Mark Choueke is group editor of Marketing Week, the UK’s leading business weekly magazine for professionals working in the marketing and media industries. He appears regularly on television, radio and in the UK national press as an expert on all issues relating to business, marketing, brands, communications and consumer behaviour.

What’s the FMCG marketing scene like? How would you advice those eager to enter the industry? What makes RB stand out above the crowd? As the first of our six guests on our Expert View series, we speak to Mark on his thoughts of the industry.




Q: As an ‘industry insider’ – what keeps you fascinated by the marketing scene?
MC: What genuinely fascinates me is the fact that marketing is at the centre of our potential for growth – not only of products, but of the economy as a whole. Marketing is the lifeblood, the heart and brains of the economy. Marketing can stimulate growth by putting options in front of people. Not by trying to sell things that people don’t want or need, or encouraging people to spend what they haven’t got; marketing stimulates growth by telling people about the things they do need. I believe that marketing can really make life better.

Q: What are the greatest changes you have seen in fmcg marketing and marketers over the last 5 years?
MC: Actually I think that fmcg marketing has been among the slowest of the sectors to find its place in the world of new media. It is still the acceptable face of TV advertising for example, because it is dealing with the products that we all put in our shopping baskets every week and therefore the level of engagement with consumers is so much greater than in other areas. With fmcg you touch, you open, you give to your family – it is the area we are all most familiar with.

Q: What do you think are the biggest current challenges for today’s marketer?
MC: Influence, buy-in and speed to market. This is what makes RB so different – the dedication to trying out new ideas, testing and getting things to market quickly – and then doing something else if it doesn’t work! Most companies don’t work like that. Also, communication is about using the right language, the language of business – using facts, but at the same time retaining the instinctive and creative abilities. Being able to work swiftly, influence quickly. Marketers mustn’t ever lose that instinct!

Q: What is your key advice for young people wanting to pursue a career in marketing or its associated disciplines?

MC: Make your knowledge and understanding as broad as possible. Good marketers understand how the world works and how business operates. Don’t just read about the brands on the company websites – learn about them and consumers through other sources, read the papers, follow the news. If you can do this and apply that broader knowledge to what you do you will succeed. If you can’t then you are a duck in the water. Be inquisitive all the time and take a ‘journalistic’ approach to everything you do.

Q: In your opinion – what makes a great marketer?
MC: A great marketer has a flair for engagement, has influence and a talent for relationships. The great marketer has creative ‘nous’ and is a lover of life – of society, of science, economics – in essence a really rounded individual.

Q: What is your view of RB UK when it comes to how they market their products? How do you think they differ from other fmcg companies in their approach?
MC: RB has a commitment in the way in which it invests in its brands – in marketing, above and below the line. They have a passion that makes them easy to write about. They are not the first name that comes to mind when you think fmcg – but somehow that makes them special for someone like me. By being a bit under the radar, when you discover just what they are doing you feel as if you have discovered something special and that you are ‘in the know’. They tend to ‘do’ stuff rather than talking about it.

Q: Do you have a favourite RB brand?

MC: You have some of my favourite products and brands – I buy Strepsils and Nurofen for throat and headaches/pain.

I am sure most people reading this will have heard about the worlds ‘ageing population’. One of the most shocking statistics I have heard is that by 2015 Japan is estimated to experience a 175% rise in tax to support their aging population – find this shocking? The UK is estimated to experience the same situation in 11 years! This will have a massive impact on the economy and the way we market products.

Some shocking statistics

• By 2025 the number of Americans over 60 will increase by 70%

• The largest increase in population by 2050 will be in Africa whose population is expected to at least double putting their population at 2.1 Billion.

• There are 4.1 working adults in developed countries for every child under the age of 14.

To put your business head on means that if we stick to our current target consumer we will be considerably limiting our market potential. Fewer children per adult only means that this situation will become more extreme.

Current Target consumer

Currently, most of our products are aimed at the female head of a household. Our typical Airwick consumer is a female aged between 45-64, who places great importance on the image of her home.

New markets

China, India and Africa represent white spaces and new consumers that we and many other industries are still figuring out. There are many challenges within these markets – infrastructure, affluence and understanding of a new consumer mindset are all key. It’s not as simple as taking a product designed for the European market and rolling it out to a developing market. Our cultures are completely different and so are the consumers. Fragrance preferences vary massively between countries. If you live in the UK, you are likely to prefer floral and fruity scents. However, if you live in the US, you will find a large proportion of food related scents like pumpkin pie.

How will this affect the FMCG industry?

