The first 6 weeks of a Brand Manager

Structured and Actionable Brand Audit for new managers

 6-week Objectives
2

Week 1:
Understanding Business
How are our brands doing? Where Week 4:
are the sources of growth? Understanding Marketing
Activities
What have we and our competitors
Week 2: done well or not-so-well?
Understanding
Consumer Week 5:
Who are our target Understanding
consumers and how do
they consume, shop and Bonus week: Product
engage with our products? Identify Issues What do we currently
& offer consumers, in
terms of product
Opportunities performance, portfolio,
pricing and packaging?
How is our profit? What is
in the innovation
Week 3: Week 6: roadmap?
Understanding Brand Understanding Team
What is our brand positioning? How do we work together
How is our brand health? moving forward as a team?
6-week Objectives
3

Week 1 - Understand Business Week 4 - Understand Product

◿ Day 1: Internal Sales ◿ Day 1: Product performance & Product portfolio
◿ Day 2: Category & Segmentation ◿ Day 2: Profit
◿ Day 3: Distribution System ◿ Day 3: Pricing Strategy
◿ Day 4: Share & Growth ◿ Day 4: Packaging
◿ Day 5: Tips for market visit ◿ Day 5: Innovation Roadmap

Week 2 - Understand Consumer Week 5 - Understand Marketing Activities

◿ Day 1: Consumer Profile ◿ Day 1: Brand Communication History & Creative Quality
◿ Day 2: Consuming Habit ◿ Day 2: Key marketing activities in the last three years
◿ Day 3: Shopping Habit ◿ Day 3: Media Buying Quality
◿ Day 4: Engaging Habit ◿ Day 4: Competitor Review
◿ Day 5: Tips for consumer visit ◿ Day 5: Understand Brand Plan

Week 3 - Understand Brand Week 6 - Understand Team

◿ Day 1: Brand Positioning Pack ◿ Day 1: The top 3 priorities in probation period
◿ Day 2: Brand Image Profile ◿ Day 2: Boss’ working style
◿ Day 3: Brand Pyramid / Brand Signature ◿ Day 3: Team dynamic
◿ Day 4: Brand Awareness ◿ Day 4: Meet cross functional teams and agencies
◿ Day 5: Brand Retention Funnel Bonus Week - Define Issues & Opportunities
Why are the first 6 weeks critical?
4

Prioritize Objectives & Actions

Identify Issues & Opportunities
Have A Structured Understanding
Gain A Multi-Perspective Understanding
Connect the dots
You’ll learn…
5

WHERE to find information?

◿ Research / Reports / Market visit / Stakeholder, Team, Consumer visit / Agency / etc…

HOW to digest or absorb information?

◿ By answering critical questions at the end of every session.

WHAT to note or remember?

◿ Red notes: issues / problems that need to be RESOLVED.
◿ Green notes: opportunities that can be EXPLOITED.
◿ Yellow notes: neutral / undetermined, need further information.

DECIDE which ACTION to take?

◿ Stick all notes on a wall (or virtual notes on desktop screen)
◿ Discuss with boss / peers / stakeholders to see what's important.
◿ Do not jump to conclusion or action BEFORE we decide what real ISSUES and OPPORTUNITIES are.
Week 1 - Understand Business
How are our brands doing and where are the sources of growth?
 Business Critical Questions
7

Sales / Size Category / Segments Distribution Share & Growth

▪ Actual sales by volume ▪ Category size by volume and value? ▪ How many distributors do ▪ What is our market
and value? In short-term we have? How many share? By total category,
▪ How many segments? Segment size,
and long-term? share and growth? Is there any shift stores do we cover? segments, regions and
Sales allocation by channels?
▪ across segments? ▪ How many distribution
regions? ▪ Are the market / category / channels do we have? ▪ How big is the share gap
▪ Sales allocation by segments we are in growing ▪ How is our distribution between us and
distribution channels? healthily? What is the forecasted quality? Are we in right competitors? Who loses
when we win?
▪ Sales allocation by market / category / segment growth places?
seasons? in 3-5 years, by volume & value? ▪ How good is Retailer’s ▪ What is average category
▪ What are the micro- and macro- Support (Purchase Share) growth? Are we growing
▪ Sales allocation by SKUs slower or faster than
(product lines, variants, economic trends that could affect and Consumer’ Support
category?
pack sizes, pack types) growth? (Off-take) for our brand?
Compared with
competitors'?
Why Brand Audit for new Brand Managers?
8

There’s a lot of information out there.

