1. Role Objective
To design and execute Nongfu Spring's national in-store trade marketing and channel activation strategy across Malaysia — driving shopper conversion, brand visibility at point-of-sale, and sales growth through distributor partners and the sales team.
This is a commercially driven, national-level role responsible for planning, managing, and evaluating Malaysia's total trade marketing agenda — spanning modern trade, convenience, traditional trade, and emerging channels. It focuses strongly on in-store activation, merchandising excellence, and effective POSM deployment, distinct from above-the-line brand marketing functions.
The Trade Marketing Manager will also guide and strengthen distributor-led trade marketing initiatives, especially for regional and independent customers, ensuring consistent brand presence and execution quality across all channels nationwide.
2. Key Responsibilities
a. National Trade Marketing Strategy & Execution
- Develop and own Nongfu Spring's national trade marketing strategy, translating brand and sales objectives into in-store activation programs with measurable business outcomes.
- Design, plan, and lead nationwide trade and shopper campaigns, including promotional themes, visibility initiatives, and merchandising programs to drive sell-through and consumer engagement.
- Take brand direction and creative guidance from the Brand Marketing team to ensure trade activations, in-store materials, and shopper messages reflect the core brand identity.
- Develop and oversee the production, allocation, and deployment of POSM materials — ensuring creative consistency, cost efficiency, and execution impact across channels.
- Create and maintain channel-specific activation playbooks (Modern Trade, Traditional, Convenience, and E-commerce) for consistent implementation countrywide.
- Collaborate with the Regional Marketing Director to align in-store communication and POS materials with brand standards.
b. Distributor Partnership & Channel Development
- Work closely with distributors to translate national trade plans into field execution, ensuring consistent visibility, compliance, and performance tracking.
- Guide and evaluate distributors trade marketing efforts, particularly for regional and independent customers, aligning local execution to Nongfu Spring's national standards.
- Support distributors with activation toolkits, planograms, and display guidance to elevate in-store presence and conversion.
- Conduct regular joint business reviews and trade visits to assess campaign quality and identify improvement opportunities.
c. New Product Launch & Activation
- Lead national go-to-market planning for new product launches — covering launch calendars, trade visibility, and in-store display strategy.
- Coordinate cross-functionally (marketing, sales, and supply chain) to ensure launch readiness and high-quality retail activation.
- Measure launch campaign outcomes, capturing learnings and best practices for replication.
d. Trade Investment, POSM & Performance Analytics
- Manage the national trade marketing and POSM budget, ensuring efficient allocation across channels, customers, and priorities.
- Track and evaluate the ROI of trade marketing activities, visibility programs, and POSM effectiveness through field audits and data analysis.
- Prepare post-campaign evaluations and quarterly trade marketing reviews for both Sales and Regional Marketing teams.
- Partner with Brand Marketing on creative updates and seasonal refreshes of POS materials based on market feedback.
3. Desired Behaviours & Mindset
As part of Nongfu Spring's market-building phase, this role requires entrepreneurial leadership, agility, and the ability to shape trade marketing capability from the ground up.
- Entrepreneurial Ownership. Treats the business as their own — takes accountability, challenges status quo, and drives results with limited structure.
- Agility & Resourcefulness. Adapts quickly to change, solves problems creatively, and maintains focus amid ambiguity.
- Hands-on Collaboration. Works closely with distributor and internal teams; leads through influence rather than authority.
- Bias for Action. Acts decisively and swiftly to seize opportunities and resolve issues.
- Strategic yet Practical Thinking. Balances long-term strategy with operational realities and execution discipline.
- Learning & Curiosity. Continuously seeks to understand consumers, channels, and market trends to sharpen commercial strategy.
- Resilience & Optimism. Maintains positive energy, persistence, and composure through challenges inherent in start-up environments.
4. Qualifications & Experience
- Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Business, or related field.
- 5–8 years of experience in FMCG trade marketing, preferably with exposure to national campaign design and management, including POSM development and deployment.
- Strong understanding of Malaysia's retail landscape — including modern trade, convenience, and traditional channels.
- Proven ability to work with distributors and external agencies to deliver large-scale in-store activations.
- Experience managing trade and POSM budgets, with clear understanding of ROI and cost management.
- Excellent communication, project management, and stakeholder engagement skills.
- Fluent in English and Bahasa Malaysia; Mandarin proficiency is an advantage.
- Entrepreneurial, collaborative, and execution-oriented mindset.
5. Performance Metrics
- Successful design and rollout of national trade and shopper campaigns.
- ROI and effectiveness of POSM materials and trade investments.
- Consistency and quality of in-store brand presence nationwide.
- Distributor capability and adherence to national activation standards.
- Successful execution of new product launches and trade visibility programs.
