| Detail | For this role |
|---|---|
| Department | Marketing |
| Level | Manager |
| Reports to | Head of Marketing |
| Direct reports | Trade Marketing Executive, Visual Merchandiser |
| Experience | 6 to 9 years in trade marketing, FMCG sales or channel marketing |
Trade Marketing Manager job description template
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Job title: Trade Marketing Manager
Department: Marketing
Reports to: Head of Marketing
Location: [City], [office, branch or site]
About the role
A Trade Marketing Manager makes the brand win at the point of sale. In FMCG, beverages, consumer durables, paints, telecom and OTC healthcare companies, they plan visibility, merchandising, POSM, retailer and distributor schemes, in-store activations and shopper promotions with the sales team. They sit between brand marketing and sales, usually reporting to the head of marketing with a close working line to the national sales manager, and are judged on in-store execution and the return on trade spend.
Key responsibilities
- Translate brand plans into channel plans for general trade, modern trade, pharmacies or e-commerce, with outlet priorities for each.
- Design retailer and distributor schemes, display contests and loyalty programs with sales and finance, including mechanics and budgets.
- Develop point-of-sale material such as shelf strips, danglers, standees and store branding, and plan its production and deployment.
- Set visibility and planogram standards for priority outlets, and audit compliance through merchandisers or third-party agencies.
- Plan in-store activations, sampling and shopper promotions with the category teams of modern trade chains.
- Track trade spend by scheme, region and customer, and work out the incremental sales each scheme delivered.
- Train the sales force and merchandisers on schemes, displays and product stories before each promotion period.
- Gather competitor activity at the shelf, including prices, displays and schemes, and share it with brand and sales teams.
- Manage POSM vendors and activation agencies, including quality checks, deployment proof and invoices.
- Lead trade marketing executives and merchandiser coordinators, and visit markets regularly with the sales teams.
Requirements
- MBA or PGDM in Marketing
- Graduate degree in any discipline
- Earlier FMCG sales experience is an advantage
- 6 to 9 years in trade marketing, FMCG sales or channel marketing
KRAs and KPIs for a Trade Marketing Manager
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 |
|---|---|
| Visibility compliance | At least 85 percent of priority outlets meeting the display and planogram standard in monthly audits |
| POSM deployment | At least 90 percent of produced POSM deployed in outlets within 30 days of dispatch |
| Trade spend return | Every scheme evaluated within 45 days of closing, with the weakest dropped from the next cycle |
| Trade spend budget | Trade spend within the approved percent of sales for each channel |
| Scheme settlement | Retailer and distributor scheme claims settled within 30 days of submission |
| Activation delivery | Planned in-store activations completed in at least 90 percent of committed stores |
Skills and tools
Tools used day to day: SAP or similar ERP, Sales force automation app, Retail audit data, Merchandising audit app with photo capture, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint.
Reporting line and career path
Next roles: Senior Brand Manager, Head of Marketing, National Sales Manager
Interview questions for a Trade Marketing Manager
- How would you choose which 5,000 outlets in a state get premium visibility?
- Walk me through a retailer scheme you designed. Did it pay back?
- Audit photos show POSM lying unused in distributor godowns. What do you change?
- How do you plan a promotion with a modern trade chain's category team?
- Sales wants deeper schemes every month. How do you decide what to approve?
- How do you check that a display contest was genuine and not staged for the photos?
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What does a trade marketing manager do?
A trade marketing manager plans how a brand wins in stores. They design retailer and distributor schemes, POSM and displays, set visibility standards, plan in-store activations with modern trade chains, train the sales force and measure the return on trade spend.
What is the difference between trade marketing and brand marketing?
Brand marketing builds demand among consumers through advertising, packaging and communication. Trade marketing works on the channel and the store, making sure products are stocked, visible and promoted where shoppers buy. Trade marketing works closely with sales, while brand marketing works closely with agencies and research.
Who does a trade marketing manager report to?
Most trade marketing managers report to the head of marketing or the marketing director, with a close working line to the national sales manager. In some FMCG companies trade marketing sits inside the sales function and reports to the head of sales.