Last week I needed to check prices on a few products and in the store I used my smart phone to scan the barcodes. POOF! In under 10 seconds (I still have the iPhone 3) prices for multiple retailers, product descriptions, user reviews and “buy it now” options all appeared on my phone. This was the catalyst for this week’s blog on E-Tailing. To preface, let’s have a POP QUIZ…

What is the difference between e-tailing and e-commerce?
a) E-tailing – selling products through online retailers, either pure plays (Amazon.com) or “click” and mortar (Walmart.com)

b) E-commerce – selling products directly to the consumer online

What is the average online shopping basket size in the US?
$80

How many US Households go online to plan shopping trips?

75 Million

“E-Tailing is the fastest growing class of trade at RB” says Matt, Marketing Director for E-Tailing in the US.  The number one reason consumers choose to shop online is because of the convenience factor.  A consumer can search product reviews, hunt for the best prices and purchase a product all without leaving the house. At RB, “we take E-Tailing very seriously” and “it is integrated in all functions of the organization”.  Whether you are in sales, marketing, trade, etc. everyone is involved in some way with online marketing.  For me, as a sales analyst on grocery accounts, I am lucky enough to impact Peapod, an online grocery store owned by Ahold USA.  I work with my account manager to create proposals for promotions and brainstorm ideas on ways to grow our business. Peapod offers a grocery delivery service and even has a Smartphone App where you can scan barcodes and add them to your Peapod online shopping cart.

So one may ask “how does this affect the way companies market their products”? Well, in the past, there were the 3 moments of truth when referring to the purchasing process.  At RB, first we want to reach our consumers with a compelling message, then  “win in store” and finally, win in the home by surprising and delighting our consumers with superior products that exceed their expectations.

With the emergence of online forums and search engines came the term that Google has coined “ZMOT (Zero Moment of Truth)” (Winning the Zero Moment of Truth, Lecinski).  This refers to the idea of seeing an advertisement and then going online to look at product reviews and descriptions and making your purchasing decision before ever making a purchase.

Historically an ad was generated to raise awareness to the consumer in hopes they would remember and ultimately purchase our product when shopping.  In today’s fast paced, technology driven world, the traditional shopping experience has gone through a metamorphosis.  RB has not let this new trend go unnoticed.  We are the #1 purchaser of online video space!  In addition to having the most online video presence, our brands have added “Buy Now” links to their websites.  Not only are we facilitating the shopper’s choice in retailer, we’re also working on listing real time retailer-specific promotions.  Sara, Brand Assistant on Lysol Equity stated ” the digital teams on each brand have worked over the past couple of years to grow their social communities and build digital equity, now we’re trying to leverage those communities to drive online sales.  We’re doing this is through ‘Buy Now’ buttons on our online video, emails, and banner ads.”

At RB, we see E-Tailing as a major opportunity for growth.  In October, Walmart.com had 59 million unique visitors and Amazon.com had 84 million unique visitors.  Our goal is to continue to invest in online media and strengthen our E-Tailing team to drive online sales.

PS- Click on the screenshot below to see the most recent email that went out to our Lysol community.  (Note the “Buy Now” section).  To learn more about online marketing, check out a great blog titled 5 Steps to Social Commerce for Brands & Fans

Endless column inches have been devoted to the likes of Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare etc. and the way we can use them to promote consumer brands while also expanding target audiences. Now, even one of our

most preferred search engine, Google, has entered the social media arena through Google+ , which leads me to wonder, how can WE – as newly graduates – use social networks to increase OUR professional identity?

Companies these days are using a variety of social networking tools to scan for eligible candidates. I, however, don’t mean that they are spying on us, tracking the every move that we make or even rejecting our application on the basis of our weekend photos or our musical taste. Yet, turning a blind eye to this technological development might not be the smartest thing to do. Integrating your professional identity into your social networks can indeed reap solid rewards.


There’s no point saying that there is a perfect recipe as to the exact things that must be written and shared in order to secure yourself a job. But with a little extra effort, you can leverage your resources to show more about yourself than the simple piece of text printed on your CV. However, going online with your professional identity is not only simply about uploading information about your degree, projects or professional experiences, but it can also mean expressing yourself through your hobbies whether that may be your photograph albums, your own short stories/poems, and even your creative ability in developing another online resume! Of course, presenting yourself in the right way without over-exaggerating your abilities is crucial too.

Expressing yourself through sports and photography?

Reckitt Benckiser is one of such firms that is highly interactive in the social media environment, as the blog you are reading now, to the Facebook, Youtube channel, LinkedIn and even Google+ can show. At RB, we like to think of ourselves as innovative and distinctive to our FMCG competitors’ cultures. So if you are considering applying for RB (or any other companies for that matter), maybe it will be worth thinking about creating your own “social resume” now!

