Beyond the Logo: VP of Brand Marketing Job Description

Michelle Han-Taylor 6 min read 25 Sep 2023

It's no secret that your company's marketing strategy has a major impact on your brand's overall perception, revenue, and success. Your marketing team may function as a well-oiled machine — but all it takes is one bad cog to throw off your entire strategy.

The good news? An experienced, skilled, and confident Vice President of Brand Marketing can help lead your entire marketing department to higher levels of success. From there, the entire company can benefit from greater staying power, stronger customer loyalty, and a better market share.

Below, we'll go into detail about what a VP of Brand Marketing is, what these professionals are typically responsible for, and some common qualifications. We'll also explore some of the benefits of having one of these executives on your team.

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About the VP of Brand Marketing

A VP of Brand Marketing (sometimes known as a VP of Marketing) is a full-time executive who leads a company's entire marketing team with a specific focus on an organization’s brand (a set of features or concepts that set the business apart from others in the industry; can also be the company’s visual and tonal identity). They set standards and strategies while building relationships with stakeholders and maintaining the brand's marketing budget.

A VP of Brand Marketing is expected to work closely with a company's marketing team or advertising team to handle everything from developing the overall tone and voice of a brand to measuring the success of individual campaigns.

They also report back to other higher-ups within the company on the success of individual campaigns, serving as a sort of liaison between the marketing team and the top-level management team.

Do You Really Need a VP of Brand Marketing? 4 Key Impacts They Have on ROI

When you make the right hire, a VP of Brand Marketing can take your company's marketing strategy and organization to new levels of success. Let's explore just a handful of the impacts a great VP of Marketing can have on your company's bottom line.

Empowering your design and marketing teams to create more successful campaigns that generate higher revenue and profits.
Keeping your company’s branding more consistent, which can increase revenue by 10% to 20%.
Playing a key role in building a lasting brand image and reputation that sets you apart from your competition.
Orgs with strong employer brands stand to reduce their cost-per-hire by up to 50% and receive 3.5x more applications per job opening.

At What Point Should a Company Look To Hire a VP of Brand Marketing?

A VP of Brand Marketing can bring a lot to the table, especially if you're looking to make your mark, elevate your brand strategy and brand awareness, and become a household name in your industry. While many factors go into deciding whether to hire for this position, here are a few common scenarios where it would make sense for a company to start looking for a Vice President of Brand Marketing.

Scenario 1: Your company already has a Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), but they could use a little more assistance with day-to-day, hands-on work, especially as it pertains to the company’s overall identity, voice, and character.
Scenario 2: The success of your marketing campaigns (including ROI) is decreasing or staying stagnant, and you're looking to improve your outcomes.
Scenario 3: Your company has plans to grow or scale, and you want to make sure your marketing continues to reflect your business objectives and vision as other big changes take place.
Scenario 4: Your company is undergoing a rebrand or reintroducing itself to the market. You need a VP of Brand Marketing to help the rebrand go smoothly and to make the transition to your new branding strategy as seamless as possible.
Scenario 5: Your company is struggling to find its place and voice in the market. In this scenario, a VP of Brand Marketing can bring in a fresh perspective and new ideas to help your company find its place within the industry.

VP of Brand Marketing Responsibilities and Duties

While the exact job description for a VP of Brand Marketing will depend on what your company needs, these are the basic duties that they are typically responsible for.

Create and lead the development of the organization's overall brand strategy, including defining brand positioning, messaging, and value propositions.
Identifying and initiating partnerships, collaborations, or sponsorships that can enhance the brand's visibility and reputation.
Managing and overseeing the company's total marketing budget, making sure individual campaigns stay on track.
Overseeing the company's entire marketing team and hiring new team members as needed.
Staying on top of the latest marketing research, brand tactics, and industry trends, as well as evaluating when it may be time to try something new.
Ensuring that marketing strategies and brand initiatives align with the overall goals and vision of the company.
Tracking metrics and KPIs to measure the success of individual marketing campaigns.
Reporting and presenting the results of marketing plans to other high-level executives and cross-functional teams within the company.
Developing crisis communication strategies and protocols to protect and enhance the brand's reputation in times of crisis or controversy.
Keeping a close eye on competitors’ branding and marketing strategies.

