Industry: Consumer Products
 Consumer product manufacturing and distributing includes a wide array of products from sports drinks to cleaning products, all which are well known due to advanced marketing techniques. Product marketing is one of the most valuable resources in consumer product companies because if the public is unaware of a product then there is no success in consumer consumption. Since there are usually more than one big brand name companies producing the same or similar product, the competition is steep and the branding of the product name is crucial for success.
Many big brand consumer product companies such as Coca-Cola, General Mills, or Revlon have taken on a more diverse product range or begun collaborating with other well known consumer product brands to increase revenue and marketability. Companies such as General Mills produce consumer products from Betty Crocker baking goods to Haagen-Dazs ice cream, which often are more recognizable brands than the company itself.
Consumer products is an exciting industry to work in, not only because you can see the tangible results of your work, but you can see the overlying affect your product can have on the culture. Positions within the consumer product industry are extremely competitive, but once you get in, employees usually stay for the long term. Consumer product firms are efficient in training their employees and giving them the resources and tools they need to succeed. They invest in their employees and in return, the employee is committed and successful in their product development. Positions within the consumer product field are far more extensive than just marketing or manufacturing a product; large consumer product firms need sales representatives to get their product well known, customer satisfaction representatives to insure the product’s success, research analyzers to predict and understand current consumer consumption trends, and manufacturing engineers in order to expedite the manufacturing process.
The variety of jobs needed to make a consumer product company run smoothly is encouraging to job seekers; however, working for a large corporation does have its down falls. The logistic process can seem tedious and counter-productive at times with the extensive hierarchy process. The work can seem bland at times if your company focuses on meeting the competition with an equal product versus innovating a new product of their own. Consumer product manufacturing companies focus in beverage, food, cosmetics, retail, small appliances, and cleaning products. Retail is viewed as an industry that promotes employee growth through training, experience, and people skills. The food and beverage sectors of the consumer product industry experience some of the most competition because the products of each different brand are so similar. Marketing plays an essential role in the promotion of each consumer product because the product depends on the consumer appeal. Branding your product is one of the most important jobs of an individual in consumer products, and branding usually requires the most work.
The job of getting the public to recognize a name, slogan, or even symbol requires research, analysis, even a psychology background in some cases. A basic understanding of what makes people tick is pertinent in marketing efforts. Most jobs require at least a bachelor’s degree and if you want to jump ahead in the completion and in your job title, an MBA will give you the extra edge. Consumer products is a competitive field whether you are looking to get a position within the field or trying to get a step ahead of your competitors, but the work is constantly challenging, innovative, and goal oriented.
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