Trade Marketing Specialist

Job Description

Job Title: Trade Marketing Specialist

Department: Marketing

Reports to: Divisional Marketing Manager

Role Overview:

We are looking for a highly organized, energetic, and people-centric Trade Marketing Specialist to drive our brand visibility, activations, and sales support initiatives across the informal market.

This role is logistics-heavy and field-focused, requiring someone who can coordinate promotional activations, information kiosks, branded presence, promotional staff, and events across multiple regions while ensuring strong execution on the ground.

The ideal candidate is excellent with people, comfortable working in diverse communities, able to communicate in multiple South African languages, and passionate about finding innovative ways to reach traders, customers, and sales targets in high-traffic informal trade environments.

Key Responsibilities:

Trade Activations & Field Execution

• Plan, coordinate, and execute trade activations, roadshows, information kiosks, and in-field brand presence.
• Manage all logistics for activations including venues, permits, branding, transport, stock, and promotional staff.
• Ensure high-quality execution and brand visibility in informal trading environments.
• Conduct regular field visits to monitor and support activations.

Promotional Staff & Agency Management

• Brief, manage, and oversee promotional staff.
• Ensure staff are trained, well presented, and aligned to campaign objectives.
• Manage attendance, performance, and reporting from field teams.

Branding & Visibility Opportunities

• Identify new branding opportunities in high-traffic informal trade areas.
• Coordinate the production and placement of in-field branding (gazebos, banners, posters, kiosks, etc.).
• Ensure branding is maintained and refreshed where necessary.

Sales Support & Innovation

• Work closely with the sales team to design activations that drive sales targets.
• Develop innovative trade marketing initiatives to attract merchants and end customers.
• Support product launches and promotions through trade-focused initiatives.

Logistics & Planning

• Maintain detailed activation plans, calendars, budgets, and stock lists.
• Ensure timely delivery of all materials required for activations.

Reporting & Insights

• Compile post-activation reports with photos, insights, and performance feedback.
• Provide recommendations for improving future activations.
• Track spend vs budget and ensure cost efficiency.

Requirements:

Experience

• 3–5 years’ experience in Trade Marketing or Field Marketing
• Experience working in the informal market or township trade environments is highly advantageous.
• Experience managing promotional staff or agencies.

Skills & Competencies

• Organized with strong logistics and planning ability.
• Excellent people skills and confident working in diverse communities.
• Ability to speak multiple South African languages (highly advantageous).
• Strong problem-solving and on-the-ground decision-making ability.
• Creative thinker who can identify new opportunities for brand visibility.
• Comfortable working in the field and travelling regularly.
• Strong administrative and reporting skills.
• Ability to work under pressure and manage multiple projects simultaneously.

Personal Attributes

• Energetic and hands-on.
• Proactive and self-driven.
• Detail-oriented.
• Adaptable and resourceful in informal environments.
• Passionate about community engagement and informal trade.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs):

• Successful execution of trade activations and events.
• Increased brand visibility in informal trading areas.
• Quality and consistency of in-field branding.
• Sales team support and contribution to sales targets.
• Efficient management of promotional staff and agencies.
• Accurate planning, budgeting, and reporting.

What Success Looks Like in This Role:

This person ensures that wherever our brand shows up in the informal market, it is visible, professional, engaging, well executed and converts both merchant and customers - turning trade marketing activity into real sales impact.