Brand Activation & Engagement Manager

Interstate Batteries•Dallas, TX

About The Position

Under general direction, the Manager, Brand Activation & Engagement ensures the success of B2B marketing strategies, programs, and initiatives that contribute to sales growth objectives. This role leads a team responsible for building and maintaining a calendar of brand activities, analyzing campaign performance, and educating customers through brand-driven activations. The manager sets clear goals, defines strategies to achieve them, and uses key learnings and KPIs to guide decisions. The position leads cross-functional planning and execution of marketing programs that retain and grow existing Dealers and attract new Dealers, with the ultimate goal of driving unit sales. It oversees integrated marketing approaches and campaigns from initial brief through implementation, tracking, communication, and completion, including digital video, print, point-of-purchase materials, email, and incentives. The manager also guides reward-platform strategy for Dealer retention and provides strategic support to New Business Development. The role collaborates with internal marketing, operations, category management, insights, strategy, communications, product, sales, and brand partners. It ensures programs have measurable success metrics, evaluates results, recommends improvements, and manages multiple fiscal-year marketing budgets and return on investment. The manager leads direct reports and serves as a subject-matter expert on the local Dealer experience.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university.
At least 8 years of relevant experience.
Strategic thought leadership and the ability to influence and collaborate across functions.
Strong analytical skills, including the ability to translate data, financials, consumer insights, and marketplace insights into actionable customer recommendations.
People-management skills and the ability to guide and lead multiple direct reports.
Excellent project-management skills and the ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines simultaneously.
Strong verbal and written communication skills and the ability to persuasively sell.
Ability to work with a high sense of urgency and self-initiative in a rapidly moving environment.
Strong marketing acumen.
Agency management experience.

Nice To Haves

BBA in Business or Marketing preferred.
MBA preferred.

Responsibilities

Lead development of a yearly cross-functional calendar that outlines focus periods and thematic support.
Work with Sales Effectiveness, Owned and Independent Distributor Operations, Product, and Brand teams to develop strategies to retain and grow existing Dealers and attract new Dealers.
Provide strategic thinking, actionable insights, and marketing recommendations that contribute to sales growth objectives.
Develop and manage the rewards platform strategy for Dealer retention.
Develop an integrated marketing approach and oversee each component from idea through briefing, implementation, tracking, communication, and completion.
Inspire in-house agency partners and brand teams to develop insight-based, growth-oriented marketing solutions; create marketing briefs and guide creative projects.
Collaborate with Commercial Marketing, Operations, Category Management, Insights/Strategy, and Internal Communications teams to identify insights and activate programming.
Offer marketing strategy and support to the New Business Development team as opportunities arise.
Work with the Product team to maintain sales collateral inventory and proactively develop new materials.
Partner with the Sponsorship team on planning, development, and logistics for the Automotive Aftermarket Products Expo (AAPEX) Trade Show.
Establish clear, measurable success metrics for marketing programs and champion test-and-learn optimization, including post-program audits.
Analyze marketing plan results and recommend ways to optimize future programming.
Identify resources needed to activate programs and initiatives that drive battery sales and deliver on the annual plan.
Manage multiple fiscal-year marketing budgets and return on investment, working within budgets to maximize impact.
Manage a team of direct reports and perform other related duties as assigned.