How would you handle a situation where the sales team is pushing for a deeper discount on a core product to hit their monthly volume targets, but you believe it will damage the brand's long-term equity?

Situation

As an Assistant Brand Manager for a packaged food brand, the regional sales manager insisted on a 30% discount for a major supermarket chain to achieve their quarterly target.

Task

I needed to protect the brand's price perception while supporting the sales team's volume goals.

Action

I met with the sales lead to understand their pipeline, then conducted a volume-margin analysis to simulate the impact of a 30% discount versus a targeted 15% discount paired with trade marketing support. I proposed an alternative multi-brand bundle promotion that offered consumer savings without directly slashing the core product's shelf price, and we agreed to pilot it for one month with weekly sell-through review.

Result

The pilot achieved 85% of the volume target but preserved 90% of the brand's profit margin. The sales team saw the value in a more sustainable approach, and we scaled it to three more regions.