Brand Manager
Also advertised as: Assistant Brand Manager, Brand Manager, Brand Marketing Manager, Marketing Manager, Product Marketing Manager
Owns how a product or company is positioned and perceived across every customer touchpoint.
What the job involves
Brand managers shape the story a company tells, from packaging and advertising to tone of voice on social media. You brief creative and media agencies, track brand health through research, and work closely with sales teams to make sure the brand promise holds up in stores or online. It suits people who enjoy commercial thinking alongside creative judgement.
Typical responsibilities
- Develop brand positioning and messaging
- Brief and manage creative and media agencies
- Track brand perception and market research
- Plan campaigns aligned with commercial targets
- Coordinate packaging, advertising and social content
Common employers
- FMCG companies
- Retailers
- Consumer brands
- Marketing agencies
Pay, hours and working environment
Typical pay
£28,000 – £34,000 a year
With experience
£42,000 – £60,000 a year
Typical hours
37.5 hours
Working environment
Office based or hybrid
Remote working
hybrid
Demand for this work
steady
Pay ranges are indicative guidance drawn from advertised UK vacancies and published careers information. They are not an offer, and actual pay varies by employer, location and experience.
Skills and qualifications
Core skills
- Strategic thinking
- Project management
- Market research interpretation
- Stakeholder management
- Commercial awareness
Transferable skills you may already have
- Managing a project from brief to delivery
- Presenting ideas persuasively
- Budget management
Requirements employers ask for
- Strategic thinking
- Project management
- Market research interpretation
- Stakeholder management
- Commercial awareness
- Degree, though some enter via marketing apprenticeships
Useful but not essential
- Managing a project from brief to delivery
- Presenting ideas persuasively
- Budget management
- CIM Diploma in Professional Marketing
- Experience in a marketing assistant or executive role
Helpful qualifications
- CIM Diploma in Professional Marketing
- Experience in a marketing assistant or executive role
Ways into this career
A degree is only one route. Where an apprenticeship, work-experience or qualification route exists, it is listed here alongside the academic option.
Apprenticeships and work-based routes
- Marketing Manager (Level 6)
Degree and college routes
- Related subject: Marketing
- Related subject: Business
- Related subject: Psychology
Where this career can lead
next
Senior Brand Manager
next
Head of Marketing
next
Marketing Director
The good parts and the hard parts
What people enjoy
- Highly visible, commercially important work
- Blends creativity with measurable results
- Transfers well between industries
What people find hard
- Campaign results are judged publicly and quickly
- Budgets and priorities can change at short notice
Common questions
- Do you need a degree to become a brand manager?
- No. As well as degree routes, this career can be entered through an apprenticeship or by building experience and qualifications on the job. preferred
- How much does a brand manager earn in the UK?
- Typical advertised pay runs from £28,000 to £34,000 a year, rising towards £60,000 with experience. Figures are indicative guidance rather than an offer.
- What skills transfer into this career?
- Skills that transfer well include Managing a project from brief to delivery, Presenting ideas persuasively, Budget management.
Related careers
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SEO Specialist
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Paid Media Executive
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Social Media Manager
Plans and posts content across social platforms to build a brand's audience and engagement.
Where this information comes from
- National Careers Service
- Institute for Apprenticeships
Last reviewed 14 September 2026.
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