |
| Return on trade spend | Trade spend delivers the agreed return, tracked by scheme |
| Budget control | Trade marketing spend kept within the approved budget |
| Market feedback | Regular market and competitor feedback shared with the team |
Skills and tools
Tools used day to day: MS Excel, Sales and distribution reports, Point-of-sale trackers, PowerPoint, Market visit apps.
Reporting line and career path
Next roles: Trade Marketing Manager, Area Sales Manager
Interview questions for a Trade Marketing Executive
- How would you improve a brand's visibility in general trade stores in a city?
- How do you design a retailer scheme that lifts sales without hurting margin?
- How do you make sure point-of-sale material actually gets put up in stores?
- How do you measure the return on a trade promotion?
- What do you look for when you visit a market or store?
- How do you handle a distributor who is not executing a scheme?
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What does a trade marketing executive do?
A trade marketing executive drives a brand's visibility and sales at the point of purchase, working between marketing and sales. They plan in-store promotions, retailer and distributor schemes, point-of-sale material and channel campaigns, and make sure they reach the shelves. Their job is to get the brand seen, stocked and selling across stores.
What is the difference between trade marketing and brand marketing?
Brand marketing builds demand with consumers through advertising, positioning and campaigns. Trade marketing works closer to the shelf, driving visibility and off-take through retailers, distributors and in-store activity. Brand marketing pulls customers towards the brand; trade marketing pushes the brand through the sales channel to the point of purchase.
What skills does a trade marketing executive need?
A trade marketing executive needs in-store activation, scheme design, channel coordination and budget management skills, plus analytics to measure off-take and return. Market visits and negotiation matter, since the work happens through distributors and retailers. Being organised and comfortable in the field is as important as planning at a desk.