Trade Marketing Specialist
Job Location: Johannesburg
Job Location: Johannesburg
Company description
Ferrero is a family-owned company with a truly progressive and global outlook and iconic brands such as Nutella®, Tic Tac®, Ferrero Rocher®, Raffaello®, Kinder Bueno® and Kinder Surprise®. As the love for our brands continues to grow, so too does our global reach. Represented in more than 50 countries, with products sold in more than 170, the Ferrero Group is loved by generations around the world. The secret to our global success? 40,000 dedicated employees who celebrate care and quality to craft a business, careers and brands we are proud of. Join us, and you could be one of them.
Diversity Statement
Ferrero is committed to building a diverse and inclusive culture in which all employees feel welcomed and appreciated and have the same opportunities. We believe all of our people are equally talented in their own way. In nurturing the curiosity and natural abilities of our employees, we provide them, generation after generation, the means to succeed personally and professionally, enabling them to craft their journey at Ferrero. The diversity of our talents is what makes our work environment multicultural, innovative and highly rewarding.
About the Role:
The Trade Marketing Specialist will focus on the implementation of marketing strategies that drive demand for Ferrero products in retail & wholesale channels. This role provides key insights that shape promotional activities & category management strategies while ensuring that all promotions, and in-store activities are executed efficiently and in alignment with the company’s trade marketing strategy to drive sales and enhance brand visibility.
Main Responsibilities:
1. Promotion & Campaign Management:
• Plan and coordinate the execution of trade promotions, including in-store displays, point-of-sale (POPM) materials, and retail events.
• Ensure the timely deployment of marketing materials to regional agents, working closely with external vendors to meet deadlines.
• Monitor in-store execution of trade marketing activities to ensure consistent brand presence and effective promotion.
• Collaborate with supply chain teams to ensure product availability for promotional activities in all channels.
2. Customer Plan Management & Optimisation
• Analyse customer data, shopper insights, and sales trends to define pricing, placement, promotion, and product assortment initiatives
• Conduct regular reviews of customers, to assess the impact of trade marketing activities, and identify growth opportunities
• Monitor out-of-stock & product shelf-life situations and collaborate with sales, supply chain and to adjust promotional and trade marketing activities accordingly to minimize waste and maximize product turnover
• Track competitor activity and recommend competitive pricing and promotion strategies
3. Cross Functional Collaboration
• Work closely with sales team to ensure alignment between marketing initiatives & sales objectives, providing data driven insights to optimise customer plan, promo activities and product placement. Regularly update the team on market trends, promo performance and areas of opportunity to support sales targets
• Partner with finance to track trade promo budgets, monitoring spends against plans, and ensuring financial accountability for trade related activities
• Develop strong relationships with retail partners, ensuring effective communication and collaboration for category growth by providing insights and guidance to partners to optimize shelf space, promotional opportunities, and product positioning
4. Budget Management:
• Oversee the management of trade marketing budget for all campaigns and promotional activities, ensuring that expenditures are within the allocated budget
• Develop and maintain a detailed budget tracking system, ensuring transparency and accuracy in the allocation & usage of funds for TM activities
• Compile & present performance reports on trade marketing initiatives providing detailed insights into sales performance, retail execution metrics, customer engagement, competitive benchmarks & category performance- analyzing ROI and effectiveness.
• Collaborate with finance to ensure timely reconciliation of expenses and accurate financial reporting for all TM activities
5. Master Data Management
• Manage & update the product catalogue by regularly inputting and maintaining detailed information for all existing and new products (Pack-shots, TU dimensions, RSP, Shelf life, etc.)
• Maintain the POPM catalogue, ensuring accurate and up-to-date information on available POPM for campaigns
• Ensure that all new product listing information is communicated to retailers and field sales in a timely and accurate manner
Who we are looking for:
- Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Business, or a related field.
- 3+ years of experience in trade marketing, retail execution, or a similar role.
- Strong project management skills and the ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously.
- Strong analytical skills and the ability to translate data into actionable insights
- Excellent communication and negotiation skills for managing relationships with internal and external stakeholders
- Experience working with retail partners and managing category performance across various channels
- Proficiency in category management tools, data analytics, and CRM software
- Proven ability to manage budgets and deliver against financial targets.
How to be successful in the role and at Ferrero:
Consumers, quality and care are at the heart of everything we do. So, to be successful at Ferrero, you’ll need to be just as consumer and product centric as we are - dedicated to crafting brilliant results for consumers around the world.