If there are 4.1 adults to every child under the age of 14 in developed markets, then our current target consumer bracket will decrease in population by a factor of 4. That would have a massive effect on our sale volumes and profit. In order for our brands to be successful in future years we must look at the needs of an aging consumer but also ensure we do not neglect the base consumer.

We must adapt.

Matt Dubow

When I first walked onto the Penn State campus as a freshman my head was dizzied by the limitless opportunities before me. As I became a more seasoned undergraduate, I began to become more aware of my potential in areas I had never even considered before, both as a consumer in the grocery store and as a young professional at our career fairs. How were my dollars being used in this economy? Was I becoming part of the global economic, social, and environmental problems or rather contributing to companies who were creating a solution? These same concerns were easily paralleled in my employment search as I scoured for a company that shared the same values and beliefs, one I found in Reckitt Benckiser.

The question posed in this blog’s subject may seem plainly obvious to some, however to the average college student, RB may just be another company on their laundry list of potential employers. It is important that college students come to know RB in a multitude of dimensions. Initially, they must grow to be smart, aware consumers who view their purchases as investments into their personal lives. In this sense college students should be researching and exploring their options in household, personal, and healthcare categories. As a smart consumer you are not only taking an active mindset in regard to your finances, but become aware of the innovation, philanthropy, and culture provided by your supplying companies.

With their respective market leading positions, the Reckitt Benckiser Powerbrands will undoubtedly provide many of the solutions these consumers search for. It is easy to find excuses to pick RB’s products off the shelf. Philanthropic programs such as the Carbon20 effort and aggressive sustainability benchmarks, to their product innovation and value, many college students will find themselves establishing life long relationships with RB products.

Additionally college students who explore career options in the FMCG industry would be foolish to overlook Reckitt Benckiser. The company’s culture and core values suggest that with the right fit, young professionals are given international opportunities to not only prove themselves but move through their career at an accelerated pace. If you were to research one of RB’s 19 market leading Powerbrands you would find a history of innovation, value, and a proven track record. Behind the scenes RB associates live the values of achievement, entrepreneurship, team spirit, and ownership that create and drive the culture of the company.

The challenges presented to college graduates within the workplace are demanding, yet the rewards of success are reaped both professionally and personally.

What are your opinions? As students, consumers, and professionals how are you taking strides to improve the world we live in? How do you see RB innovating its social and environmental programs in the future? I am greatly intrigued to hear how everyone is working, whether its on campus, in an office, with Reckitt Benckiser, or on their own. Are you taking the initiative and challenging the status quo?

Omar Hasan Khan

Hello! My name’s Omar and I am currently pursuing my MBA from the Institute of Business Administration (IBA) in Karachi, Pakistan. I am also a RB Campus Brand Manager – an opportunity that came calling as a result of the graduate internship programme I was part of during the summer of 2010. It was not a tough decision to make – why would I turn down an opportunity to represent a growing and unique FMCG that boasts powerhouse brands among its portfolio?

If there ever was a time to test my mettle this was it! Executing marketing activities within time frames, a certain budget and objectives to deliver! I can say this is the best preview to brand or sales management a student in Pakistan could get! Considering the Campus Brand Manager concept is in its infancy in Pakistan, it means that currently only RB is conducting such a program hence I am luckier than many! Here is a chance to make a memorable impact at both my institute and at RB Pakistan itself; and I wanted to because the RB had culture won me over during my internship – this company really lives the values it preaches!

Students of a business school aspire to work in organizations that have top brands; giving little thought to the working environment – the people, structure, mentality etc. Why? Simply because they have limited work experience that do not give them such exposure. However, being a student myself, I know that I along with peers have formed opinions about organizations via interactions with their personnel. So what better way to inform students of RB’s culture than to bring the culture in to the classroom?

We did just that!

Guest Speaker Sessions

Dr. Kamran Siddiqui handing over a token of appreciation to Humayun Farooq

First, we invited Humayun – Senior Brand Manager Veet & Healthcare at RB Pakistan, for a guest speaker session in the Brand Management course at IBA to discuss everything Veet: the product, its values, target market, celebrity endorsement (regional vs. global), leadership qualities of the brand and understanding the environment.

The session started with us quizzing students about RB and Veet whist giving out freebies in the process! Humayun went on to show recent advertisements dazzling students, let’s face it, Veet DOES have admirable endorsers!

The session was well received as plenty of students had plenty of questions – one even attempting to convince Humayun to flip Veet’s marketing strategy! The session concluded with the Professor of the course handing a token of appreciation to Humayun.

