About the Company
The Cook Stories Limited is an innovative food business specialising in freshly prepared gourmet corn-based dishes, dumplings and fusion street food inspired by international flavours.
Trading primarily as The Corn Dumpling Co., the company focuses on developing a modern food brand through physical food outlets, food festivals, catering services and digital ordering platforms.
The company operates under the trading name The Corn Dumpling Co, which serves as its creative and digital brand platform, supporting product storytelling, customer engagement, recipe development, food content creation, promotional campaigns and future commercial expansion.
As part of its strategic growth plans, the company intends to expand its customer base throughout Northern Ireland and the wider UK through integrated digital marketing, commercial partnerships, branding initiatives and new product launches.
The Marketing and Commercial Manager is a key managerial position responsible for planning and delivering the company's commercial marketing strategy and supporting sustainable business growth.
Purpose of the Role
The Marketing and Commercial Manager will lead the planning, development and implementation of the company's commercial marketing activities.
The role requires strategic responsibility for growing brand awareness, increasing revenue, identifying new commercial opportunities and developing marketing initiatives that strengthen the market position of both trading brands.
The role requires independent decision-making, commercial judgement and management of marketing activities across digital and traditional channels.
Main Duties and Responsibilities
1. Marketing Strategy and Planning
● Develop the company's annual marketing strategy aligned with business objectives.
● Prepare commercial marketing plans supporting revenue growth.
● Identify new customer segments and emerging food market trends.
● Develop long-term brand positioning strategies.
● Monitor marketing performance and recommend strategic improvements.
● Review competitor activity and implement market-responsive initiatives.
● Produce quarterly marketing plans and annual commercial forecasts.
2. Brand Management
Manage and strengthen the corporate identity of both trading brands:
● The Corn Dumpling Co.
● The Cook Stories
Responsibilities include:
● Maintaining consistent branding across all customer touchpoints.
● Developing brand guidelines.
● Managing promotional materials.
● Coordinating visual identity.
● Ensuring consistent messaging across websites and social media.
● Protecting brand reputation.
3. Digital Marketing
Plan and manage all digital marketing activities including:
● Google advertising
● Meta advertising
● Facebook campaigns
● Instagram campaigns
● TikTok promotions
● SEO
● Website optimisation
● Email marketing
● CRM campaigns
Responsibilities include:
● Increasing website traffic.
● Improving online conversion rates.
● Monitoring digital performance.
● Managing marketing agencies where required.
● Developing content calendars.
● Analysing customer engagement metrics.
4. Commercial Development
Identify opportunities to expand company revenue through:
● Catering contracts
● Corporate catering
● Food festivals
● Local authority events
● Farmers markets
● Wholesale food distribution
● Business partnerships
● Franchise opportunities (future development)
● Delivery platform partnerships
Develop commercial proposals and negotiate marketing partnerships with external organisations.
5. Market Research
Conduct detailed commercial research including:
● Consumer purchasing behaviour.
● Local food trends.
● UK street food market analysis.
● Competitor pricing.
● Competitor promotional activity.
● Customer demographics.
● Product demand forecasting.
Prepare commercial reports for senior management.
6. Product Marketing
Support the successful launch of new menu items by:
● Developing promotional campaigns.
● Conducting customer testing.
● Measuring campaign effectiveness.
● Creating launch strategies.
● Coordinating seasonal promotions.
● Preparing marketing materials.
7. Website Management
Oversee marketing content for:
● thecorndumplingco.com
● thecookstories.com
Responsibilities include:
● Website updates.
● SEO optimisation.
● Landing page development.
● Customer journey improvements.
● Product descriptions.
● Campaign content.
● Performance monitoring using Google Analytics.
8. Social Media Strategy
Develop and manage marketing campaigns across:
● Facebook
● Instagram
● TikTok
● LinkedIn
● YouTube
Responsibilities include:
● Campaign planning.
● Community engagement.
● Brand storytelling.
● Paid advertising.
● Influencer collaborations.
● Performance reporting.
9. Customer Relationship Management
Develop initiatives to improve customer retention through:
● Loyalty programmes.
● Email marketing.
● Customer feedback analysis.
● Promotional campaigns.
● CRM reporting.
● Customer satisfaction surveys.
10. Budget Management
● Prepare annual marketing budgets.
● Allocate marketing expenditure.
● Monitor campaign costs.
● Assess return on investment.
● Produce monthly expenditure reports.
11. Data Analysis
Analyse:
● Sales performance.
● Customer acquisition.
● Website analytics.
● Marketing KPIs.
● Social media engagement.
● Campaign ROI.
● Customer demographics.
Prepare recommendations for business growth.
12. Business Development
Support expansion by identifying:
● New trading locations.
● Commercial opportunities.
● Strategic partnerships.
● Sponsorship opportunities.
● Business collaborations.
● New revenue streams.
13. Regulatory Compliance
Ensure all marketing activities comply with:
● UK GDPR.
● Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) requirements.
● Consumer Protection legislation.
● Food business advertising regulations.
● Company policies and procedures.
Management Responsibilities
The post holder will:
● Plan marketing activities.
● Manage external suppliers and agencies.
● Coordinate creative contractors.
● Liaise with web developers.
● Work closely with company directors.
● Prepare strategic reports.
● Recommend commercial investment decisions.
Person SpecificationEssential Qualifications
● Degree or equivalent professional experience in Marketing, Business Management, Digital Marketing or a related discipline.
Essential Experience
● Marketing strategy development.
● Digital marketing.
● Commercial planning.
● Brand management.
● SEO.
● Website management.
● Customer analytics.
● CRM systems.
● Market research.
● Campaign management.
● Commercial reporting.
Essential Skills
● Strategic planning.
● Leadership.
● Communication.
● Stakeholder management.
● Analytical thinking.
● Data interpretation.
● Budget management.
● Negotiation.
● Commercial awareness.
● Project management.
Key Performance Indicators
● Increase annual revenue.
● Increase online sales.
● Increase website traffic.
● Increase customer acquisition.
● Improve customer retention.
● Develop new commercial partnerships.
● Improve campaign ROI.
● Strengthen brand recognition across Northern Ireland and the UK.
● Successfully launch new food products and promotional campaigns.
Pay: £50,100.00 per year
Work Location: In person
