Gayatri Pradhan, MBA '06

Innovation and the "calls" to action

The past six months have been quite hectic on a global innovation role for Vaseline. Global innovation means that a launch can encompass North America, Europe and Asia. While it sounds exciting to work on a launch that will roll out in several countries across the globe, the practical challenges can be huge. 

First, there are the meetings. 7 a.m. calls with Asia, 10 a.m. calls with Europe, 1 p.m. calls with North America. Hmm … when do I get to do the things that need to be done following all these calls? However, that is the minor stuff. What about the regional differences when trying to figure out the product mix? How will consumers perceive the innovation in each region? Will the same technology be rolled out across every region? How will differing margin pressures across different regions impact mix choices? Is it possible to have the same communication across regions? Really … quite challenging.

From a cultural perspective, working in innovation is quite different from working in activation. Where the latter is about taking informed decisions quickly, the former is about researching every aspect of the mix, testing and validating concepts and then taking the next step. Of course, this makes sense when one realizes that the innovation will cost a few million dollars to develop and roll out, and that it will touch several million consumers. Flawless execution is expected and an obsessive attention to detail is a must.

A most interesting experience. Time to head to bed -- have a 6:30 a.m. call tomorrow.

Lots of changes! I am going to use that as my excuse for the gap between the two postings. About six weeks back, I moved brands, from Wisk to all Laundry detergent. You might have had heard about the brand. Its three times concentrated product, all Small & Mighty, is widely recognized as bringing about a paradigm shift in the detergent category. And really, how often do we hear the phrase “paradigm shift” associated with detergent? But seriously, back to all Small & Mighty.

all Small & Mighty pioneered the compaction revolution in laundry detergents manufactured by large CPG companies. The bottle, if you haven’t seen it, could fit on the palm of your hand. Compare that to the large containers we’ve traditionally had to haul around. That little bottle is a symbol of how big businesses can make an impact on socially relevant issues. The concentrated formula means less water is being used. The smaller bottle means less plastic in packaging. The smaller size means more loads on fewer trucks and therefore, less gas used in transportation. It feels amazing to work in an environment that spawns such revolutionary products! And Unilever’s been committed to consumers’ vitality and health for an incredibly long time now. Check out that case study on Annapurna and Hindustan Lever Limited (Unilever in India). Did I say how fulfilling it is to work at this company?

So what does the change mean for my day to day job? Well ... all is a larger brand than Wisk. Which means we have a larger marketing spend, which in turn means interesting marketing programs. Currently on my plate, I’m working on the launch of a new product — this involves engaging with a variety of agencies; creative, consumer promotions, PR to mention a few. Another project revolves around promoting a certain range of products. Yet another project is a special category wide project, involving more than one brand. Add to this, the usual rigmarole around managing creation of special packs, couponing activities and our budgets. Three projects doesn’t sound like a lot but believe me, it keeps me busy.

The fringe benefits are fun too! A few weeks ago, all Small & Mighty was featured on “The View”. My colleagues and I got to sit in the front row and watch Rosie O’Donnell and Elizabeth Hasselbeck duke it out over some political differences. It’s interesting to sit in a studio audience — it is much smaller than it seems on TV. And of course, it’s gratifying to hear the audience scream with joy when they realize they’re getting some free product to take home with them. I can’t wait for the day we do something at the Oscars or better still, at Cannes!

Alright, maybe next month I can write some more about the fun projects I have been working on as they become public knowledge. Till then, back to my desk ...

As they say, time sure does fly when you are having fun. Six months back, I started work at Unilever as an associate brand manager in the Home and Personal Care business and I cannot believe it has already been nearly eight months since I graduated. The HPC business is based out of Greenwich, CT — an hour from Manhattan. The commute is easy with the Metro North lines out of New York City running every 15-20 minutes at peak hours. A long commute, but not a difficult one at all.

I work on the laundry business as an associate manager on Wisk Laundry detergent. The job has been incredible so far! Everything I thought it would be and a bit more as well. Brand management is really about running a business. Yes, the marketing is the biggest piece of it — how do we communicate to our consumers, what is the best way to reach them, what would incent them to buy my brand versus competing ones, where is the market going, understanding trends, understanding the competitive environment, and the list goes on.

But there is also the production aspect — how do we ensure that we have enough inventory to satisfy volumes, working with our supply chain colleagues to ensure we plan ahead when we plan promotions, working with our sales colleagues to ensure that we are in the loop with our customers’ plans and working with our finance colleagues to maintain our brand’s financial health. My husband challenges me to describe my job in one sentence and the best I have been able to come up with is to say, that as owners of the brand’s P&L, we have to run the brand like a mini-business within the larger environs of the HPC business. Is it challenging? Absolutely. There are always many balls up in the air at any given time and managing seven to nine different projects at one time can demand a certain organizational discipline, time management skills, and the ability to prioritize. Hmm ... exactly what they want to drive home at MIT Sloan with multiple team assignments competing for your attention!

What else about the job? The people have been exhilarating to work with as well. Everyone is smart and incredibly capable at their jobs. The door is always open if you have questions for someone. The hours are somewhat of a surprise Ð it is not the 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. most people think it is. More like a 9 a.m - 8 p.m. However, I have yet to have worked longer than a couple of hours on a weekend, if any at all. Unilever has great training programs as well. A series of three programs for new associates are conducted over the course of the first year. By spreading out the training over a year, the company ensures that an associate’s experiences reinforce the learning, thereby making the content more relevant and useful. All in all, it’s been a fabulous six months to date.

Enough about the job for now. A quick note about being an alumna: Between adjusting to a new job, a new company, and a new city, I admit I haven’t been quite as social as I would like. But I do manage to see some classmates every other week or so. A recent initiative to institute Class of 2006 happy hours once a month was off to a great start this past Friday. I have my fingers crossed that we will be able to keep the interactions going for a while.