Brand management is difficult to define because the actual job description varies widely across the vast universe of consumer products companies. Many CPG companies have at least one thing in common, though: They're part of huge conglomerates that produce many name-brand products. Size gives them economies of scale, and a diversity of products gives them protection against down cycles. Which is not to say that small mom-and-pop, mail-order pickle-and-jam companies don't crop up every now and then and make a serious go of it. They do. They aren't where the majority of the jobs are, however-at least, not until Unilever or Nestlé takes them over.