Brand Manager

POSITION SUMMARY

Reporting to the Director of Brand Marketing, the Brand Manager will be responsible for leading strategic marketing initiatives for both the Lou Malnati’s and Tastes of Chicago brands that drive sales and brand growth. This person will work cross-functionally and with external agencies to develop and execute holistic national marketing calendars, inclusive of campaigns, menu innovation, and promotions. This role will have the opportunity to impact the entire marketing planning process, from identifying business opportunities, to developing strategic campaign ideas, to executing cross-channel marketing plans.

RESPONSIBILITIES

· Work with marketing leadership to develop annual marketing calendars for both Lou Malnati’s and Tastes of Chicago that build brand equity and drive sales growth

• Lead campaign development from ideation and briefing to execution across owned, paid, and earned channels
• Build creative briefs for the design team and oversee the creative development process to ensure that collateral is cohesive and aligns to campaign strategy
• Collaborate with marketing and PR teams to develop campaigns into integrated marketing plans that reflect the strategic intent across channels

· Monitor performance of ongoing campaigns and make recommendations for optimizations or future campaigns

· Work with analytics partners to uncover consumer and business insights and translate them into product and marketing strategies

· Proactively identify opportunities for consumer research to hone brand identity or inform marketing campaigns and messaging

· Partner with cross-functional departments including finance, operations, IT, and procurement to manage menu strategy (pricing/discount strategy, menu innovation, LTOs, etc.)

· Lead cross functional teams to execute national calendar and brand initiatives; communicate timelines, decision points, and results

POSITION REQUIREMENTS

• 7+ years experience in a marketing role, ideally in multi-unit restaurants, retail, CPG or ecommerce
• Bachelors degree required, MBA preferred
• Passion for food is preferred
• Strong business acumen with a track record of developing insight-driven campaigns that deliver business results
• Experience designing marketing campaigns and managing the end-to-end campaign execution process
• Leadership experience and an ability to influence decision making at all levels of the organization
• A great collaborator who can work well with others within marketing and cross-functionally
• Strong analytical skills; experience interpreting business results and consumer research
• A strategic thinker who uses data to identify marketing opportunities and assess marketing impact
• Ability to manage multiple projects at once and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment
• Experience working across marketing channels, including digital, paid and social media

Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria