Fiona
Job title
Brand manager
Company and location
Beiersdorf UK, Birmingham
Industry sector
Brand management, Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG)
Background
Studied Marketing in the sixth form
Degree in International Business with Modern Languages (French and German), University of Plymouth
Six month work placement during degree, in Channel Marketing in Germany
Joined graduate scheme leading to current role handling the Nivea Sun skincare brand
Describe your job
My first week in the job was really exciting. I knew I wanted to go into marketing but I had no real idea what a FMCG consumer marketing role really involved. There were many people to get to know and lots of information to take on board. It was exhausting but I loved it from the moment I arrived.
Typical activities depend on the time of year. They include: looking at possible new products and evaluating their relevance for the UK market; preparing to brief the sales team on our PR activity for the following year; working alongside our technical department on new products and relaunches; managing the day-to-day running of PR and marketing campaigns. I usually also have a fairly meaty project to handle, for instance an in-depth competitor analysis. I produce monthly reports from market research agency data to see how our products are performing.
How do languages come into play?
My German was pretty much fluent when I returned from my student placement in Germany. I also studied A level French plus two years at university as an optional module but I don’t use it so much now. Although I don’t use my languages everyday, they are frequently a great help. I communicate in German with our packaging, financial control, international brand management and research and development teams, all based in Germany. I visit our Hamburg HQ regularly and converse with colleagues in German. We often receive articles and advertisements from HQ that are in German, so it is important to be able to understand them.
The biggest advantage in speaking German has been the ability to develop closer relationships with colleagues in Germany, which has helped to move things on with them when issues arise. It also makes the opportunity to move to Germany later in my career much more likely.
What do you like most about your job?
- Consumers who love our products and tell us!
- Seeing a campaign that I've managed all the way through come together and produce the results.
- I also enjoy travelling to London to meet with our agencies from time to time.
Any tips?
Many more people want to work in the industry than there are positions so it won't come easily but it's worth the effort! Promotion prospects are good once you are in, but be prepared to work hard for promotion.
My advice for those interested in entering the industry is be passionate about what you do and have the courage to challenge the norms. No-one can be truly great by only following the path of others.
Source: AGCAS