Brand Management and People Management

A brand manager must work with teams from many departments, plus vendors and freelancers, to accomplish performance goals for the product. With each of these people, the brand manager must effectively communicate the brand strategy and train that person in how to pass the message on in his or her work.

A freelance or contract brand manager must therefore build many relationships quickly at a new assignment, learning who the more powerful people are in the company (not necessarily the ones at the top of the org chart!) and involving as many of them as possible in the early stages of envisioning and refining a brand strategy.