CPG & MarketingInterview Prep WorkshopNovember 2018

WHARTONMBA Career Management

Agenda

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Interview basics/ What interviewers are looking for

Anatomy of a marketing interview1. Resume walk-through2. Behavioral questions: “Tell me about a time…”3. Product, Brand, Campaign/Ad Questions 4. Case example5. Industry/ Company-Specific Questions6. Questions to ask the Interviewer

Next stepsFRP schedule and current job listingsHot Groups / Things to doTimelineInterview etiquette/tips Q&A

Interview basics

What are the interviewers looking for?

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Background, Fit and Skills• Resume walk-through• Why CPG/Tech/Healthcare/Retail?• Why this function? (Marketing/Brand Management, etc.)• Why this company?• Leadership / Cross-functional teamwork examples• Analytical / Creative thinking examples

Personality and Presence• Cultural fit• Energy/enthusiasm• Evidence of “passion for consumer”

Be prepared! Know the brands/products,

recent news on the company, whether they call themselves

ABMs or AMMs, names of people you met, etc.

Anatomy of a CPG / Marketing Interview

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Varying duration/ structures• Most OCR interviews take place in McNeil, with some firms in JMHH or

off-campus hotels• One-on-one, two-on-one, one round/ multiple rounds, back-to-back etc.• Behavioral, Case, Panel, HireVue

Components1. Resume Walk-Through2. Behavioral Questions3. Product, Brand, Campaign/Ad Questions4. Case Question5. Industry / Company Questions6. Questions for Interviewer

Key to success: Structure!

1. Resume walk-through“Tell me about yourself…”

Resume Walk-Through

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• As always, use structure – be sure your description of each job/school experience sets up the next story

• Be concise but tell your story (2-3 minutes max)

• Recruiters want to know• How you got to where you are today• How your skills, experiences and motivations relate to the job. Even if

you are a career switcher, it is possible to talk about your experiences in “marketing speak” and highlight relevant skills

• Talk about transition points – why did you make certain choices/ decisions?

• Be prepared to discuss everything on your resume Examples

Resume walk-through example

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Tell me about yourself / walk me through your resume

Tips:- At the end of the resume walk-through, transition into why X role at Y

company- Thread throughout / story with structure- Set up behaviorals you’ll talk through later, highlight skill-sets

2. Behavioral questions“Tell me about a time…”

Behavioral Questions

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• Past behavior is the best predictor of future behavior • Techniques to Answer: STAR & CAR Frameworks (next slide)• Be ready with multiple rich stories for key attributes• Be sure to focus on what YOU did, and how your actions helped

achieve a goal (“I”, not “we”)

• Key Areas of Focus: Leadership TeamworkStrategic ThinkingAnalytical Problem SolvingInterpersonal SkillsPlanning & Organization CreativityMotivationFailures / SuccessesStrengths / Weaknesses

• Keep answers to 2 minutes in length (maximum 3 minutes)

STAR & CAR Frameworks

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• Situation: Be brief! No more than 2-3 sentences

• Task: 1-2 sentence summary of goal / objective

• Action: What YOU did (not “we” or “my team”).• Be clear about how your actions helped to achieve a goal

• Result: Focus on results! Results can include:• Sales / margin growth• Competitive advantage• Change in overall strategy• Personal growth (e.g. new skill gained, lesson learned)

• CAR = Context, Action, Result

• Where possible, quantify your results• Remove all jargon (unless marketing specific)

Behavioral Question Examples

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• How would your co-worker / learning team member describe you?• Strengths / Weaknesses• Tell me about a time when you…

• Failed / made a decision that you later regretted• Were successful in a team as a leader/follower• Handled a difficult person / conflict on your team• Persuaded a group of people to follow/Led by influence• Worked on different projects at the same time and how you handled it• Adapted to a new environment• Dealt with pressure• Used data to make a decision / to convince someone about

something• Had to analyze a large set of data to make a decision

Example(s)

Behavioral Question Matrix

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• Create a matrix with key stories from your educational and professional career that highlight specific skills sets

• Same story can apply to multiple skills

Category Story LeadershipCross-

functional teams

Project Mgmt

Creative skills

Conflict Management

Analytic skills

Strategic skills

School Captain of team ✓ ✓ ✓

WorkManaged

an associate

✓ ✓ ✓

Extra-curricular

Worked on a

conference✓ ✓ ✓

*Sample template is in the Marketing Club Google drive*

3. Product questionsIncludes product, brand, campaign/ ad questions

Product Questions

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• Consider the underlying consumer insight• Pick products that lend themselves to talking about 4 Ps

• How you answer is more important than which product you pick • Don’t feel that you must address all 4 Ps if only 3 are relevant

• Pick a successful product but not one that is too popular• Have at least 3 good/bad product examples prepared so that you can tailor

these depending on interview and aren’t repetitive in back-to-back interviews

• Pick products that can be used across multiple questions• How would you improve it?

