Retail Marketing Manager

KEY RESPONSIBILITIESRetail marketing and point of sale

• Own the design, production and distribution of all point-of-sale material across the estate, working with the Retail Marketing Executive and print suppliers
• Produce a commercial window plan for every store, planned a season ahead and tied to the promotional calendar and the ranges the buyers have bought
• Make sure every store has the right POS, signage and window kit in place before each promotion starts, and that old material comes down on time
• Brief store teams clearly and in plain English on each campaign: what it is, when it runs, how to set it up and what to say to customers
• Visit stores regularly to check execution standards and feed back to Area Managers
• Produce catalogues and seasonal brochures to an agreed standard and timetableMarketing calendar
• Build and maintain the annual retail marketing calendar for the UAE and Qatar, covering promotions, key trading periods, launches, windows, catalogues and events
• Keep the calendar operating at least one month ahead, so every department knows what is coming
• Run a monthly planning meeting with buying, merchandise planning and operations to align promotions with stock and store capacity
• Work with merchandise planning to forecast promotional stock needs and flag shortfalls early
• Plan around the key regional periods: Ramadan, Eid Al Fitr, Eid Al Adha, back to school, UAE National Day, Qatar National Day, Dubai Shopping Festival and the Christmas trading periodPop-ups, events and mall partnerships
• Build and run a pipeline of pop-up shops with sites, dates, build cost and staffing agreed in advance, rather than one-off activations
• Develop working relationships with mall marketing teams so ELC and The Entertainer are included in mall events, school holiday programmes and seasonal campaigns
• Plan and deliver in-store and in-mall events, demonstrations and launches, working with operations on staffing
• Manage the launch plan for every new store, relocation and refit: assets, signage, opening event and local activity, working with the Project Manager to the opening date
• Identify and assess partnership and collaboration opportunities (schools, nurseries, family attractions, community groups, complementary brands) and put forward the ones worth doingBrand and awareness
• Protect and build the ELC and The Entertainer brands in the UAE and Qatar, applying the UK brand guidelines correctly and consistently
• Make sure all marketing material is culturally appropriate for the region and suitable for a family audience
• Own the customer-facing tone of voice for the region and make sure store material is written in plain English that works for a multilingual team and customer base
• Oversee the Retail Marketing Executive’s digital and social content so it supports the calendar and stays on brand
• Grow customer loyalty programmes and data capture in line with the group approachStrategy, budget and performance
• Develop the annual marketing plan and budget for the region and present it to the General Manager for approval
• Manage the marketing budget month by month, reporting spend against plan and negotiating with suppliers and agencies
• Measure campaign performance using sales data and store feedback, and produce a short post-campaign review with recommendations after each major activity
• Track return on marketing spend and report it monthly
• Obtain promotional permits and approvals through the PRO before any campaign that needs them goes liveTeam and stakeholders
• Recruit, manage, coach and develop the Retail Marketing Executive
• Work day to day with the Buying Manager, Merchandise Planning, Area Managers, Store Managers and the Project Manager
• Work with The Entertainer UK marketing and brand teams on guidelines, assets and group campaigns
• Manage external suppliers: print, signage, fixtures for pop-ups, events and agencies
• Attend the monthly management review and report on the marketing section of the plan