What does a brand consultant do?

A brand consultant researches to pinpoint why your brand holds its current position in the marketplace. This research involves examining a customer base to more fully understand their key buying motivators, their levels of satisfaction, and the missed opportunities within your industry. These professionals also thoroughly research your competitors’ brands for comparison purposes.

Once they have analyzed their findings, the brand consultant begins strategizing. This stage includes developing your company’s branding goals, outlining the doable steps required to achieve them, and composing a mission statement.

The brand consultant now guides the organization through the change process. They may suggest new product names, logos, and alterations to retail spaces. These branding activities may also include changes to social media efforts, websites, and marketing campaigns. To support all of these modifications, the brand consultant may also offer training for the team.

Brand consultant skills and qualifications

A successful brand consultant will possess the specific competencies required to perform their duties. When selecting a potential candidate, here are some of the skills and qualifications to look for:

• Social media and online marketing knowledge enable the brand consultant to research a company’s online presence with an eye on how customers interact with it and how it measures up against the competition
• Excellent communication skills allow the brand consultant to keep accurate records of research findings, relay information to your team, and successfully communicate your brand’s goals and how they can be achieved
• Art direction know-how enables the brand consultant to assess a company’s visual marketing, products, and brick-and-mortar outlets from an aesthetic perspective, and it allows them to  communicate recommendations to the design team effectively
• Emotional intelligence and knowing the basics of psychology help the brand consultant understand your customers, including what motivates their purchases, their perception of your current branding, and what changes to your branding may appeal to them
• Creative thinking and problem-solving skills allow the brand consultant to devise novel solutions to your company’s brand-related concerns
• Resourcefulness enables a brand consultant to more easily work within the confines of a limited budget, allocating resources for their maximum effectiveness
• Project management skills can ensure that your brand consultant is used to conducting multi-faceted projects and meeting strict deadlines

Brand consultant experience requirements

While the specific experience required before deciding whether a brand consultant is up for the job is subjective, it is usually recommended that they have accumulated three to five years in a marketing or advertising role. This experience may be at an agency, in a freelance capacity, or a combination of both. Another way to assess their know-how is by checking out the consultant’s professional branding on their social media platforms and website.

Brand consultant education and training requirements

Brand consultants typically possess a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Communications, Business, or a related field. Some may pursue a Master’s degree in Marketing, Brand Management, or another relevant discipline. There are also brand management, strategic marketing management, and brand strategist certifications available.

Job description samples for similar positions

If it sounds like a branding consultant is not the professional your company requires, here are some related job descriptions:

• Business consultant
• Consultant
• Brand ambassador