P.S. Check out this very interesting infographic from Mashable with some really impressive figures about social media recruiting!

To briefly reintroduce myself, my name is Matt Dubow and I am a campus brand manager at the Pennsylvania State University. Hopefully you caught my first blog post, “Why does RB matter to college students?” I want to keep this post a bit more informal, but more importantly much more interactive. Walking around campus I often find great pleasure in the creativity students have in their use of Reckitt Benckiser’s Powerbrands. The products are embedded in college students’ daily routines and lifestyles, providing the value we look for on a budget, combined with powerful and effective results. As you become more dependent on Reckitt Benckiser to get you through your days, you may realize that a company with such reliable products may be a good fit as a potential employer!

With that being said, let’s take a look at the “5 Ways RB Solves College Problems!”

1. Cooking –

Stuck on campus and sick of the same dining hall food? I hear complaints every year about the lackluster food that is served at many universities, not to mention how our unpolished culinary skills don’t come close to filling the void from your family’s home cooking. One popular remedy to the bland culinary offerings at the university dining hall is the variety of Frank’s Red Hot Sauces and French’s Mustards. With so many flavors – Honey, Spicy Brown, Yellow, and Horseradish mustards and seven different varieties of Frank’s Red Hot sauces including Sweet Chili, Chili & Lime, Buffalo – your cooking combinations can sky rocket! Trust me – I know some terrible student cooks, but take that horrendous omelet and add a different RB condiment flavor everyday to make those teasing thoughts of Mom’s cooking a thing of the past.

2. Beauty –

Students have busy schedules so hitting the gym in between classes is a popular way to stay active. Penn State’s University fitness facilities see over one million student visitors a year! But with exercise comes sweat, and with sweat comes the acne that all college students dread! Clearasil’s Daily Wash is a convenient way to clean up after a quick exercise session, washing away your face’s dirt, oil, and bacteria so your face doesn’t suffer from your sweaty lifestyle! Short on time but absolutely need to shave to finish your perfect appearance? Veet provides “superior to shaving” smoothness with less of the hassle.

3. Cleaning –

Let’s face it, college students can be messy. From cluttered dorm rooms to old college houses, there are plenty of other ways students would rather spend their time than cleaning. Unfortunately the dishes pile up, bathrooms get dirty, and even though you are trying to hold off on doing your laundry, your hamper can’t take any more traffic. RB has a quick solution to these dreaded collegiate issues: add one Finish “power ball” to your dishwasher and those dirty plates that have been haunting your sink will be a thing of the past, use Lysol products to tackle those messy countertops and toilets, and Resolve for that funky stain on your carpet. These Powerbrands make the cleaning process simpler so college students can focus on their schoolwork . . . or tailgating the big game.

4. Health –

As the sun rises, you awake to that terrible nagging cold you haven’t been able to shake. Students are often short on sleep which leads to prolonged effects of sickness. Even worse, imagine you have a huge mid-term tomorrow but are tossing and turning with a terrible cough and cold. Delsym is there to play the hero – with day and nighttime varieties to help you make it through those long study sessions in the library or the nighttime jitters without fighting sickness. Need more power to clear up your chest? Try a Mucinex product – it helps loosen and thin out the mucus that causes congestion, so you can get rid of it.

5. Laundry -

It is a bit of a shock when college students move out on their own, and are soon forced to face the ever-growing mountain of dirty laundry. By the way, just throwing your stained jeans into your hamper doesn’t solve the problem. Just remain calm! Woolite and Vanish (or Spray “N” Wash), make laundry worries a thing of the past. Woolite effectively cleans and cares for all your clothes during washing without shape loss or fading. So now that sweatshirt will let you keep your university pride on display without the added color of that French’s mustard stain.

What are the ways Reckitt Benckiser makes your life easier? Have you been creative with any of these products? College students are always looking for suggestions – recipes, techniques, or new applications for RB products. Share your stories and your go-to products!

Have you ever watched The Apprentice (or a similar business-related TV show) and thought to yourself ‘I could do SO much better than them?’

How would you like a chance to prove that in a virtual environment: To test your sense of business judgement; progress in your career; spot golden opportunities – beat your friends!

RB has just launched a new online game to find the hidden gems of the business world. Those people who have what it takes to shine in a tough, corporate world. Those who can prove their mettle and progress up the career ladder.

Of course, you’ll also need to ensure you have the right office environment to work in too: There’s no point securing that vital piece of work if your desk has the wrong pot plant on it…

poweRBrands is a new virtual reality business game on Facebook, which will see you pit your wits against colleagues to see how far you can progress through the company. You will be given various tasks and projects to complete and have to prove you can make good decisions quickly and efficiently. You will be able to travel, recruit friends and even have the chance to upgrade your office.
All of this without leaving the comfort of your chair!

