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Strategist vs brand manager

The differences between strategists and brand managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 8-10 years to become both a strategist and a brand manager. Additionally, a strategist has an average salary of $104,881, which is higher than the $97,789 average annual salary of a brand manager.

The top three skills for a strategist include project management, customer satisfaction and powerpoint. The most important skills for a brand manager are brand management, digital marketing, and customer service.

Strategist vs brand manager overview

StrategistBrand Manager
Yearly salary$104,881$97,789
Hourly rate$50.42$47.01
Growth rate10%10%
Number of jobs44,596127,429
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 73%Bachelor's Degree, 75%
Average age3939
Years of experience1010

What does a strategist do?

The job of the strategist involves the development and implementation of a strategy. Generally, strategists set goals, identify actions to achieve the objectives, and mobilize resources for the actions. They make functional strategies for businesses and profit improvement. They are considered as the thinkers who develop the course of a project of the business program. The skills necessary for this job include critical thinking, management skills, attention to detail, and leadership skill. They should be equipped with knowledge about business and management.

What does a brand manager do?

A brand manager is an individual responsible for adapting a brand strategy that targets the potential market for a company's product while maintaining its integrity. Brand managers assist in developing products while managing budgets for the advertising and promotion of their new products. They usually work under the supervision of marketing managers or chief marketing officers (CMOs) to implement and execute their marketing initiatives. Brand managers also provide an analysis of sales forecasts and create reports on product sales.

Strategist vs brand manager salary

Strategists and brand managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

StrategistBrand Manager
Average salary$104,881$97,789
Salary rangeBetween $62,000 And $176,000Between $72,000 And $131,000
Highest paying CityHartford, CTParsippany-Troy Hills, NJ
Highest paying stateConnecticutRhode Island
Best paying companyThe CitadelMeta
Best paying industryTechnologyManufacturing

Differences between strategist and brand manager education

There are a few differences between a strategist and a brand manager in terms of educational background:

StrategistBrand Manager
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 73%Bachelor's Degree, 75%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeUniversity of GeorgiaUniversity of Georgia

Strategist vs brand manager demographics

Here are the differences between strategists' and brand managers' demographics:

StrategistBrand Manager
Average age3939
Gender ratioMale, 54.5% Female, 45.5%Male, 51.5% Female, 48.5%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 3.0% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 8.2% White, 74.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%Black or African American, 3.0% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 8.2% White, 74.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage10%10%

Differences between strategist and brand manager duties and responsibilities

Strategist example responsibilities.

  • Manage change requests using CMS for corporate website.
  • Experience in managing online affiliate programs for e-commerce sites.
  • Plan Instagram launch, manage posts, and tracking success on the account.
  • Manage HubSpot activities, including blogs, email marketing, landing pages and CRM maintenance.
  • Lead the team to develop the company's only OEM product for the security/surveillance market.
  • Manage all top line donation form fundraising strategy including design, copy, naming conventions, redirects and A/B testing.
  • Show more

Brand manager example responsibilities.

  • Direct and coordinate photo shoots; conduct live training sessions; manage marketing asset library; CRM strategy.
  • Manage paid search campaigns including keyword generation, ad copy testing, landing page optimization, PPC and SEM.
  • Manage global product development teams with cross-functional oversight for manufacturing, sourcing, finance, design and supply chain management.
  • Manage POS merchandising and distribution of promotional items.
  • Develop and manage new health brand strategy including creation of healthcare professional/dietitian program.
  • Obtain certification through a cheese and wine class.
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Strategist vs brand manager skills

Common strategist skills
  • Project Management, 12%
  • Customer Satisfaction, 9%
  • PowerPoint, 8%
  • Portfolio, 6%
  • Digital Marketing, 5%
  • Client Facing, 4%
Common brand manager skills
  • Brand Management, 8%
  • Digital Marketing, 7%
  • Customer Service, 5%
  • Project Management, 5%
  • Brand Marketing, 5%
  • Product Development, 4%

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