Second session, we arranged for Ashaar – HR Director at RB Pakistan, to speak at the IBA Leadershop Conference (IBLC) 2011. The IBLC is an annual event that spans 4 days and attracts hundreds of students from all over the country. Our speaker was awesome!

Ashaar in the midst of inspiring students

Ashaar’s topic of discussion was “Set Your Own Pace” and entertained students with anecdotes from his life while providing valuable advice for these young minds. He also cited how RB allows you to set your own pace – it’s always easier to understand concepts when they’re aided with practical examples. A Q&A session followed in which Ashaar was more than willing to answer every single question! End result? Another favorable impression planted in the minds of students towards RB.

It always takes more than just interactive sessions to strike a chord with students. Our hoodies distribution activity (covered in Faryal’s post), was one way to tell the students that RB is all about opportunity. Sticking with RB’s strategy of playing in niches and being unconventional while keeping in mind its values, I found another way!

The World’s Most Popular Sport

Football in Pakistan – niche.

Women’s football in Pakistan – niche within a niche.

IBA Girls Football Team traveling to the capital to participate in a nationwide tournament – unheard of!

The team

I coach our institute’s girls football team so when the captain of the team mentioned the tournament and limited funds I could not resist the idea of bringing RB into the fold! The most relevant RB brand for females, in Pakistan, is Veet so it only made sense that I should have approached the Senior Brand Manager for sponsorship – fund our traveling expenses and your brand is on our shirts.

In fact, brand endorsement by the girls will probably be taken a step further via social media on Pakistan’s Veet Celebration of Beauty page and/or our Are You RB Enough? page. Veet Celebration of Beauty and football? Well, for a player, scoring a goal is “what beauty feels like” Ideas for the pages are now flowing in my head as I type!

En route to an opportunity like never before

Anyway, it all worked out and RB was able to help these girls seize a rare opportunity – be the first team to represent IBA at a nationwide women’s sports tournament in Islamabad. I even added in the hoodies to the package and gave each team member a RB hoodie – the winter may have been withering in Karachi but it’s definitely chillier in Islamabad at this time of the year! Hence the hoodies, in effect, became the official team jacket for the tour. Yes, the hoodies were initially part of the Are You RB Enough? activity; but, in retrospect, these girls are RB Enough because they embody the RB core values:

• Ownership – the team was found and run by students
• Teamspirit – always helps in football
• Achievement - in this case the results did not matter, rather, the fact that this trip took place should provide an impetus for development in female sports at our institute and across Karachi!

For the record, we did not manage to win any game (we did not get a rollicking either); but, our best performance was against THE team of the tournament so that was very encouraging!

The team leaving in high spirits after their final match - I'm covered by the flag!

The next step, as aforementioned, is to leverage social media to both increase Veet and RB’s brand equity among IBA students at least and, help build a platform for the girls – the Veet Celebration of Beauty page does have over 16,000 fans after all!

I just got back from Islamabad a week ago and I’m already planning the execution of our next activities with Faryal and, to some extent, Waqas, so watch this space, till then, goodbye !

I’m a few weeks behind on sharing the news due to all the projects going on here in Parsippany, but I am excited and proud to announce the launch our new RB About FMCG website.

Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to brainstorm some new ideas with both HR and the Corporate Communications team on some new ways Reckitt Benckiser could increase its visibility and its own corporate brand awareness both within the FMCG (or CPG as it is often called in the US) industry as a whole and within the graduate and undergraduate spheres.

One of our ideas was a comprehensive guide for students and professionals interested in launching careers within this high-profile industry.  We saw an opportunity for such a resource after searching the web and identifying only a few other websites and networks offering any real insights into the FMCG/CPG career path.  And having recently been a graduate student seeking this exact sort of information, I was thrilled to help develop such a website for RB.

A team from around the globe worked on it together. It includes a section on the FMCG/CPG industry and trends, a section on FMCG/CPG careers and one featuring additional resources to check for more details and news about the sector, the companies and employment opportunities.  It already offers a wealth of information and insight into what to expect from FMCG and it’s only the beginning of what’s planned for future resources and offerings!

I am really proud to have had the opportunity to have worked on this great site. I have been exceptionally busy and most of this work has been done on top of my normal brand manager workload, but it has really been worth it when you see the final product.

If you’re considering a career in this fast-moving consumer goods industry, I recommend you check it out.  And while you should definitely seek an opportunity with a company that’s right for you, don’t miss out on all of the opportunities that RB has to offer.

As you can see from my own story, RB is a place where you really take part in the company’s success and growth from the start.  Visit the RB careers site today to learn more about a future with one of the leaders in the FMCG industry.