Rosemary Brown

Employer: IBM UK Ltd
University: Lancaster
Subject: Marketing major with business law

How I got into marketing

After graduation I worked for five years for a fair trade company in Gateshead called Traidcraft. My role was to work with charities and non-governmental organisations, such as Greenpeace, Amnesty International and the Woodland Trust, to select a variety of suitable products from the fair trade products range and produce mail order catalogues to raise funds from their supporters. I went on to work as a merchandise and promotions manager for Friends of the Earth, a mail order manager for Oxfam Trading Ltd and as direct marketing and web sales manager for the British Museum Company Ltd.

How I got my current marketing job

A friend from university who was working at IBM suggested that they were looking for marketing talent and I got in touch and requested an interview. My experience in direct marketing and website sales was very relevant for the role they were offering and convinced them that I was the right person for the job.

What my current marketing job involves

My main responsibilities are working with creative and media agencies to plan and run the business message advertising for IBM UK. There is no such thing as a typical day – our plans are quarterly, so I’m always looking for the next big idea to demonstrate IBM’s value in the technology and services space. My day-to-day work involves applying the knowledge that I have of IBM’s target audiences to match the way that they are best going to receive and respond to IBM’s advertising and working to develop new ideas into campaigns relevant to our local markets.

I have received ongoing training in financial, spreadsheet, interpersonal and technology skills. My next career move could be into market management or the company’s management training programme.

What do you particularly enjoy about your job in marketing?

I love the daily variety, and dealing with media owners to come up with new ideas.

My marketing career highlight

Each year we have a campaign that is centred around IBM’s role as technology supplier to the Wimbledon tennis championships. It can be a challenge to come up with new ideas to communicate the work that goes on, but it’s one of the most interesting projects that I work on.

My advice to graduates considering a career in marketing

Get some experience with both big and small companies – they are totally different, and you may be more suited to one than the other.