“He who sees through life and death will
meet most successes”
◿ “Biết mình biết ta, trăm trận trăm thắng”

Doing business without numbers is like

going to war without knowing how strong
your enemy is.
Gathering and analyzing information is not
an easy job. Certainly not an intern job.
◿ Require serious investment and people.
Week 1 - Understand Business
Day 1: Brand Sales
 Business Critical Questions
10

Sales / Size Category / Segments Distribution Share & Growth

▪ Actual sales by volume ▪ Category size by volume and value? ▪ How many distributors do ▪ What is our market
and value? In short-term we have? How many share? By total category,
▪ How many segments? Segment size,
and long-term? share and growth? Is there any shift stores do we cover? segments, regions and
Sales allocation by channels?
▪ across segments? ▪ How many distribution
regions? ▪ Are the market / category / channels do we have? ▪ How big is the share gap
▪ Sales allocation by segments we are in growing ▪ How is our distribution between us and
distribution channels? healthily? What is the forecasted quality? Are we in right competitors? Who loses
when we win?
▪ Sales allocation by market / category / segment growth places?
seasons? in 3-5 years, by volume & value? ▪ How good is Retailer’s ▪ What is average category
▪ What are the micro- and macro- Support (Purchase Share) growth? Are we growing
▪ Sales allocation by SKUs slower or faster than
(product lines, variants, economic trends that could affect and Consumer’ Support
category?
pack sizes, pack types) growth? (Off-take) for our brand?
Compared with
competitors'?
Brand Sales (short-term)
11

See the “big” picture across portfolio: Sales Report 2011 Actual
2012
Planned
2012 Actual
%
Growth
%
Target

◿ Target: Which brands/variants/SKUs 103,274,000 129,000,000 116,566,623 13% 90%

achieve sales target (green)? Near Brand A 37,670,000 40,000,000 33,866,287 -10% 85%
(yellow)? Miss target (red)?
Brand B 21,557,000 23,000,000 24,535,595 14% 107%
◿ Contribution: See contribution by brands. Brand C 31,142,000 39,500,000 42,379,678 36% 107%
What are the most- or least-contributed
Brand D 700,000 6,000,000 1,024,791 46% 17%
brands?
Brand E 11,772,000 13,500,000 11,656,064 -1% 86%
◿ Growth: See brand / category growth in Brand F 433,000 7,000,000 3,104,207 617% 44%
one year.
◿ Grouping: See by total company, brand, Current
102,141,000 116,000,000 112,437,624 10% 97%
group brands, by category or portfolio. Products

Data Sources: New Products 1,133,000 13,000,000 4,128,998 264% 32%

◿ Internal sales report, by volume and value. Total 103,274,000 129,000,000 116,566,623 17% 90%
Brand Sales (long-term)
12

Value Sales Volume Sales

50,000

37,500
Brand A
Brand B
25,000 Brand C
Brand D
Brand E
12,500 Brand F

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 LE 2012 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 LE 2012

See the “big picture” across portfolio:

◿ Trend: Sales performance, contribution and growth trend in 3-5 years.
◿ Help predict growth and understand brand roles in order to make strategic decisions (what to keep or kill).

Data Source:
◿ Internal sales report, by brands, by volume and value in 3-5 years.
Brand Sales (by Regions)
13

See the “big picture" across regions: FY sales value, FY growth rate, by brands & by regions, 2012.

◿ Option 1: by brands by regions.

◿ Growth (deep-dive for brands by regions):
Which brand grows / declines? Cause by
which regions?
◿ Contribution: Which region contributes the
most / the least for each brand?
◿ Importance: How important is each region
for each brand? Which brand sells well in
which regions?

Data Source:
◿ Internal sales report, by regions & brands
(value or volume)
Brand Sales (by Regions)
14

See the “big picture” across regions: FY sales value, FY growth rate, by regions & by brands, 2012.
◿ Option 2: by regions by brands.
◿ Growth (deep-dive for regions by brands):
Which region grows / declines? Cause by
which brand?
◿ Contribution: Which brand contributes the
most / the least for each region?
◿ Importance: How important is each brand for
each regions? Which brand sells well in
which regions?

