Brand Manager - Straus Family Creamery
Petaluma, CA 94952
About the Job
Anticipated start date for this position is: 01/13/2025.
JOB OBJECTIVE: The Brand Manager is responsible for monitoring brand health and analyzing competitive activity, building brand awareness/equity via digital advertising, managing digital agency strategy, partnering with Sales to create compelling selling stories, and overseeing qualitative and quantitative research. This role has a general management mindset to provide ongoing business analysis and identify opportunities using data-driven insights to support the company’s short and long-term business plans. The BM must be well-versed in syndicated data, digital marketing, cross-functional collaboration, and agency management.
ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS
Business Analytics; Brand and Competitive Reporting
- Analyze syndicated data (IRI SPINS and Nielsen) and ongoing reporting of brand performance, consumption trends, category dynamics, and competition by sharing actionable insights with cross-functional team members and senior leadership
- Partner with the Sales team to develop category management and brand insights to spur growth across channels (natural, grocery, mass, club, eCommerce). Contribute marketing content to support customer presentations and selling stories
- Utilize data-driven approaches to inform product innovation and commercialization launch strategies and assist in the development of the 3-year innovation pipeline
- Contribute to the achievement of revenue and profit targets by forecasting product innovation & gross profit
- Track and support new items and current item velocities with marketing tactics
Digital Marketing and Website Management
- Manage performance marketing agency, strategy, and budget. SEO and SEM: Implement advanced SEO and SEM techniques to improve organic search rankings, increase website traffic, and optimize conversion rates
- Responsible for the company website, including managing content, asset development, and website metrics
- Digital metric reporting – track, interpret, and evaluate digital marketing campaigns and website performance against KPIs and budget goals for engagement and conversion
- Lead digital advertising campaigns: Plan and execute creative data-driven digital advertising campaigns across various platforms, including Google Ads, Facebook Ads, Instagram Ads, and programmatic advertising, to increase brand visibility, engagement, and website conversion
Research & Consumer Insights
- Manage qual and quant testing, including sensory tests in partnership with R&D and QA, consumer concepts, claims, and brand health surveys to determine purchase intent, marketing claims, and innovation concept validation through purchase intent
- Identify consumer, customer, and competitive insights and trends that justify developing new products, optimizing existing products, and sound marketing campaigns; disseminate insights knowledge across the organization
- Lead the packaging design process in collaboration with Marketing Manager and creative agency for design changes and marketing materials, including but not limited to sales collateral, digital campaigns, and POS
EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE, KNOWLEDGE REQUIREMENTS
- Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Business, or a related field
- MBA, preferred but not required
- 5+ years of experience in brand management, preferably in the CPG food and beverage industry
- Excellent syndicated database experience: IRI SPINS, Nielsen, panel data. The ability to interpret data pulls into insights for actionable growth
- Knowledge and experience in working with all trade channels (Grocery, Club, Mass, Natural, E-Commerce)
- Proficiency in digital marketing tools and analytics, performance, and paid digital marketing
- Budget management proficiency, including annual planning, tracking, and forecasting expenses
- Strong MS Word, PowerPoint, Excel skills
- Passion for working in a mission-based and sustainability-minded organization
COMPETENCIES
- Strategic Thinking: Ability to develop long-term strategies that align with company goals and market trends
- Analytical Skills: Strong ability to analyze data and derive actionable insights
- Communication: Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to convey complex ideas clearly. Present and communicate effectively with colleagues at all levels, including our Owner/Founder and Executive team.
- Leadership: Proven leadership skills to inspire and motivate teams to achieve results
- Collaboration: Strong team player who can work effectively and lead cross-functional teams
- Business acumen and experience in driving the P&L. A general management mindset that takes a total enterprise view of the Straus business
- Project management skills: A resourceful self-starter comfortable with multi-tasking and managing multiple priorities. Ability to consider processes and procedures from other (larger) organizations and recommend solutions for the unique needs and circumstances of a mission-driven organization
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS
- Ability to work on a computer and look at a computer screen for extended periods of time
- Short periods of standing, walking, bending, stooping, pushing, pulling, and stooping, turning the head and torso, reaching, grasping, bending, and flexing the arms, legs, wrists, hands, and fingers – repetitive at times
- The senses of being able to see, hear and have full power of speech are required
- The ability to climb stairs and balance is essential
- Ability to lift, hold and/or carry 15 pounds, unassisted
- Ability to travel up to 20% of time – varies with business need
- Flexibility to work different shifts when required, to be on call after hours, and to work weekends and all holidays
Above description is intended to describe the general nature and level of work to be performed and not construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required for the position.
Straus is an equal opportunity employer. We strictly prohibit and do not tolerate discrimination against employees, applicants or any other covered persons because of race, color, religion, national origin or ancestry, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, marital status, gender identity or expression, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any legally protected characteristic.
You do not need to match every listed expectation to apply for this position. Here at Straus Family Creamery, we know that diverse perspectives foster the innovation we need to be successful, and we are committed to building a team that encompasses a variety of backgrounds, experiences, and skills.
Vaccine Requirement
Employees working in this position will be required to be fully vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus. Applicants will be required to show proof of vaccination status upon receipt of a conditional offer of employment. That offer of employment will be conditioned upon, among other things, an Applicant’s ability to show proof of vaccination status. Please note the Company provides reasonable accommodations in accordance with applicable state, federal and local laws
Founded in 1994, Straus Family Creamery is a mission-driven, family-owned-and-operated business dedicated to making premium organic dairy products, with minimal processing. The Straus Dairy Farm and Creamery, located in the small town of Marshall on the Northern California Coast, was the first certified organic dairy farm west of the Mississippi River and the first 100% certified organic creamery in the United States.
In addition to the Straus Dairy Farm, Straus Family Creamery buys certified organic, Non-GMO Project Verified milk from 11 other organic family farms in Northern California’s Marin and Sonoma Counties. The combination of rich soil, one of the nation’s most diverse grassland systems, and a mild coastal climate create the ideal setting for organic dairy farming. Land stewardship and sustainable farming are deeply rooted principles in certified organic farming practices.
