It’s the collaborative environment at Dale Farm that I relish. I appreciate the opportunity to work cross-functionally across the business, with teams such as sales, procurement, technical & quality, and our sites.
What is your role and what does a normal day look like for you?
I work within the Dale Farm Marketing team as senior brand manager. I am responsible for development and implementation of our brand strategies to achieve two key objectives; effectively promoting our branded products to drive retail sales & growing our market share of category by maintaining a competitive edge.
For me, it is important to encourage consumers to shop local. The continued support of consumers within the local retail industry helps to support our 1,300 farmers and future farming generations and sustain the NI agri sector.
It can be cliché, however no two days are ever the same as it’s such a diverse role. A typical day can involve anything from working closely with our creative agencies and external partners to execute on-going brand plans, taking time to analyse performance of current brand campaigns & initiatives to identify areas for improvement and aid data-driven decisions to maximise investment, or coordinating with cross functional teams to progress product reformulation or packaging reduction projects aligned to the wider business sustainability agenda.
What do you enjoy most about your role at Dale Farm?
I get great fulfilment from the huge variety that my role gives me. I enjoy the challenge that comes with developing & implementing strategy that resonates with consumers to drive growth and ultimately positively impact wider business success.
The creative freedom in developing brand campaigns feeds my need for creativity, most likely something that comes from my interest in arts outside of work.
The dynamic nature of the FMCG marketing industry and the ever-changing consumer landscape means it’s important for me to continuously learn & adapt to changing market trends, consumer behaviour, and emerging marketing technologies. I enjoy having the opportunity to develop and expand my knowledge which in turn helps me adapt our brand strategies and remain relevant in our fast-paced market.
Ultimately though, it’s the collaborative environment at Dale Farm that I relish. I appreciate the opportunity to work cross-functionally across the business, with teams such as sales, procurement, technical & quality, and our sites. Working with such a range of experts helps me understand different perspectives, provide additional insights, and flag hurdles to better deliver on projects. Whilst it can be fast paced & challenging at times, it’s great to know that I’m surrounded by such a positive and supportive culture. Where everyone is willing to work together to deliver the best possible outcomes for our brands and the wider business.
How did you get to where you are today?
I went to Victoria College in Belfast where I studied until A level. When choosing which course I wanted to pursue at university, my choice was between Art & Design or Marketing. Given my enjoyment of A Level Business Studies, I took the ‘sensible’ route and opted to study a BSc Marketing at Ulster University, feeling that this may best combine my creativity with general business interest. In my third year, I joined Dale Farm as a Marketing Placement Student, where I supported the marketing team across a variety of projects and day-to-day tasks (and learnt how to make the best tea & coffee for meetings). It was a fantastic learning experience and introduction to the NI FMCG industry. Such a varied role showed me how the theory I had learnt in my first two years of uni could be applied. However, I also learnt that whilst theory is helpful, practical, real-world experience is hard to beat. After graduating with honours, I was lucky enough to return to Dale Farm as Marketing Assistant and haven’t looked back since then. It is through continuous development, dedication and managers who inspired me to take the next step, that I have been able to work through various roles within Dale Farm Marketing.