You’ve heard from my fellow Nesters; Andrew, Justine and Steph, and now (finally!) it’s my turn. Like Steph, I’ve spent the past five weeks at Diageo and just as Andrew said in his blog, it has been an absolute whirlwind!
I have a legal background so I really wasn’t sure what to expect when coming to Diageo. I have done marketing in a previous degree, but that was a while ago (I’m a few years older than the other Nesters) so although I’m not new to the world of marketing, I’ve certainly still got my training wheels on.
It’s a cliché, but I can safely say that I have been learning something new every single day. There is so much that goes into the Diageo business, so much that from the outside you simply wouldn’t know existed.
So let me try and give you an indication of a day in the life on this side…
I sit with the lifestyle marketing team for Bundaberg Rum. The best thing about being in this team, aside from the people, is that the Australian office is actually the Global Brand Team, so all decisions on new product innovations, one of which has launched during my time here and has just hit the shelves, packaging, distribution targets, communications and media are managed locally. Also, the most recent advertising campaign was developed by Leo Burnett and has been evolving as we speak. It has been incredible to watch this process and I’m really looking forward to seeing how that works from the Leo Burnett side and completing the picture. I’ve also been lucky enough to work on some other iconic global brands and in doing so have been able to liaise with Diageo folk from the other side of the world.
Apart from the consumer marketing side of things, I’ve also had the opportunity to be introduced to the commercial side of Diageo, which has been incredibly interesting and eye-opening. My team will come up with an awesome marketing campaign but then quickly switch hats and look at the numbers behind it and what it will take to get things up and running. This has been a great opportunity to learn how something goes from being an idea to an actual product, the costs involved and how it fits into the global network that Diageo has.
If I can say anything about this experience it is that while I had no idea what to expect, I certainly haven’t been disappointed, or bored, or left in the dark about anything. I’ve had the ability to learn from the inside about a global business, been lucky enough to sit in on some crucial decision making meetings, and met some incredibly inspiring and talented people.
The moral of the story
Involvement – get involved with as many teams as possible because everyone is so welcoming and willing to give you a run down about what their role is. The more comprehensive your understanding, then the more enjoyment you will take out of it – especially when you have a million acronyms flying at you (Ok maybe not that many – I’m a lawyer, not a mathematician!)
When you next hear from me I’ll be on the Leo’s side, so watch this space!
Alex Moddel
The Nest 2014