Interview with a graduate – Living RB’s Core Values. Number 1: Ownership

This is the first in a series of blogs I will be writing, interviewing our graduates about their achievements at RB and how they see our core values playing a part in their success.
At RB we are like our brands – strong, fast-acting and highly effective. When working here you’ll find plenty of drive and energy, and a direct and open style.
Which is why our core values are: Achievement, Entrepreneurship, Team Spirit and Ownership.

This week the core value I will be concentrating on is Ownership.

We describe RB as a unique company, where people have the chance to give their contribution and play their part from the very beginning, with a very high level of responsibility.

Marco, Trade Marketing Manager Assistant Healthcare, joined RB in 2009 as an intern, and the focus of his project was on one of our Powerbrands: Dettol – an incredible opportunity! Marco, 25 years old, is from Milan and he holds a Bachelor degree in Business Administration plus a Master of Science in Management, both degrees gained at Bocconi University, one of our target university in Italy. As soon as he completed his university path, he started an internship at RB.
Here he shares some of his experiences and reveals what it’s like to be an intern at RB . . .

Marco, what did you expect from RB when you started here?

I started my experience in RB Healthcare as assistant Trade Marketing Manager in September 09.
I knew it would be a great opportunity to grow as a man in many aspects, both on a personal level and as RB employee.
I was aware it would be a very hard experience, but I was full of enthusiasm and I wanted to improve my personal and professional skills. With these thoughts in mind I started my experience on September 29^th and immediately I understood that I loved and really appreciated this job!

Firstly I met great people in my division and specifically my boss, Adelaide and her assistant Annalisa. Without having really started I was already fully committed. One of the most important things was my very high responsibility since the beginning. For me this was a source of great motivation and of high commitment.
At the beginning I obviously received a lot of information about the business with a specific focus on trade marketing aspects and key pillars in the healthcare division. Furthermore my head was full up with confused information but after a few weeks I was able to follow autonomously a great quantity of projects and activities. This was great!
What I had expected at the beginning was materialising: a great work atmosphere full of young and high skilled people, high responsibility, interesting and challenging activities and projects.

Tell us more about the project you worked on during your first 6 months here.

Even though I was supposed to follow “only” trade marketing projects (i.e. monitoring and supporting the visibility and the growth of brand awareness on the field through point of sales materials: visibility on the shelf and second display) I had the big opportunity to have, together with my boss, the ownership of the launch of a new brand in pharmacies: Dettol.

Dettol is a line of disinfectants for personal and surfaces care really well known above the entire world. Reckitt Benckiser Italy decided to launch three products in pharmacies and I was involved in supporting this great project. I was really enthusiast because this project was massively interesting. I was supposed to help my boss in developing all the materials to support the launch and the visibility of Dettol in Pharmacies.
We developed a lot of material: two displays, a scientific folder, a sales folder, a kit travel with a Dettol product inside, a note pad, an adv page and an entire website dedicated to the brand. I would like to focus on a specific project: the developing of the Dettol communication materials. Together with the creative agency we developed the entire Dettol communication structure which we are pleased with. Initially we decided to make certain changes to the original layout of the materials we received from the global headquarter. To start with, we introduced a new colour scheme including both white and green on the background.

As you can see we also enlarged the logo and repositioned slightly further to the left. Now the logo is situated between the green and white and this gives the impression of breaking something, in this case the chain of infection which is represented by the human chain either side of the famous Dettol sword symbol. Having completed the development of the new key visual layout we began to utilise it in all aspects of the Dettol brand including printed and online publications. This reformatted communication structure became so popular and effective within Italy that it has been adopted as a “POP guideline execution of total key visual” by other countries throughout Europe. We are extremely proud of this achievement!!

When did you start feeling ownership of your work?

From the word go I immediately felt involved and committed to the work projects in hand. My main objective during the first six months of my work was to support and facilitate the Dettol launch in Italy. I found the task extremely involving, challenging and engaging and soon began to have fresh new ideas of my own to contribute with. I found the work so interesting and demanding that I soon developed a sense of being owner of my work with a high level of responsibility and high degree of autonomy.

So what do you think are the right characteristics to succeed in RB?

In my opinion the right characteristics to succeed in RB are: autonomy, entrepreneurship, seeing the job through and respect for both projects deadlines and other colleagues.

What would you suggest to a graduate starting an internship at RB?

An extremely high level of commitment is required. Working in RB is a great experience because it helps you develop invaluable skills but be prepared to give your all to the job. Give hundred percent to everything you do however small the task might be and you can be sure that the rewards will be great. If I have to offer one most important piece of advice it is to be sure to listen with an open mind to your colleagues on all levels from the lower ranks to top level management.