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Sharon, Brand Manager at Diageo China: Advize Career Interview

A strategic career path, beginning with internships and PR roles to overcome limited entry-level opportunities, led to a Brand Manager position at Diageo China.

The role involves holistic marketing campaign planning, leveraging market trends and consumer insights to achieve sales targets, and managing budgets across diverse internal and external teams.

Daily activities vary significantly, balancing independent tasks with extensive collaboration.

Prioritization, problem-solving, and communication are paramount skills, with the most rewarding aspect being the direct, positive consumer response to campaigns.

While prioritization and effective communication remain challenges, passion for the industry and curiosity are key traits for success. A crucial lesson learned is the significant need for quantitative analysis, beyond initial expectations.

Aspiring brand managers can consider management trainee programs, marketing executive roles, or agency experience as entry points.

A significant career lesson involved developing independent critical thinking and proactive information gathering.

Extracurricular activities and persistent networking, even with a non-business background, proved vital in securing early career success. International students should consider visa sponsorship when making career choices.

Advizer Information

Name

Job Title

Company

Undergrad

Grad Programs

Majors

Industries

Job Functions

Traits

Sharon Tsai

Brand Manager

Diageo China

National Taiwan University, 2012

UCLA Anderson School of Management, MBA

Political Science, American Studies

Food, Beverages & Alcohol

Communication and Marketing

International Student

Watch all of this Advizer's videos below

Career Path Of A Brand Manager At Diageo China

Sharon's career path to becoming a Brand Manager at Diageo China began with a strategic approach to gaining marketing experience; the interviewee "started to explore...what I could do to make me a brand manager," leading to internships at a multinational creative agency and various PR roles, a tactic driven by the limited direct entry opportunities available during college.

Career Path Of A Brand Manager At Diageo China

Main Responsibilities of a Brand Manager at Diageo China

Sharon, a Brand Manager at Diageo China, develops "holistic marketing campaign planning" by leveraging market trends and consumer insights to meet sales targets, managing budgets, and collaborating with internal and external teams. This includes working with agencies on creative campaigns and global stakeholders on innovation, local adaptation, and commercial planning, showcasing a wide-ranging role encompassing strategy, execution, and cross-functional collaboration.

Main Responsibilities of a Brand Manager at Diageo China

A Day In The Life Of A Brand Manager At Diageo China

A brand manager's day-to-day activities are highly variable, depending on the time of year and fiscal cycle; for example, "the first quarter...a lot of planning" while later quarters involve more "execution or events". The work is characterized by a mix of independent tasks like report writing and presentations to senior management and global teams, along with many meetings with internal and external stakeholders, including agencies.

A Day In The Life Of A Brand Manager At Diageo China

Most Important Skills For A Brand Manager At Diageo China

Sharon, a Brand Manager at Diageo China, identifies prioritization, problem-solving, and communication as crucial skills. The ability to "prioritize tasks," "solve problems independently," and "persuade others to buy into plans" are highlighted as essential for navigating the multifaceted demands of a brand manager role, requiring strong multitasking and negotiation skills.

Most Important Skills For A Brand Manager At Diageo China

Favorite Parts Of Being A Brand Manager At Diageo China

Sharon, a Brand Manager at Diageo China, finds the most rewarding aspect of her role to be "this sense of achievement" derived from seeing positive consumer response to marketing campaigns and events. This direct feedback, whether from press or "direct face to face," fuels their passion for creative development and execution within the marketing industry.

Favorite Parts Of Being A Brand Manager At Diageo China

Biggest Challenges Faced by a Brand Manager at Diageo China

Sharon, a Brand Manager at Diageo China, identified prioritization and communication as major challenges. Difficulty prioritizing tasks, often focusing on "easier tasks first," and struggles with "persuasion and articulating plans," particularly when collaborating with the sales department, highlighted the need for improved communication skills in such a role.

Biggest Challenges Faced by a Brand Manager at Diageo China

Favorite Parts of Working in the Food and Beverage Industry as a Brand Manager

Sharon, a Brand Manager at Diageo China, finds the most rewarding aspect of the food and beverage industry to be its "consumer-facing energy," allowing for creative work such as "developing creative assets" and impactful consumer events, with the opportunity to directly observe the impact on consumers through feedback and social media engagement. This highlights the tangible and rewarding nature of the work for someone in their position.

Favorite Parts of Working in the Food and Beverage Industry as a Brand Manager

What Type Of Person Thrives In The Spirits Industry, According To A Brand Manager At Diageo China

Sharon, a Diageo China Brand Manager, identifies passion for the industry and curiosity as key traits for success, noting that while "passion is definitely the most important thing," a curious nature can also lead to thriving, as evidenced by her own five-year career despite initially lacking strong personal interest in spirits. Essential skills include prioritization, problem-solving, and communication.

What Type Of Person Thrives In The Spirits Industry, According To A Brand Manager At Diageo China

What a Brand Manager at Diageo China Wishes They Had Known Before Entering the Consumer Goods Industry

Sharon, a Brand Manager at Diageo China, reveals a crucial lesson learned: the role demands a surprising level of quantitative analysis, "half scientist and half artist," contrasting initial expectations. Further, extensive communication with diverse individuals is essential for success, a facet that would have benefited from earlier awareness.

What a Brand Manager at Diageo China Wishes They Had Known Before Entering the Consumer Goods Industry

Entry-Level Positions For Aspiring Brand Managers At Diageo China

Sharon, a Brand Manager at Diageo China, identifies three entry-level paths for aspiring brand managers: a competitive management trainee program offering "fast-track" career advancement, a marketing executive role focusing on "executional things" with promotional potential, or starting at agencies like Nielsen to gain experience and connections before targeting in-house positions. This reflects Sharon's own career journey, starting at an agency due to a non-business background, showcasing a strategic approach to career progression.

Entry-Level Positions For Aspiring Brand Managers At Diageo China

Significant Career Lesson From A Brand Manager At Diageo China

Sharon's most significant career lesson was learning to "think independently and think critically" when problem-solving, initially relying on their manager but eventually mastering independent analysis before seeking assistance, thus building credibility and accelerating career progression. This involved proactively consulting colleagues across departments to consolidate information before reporting to their manager.

Significant Career Lesson From A Brand Manager At Diageo China

College Experiences That Helped a Brand Manager at Diageo China Succeed

Sharon's political science background unexpectedly led to a brand management career at Diageo China, thanks to "explor[ing] a lot of different extracurricular programs," including a creative and entrepreneurship program that provided business-related coursework and valuable networking opportunities. The persistent pursuit of career goals, including "reach[ing] out to the HR" at target companies, proved crucial in securing Sharon's first job.

College Experiences That Helped a Brand Manager at Diageo China Succeed

How Identity Has Influenced a Brand Manager's Career at Diageo China

As an international student, career choices involved navigating a "trade-off between what you really want to do and what can make you stay" in the U.S. This impacted career decisions, as industries like fashion and luxury goods, which were personally appealing, often did not sponsor visas for international students, unlike other sectors.

How Identity Has Influenced a Brand Manager's Career at Diageo China
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