eThesis - Kauppakorkeakoulun sähköiset gradut

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This study explores the job dimensions of brand managers working in tobacco industry and the way brand management system is implemented in the industry. Literature review of this study draws together relevant research and literature on this topic, based on which the conceptual framework is formed. Empirical part of this study investigates the state of tobacco brand managers’ job dimension concentrating on internal organization structure as well as on industry specific skills and brand management tools.

The empirical part of this study was conducted by interviewing current and former marketing employees of two different global tobacco companies. More specifically two brand managers, a product manager, a brand director and a former marketing director who had worked for a global tobacco company were interviewed for the study. The interviews covered the most important job areas of tobacco brand manager, relationships with internal and external members of brand supporting team as well as industry specific skills and views on the future of the industry from brand management perspective. Even though most of the interviewees had vast international experience and represented four different nationalities, it has to be noted that the results cannot be straightforwardly generalized as limited amount of respondents and regional aspects (none of the interviewees had worked outside Europe) might affect the results.

The data was analyzed using a classification method. First step was reduction where gathered material was simplified. Second step was clustering where the simplified material was divided into groups. Final step was abstracting during which theoretical concepts were created.

Most important findings of this study are the skills and the characteristics separating the tobacco brand managers from their colleagues in other consumer goods industries. Another interesting finding is the ongoing shift in tobacco brand management from consumer focus to trade focus.

This study offers an overall view on the job dimensions of tobacco brand manager and the way that brand management system is implemented in the industry. This serves as a basis for further quantitative and qualitative studies for example in regions countries, and in investigating this issue further.