Brand managers' expected and perceived responsibilities in the automobile industry

Fast-moving consumer goods and industrial brand managers' perceived responsibilities have been examined in the past. Very little is known, however, about the organisation of the marketing activities and the brand managers' role in various durable consumer goods industries. In addition, the effectiveness in the delegation of duties to the lower-level marketing personnel, the expectations of the marketing managers from their subordinates, and the perceived responsibilities of the employees themselves have not been investigated. Using data collected from a sample of 18 brand managers and nine marketing managers via personal interview in Greece, this paper aims to give some insight into these issues. It reveals that brand managers have a relatively clear understanding of what their job involves. Acting as middle managers, they are expected to scan the environment, implement brand programmes and evaluate their brand performance.