Brand Manager - Carrabba's Italian Grill

As the brand manager, you will lead both internal and external marketing teams for Carrabba's Italian Grill and Carrabba's Sandwich Bistro. This role will develop, and foster execution of strategies and tactics designed to drive traffic, revenue and growth that align with the strategic priorities resulting in overall brand growth. Overseeing the strategic planning, development, implementation, and coordination of all marketing communications initiatives including campaign planning, digital media, testing and performance, in-restaurant marketing, and public relations

Your duties involve leveraging market research to discern customer preferences and trends, crafting and maintaining brand identity, messaging, and value propositions. You'll spearhead integrated marketing campaigns, track performance metrics, and ensure brand consistency across all touchpoints. Managing budgets, resources, and timelines for branding initiatives, providing mentorship to team members, and fostering an innovative culture are also key aspects of this role.

The Brand Manager will work with cross functional groups including creative, digital, and media agencies, PR, legal, operations, sales, and consumer insights among others to develop and execute marketing plans to meet profitability objectives. This role will be hybrid in the Tampa office.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES

• Manages the development of campaign strategies and tactics to drive traffic and sales growth

• Acts as internal brand resource, maintaining brand equity and brand pillars

• Coordinate's stakeholder communication, including field communication, on calendar planning, campaign development, marketing promotions, deployment and reporting on campaigns.

• Leads digital activity as it related to channel planning, communication hierarchy, and product alignment.

• Develops and implements CRM and loyalty strategies to enhance customer engagement, retention, and lifetime value, leveraging data insights and personalized communication tactics.

• Owns and leads Digital Pilots test-and-learn process for the brand in collaboration with Marketing Senior Director.

• Manages Digital Marketing Specialist and oversees comprehensive digital marketing strategies and campaigns.

• Leads 2 - 3 brand marketing contractors, guiding them in the development and implementation of innovative brand marketing strategies across various channels, including managing project timelines and deliverables, and fostering collaboration to achieve brand objectives.

• Manages relationships with digital and creative agencies, overseeing project scopes, timelines, and deliverables to ensure seamless and successful execution of marketing initiatives.

• Directs and manages marketing relationship with third-party marketing partners, menu technology platforms, and OLO (online ordering) systems to optimize brand visibility, streamline ordering processes, and maximize sales potential.

• Leads marketing team in the development of strategic marketing plans. May include researching competitor marketing, reviewing and summarizing data on potential or existing customers.

• Manages the development of projects that may include working with external vendors and reviewing/editing contracts, MSAs and Scope of Works.

• Manages brand-level marketing budget, including planning, invoicing, and monthly reconciliation.

REQUIREMENTS

• Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Communications, or related field, required

• Minimum of 5 years of marketing/brand strategy and project management experience in a fast-paced consumer-oriented environment with demonstrated success of building strong brands.

• PMO experience / certifications highly preferred

Experience/Skills:

• Excellent project & people management skills and the ability to multi-task in a fast-paced environment

• Acute analytical, strategic, and problem-solving abilities - utilizing consumer research/insights to make data informed decisions that aides in meeting established KPIs, OKRs, and performance metrics.

• Strong communication and presentation skills; ready to present in both formal and informal settings.

• A proven ability to transform current marketing trends and information into profitable strategies for the business.

• Proficiency in market analysis, retail, restaurant operations, opportunities and challenges are desired.

• Must be able to effectively work in a team environment with a natural inclination toward motivating others.

• Drives innovative business improvements: Develops new insights into solutions that result in organizational improvements. Promotes a work environment that fosters creative thinking, innovative and rational risk taking.

• Balances immediate and long-term priorities: Seeks to meet critical objectives while considering the impact of those decisions and activities on the ability to achieve long-term goals.

• Strong service orientation, a disciplined work ethic and a high standard of excellence for the overall marketing team.