My organic food job: Alicia Madeley, marketing executive, Pip Organic

Name: Alicia Madeley

Age: 24

Job title: Marketing executive

Company & location: Pip Organic, London

Education: BA Human Geography at the University of Exeter

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? I went from wanting to be an interior designer to a florist to a chef – and now I work in food and drink.

Why did you decide to go for a career in food & drink? The number one reason I have led myself into the food and drink industry is that I’m just a big foodie! Working at Pip has been my first exposure to the industry, but I was instantly drawn to it as I truly believe in the power of organic and making it as accessible as possible.

A huge factor was also how fun working for a kids’ food and drink brand is. The bright and enticing packaging and messaging are something that drew me in.

”I truly believe in the power of organic and making it as accessible as possible”

Explain your job to us in a sentence (or two): As a marketing executive, I work across brand gatekeepers, partnerships, social media, events and activations, as well as packaging and NPD. So, I do a bit of everything, really.

What does a typical day look like for you? In a small business like Pip, you get involved in a wide range of tasks. For instance, one day I might be planning an event, co-ordinating with our team and partners, and sometimes being out of the office. The next day, I could be working on exciting brand partnerships, creating engaging organic content for our social media, and developing new product ideas and packaging. Each day at Pip is unique and brings its own set of challenges and opportunities.

Tell us how you went about applying for your job: I applied via LinkedIn for my role and sent across a CV and cover letter, which led to a three-stage interview process.

Initially, I had a brief over-the-phone chat. In the second round, I was tasked with creating a two-part presentation with one element focusing on an influencer partnership idea and the other presenting an idea for NPD. After that, I was invited back into the office for a chat with co-founders Patrick and Karen, which was great as I got a natural feel for the company. Even though I’ve only been at Pip for six months, I feel like I’ve quickly become part of the family.

What’s the best part about working for a food & drink company? Getting my 5 a day in! The primary thing is seeing families and kids writing in and saying how much they love the products. It’s super exciting to see a product all the way from the NPD idea to being on the shelf and in hand.

You see the product come full circle, and that’s what’s so great about working in food and drink. You’re constantly thinking about the competitor landscape and new ways of spreading awareness and engaging customers. You really get those touch points with customers as well, so you truly feel like a brand spokesperson.

And what’s the biggest misconception people have about working in food & drink? I think a lot of people have misconceptions about how in-tune you need to be with industry news and changes in the food and drink sector. Particularly, working for an organic company, there is a lot you need to learn and understand about referencing, restrictions in what you can and can’t say, and the legislation surrounding organic. Then, there is the strategy involved in how you communicate and educate the public.

Read more:

• Organic trends 2024: Can organic find its hero?

• Planet Organic plots new stores as recovery makes progress

• Pesticides in fruit & veg strengthen the case for organic

What advice would you give to other young people looking to get into the food & drink industry? As in any industry, belief in the product and your work is crucial. In food and drink – especially in marketing – you’re not just a marketer, you’re a true ambassador for the company. If you’re passionate about what you do, you’ll have more ideas and be more interested in exploring the industry. So the first step is to really think about what you’re truly interested in, and I think that’s a good place to start!

What’s your ultimate career dream? I think being so early on in my career it’s hard to know what my ultimate career goal is, but I’ve always been interested in running my own business. Particularly after working for a small company and learning from Karen and Patrick, it’s made me want to do it even more.

Interested in finding out more about food & drink careers? Check out GrocerJobs for the latest vacancies