Players will start off with a basic office: Desk, computer, phone and some decorative elements. And depending on your career progression you will be able to ‘upgrade’ parts of your office – a new chair, executive toys, plants etc.
And you can also visit your friends’ offices.
Your various tasks and challenges will be sent to you via email or phone and you can get help from virtual colleagues if you need to.

So why should you join in?

Well, if you’ve been reading this blog for any length of time you will stand a great chance of progressing – reading how RB employees interact and about our core values and culture here should give you a good insight into this sort of challenging career.

So, if you’re bursting with potential, with a real thirst for knowledge and are motivated to get real results in a dynamic environment, here is your chance to get with the best.

Play poweRBrands at: http://apps.facebook.com/poweRBrands

Entrepreneurship.

The very word implies starting your own venture with the intention of making ridiculous amounts of money. Someone that personifies the term is Richard Branson, founder of all things Virgin. His successful ventures can be put down to his knack for taking calculated risks and learning from mistakes, he states ‘you never know…when you’re trying something new what can happen. [It’s] all experimental.’

But being entrepreneurial doesn’t necessarily mean you need to risk everything, personally and professionally, to open your own business. The reality is that you can still be an entrepreneur within a corporate environment. At RB, we encourage bold thinking and allow daring ideas to thrive. Granted, being thrown in the deep end can be daunting, but the challenge of whether you sink or swim depends on the presence of entrepreneurial spirit.

My colleague Luigi recently asked the question can you be an entrepreneur in a corporate environment? Here’s my two cents…

Seeing a real opportunity to generate incremental sales and secure display activity within stores, I presented a new promotional program, backed up with solid research and financials, to the Sales Director last year for implementation within a particular channel – it has now been rolled out nationally across Australia. Sure, it’s scary when you’re given free reign and control of a project, but what entrepreneur likes to be micro-managed?

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The benefit of being an entrepreneur within a corporate setting like RB is that you are encouraged to challenge the status quo and think outside the square.
Add to that the multicultural pool of extremely talented people that you can learn from and you’ve got an environment in which you can truly excel. Execution of new initiatives becomes far less risky when you can draw from your team and manager’s experience. Business acumen and creative thought can certainly be an innate raw talent, but even diamonds need to be polished to truly shine…

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“Two critical ingredients for accelerated company growth are intellect and attitude, particularly an attitude to be Entrepreneurial – to be curious. We may not hit the mark every time but it’s those few breakthrough ideas that keep RB ahead of our competition…and our people growing at pace” Sandy – RB Sales Director, Australia..

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Now listen to what Nick, RB Sales Director UK, had to say on the subject in this exclusive Youtube video. Since starting with RB in 2003, he has been promoted twice in the last 5 years and is currently enjoying a truly international career, having worked in the Yorkshire, Copenhagen and Poland offices. His success at RB is something he puts down to the company’s focus on entrepreneurship.

The question ‘can you be an entrepreneur in a corporate environment’ was also posted on LinkedIn and has produced some really interesting responses:

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“The best companies are entrepreneurial in their culture but they work more as teams, not alone. They are passionate about a shared vision and a mutually-agreed-upon mission/way of achieving it. They have lots of resources upon which to draw. If the entrepreneur is a team player, and they find an entrepreneurial company, then it will be a win-win for both of them’ - Frank Feather

“Entrepreneurial skills and characteristics are more critical in organizations today than ever before: the passion, connection to something bigger, and agility to shift and learn from mistakes are required for success in today’s global economy” - Janine Moon.

“The term ‘intrapreneur’ is used to describe these types of people – who share the same qualities as entrepreneurs, but don’t strike out on their own. Intrapreneurs are the people who make their ideas heard and are willing to put in the work to bring them about. The only difference between an intrapreneur and an entrepreneur is that the former has already found the environment in which they can be happy and thrive.” - Adam D.

The question was also raised on the innovation group 15Inno:

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“What does it take for a Corporate to make room for more flexibility, creativity and new ways of working? A little less reliant on command-control and a bit more inclined to facilitate a space for employees to grow even as adults?” - Lise Moen @BecomeBrilliant

“Absolutely! Big companies need entreprenuers. It can and does work, often with impressive outcomes. I have worked as an entrepreneur inside several of the world’s largest corporations. Some critical success factors in such a role are: empowerment, ability to take risks, opportunity to leverage a fresh or outside point of view, and bounded/limited timeframe (generally 2 years).” – Greg Kinsey

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For those graduating university soon, many of you are looking to make your mark in the business world but are scared of giving up a steady income stream by going solo. At RB, you can stay true to your entrepreneurial spirit and reap the personal and professional rewards that come with fast-track career progression and international opportunities.

So, what do you think? Can you can be an entrepreneur in a corporate environment? Leave your thoughts in the comments below….