Data Source:
◿ Internal sales report, by regions & brands
(value or volume)
Brand Sales (by Channels)
15

See the “big picture” across YTD Sales Value, YAG growth rate, by channels, Oct’12.
channels: é45%
é5%
◿ Contribution: which channel
ê22%
contributes the most / the least? ê33%
é2% NPP Con
Siêu thị
◿ Importance: Which brand sells ê30% é195% Nhà sỉ
well in which channel? ê28%
é43%
Nhà lẻ
Kênh đặc biệt

◿ Growth (deep-dive for brands by ê25%

é27%
é7%
channels): Which brand grows / ê17%
ê32%
é24%
declines? Cause by which channels? é19%
ê9% é17%
é27%

Data Source: ê45% é96% ê8%

Brand A Brand B Brand C Brand D Brand E Brand F

◿ Internal sales report, by channels & YTD = Year To Date

brands (value or volume) YAG = Year Ago
Brand Sales (by Seasonal / Time)
16

See the “big picture”:

◿ Seasonal: what are the best-selling-seasons? (Ex: Full Moon Festival, Tet, winter…)
◿ Contribution: which month(s) or quarter(s) contribute(s) the most or the least sales?
◿ Special Occasion: other than regular seasonal period, any social events or special
occasions could trigger sales (Ex: bird-flu and body-resistant medicine…)?

Data Source:
◿ Internal sales report, by month (value or volume)
Brand Sales (by SKU / Variants)
17

See the “big picture”:

◿ Pack-size contribution: which pack-size(s)
grow(s) / decline(s) in contribution? Is there any
up-sizing or down-sizing trend?
◿ Variant / SKU contribution: which variant(s)
contribute(s) the most or the least to total
portfolio?
◿ Contribution trend: Is there any shift in
contribution that might impact portfolio
strategy?

Data Source:
◿ Internal sales report, by SKUs (value or
volume).
Brand Sales (combined Season + Regions + Channels)
18

Mekong Central

Nort HCM
h
 Week 1 - Understand Business
Day 2: Category / Segment
 Business Critical Questions
20

Sales / Size Category / Segments Distribution Share & Growth

▪ Actual sales by volume ▪ Category size by volume and value? ▪ How many distributors do ▪ What is our market
and value? In short-term we have? How many share? By total category,
▪ How many segments? Segment size,
and long-term? share and growth? Is there any shift stores do we cover? segments, regions and
Sales allocation by channels?
▪ across segments? ▪ How many distribution
regions? ▪ Are the market / category / channels do we have? ▪ How big is the share gap
▪ Sales allocation by segments we are in growing ▪ How is our distribution between us and
distribution channels? healthily? What is the forecasted quality? Are we in right competitors? Who loses
when we win?
▪ Sales allocation by market / category / segment growth places?
seasons? in 3-5 years, by volume & value? ▪ How good is Retailer’s ▪ What is average category
▪ What are the micro- and macro- Support (Purchase Share) growth? Are we growing
▪ Sales allocation by SKUs slower or faster than
(product lines, variants, economic trends that could affect and Consumer’ Support
category?
pack sizes, pack types) growth? (Off-take) for our brand?
Compared with
competitors'?
Category Size & Growth
21

See Category “big picture” :

MARKET SIZE & GEOGRAPHY PERFORMANCE
◿ Category Size: break down by months and by
regions, over a period of time.
Total Category - Volume Sales Total Category – Total Category –
◿ Region Contribution: Which region(s) MAT TY MAT LY
contribute(s) the most or the least to category? Is NW

it in line with your internal sales data? HCM

◿ Category Growth: how the category performs NORTH

(grow / decline) in short-term (MAT this year vs. CENTRAL

MAT last year)? Break down by regions? EAST

MEKONG

Data Source: MT

HCM NORTH CENTRAL EAST

◿ Retail Audit from AC Nielsen, data from Kantar MEKONG MT NATIONWIDE Volume % Change YA Volume % Change YA

Worldpanel, IMS…
◿ Websites of Associations, Industry Leaders…
◿ Reports from public companies or key players in
your category.
Segment Size & Growth
22

See Segment “big picture”: SEGMENT PERFORMANCE

◿ Segment Size: break down by months and by
segments, over a period of time.
◿ Segment Contribution: Which segment(s)
contribute(s) the most or the least to category?
Is it in line with your internal sales data?
◿ Segment Growth: how each segment performs
in short-term? (MAT this year vs. MAT last year)