• Be aware of macro consumer trends• Avoid:

• Products within category where company has product• Competitor products• Products discussed in Lunch n’ Learns or class discussions• Obvious best-in-class examples (Apple, Dove)

Product Question Examples

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• What is your favorite/least favorite product? How would you turn it around?

• Tell me about an unsuccessful product launch. What would you have done differently?

• What is a brand you are passionate about? What are its weak spots?• Tell me about a recent campaign that you liked? Why?• Tell me about a recent packaging innovation• What is a (new) brand or product that is marketed well?

Example

Ad Critique Example

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AttentionImmediately grabbed my attention – why is half of the page blank?

BrandingTrop50 is clearly shown on the pack, but the Tropicana logo is much smaller: Might be relying too heavily on pack/colors to link to brand

CommunicationPrimary message: Great taste, half the sugar Secondary message: Fresh ingredients, no artificial sweeteners

DetailsTarget audienceConsumer insightPublication

Executive DecisionWould you run this ad?

4. Case questions

Case Questions

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• What is a case / scenario question? • Recruiters want to assess your skills and abilities for the particular

position. They want to see thought processes & attention to detail

• Techniques to Answer:• Demonstrate your understanding of marketing concepts and

approaches to problems• Gives companies a chance to gain insight into your strategic thinking

process• Clear, concise and logical thinking is key - leverage frameworks here!

• Marketing Frameworks• 5Cs (Context, Consumer, Company, Competitors, Collaborators)• STP (Segmenting, Targeting, Positioning) • 4Ps (Product, Price, Place, Promotion)

Case Question Tips

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• Think before you speak - ok to pause to gather your thoughts

• Ask any clarifying questions upfront but then make assumptions as you proceed through the case

• Start with the consumer! Then think through the marketing frameworks

• Be clear, concise, complete (try to be MECE)

• Go beyond “textbook” answers, really showcase your deep knowledge of the consumer and consumer needs

• Which cross-functionals would you use to show you’ve done your homework on the role

• Focus on impact on the business / bottom-line

Note: Case questions for corporate strategy positions will be more similar to Consulting cases.

Types of Case Questions

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Question Response Framework

New Product Launch

• Start with consumer – do they want / need product?• Assess the opportunity (5Cs)• Choose consumer target and positioning (STP)• Determining marketing strategy (4Ps)

Declining Sales

• Determine whether: i) general category decline vs. ii) share decline on brand

• Determine WHY category / brand decline is occurring• If category decline, create strategy to increase

category usage (e.g. more usage occasions, increase amount used per occasion)

• If brand decline, analyze marketing strategy (4Ps) and determine strategy to reverse decline

Consider:• Brand’s positioning (value vs. premium)• Consumer price elasticity • Cost structure

Pricing

Source: Adapted from Clorox Case Interviewing Companion

Types of Case Questions (Cont’d)

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Question Response Framework

Defend Against New Competitor

• Assess threat to determine whether you need to defend• If you need to defend, possible strategies include:

— Reinforce equity— Product upgrade (add benefit to match competition)— Encourage product loading via promotion

• Track new product performance after launch

Private Label Competitor • Build your equity • Manage the price gap• Introduce a value brand / portfolio management

Source: Adapted from Clorox Case Interviewing Companion

Types of Case Questions (Cont’d)

23Source: Adapted from Clorox Case Interviewing Companion

Question Response Framework

Evaluating Advertising • Does the ad get your attention?• Who is the target? Is ad relevant to target? What is the

underlying consumer insight? • Is channel appropriate?• What is the benefit the ad is communicating? • What is the reason to believe?• Is it ownable? Is brand differentiated from the

competitive set?• Is the ad campaign-able?• Does the ad reinforce your brand’s equity? • Adcritic website contains TV and print ads

Product Evaluation (e.g. packaging, marketing plan, media / consumer targets)

• STP• Think about the consumer

• 4P

Brand-ABLE FrameworkAttentionBenefitLinkageEquity

Case Question Examples

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• Our company is considering launching a new product. How would you think about this opportunity?

• Our competitor has just launched a new product. How should we respond?

• How would you market Product X?• Product X is losing market share to private label competitors. How should

we respond? • How would you estimate the total number of cheeseburgers consumed

annually in the US? (market sizing)

Example: New product introduction

5. INDUSTRY & COMPANY QUESTIONS

Example Questions

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• Industry-Specific Questions• Identify macro-trends affecting the industry• What are the major challenges and opportunities within the industry?• Tip: Conduct online and in-person research (i.e. store visits)• Tip: Sign up for industry resources• Tip: Lean on your hot group!

