My food & drink job: Lulu Coyne, brand manager, Heineken

Name: Lulu Coyne

Age: 27

Job title: Brand manager, Old Mout Cider

Company & location: Heineken UK, London

Education: European Studies (Italian & French) at Trinity College Dublin

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? As a child, I always wanted to be an art teacher. I come from a long line of female educators and from a young age I could not stop drawing. While this didn’t come to pass, I’m glad that my job on Old Mout Cider allows me to be so creative and gives me opportunities to learn from and share with others in my industry.

Why did you decide to go for a career in food & drink? As a burgeoning marketeer, it was the food & drink industry that stood out as the most exciting landscape for brands and the best place for me to hone my skills. While doing my MSc in Marketing Practice at University College Dublin, I worked with a variety of companies across industry – but it was the food & drink brands that excited me the most. I knew when I graduated that this is where I wanted to be and learn.

“If this industry inspires you, there is certainly a role that will fit your skill set and dream”

Explain your job to us in a sentence (or two): Championing, protecting and driving growth for Old Mout Cider through creativity, strategy and innovation.

What does a typical day look like for you? It’s clichéd but no two days are the same working in brand marketing. My day can vary from planning our above-the-line advertising strategy, to project managing amazing product innovations we have in the pipeline for customers. In my previous role as assistant brand manager on Heineken, I worked on our amazing sports sponsorship portfolio – bringing experiential activations to life at the British Grand Prix and the UEFA Champions League Final. Every day is collaborative – working with colleagues, agencies and our customers to bring our brands to life on screens and on shelves. I love the variety that this job brings every day.

Tell us how you went about applying for your job: I applied for my first role in Heineken through an open apply on LinkedIn. There were three stages to the process, with the final stage being an in-person interview at Heineken’s London office.

I was given a task of developing a digital strategy for the brand in advance and presenting it to my interviewers on the day. I put so much effort into that pitch deck – presenting it to anyone who would listen to ensure it was perfect! My interviewers were lovely throughout and I was delighted to get my first role as assistant brand manager on Heineken.

Since joining the company, my development and progression have been key for all managers I have had. I was able to apply and interview for my current role as brand manager on Old Mout Cider through our internal application process, which also involved an interview and task. With the scale of our company, it’s great to see the many opportunities we have in developing and expanding into new brands.

What’s the best part about working for a food & drink company? That it’s ever changing! The food and drink industry depends on the evolving taste buds of  consumers. I think the best part of working for a drinks company is being able to creatively evolve our products and the way we speak to consumers about them to meet these needs. It’s exciting and ensures that the job never gets dull.

Read more:

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• Why small brewers are turning their back on craft beer

And what’s the biggest misconception people have about working in food & drink? In the drinks industry, the misconception is that you need to be a big drinker. You do not! Like any responsible food or drink company, we believe in moderation and while you have access to amazing beer and cider products to try, there is no pressure to drink irresponsibly.

What advice would you give to other young people looking to get into the food & drink industry? If you’re interested, reach out to people you see working in the industry and ask them questions about their jobs. There is such a variety of roles that you can have working in a food & drink company, from manufacturing to accounting to consumer research. If this industry inspires you, there is certainly a role that will fit your skill set and dream.

What’s your ultimate career dream? My career dreams evolve every day as I learn new and exciting things about our industry and the career opportunities on offer. My dream job mightn’t even exist yet! For now, I know my passion lies in brand marketing and there is still so much I want to do and learn.

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