VP of Brand Marketing Qualifications

Any promising VP of Brand Marketing will need to have some specific hard and soft skills and qualifications to succeed in the role.

Some potential skills to look for in a VP of Brand Marketing candidate include, but are not limited to:

Expertise in defining and evolving brand identities, including logo design, typography, color schemes, and visual style guides.
Strong analytical skills, especially when it comes to making sense of large amounts of marketing and customer data.
Extensive knowledge of different facets of digital marketing, including SEO, content marketing, PPC advertising, social media marketing, and other marketing channels.
8+ years of experience in planning and executing multichannel marketing campaigns across various channels, including print, TV, radio, online, and social media.
Deep understanding of marketing and design tools/programs, such as Google Analytics, Figma, Hootsuite, HubSpot, Microsoft Suite, and similar platforms.
Understanding of intellectual property laws, trademark regulations, and compliance requirements to protect the brand.
Expertise in adapting branding strategies for international markets, considering cultural nuances and localization.
Understanding of graphic design principles, creative direction, and the ability to provide guidance to design teams for brand assets.
Familiarity with advertising strategies, media planning, and negotiation skills for securing favorable ad placements.

In addition to hard, technical skills, a great VP of Brand Marketing candidate will also possess the following soft skills:

Excellent verbal and written communication skills to convey the brand's vision, messaging, and strategy clearly to internal teams, stakeholders, and the public.
Flexibility in responding to changing market dynamics, consumer preferences, and emerging trends, and the ability to pivot branding strategies accordingly.
Strong networking skills to build and maintain relationships with industry influencers, partners, and stakeholders that can support the brand's objectives.
Awareness of cultural diversity and the ability to adapt branding strategies to resonate with different demographics and markets.
The ability to inspire and lead a team of marketing professionals, providing clear direction, setting expectations, and fostering a collaborative and motivated work environment.
Creative thinking and problem-solving to develop innovative branding strategies, campaigns, and messaging that resonate with target audiences.

VP of Brand Marketing Education

In general, a VP of Brand Marketing candidate will have a minimum of a bachelor's degree in marketing or a related field (such as business or advertising). Companies often give preference to candidates who hold a more advanced degree, such as a master's degree in business administration (MBA) or marketing.

A qualified candidate should also have significant marketing and leadership skills or managerial experience. A solid track record and at least eight years of marketing experience ensure candidates have the skills needed to make informed decisions as a VP of Brand Marketing.

VP of Brand Marketing Certifications

While there aren't any required certifications that a VP of Brand Marketing would need to perform their job well, there are some certifications that may set candidates apart. These include, but are not limited to:

VP of Brand Marketing vs. Chief Marketing Officer: What's the Difference?

If you're considering whether hiring a VP of Brand Marketing is right for your business, you may be wondering what the difference is between this position and a Chief Marketing Officer (CMO).

While both roles are focused on marketing, the main difference to keep in mind is that a CMO tends to be more focused on big-picture market trends and outcomes. Meanwhile, a VP of Brand Marketing is more hands-on and involved in the day-to-day operations of a marketing team, with a very specific focus on the organization’s overall brand presence, reputation, and influence in the market.

In some cases, it may make sense for an organization to hire for both of these roles.

	VP of Brand Marketing	Chief Marketing Officer (CMO)
Focus	Day-to-day operations and activities driving the company's visual and tonal identity, branding strategies, and other marketing campaigns related to the brand.	Big-picture marketing outcomes, results of individual marketing campaigns, and goal-driving for the overall marketing team.

Who Does a VP of Brand Marketing Report to?

It’s not uncommon for a VP of Brand Marketing to report directly to a Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), though this will depend on the organizational makeup of the company.

In instances where the company doesn't have a CMO, a VP of Marketing may instead report to the company President, CEO, or Chief Operating Officer (COO).

Hiring a VP of Brand Marketing?

With so many important responsibilities to tackle, you want to hire the right candidate for your company's VP of Brand Marketing position. So before you hit the job boards, consult with a team of experienced executive recruiters who can help you hone in on the best talent for this critical role.

At Hunt Club, we put our extensive recruiting experience to work with our innovative network recruiting model to generate proven results 6-8x faster than traditional recruiting methods.