Trade Marketing Manager - FlowerHire

The Trade Marketing Manager position leads our client's trade marketing program across the the two markets they operate in including Arizona and will play a critical role in our client's go-to-market retail strategy.

This role requires close collaboration with sales, sales support, and brand marketing. Meticulous

attention to brand standards and guidelines as applied to retail locations, digital environments,

and live events is required.

Retail & Digital Merchandising

• In collaboration with VP of Sales and the brand marketing team, develop annual kitted,

tiered retail merchandising programs with standardized offerings based on revenue

levels.

• Lead planning, sourcing, execution and delivery of display items.

• Maintain and track display item inventory.

• Develop visual and written display execution plans.

• Train Field Marketing and Sales Support staff on merchandising and brand standards, best practices, and processes.

• Review retail merchandising activity and images in CRM reporting and, as needed, visit

stores to audit on-shelf presentation and competitor positioning. Provide updates to

brand and sales leadership on display needs, trends, and opportunities.

• Utilize sales reporting to understand individual store performance and contextualize

merchandising strategy. Tools include PowerBI sales data and AlpineIQ.

• Maintain retail-related assets in Digital Asset Management system (BrandFolder)

including campaign-specific collections. Oversee regular distribution to customers.

• Use product descriptions and menu photography provided by the brand team to generate

up-to-date, strain-specific digital merchandising across all menu platforms including

Weedmaps, Leafly, and Dutchie.

• Work with sales team members and retailers to secure in-store signage opportunities.

Deploy existing screen assets and work with the brand team to develop custom assets

for relevant opportunities.

Retail Engagement

• Collaborate with Sales Leadership and brand marketing team to evolve and execute

budtender engagement programs.

• Utilize brand messaging to develop communications that promote current marketing

initiatives.

• Produce and distribute weekly budtender email/SMS campaigns in AlpineIQ.

• Lead and track budtender contact list development; develop collateral, create incentives,

collaborate with sales support and OSRs and distribution.

• Lead Sparkplug incentive program messaging, participation, and promotion.

• Support and collaborate with Account Managers on account-level trade marketing

developments that expand shelf presence and increase sales. Act as the expert resource

on the trade marketing program in emails, on calls and in in-person meetings and

presentations to accounts.

• Create engaging, impactful training content for retail partners. Manage SeedTalent LMS

platform and ensure hosted content is current.

Events

• Conceptualize, plan, and execute trade events that foster the ultimate experience and

brand connection opportunities for budtenders and buyers with support and

collaboration from sales and brand marketing.

• Manage all aspects of trade event logistics, including venue selection/negotiation,

vendor coordination, budget management, and onsite execution.

• Secure retailer-led sponsorship opportunities in collaboration with Account Managers

and sales leadership; act as primary point of contact for retail partners and supporting

the brand team during planning and activation.

• Support brand team on planning and execution for events where buyers or budtenders

are in attendance.

Promotional Merchandise

• Lead intake and distribution of promotional merchandise.

• Develop and maintain tracking program for promotional merchandise distribution.

• Communicate detailed, timely promotional merchandise development and ordering

requests to the Partnerships & Activations Manager.

• Communicate detailed and timely gifting requests to Partnerships & Activations

Manager for buyers during holiday season.

• Support program improvement by delivering merchandise feedback and competitor

insights to brand marketing team.

Collaboration, Leadership & Administration

• Report to sales and sales support teams about trade marketing activities and initiatives

during team meetings, ensuring that expectations and needs for sales team support are

clearly defined and communicated.

• Collaborate with the brand marketing team on cross-department initiatives and projects

(Holidaze, branded strain launches, product launches, merch/display design),communicating trade marketing needs and delivery timelines for items including collateral, display, and digital assets.

• Develop and maintain trade marketing best practices, SOPs, and installation guidelines

(planograms) for deployment across multiple markets and lead training for sales and

sales support teams.

• Supervise merchandising and field marketing teammembers. Regularly review CRM entries and perform ride alongs as needed to assess results. Provide feedback to ensure execution in line

with established visual guidelines.

• Conduct performance evaluations, provide feedback, and identify areas for growth and

improvement.

• Support and collaborate with Account Managers on retail merchandising program

development in accounts.

• Create and maintain quarterly retail marketing calendar tracking internal

campaigns/promotions and key B2B events.

• Establish and track KPIs for all trade marketing programs and practice areas aligned

with sales goals; report on performance monthly and establish plans for improvement

• Maintain current knowledge of cannabis retail and advertising regulations and ensure

program compliance

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Merchandising, Retail/Sales Management, Business

Administration, or related field. MBA or relevant advanced degree preferred.

• Minimum of 5 years of experience in trade marketing, merchandising, or sales

management, preferably within the cannabis industry

• Proven experience planning and executing corporate events or large-scale activations.

• Proven track record of developing and executing successful trade marketing programs.

• Strong project management skills with the ability to prioritize tasks, meet deadlines, and

manage budgets effectively.

• Strong understanding of brand marketing and visual standards in marketing.

• Excellent communication, negotiation, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build

and maintain relationships with internal and external stakeholders.

• Creative thinker with a strategic mindset and the ability to develop innovative

merchandising solutions.

• Experience managing external agencies and vendors.

• Passion for the cannabis industry