Brand Manager

“First line-of-defence owner of the Bank's brand strategy, identity and customer-facing marketing communications”

Role Purpose:

The Brand Manager owns the Bank's brand strategy, visual and verbal identity, and the planning and execution of brand and marketing campaigns across above-the-line, below-the-line and digital channels. This is a first-line commercial role: the Brand Manager translates the Bank's positioning into consistent, compelling customer-facing communications, manages creative and media agency relationships, and tracks brand health and campaign performance. As a new entrant to the market, the Bank must build a distinctive, trustworthy brand from inception - and because banking marketing is a regulated activity, this role must work closely with Compliance (the Head of Conduct and POPIA on Treating Customers Fairly and direct marketing consent, and the Head of Regulatory Compliance on broader advertising and disclosure obligations) to ensure every campaign is both commercially effective and compliant.

Requirements:

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Communications, Business or a related field.
• A recognised postgraduate marketing or brand management qualification advantageous.

Experience

• A minimum of 6-8 years' brand or marketing management experience, ideally including exposure to banking,

• financial services, or another highly regulated consumer-facing industry.
• Demonstrated experience managing above-the-line, below-the-line and digital campaigns from strategy
• through to execution.
• Experience managing creative, media and research agency relationships, including commercial negotiation.
• Experience navigating advertising compliance requirements (e.g. ARB, financial services conduct rules) is
• strongly preferred.

Skills & Knowledge

• Strong brand strategy and positioning skills, with the ability to translate strategy into compelling creative

• execution.
• Sound understanding of marketing compliance requirements relevant to financial services advertising.
• Data-driven approach to brand tracking and campaign measurement.
• Strong stakeholder and agency management, negotiation and budget management skills.
• Comfortable presenting brand and campaign performance to senior stakeholders and governance forums

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Brand Strategy & Identity

• Develop and maintain the Bank's brand strategy, positioning, visual identity and tone of voice, ensuring consistency across all customer touchpoints and channels.

• Own and evolve the brand guidelines, and act as final quality gatekeeper for brand consistency across marketing, product, digital and customer communications.
• Commission and interpret brand health tracking research (brand awareness, consideration, equity, Net Promoter Score) to inform brand strategy and investment decisions.
• Campaign management & creative oversight
• Brief, manage and evaluate creative, media and research agencies, ensuring output is on-brand, on-strategy and delivered on time and within budget.
• Plan and oversee the execution of brand and product campaigns across above-the-line, below-the-line, digital and social channels, in partnership with Digital Marketing, Product and Distribution teams.
• Own the brand and campaign budget, tracking spend against plan and reporting on return on marketing investment.
• Manage sponsorships, partnerships and brand collaborations, ensuring alignment with brand values and commercial objectives.

Regulatory & Compliance Coordination

• Ensure all advertising and marketing communications comply with the Advertising Regulatory Board (ARB)

• Code of Advertising Practice, and route regulated content through Compliance and Legal for sign-off before publication.
• Work with the Head of Conduct and POPIA to ensure marketing communications meet Treating Customers
• Fairly (TCF) principles (clear, fair, not misleading) and that direct marketing activities comply with POPIA consent (opt-in) requirements.
• Coordinate with the Head of Regulatory Compliance and Business Owner: Insurance on National Credit Act disclosure requirements when advertising credit or insurance-linked products (e.g. cost of credit, fees, terms).
• Maintain a record of campaign compliance sign-offs and support internal audit or regulatory reviews of marketing practices when required.

Performance, Reporting & Team Development

• Report brand health, campaign performance and marketing ROI to the Head of Marketing and relevant

• Exco/governance forums.
• Identify and implement continuous improvement opportunities in campaign planning, creative development and marketing measurement.
• Build and develop a capable brand and communications team as the function scales