Data Source:
◿ Retail Audit from AC Nielsen, data from Kantar
Worldpanel, IMS…
◿ Websites of Associations, Industry Leaders…
◿ Reports from public companies or key players in
your category.
Category & Segments, Size & Growth
23

IMS PANEL AUDIT DATA (bil. VND)

% CAGR 07 - 11 % CAGR 08-11 % CAGR 09-11
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

Main Category 287.7 334.7 393.6 413.8 428.9 10% 9% 4%

Segment A 178.8 201.3 231.7 234.7 229.8 6% 4% 0%

Segment B 16.2 19.9 26.3 33.3 44.6 29% 30% 30%

Segment C 42.9 49.6 52.5 54.6 55.3 7% 4% 3%

Segment D 25.6 32.6 49.9 57.2 66.2 27% 26% 15%

Segment E 24.3 31.2 33.1 33.9 33.1 8% 2% 0%

See the Category and Segment “big picture” in long term:

◿ Category & segment growth in 3-5 years?
◿ Changes in segment contribution over past 3-5 years?
Data Source:
◿ Retail Audit from AC Nielsen, data from Kantar Worldpanel, IMS…
◿ Websites of Associations, Industry Leaders…
◿ Reports from public companies or key players in your category.
Macro-economic Indicators (GDP, inflation, CCI, CPI,
etc…) 24

Macro-economic indicators (GPD, inflation rate, interest rate, CPI, etc…) could affect category spending and performance,
especially in FMCG and luxury goods industry.
Consumer Confidence Index (CCI) is also an important indicator which could signal changes in consumer’s spending and
consuming behavior
Data Source:
◿ Reports by research agencies (Nielsen, Kantar…) or by government.
Macro-economic - Consumer Trends
25

Reports on consumer trends may reveal actionable findings for your brand and your category.
Data Source:
◿ Reports by research agencies (Nielsen, Kantar…) or by governments.
 Week 1 - Understand Business
Day 3: Distribution System
 Business Critical Questions
27

Sales / Size Category / Segments Distribution Share & Growth

▪ Actual sales by volume ▪ Category size by volume and value? ▪ How many distributors do ▪ What is our market
and value? In short-term we have? How many share? By total category,
▪ How many segments? Segment size,
and long-term? share and growth? Is there any shift stores do we cover? segments, regions and
Sales allocation by channels?
▪ across segments? ▪ How many distribution
regions? ▪ Are the market / category / channels do we have? ▪ How big is the share gap
▪ Sales allocation by segments we are in growing ▪ How is our distribution between us and
distribution channels? healthily? What is the forecasted quality? Are we in right competitors? Who loses
when we win?
▪ Sales allocation by market / category / segment growth places?
seasons? in 3-5 years, by volume & value? ▪ How good is Retailer’s ▪ What is average category
▪ What are the micro- and macro- Support (Purchase Share) growth? Are we growing
▪ Sales allocation by SKUs slower or faster than
(product lines, variants, economic trends that could affect and Consumer’ Support
category?
pack sizes, pack types) growth? (Off-take) for our brand?
Compared with
competitors'?
Distribution System
28

See the “big picture”:

◿ How many distributors do we have? How many regions / channels do we
have?
◿ How many stores are we covering?

Data Source:
◿ Internal sales structure
Distribution System
29

Source: Masan Financial Report 2011, HOSE.

Distribution Channels
30

Understand the channels where your products are being sold to:
◿ Channel definition (location, types, miumum sales volume/value, etc…)

Data Source:
◿ Internal Sales Structure
Distribution Quality - Numeric & Weighted Distribution
31

Numeric Distribution

◿ Represents the percentage of stores within the universe handling the product during the audit period

◿ Represent the broadness of distribution (in terms of the number of stores)

Example
◿ The universe has 10 stores

◿ Your brand is in 4 stores

è Your Numeric Distribution is 4/10 = 40%

Weighted Distribution
◿ % of category turnover accounted for by those stores handling the product during the audit period
◿ Represent the depth & quality of distribution (in terms of potential sales)

Example
◿ Total category sales value is 100
◿ Your brand is in 4 stores which have total sales value of 70

è Your Weighted Distribution is 70/100 = 70%

Data Source:

◿ Retail Audit, AC Nielsen

Consumer Support - Off-take
32

Basic definition:
◿ Off-take = Sale Per Point of Distribution (SPPD) = Consumer Support

TOTAL SALES
OFF-TAKE
% WTD

Brand Team is often in charge of off-take, while Sales Team is in charge of Distribution
KPIs.
VOL/VAL SALES = OFF-TAKE * NUM/WTD DISTRIBUTION

