“Get comfortable being uncomfortable”.  A quote I was given while interning during my junior year of college.  Although I did not fully understand the true meaning of this quote, I quickly learned what it meant shortly after becoming a sales analyst at RB. 

Just when you think you’ve got a hold on a given system, report, database, etc. POOF! it changes!  A perfect example is our current integration to a new system from the traditional database we have used for consumer consumption and market share data.  During the six months I have held my analyst position, I have finally mastered the ins/outs of the current system, and aqcuired tips and tricks to help automate my multiple reports and tracking tools.  Needless to say I was feeling pretty good about my skill set and competencies, until the announcement came that we are switching to a new system (an alternative to the recent Scanning Data). 

Obvious feelings of uncomfortablility quickly arose, but were shortly put to rest once I learned that I will be receiving in depth training on the system.  By the end of January I will aqcuire the skills that are necessary to utilize the new systems and run the same reports I was accustomed to. 

In short, at RB, and most major CPG companies, once you are comfortable in the day to day responsibilities of your position, it is very likely that you’ll be challenged to go outside of your comfort zone to learn a new skill that will help you in optimizing your daily tasks, value to the company, and ultimately your career progression.  This is true with my experiences at RB thus far.  Once I grasped the core responsibilities and skills needed to succeed as a pharamaceutical sales representative, I transitioned to a retail sales representative.  As I became comfortable performing the tasks in that position and built solid relationships with my customers, I became a sales analyst, working in our NA headquarters. 

At RB you are constantly challenged to go outside of your comfort zone which ultimately improves your skill set, knowledge of the industry and overall competencies.  If you think you’ve got what it takes to be challenged on a daily basis, make decisions that impact millions of dollars in sales, and have a voice that is heard, then I invite you to join the RB team so you too can “get comfortable being uncomfortable”

Deborah  Wilkes is Editor & Publisher of OTC bulletin, the business newsletter for the consumer healthcare industry. Co-founder of OTC Publications Limited, which launched OTC bulletin in 1993.  Deborah is Chair of the Judging Panels for OTC Bulletin and OTC Marketing Awards, and is actively involved with industry bodies and is regular speaker at industry events.

Q: As an industry insider what keeps you fascinated by the OTC health sector?

From an international perspective, the steady flow of shifts in business strategy and the rapid pace of mergers and acquisitions in the consumer healthcare industry.

Q: What do you think are the biggest challenges facing the OTC sector today for eg:  the high street chemist/branded suppliers/overall?

One of the biggest challenges is forecasting how the difficult economic environment will affect the different product categories within the consumer healthcare sector.

Q: How do you think OTC retail is changing/may change in the next 5 years

Over the past few years, more OTC medicines have become available from supermarkets and other non-pharmacy retail outlets. This trend seems likely to continue over the next five years. Meanwhile, pharmacies may take a more proactive approach to their OTC business, as their prescription dispensing business comes under pressure.

Q: What do you see as the impact of online retailing on the sector?

Online retailing is becoming more important for OTC products, but the uptake varies considerably from one category to another.

Q: With the growth in online and multiples in the sector what do you see as the future for independent pharmacies?  What is their usp and what support do you believe manufacturers must offer them?

The future looks tough for independent pharmacies, but many are located close to doctors surgeries and have a steady flow of customers picking up prescriptions. A lot more could be done to encourage customers to buy more healthcare-related products while they are in independent pharmacies.

Q: How do you think branded suppliers can maintain their position against own label value developments? What advantages do brands have?

Building brand loyalty is very important. Some manufacturers have done a very good job of building loyalty to their OTC brands, but others could do more.

Q: What do you think are the main challenges in marketing OTC products?

Working within the regulatory constraints that apply to marketing campaigns for OTC medicines, and dealing with the increasing regulatory caution as regulators become more risk averse

Q: What advice would you give to someone planning a career in OTC marketing?

The marketing budgets may not be as big as for other consumer brands, but consumer healthcare – with its regulatory constraints – is a fascinating and challenging area of marketing.

Q: How important is innovation for brands and retailers in the sector?

One of the most important forms of innovation in the OTC market – switching – can create completely new OTC product categories by taking prescription medicines and making them available OTC from pharmacies. More generally, innovation keeps brands one step ahead of the competition and retailers own-label products. Many innovations in the consumer healthcare sector in recent years have focused on making OTC products easier for consumers to take or more portable for them to use anywhere.

Q:  How important are manufacturers in training and development of pharmacists and pharmacy assistants?

Manufacturers can play an extremely important role in training and development, particularly for independent pharmacies. When new OTC product categories are created by prescription medicines becoming available OTC from pharmacies, then it is absolutely critical for manufacturers to make sure pharmacy staff are fully prepared to handle consultations with customers.

Q: In your opinion, what makes a great marketer or account manager?

An inquisitive nature combined with an open mind.

Q: What is your view of RB UK as a player in your industry?

Good at building brand loyalty.

Q:  What is your favourite RB product, and why?

It is too hard to choose a favourite, but from RBs long-established portfolio, Lemsip comes to my rescue most winters.

Q:  What should be RBs next great product innovation?

A toilet cleaner that only has to be used once a year. RB would have lower sales volume, but the product could definitely command a premium price!

Hi all!
I was thinking about what to write but thought… maybe it’ll be more interesting if I spin this around. Can I ask for thoughts from you readers out there for an upcoming project?



