Currently, one of the most interesting professions in the job market is undoubtedly that of the Brand Manager. The structural evolution of companies, in the last twenty years, has led to the birth of new directional roles that are fundamental for the growth and success of a company, and the Brand Manager is just one of these. But how do you become a Fashion Brand Manager? Just getting a degree in economics means that you’re done? It is not so immediate, but there are several paths you can take to aspire to the career of Fashion Brand Manager. In this article we will tell you about some of them, based on our experience and the journeys that we see each day forming along our corridors.
Becoming a Brand Manager is an aspiration shared by many young students, whether they come from an economic area or from a more humanistic one. Becoming a talented Brand Manager can only entice, as it is known to be one of the most influential professional roles within any company structure. To become a Brand Manager, however, you need at least two things: a good education and a strong and enterprising character. The first aspect can develop over the years, while the second is more difficult to pull out of the blue. Why? This is a very mentally demanding profession, and requires strong nerves, stubbornness and lots of self-confidence.
After all, the main function of the Fashion Brand Manager is to increase the value of the brand and consequently of the company, thanks to the meticulous management of all the processes linked to the product. This figure deals with designing, monitoring and promoting a new product (or product line) based on market demand. Before starting to create, therefore, the Brand Manager must carry out a thorough analysis of both the reference market and the needs expressed by potential customers; in this way it will be known how to take action in the creation of the new product. From here a specific plan for product development will be elaborated, from an initial concept phase to the final launch and promotion phase.
To be able to fulfill such a complex task, the person must have specific skills but also a good amount of soft skills. It is however quite difficult to reach the summit without first having held lower roles, which in any case puts the new-founder in the conditions to learn, make mistakes, correct them and grow gradually. In this article, however, we’ll talk about which are the training paths that can easily lead you to get to play the role of Brand Manager.
Economics path
The most suitable route for the Brand Manager profession is, obviously, the economics one. Having attended a degree course in economics, even better if with specialization in marketing, is undoubtedly the best place to start. The analytical and purely economic training puts the student in a position to understand the problems in an immediate way and to find the most suitable solutions. Only a degree in economics, however, cannot be the only training step of the aspiring Fashion Brand Manager, but he or she will need a specialized path with focus on Brand Management.
After successfully passing the year of specific training, including company internships, the student will be able to find a position close to the final objective. It is in fact impossible to hope to become immediately Brand Manager: the apprenticeship is the norm in every working reality, especially for such important positions. The positions to keep an eye on in fashion can be Merchandising Assistant, Product Assistant or Merchandising Planning Assistant, to name a few. From there on, the climb is possible thanks to the tenacity, the desire to demonstrate one’s value and commitment.
Legal path
Although there is a big difference between the profession of a lawyer and that of the Brand Manager, more and more students from this world decide to change direction in favor of a more “managerial” one. Perhaps, due to an ever-increasing demand for lawyers and an ever-increasing difficulty in opening law firms, the law degree is forced to evaluate other avenues. Although, before trying to send a curriculum vitae, you will have to increase your knowledge in the specific sector with a master‘s degree. Milano Fashion Institute, for example, offers several specific masters for entering the world of fashion in different areas:
Of course, the student with a legal background will not be advantaged as the new graduate in economics in the path towards the role of Brand Manager, but with adequate and fast training will have the same chance to get noticed in the company. Moreover, to practice the profession of lawyer it serves dialectics and temperament, two soft skills that a Brand Manager will be able to exploit in a more than optimal way.
Humanistic / artistic path
A rather unusual path for a graduate in Modern Literature or for a student of an Academy of Fine Arts is to make a career in a medium / large company. The course of study undertaken, in fact, does not prepare for an analytical-managerial work path like that of the Brand Manager. Not all Brand Managers are the same, however: those working in the fashion industry stand out for their creativity and inspiration, qualities that certainly do not lack for the recent graduate in humanistic and artistic subjects.
In the case of fashion, it is very important not only the managerial aspect, but also the creative and artistic ones. In order to fit effectively into a constantly evolving sector such as fashion, the Brand Manager must be able to develop innovative lines but, at the same time, be in line with the interests of potential customers. Of course, it is not easy to make the “rational” soul coexist with the “artistic” one, but in the fashion world this happens continuously. It is enough to have resourcefulness and to follow an appropriate specialization course, as one of the masters proposed by our institute.
Conclusion
The position of Brand Manager is coveted by many recent graduates, but reaching it is a question of attitude, training and personality. In this article we have tried to explain which are the paths that can lead to the achievement of this work goal.
To get more precise information on the masters that Milano Fashion Institute offers, you can write us here: we will be happy to answer your questions and provide you with all the information you need.