Brand Strategy VP in Charlotte, NC at Sonic Automotive

Job Description

The Sonic Franchise Brand Strategy Vice President will help lead the organization in shaping and executing brand strategies that drive sustainable growth for all our OEM Brands.  This individual will be responsible for leading and guiding a department of Brand Managers to establish clear strategies that grow connections with senior most Marketing Leaders at OEMs, secure and influence OEM Marketing Calendar/Content/Focus, establish presence in key OEM Marketing dealer boards and Tier 2 Marketing Board leadership roles, create opportunities by connecting Sonic marketing plans with OEM plans, creating and upholding processes and prioritization as well as helping develop a common brand marketing scorecard to evaluate each marketing campaign.  Your core responsibility will be overseeing Brand Managers and collaborating cross-functionally to deliver actionable insights, prioritized initiatives, and performance-driven results that support Sonic's broader business goals. 

This role will be instrumental in developing the brand marketing strategy, ensuring alignment with business objectives, and fostering a high-performing team dedicated to continuous improvement. These results will ultimately be driven by the principles of building sustainable brand growth for each individual OEM Brand by identifying specific marketing needs and competitive actions, including brand positioning, market needs, target audiences, and consumer insights to deliver best-in-class marketing initiatives focused on increasing sales, service, profit, market share, and brand loyalty.  

Brand Strategy VP Responsibilities Include:

• Lead and Manage Brand Managers: Supervise a team of Brand Managers, providing clear direction, setting performance expectations, and driving long-term strategic goals, including fostering relationships with OEMS stores’ day-to-day success metrics of programs executed. Monitor team performance, track KPIs, and identify growth opportunities to enhance overall efficiency and effectiveness. 

• Provide Leadership and Development: Serve as the primary point of contact for Brand Managers, offering mentorship and guidance on developing OEM relationships, influencing OEM marketing campaign efforts, developing campaign strategies, and identifying, communicating, and giving input on performance analysis. Organize regular training and collaboration sessions to help grow the team's expertise and skills. 

• Strategic Brand Guidance: Assist Brand Managers in identifying key insights, customer needs, and market opportunities. Support in developing brand strategies, consumer insights, and store differentiators that support sales growth and customer engagement. 

• Streamline Processes and Best Practices: Develop, implement, and maintain consistent, scalable processes for the creation and execution of brand-led marketing strategies. Ensure all Brand Managers follow these frameworks to build high-impact marketing strategies for retail stores. 

• Budget Oversight: Support Brand Managers in managing their budgets, reviewing expenses, and ensuring co-op collection processes are followed. Monitor each brand’s budget to ensure marketing initiatives remain on track and within financial targets. 

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work closely with the CMO and other cross-functional leaders to align on marketing priorities, performance metrics, and brand positioning. Ensure that all brand initiatives support broader business goals and contribute to measurable results. 

• Prioritization: Regular evaluation and guidance of Sonic and brand goals and vision, as well as ensuring marketing needs are being prioritized and met by collaborating cross-functionally with all business leaders and helping to drive marketing efforts.  

• OEM Performance and KPIs Management: Establish and maintain strong OEM Marketing relationships, a deep understanding of OEM-specific plans, requirements, objectives, and KPIs. Regularly evaluate and adjust marketing strategies to ensure alignment with brand goals, conduct performance reviews, and identify areas for improvement.  

• Data-Driven Decision Making: Analyze and synthesize key performance drivers for each brand, using insights to make informed recommendations that drive brand growth and resolve obstacles. Provide clear, actionable reporting summaries to all key stakeholders, including Brand Vice Presidents, Business Unit Leaders, and the CMO.  

• Brand Planning & Execution: Lead the annual and monthly brand planning processes, collaborating with Brand Managers to set clear priorities and deliverables. Oversee the execution of integrated marketing campaigns that align with both Sonic and OEM goals. 

• Event Marketing Oversight: Support with assessing and approving event-related marketing initiatives, ensuring alignment with OEM and Sonic goals. 

• Support Marketing Channels: Work with the Sonic Franchise Marketing Team to ensure the teams deliver cohesive, data-driven marketing campaigns across various channels, ensuring brand consistency and maximizing impact in mass media and one-to-one marketing efforts. Oversight of monthly offers collection and execution into mass media and one-to-one marketing channels. 

This role will report directly to Sonic Automotive’s CMO.   

• Experience: Bachelor’s degree in marketing, business, or related field. 10+ years of relevant marketing experience, including developing and implementing brand strategies and evaluating marketing and brand performance. Experience leading and managing teams. 

• Budget Management: Previous experience in budget management with a focus on cost efficiency and ROI. 

• Automotive Retail Knowledge: Above average understanding of automotive retail operations, customer behavior, and the competitive landscape. Familiarity with the unique challenges and opportunities within the automotive industry, including dealer marketing, OEM requirements, and retail sales processes. Ability to find major differentiators in a highly competitive industry.  

• Communication and Leadership: Strong communication skills, both verbal and written. Highly organized and able to work with multiple teams cross-functionally. Ability to work as a team and be held accountable for key responsibilities. Proven ability to connect with senior OEM executives and be able to clearly and confidently command a room of the senior-most executives.   

• Analytical Skills: Strong analytical and problem-solving skills; ability to analyze and interpret data efficiently. Proficiency with Word, PowerPoint, and Excel. 

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

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