As I mentionned on my last post, I’m a sales executive for a Key Account in Brazil (which essentially means that I sell products to retailers and through that to consumers. One of our key customers is Carrefour). Although it seams like I’m an ordinary sales person who takes orders and negotiates volumes, my role in this channel is a little more complex as I’m also responsible for bringing new sale ideas to the table.

As the year 2012 approaches, there is a constant drive to innovate the way cleaning products are negotiated with the customer and in order to bring the weekly meetings to another level I must analyze the biggest opportunities for the year to come.

I’ve started a business plan for 2012, analyzing mostly what happened this year and the trend for next year. But the key objective is to impress the customer and show them what real opportunities they are lacking of which we could invest on come 2012.

Although many may believe the world will end in 2012, I’m forced to believe it won’t! Or that it will end…at least the way it will today just like any other day.

Anyways, that is way, on my business plan presentation, I’m creating an “Opportunity of a Lifetime” section, dedicated to projects we can/will develop next year that will guarantee both customer and RB success.

What I ask of from you readers out there are to give me some inspirations… what was made some of the most memorable brands that made a big hit in your country that I can apply in Brazil?

All ideas are welcome!!

Thank you!!!!

“Congratulations! You have been selected as Management Trainee for the year ……..”

Finally!! After 18 years of education and some corporate experience, I was all set to become a ‘Management’ Trainee. I chalked a simple yet beautiful plan on how I am going to spend my days: Go to the office, get day’s work aligned with the line manager, socialize at the tea corner, do my work, give updates to line manager and in the evening come back home (In between, the line manager would have training sessions with me so to prepare me for the future!).

What actually happened was …. even more beautiful.

The day me and my fellow MTs joined RB Pakistan, we were handed over our tickets for a ‘Tour De Pakistan’: a program designed to make us work with our sales staff in the market and learn first hand the tricks of trade. We were shocked. Most of us had never left urban centres. The idea of us going to towns, both small and large, across Pakistan and working as Order Bookers (OBs) and Deliverymen (DMs) made us think of the whole plan as an effort to alienate us from the organization. But as we moved from city to city, from role to role, it became evident that this tour would be the most important part of our training.

Our first rotation was in Karachi, the largest Metro town in Pakistan. The idea was to understand the trade dynamics and how the biggest seaport affected the business nationally. The routine was difficult: reaching the distribution early and attending the thunderous morning meeting which ranged from being motivating to being threatening depending upon achievement of monthly targets. After the meeting, we used to accompany OBs and DMs to the market and spend the whole day in blazing heat in an effort to move towards achievement of our targets.

The stint at Karachi was followed by a trip to Multan: a tier 2 metro town. Multan is called the City of Saints due to number of shrines. It is also the hottest city in Pakistan with temperatures reaching 50C in summers. The time in Multan was probably the best time of our training period. Since none of the trainees had been to Multan before, all wanted to explore the city and know more about its culture, cuisines and architecture. The time in the Market was tough, but life after office was exciting. Everyday we went to a new shrine, heard interesting stories about miracles performed by saints (for example: a saint came to Multan from Afghanistan, riding on his lion and holding a snack as his whip ).

Next up was experience in small towns with major sales in surrounding rural areas. As part of the exercise, we went to Rahim Yar Khan, Sadiqabad and Sukkur. Even interesting was the ride to these towns as we were asked to arrange for the travel ourselves. We travelled by buses, trains and at time on rickshaws. The time that we spent helped us in two ways: understand how these small towns are different from the urban centres in terms of consumer and trader dynamics and see landmarks that we might not have seen otherwise.

Our last stop was Lahore, another urban town. Here, for the first time in three months, we had our first class room session with a Senior Regional Sales Manager who helped consolidate whatever we learned in our visits before.

Our three months visit across Pakistan, in scorching summer heat, and right down at the market place was a tough but extremely knowledgeable and interesting experience. Other companies may try to do the same but no one can do it the ROCKY style .

Three months in the field and we are ready for bigger and better challenges!!

This summer was all about music, dancing AND serious knowledge at Durex. Durex organized the “School Challenge 2011” in cooperation with dance4life, an international organisation which fights against HIV and AIDS and for a self-determined and safer sex life. With a mix of information and action dance4life educates teenagers through dance workshops which are held at their schools.

The mission: inspire, educate, act and celebrate!

An HIV-positive person is part of the dance4life crew, who tells his/her personal story and answers questions. The goal of the School Challenge 2011: activate as many young brains as possible and inspire them to create their own school event to contribute to the fight against HIV. Everything was possible: from flash mob dancing, to artistic painting to running a marathon. And of course the fabulous ideas have also been rewarded with a stunning prize: A private concert of Culcha Candela (a popular band here in Germany – check out the Youtube video below) at the winning team’s school. The winning school organized a charity run which lasted eight hours!!!

For me this initiative shows that Durex also takes its social responsibility into account. Because it is a brand that is really emotional and intimate, there are lots of good possibilities how the brand can interact with its consumers. I believe that events like this make it a lot easier for young people to look into the topic of HIV by getting confronted on a controversial and taboo topic in a proactive way. And, of course, this event also reassures our consumers that our brand stands for safe sex.

Culcha Candela – Besonderer Tag