Brand Team Sales Team

Data Source:
◿ Retail Audit, AC Nielsen
 Retailer Support: PPPD & Combined Data
33

Basic definition:
Brand A Brand B Brand C Brand D
◿ PPPD = Purchase Per Point of 36 Cities
Y2 vs. Y3 vs. Y2 vs. Y3 vs. Y2 vs. Y3 vs. Y2 vs. Y3 vs.
Distribution (PPPD) = Retailer Y1 Y2 Y1 Y2 Y1 Y2 Y1 Y2
Support
Volume % Change -7 12 19 5 12 5 3 32

+/- Num. Dist. 1 0 3 -3 4 0 1 10

Vol/Val Purchase
P.P.P.
PPPD +/- Wtd. Dist. -1 0 2 -1 2 0 1 8
D % WTD
SPPD % Change -6 12 15 6 9 4 -11 16

Look at the combined data of PPPD % Change -6 11 18 2 12 5 2 13

Volume % Change, Num Dist, WTD

Dis, SPPD and PPPD to
understand the reasons for sales > last year

gain or sales lost. < last year

Data Source: = last year or insignificant change

◿ Retail Audit, AC Nielsen

 Week 1 - Understand Business
Day 4: Brand Share & Growth
 Business Critical Questions
35

Sales / Size Category / Segments Distribution Share & Growth

▪ Actual sales by volume ▪ Category size by volume and value? ▪ How many distributors do ▪ What is our market
and value? In short-term we have? How many share? By total category,
▪ How many segments? Segment size,
and long-term? share and growth? Is there any shift stores do we cover? segments, regions and
Sales allocation by channels?
▪ across segments? ▪ How many distribution
regions? ▪ Are the market / category / channels do we have? ▪ How big is the share gap
▪ Sales allocation by segments we are in growing ▪ How is our distribution between us and
distribution channels? healthily? What is the forecasted quality? Are we in right competitors? Who loses
when we win?
▪ Sales allocation by market / category / segment growth places?
seasons? in 3-5 years, by volume & value? ▪ How good is Retailer’s ▪ What is average category
▪ What are the micro- and macro- Support (Purchase Share) growth? Are we growing
▪ Sales allocation by SKUs slower or faster than
(product lines, variants, economic trends that could affect and Consumer’ Support
category?
pack sizes, pack types) growth? (Off-take) for our brand?
Compared with
competitors'?
Brand Share (by Total category)
36

See the “big picture”:

◿ What is our market share? In total category and in each segment, region, channel?
◿ Trend & Gap?

Data Source:
◿ Retail Audit, AC Nielsen (Share in stores)
◿ Shelf / Space share estimate
◿ Consumer Panel, Kantar Worldpanel (Share in households)
Brand Share (by Regions)
37

See the “big picture”:

◿ Brand Share by Regions? MAT This-year (MAT TY) vs MAT Last-year (MAT LY)?
◿ Sales contribution: compare with internal sales data. Any potential issues and opportunities there?

Data Source:
◿ Retail Audit, AC Nielsen (Share in stores)
◿ Consumer Panel, Kantar Worldpanel (Share in households)
 Brand Share (by Segments)
38

See the “big picture”:

◿ Which segments are we in? How are we competing in each segment?
◿ Which segments are our main focus? Who are the key competitors in each
segment?

Data Source:
◿ Retail Audit, AC Nielsen (Share in stores)
◿ Consumer Panel, Kantar Worldpanel (Share in households)
In summary, where do we find data?
39

Research Agencies
◿ AC Nielsen, Kantar Worldpanel, etc…

Chamber of Commerce, Associations, Organizations

◿ Vietnam Beer Alcohol Beverage Association, Coffee Association…

Reports from public companies

◿ Masan, Kinh Do, etc...

Share of Shelf (estimate)

◿ Estimated share of shelf is a good indicator of market share.
 Week 1 - Understand Business
Day 5: Market Visit Tips
Tips for market visit
41

Have a clear objective in mind.

Put yourselves in consumer’s shoes.
Observe, observe and observe.
◿ Does the shop carry all “Must-have SKUs” ?
◿ How is your product display quality? Vs. competitors?
◿ Any trade support event/promotion in-store?
◿ Expiry date?

Talk to retailers and shoppers.

Prepare market visit report.