Arif Haq
Brand ManagerInternational blue-chip drinks company.
What is a typical day in your job?
My role is concerned with managing all aspects of my specific brands so everyday can be very different. For instance, it might involve anything from briefing the advertising agency on an upcoming campaign, tasting some R&D samples of a future innovation, deciding which design concept I prefer for a website or perhaps working to develop a brand strategy following a debrief from consumer research.
How did you get into your role?
I did Politics at university and graduated with little idea of what I wanted to do for a job but I knew it needed to involve communications and the media somehow. I found a job at a marketing agency in London and after three years, was seconded to one of their clients – Pepsi UK. After the secondment, Pepsi offered me the job. It was a completely unconventional route into the company, which usually recruits direct from the likes of Unilever, P&G or Mars. I know that with my background, relative youth and lack of formal marketing qualifications, I would never have been considered had it just been down to my CV– I was very lucky.
What skills have you come to rely on the most in your job?
Communication. The ability to clearly and articulately get a message across to different types of people is obviously a pre-requisite for most jobs, but none more so than within an industry based solely on the communication of ideas. Intuition. It’s not something which should become a shield to hide a poor understanding of the science and the craft of marketing, but an intuitive sense of what the consumer wants is essential and cannot be taught.
If you had to pick one positive and one negative aspect of your job what would they be?
Positive – the opportunity to work and learn from those from all over the world every day. My current boss is Belgian, and the one before him was Turkish – I work closely with colleagues in Europe and New York everyday. Also- working on huge global brands is a great experience and allows for learning opportunities not possible at other companies. Negative – sometimes working on huge global brands can mean that you’re not always completely free to do what you want with them! Global vs local concerns can sometimes be challenging.
Is there any advice you would give students hoping to pursue a career in this field?
Immerse yourself in some of the newer communication technologies and trends. Those who understand them, what they can do and why they have and will continue to truly revolutionise the way in which we communicate with each other, will be the marketing leaders of the future. Perhaps think about specialising in one field of marketing that you particularly enjoy or are good at – employers are increasingly looking for experts. If you’re not doing a marketing course read some good books on the theory to give you the basics– it will help.
Decide what side you want to be on - There’s a big difference working at a marketing agency vs working as the Client – there’s good and bad points on each and the route into either is very different. Learn Chinese.
