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24 Hours with SPC Ardmona

Bronwyn Powell, Marketing and Innovation Director at Australian fruit and vegetable processor, SPC Ardmona runs us through a day in the life of a food manufacturing professional. 

  1. What are your primary roles and responsibilities in your job?  Give us a day in your working life.

No one day is the same!

Anything from discussing the strategy and execution of SPC Ardmona’s Marketing and Innovation plan, to developing new product concepts with the marketing team and R&D teams, to launching new advertising campaigns with one of our great external agencies.  

I am also a director on the company’s Executive Leadership team so everyday involves transforming the business across all facets to be a world class consumer led organisation.

  1. What training/education did you need for your job?

Bachelor of Commerce with a Marketing major from University of NSW

On job experience over 20+ years in Australia, USA, Europe, Internationally. I have lived in 4 countries and also worked across North America, Australia, Europe, Asia and South America.

  1. How did you get to where you are today?  Give us a bullet point career path.

 

  • Assistant Brand Manager
  • Brand Manager
  • Senior Brand Manager
  • Marketing Manager
  • Marketing Director
  • Global Marketing Director
  • Chief Marketing Officer
  • Marketing and Innovation Director

It is a classic blue chip global FMCG and QSR ladder I have to say. I have not deviated into agencies but instead stayed client side driving business growth through a number of organisations.

  1. What tools and/or software do you use on a daily basis?

My IPad and IPhone….inseparable! 

Twitter, Facebook – Pulse on Brands. 

 Reports on trends in market, shares and insights reports.

  1. What is the one thing that you are most proud of in your professional life?
  • Starting at SPC Ardmona with a small team of dedicated marketers and food technologists.  Our whole team is so dedicated to us succeeding, now having consumers who love our brands and products and openly telling us on social media at #SPCSunday and SPCAustralia. They are life time disciples.
  • Achieving Global Marketing Director position leading strategy for KFC across 100 countries- living in the USA in the Deep South in Dallas Texas was an enormous life experience I have to say! Taught me allot about cultural differences around the world and how to market with that not against it.
  1. Biggest daily challenge?

Getting to the heart of the consumer insight… digging deeper and deeper for the killer insight and not stopping.

Time is always against us to get to market fast and to keep up with the ever changing consumer- so we need to be ahead on how they think, feel and behave.

  1. Biggest career challenge?

Category Barriers – over coming category barriers to packaged fruit.  Consumers see SPC as fruit in syrup when most of our products are in juice.  Goulburn Valley fruit is only currently in fruit juice and we will be launching it in coconut water in June this year further breaking down the barriers of our category. 

I have had category barriers before working for in fast food for KFC, Pizza Hut and McDonald’s so it does not faze me, but rather drives me to find a way to break down this wall between our product and consumers perceptions.

  1. What is your biggest frustration in your job?

So much to do and not enough time to do it!

Agricultural based business lead times. Fruit has to grow and we rely on Mother Nature to do her work. We can’t speed it up.

  1. What is the biggest challenge facing your business?

Transformation through brands and innovation.

  1. Is there anything else about your job you want Australia to know about?

I ask every Australian “have you looked at the back of all packs…turn them around and look for the country of origin.  Fruit and Vegetables need to stay being grown in Australia.  We owe it to our children to keep our food supply clean, green, wholesome and Australian grown and made.

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