Marketing Grads
Emma Preen
Sarah Dossett
Emma Preen: Consumer Insight and Planning
University: Lancaster University Management School; graduated 2006
Subject Studied: BBA Management (Hons)
After spending my sandwich year working in Nestlé’s Business Analysis and Research Department, I wanted to come back for two main reasons. Firstly, the people are fantastic - not only are they talented and knowledgeable, they’re also always willing to help. And secondly, I love the company’s attitude to new ideas - everyone openly challenges methods and processes, so we can make the business even better.
As for marketing, where do I start? Nestlé wants it to be at the centre of the organisation, feeding customer knowledge into everything they do. It’s the lifeblood of innovation and has been the driving force behind the brands. Here, I’m playing a big part in the company’s future, helping the next generation decide what their favourite food will be.
Obviously though, that’s no simple task. Marketing is an extremely demanding career, and I’m no stranger to late nights in the office. However, the flexi-time system certainly compensates by letting me take up to eight extra days off a year.
So what’s my working day like? Well, fast for starters - no two are the same. On a daily basis I’ll go to a number of meetings and answer all sorts of emails. At any one time, you’ll find my team running a range of projects, providing other teams with information on the latest market trends, and highlighting potential opportunities and threats. Another key aspect for me is the listening and learning. That part never stops, and it’s great.
If you’re flexible, open to change and willing to go the extra mile, Nestlé is definitely a place where you can fulfil your ambitions. There are so many opportunities, both locally and abroad, that the possibilities are endless.
Sarah Dossett: Beverages Marketing
University: University of Bristol; graduated 1999
Subject studied: BSc Anatomical Science
I joined Nestlé from Tesco, where I was a Customer Activation Executive. Obviously, there’s a huge difference between both the companies and my part in them, but what surprised me most was how friendly people are. Even though everyone’s busy, and we’re working for the biggest brands in the world, everyone’s down to earth and helpful, and there’s a great social scene.
We’re a business in an incredibly competitive market, one that’s becoming more and more financially driven. We’re faced with big questions like ‘what sales uplift is a campaign likely to generate’, or ‘what kind of return will we get on our investment’. I'm usually at my desk by about 8.00am looking for the answers - but with flexi-time that generally means I’m out the door that bit earlier too.
In practice, the level of responsibility we have is astonishing. You really get a feel for everything that’s going on. My job centres on two areas: pure brand management, where I pull together performance and competitor information for meetings; and communications projects - re-launching the NESCAFÉ website, for example, or managing photo shoots and the all-important media budgets.
This is a job that allows you to develop and own a creative concept that will benefit your brand. You get to manage the entire process and evaluate the big idea. It’s given me a breadth of commercial knowledge that’s thoroughly invaluable. I’ve also had an awful lot of fun.
