I’m responsible for every aspect of the fragrance brands that I work on and the new fragrances that I create. That includes developing the marketing plan – which defines which customer we’ll target (men, women, adults, teens?); where we’ll be sold (department stores, mass stores, or on the internet); what the price will be; what products will be included in the line (shower gel, lotion, cream?) and how we’ll make consumers aware of it (television or magazine ads, social media, public relations, guerilla marketing?).

I also work with designers/celebrities to create fragrance concepts; with perfumers to develop the scent (juice); with packaging designers and engineers to finalize the bottle and carton; and with the salesforcce to develop the presentation to get retailers to carry the brand. I also manage the inventory, costs and budget; monitor and report sales results; constantly check out the competition; and develop promotional programs like gift sets, sampling, and free gifts with purchase.

I’ve always loved the beauty industry. I went to college and worked as a cashier in Sephora for two summers and then got an internship at a beauty company. When I graduated, that company hired me as a Marketing Coordinator. I worked my way up from there. Many others get MBA’s and start out immediately as a Brand Manager.

I love that I get to be creative and analytical. That it’s a fast paced environment with new challenges every day. That I get to work on products that I love and touch so many areas of the business. A Brand Manager has to be the brand champion - nobody in the company should be more passionate about your brand than you; and you have to know your customers/business better than everyone else. It’s like being the CEO of your brand. I love working with designers and celebrities…and that in Marketing you’re often in the loop early about major new projects being developed in the company.

Lots of late nights & deadlines. As the brand manager, you’re the go to person for questions on the brand from every area of the company; and you also have to develop great relationships with people in every functional area (Legal, Creative, Supply Chain) to get the things you need done to meet your timelines.

You also have to be good with numbers. You have to ensure that your brand is profitable by understanding the brand financials. You have to manage spending like how much you are spending on media and advertising agency support; and you have to understand the cost of your product – how much does it cost to make one bottle of your fragrance? To know this you have to know the cost of the fragrance oil, the bottle, cap, collar, carton, even the carton liner. This is called cost accounting and it’s critical.

You pretty much get all of the beauty products you’ve ever wanted. I also go to the runway shows for the designers I work with. There’s some international travel, too

• Creative
• Good with numbers
• Love beauty products
• Like a fast paced environment
• Great interpersonal skills (being a people person helps)
• Very organized and good at follow-up
• A good nose (but that comes with time)

The majority of companies that have brands have brand managers. Once you’re a brand manager, and have learned how to manage all areas of your business, there is definitely the opportunity to move to other brands – whether inside or outside of the beauty industry.

The next step after Brand Manager is typically Brand Director, and then Executive Director or Vice President.