• Company-Specific Questions• What brand would you divest or acquire? • Favorite/least favorite brand within the company?• Be prepared to say how to improve your favorites or turn-around

least favorites• What does our company do well or poorly?

6. Questions for the interviewer

Your Questions for the Interviewer

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• Have 3-4 questions prepared per interviewer• Be sure to ask about next steps in recruiting (if not already

communicated)

• Show industry / company knowledge through specific questions

• Tailor your questions to the interviewer’s title / position / experience

• Demonstrate curiosity and enthusiasm for the position

• Don’t forget that an interview is a two-way street. So it’s your turn to assess the company and the job!

Example Questions

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• If you were to go back to when you first started at ABC company and give yourself some suggestions, what would you say? What would you do the same? What would you do differently?

• What are the characteristics of people who succeed in ABC company? In your view, what makes a good candidate for this position?

• Can you describe your management style? (your supervisor’s management style?)

• What’s one thing that happens at ABC company that wouldn’t happen elsewhere?

• Why did you choose this industry?• Why did you choose ABC company?

• Note: all of these examples are generic. Great questions are specific to the company, the role, and the interviewer!

Next steps

FRP On-Campus Interview Dates

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Current CPG Job Listings (Non-OCR)

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Hot Group Tips- Practice, Practice, Practice!

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• Agree on meeting timing, cadence, and preparation plan• Set goals/topics for each meeting: intro, favorite/ least product, new

innovations, ads, behavioral, failures/ successes, cases• First meetings: more structured• Later meetings: peppered with randomly chosen, company-specific

questions• Meet multiple times a week

• Successful groups met consistently in December and more frequently between winter break and FRP (anywhere from once a day to once every 2-3 days)

• Don’t just critique answers, check for body language, expressions, confidence, tone, and whether personality comes across

• Share/split up research. Visit stores• Debrief any feedback from 2nd year mock interviews• Leverage your 2nd year Hot Group Buddy

Things to Do: Store Walk-Throughs

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• Purpose: get a sense of a company’s products, competitors, trends in store

• Take note of the Ps• Products on display• Pricing of competitive products• Placement of products in different stores• Promotion in store and in ads

• Other things to note:• Private label, end caps, innovative packaging, products that get lost

in the shuffle, trend-spotting, signage: shelf talks, floor talk, shelf TV

• Make sure to visit multiple formats: online shopping experience can be very important as well

Things to Do: Research

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• Industry Resources• Google Alerts, GMA Smartbriefs, AdAge Daily, Brandweek, NRF

SmartBrief, Shop.org, Tech Crunch • MBACM Industry Research Pages• Lippincott “Research to Go” (librarian office hours in JMHH)

• Advertising and Promotions• Multiple media platforms (print, digital, TV, in-store)

• Winter Break– Skype with Hot Group to practice

STAR frameworks, Product questions, Case questions, etc.

– Pay attention to advertisements: TV, Print, Billboards, In-store, etc.

– Store walk-throughs (especially if you live in suburban neighborhoods)

– Read, research and prepare as much as possible

– Parallel path enterprise recruiting efforts

– FRP INTERVIEWS BEGIN JAN 10TH

Timeline

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• November/ December– Finalize cover letters & resumes

• Set up reminders for yourself so you don’t miss deadlines!

• Uploading takes time – give yourself a few hours before a deadline

• Leave time for jobs that may require to also apply through the company’s own website

– Start meeting with your hot group ASAP / conduct store visits

– Marketing Club Interview Prep Sessions• Dec 4: P&G• Dec 6: General Mills• Dec 12: J&J

– Mock Interviews (Hot Group, Mktg Club, Career Fellows)

Interview Etiquette & Tips

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•Email follow-up thank you after an interview: • Timing: within 24 hours, same day is best

•Only tell ONE company they are your first choice

• Do NOT no-show! If you have an offer you’d take over that job, cancel interviews at least 48hrs in advance• Companies should NOT extend offers before 5pm on Friday 1/12, and

if they do, students should NOT cancel any FRP interviews.

• If you have multiple offers (congrats!)• Please be mindful of waitlisted candidates.

• Be yourself!

•Don’t worry! It all works out ☺

Reminders

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• We are here to help!

• Mock Interviews• Marketing Club: Hot Groups!• Career Fellows: Sign up for Mock Interviews on the Career

Management website• Career Advising: Students can also use advising appointments for

mock interviews – just give the advisor a heads up so they can prep• Reach out to other second years!• Be on time and prepared for mock interviews and meetings

Questions?