Assistant Brand Manager @ General Mills with Zack Bloch
Zack and Blair discuss three different ways to deliver value to a customer, which player on the football field a brand manager would be; and, why Zack realizes how stupid he is every three months!
About Zack Bloch
Zack currently works at General Mills as an Associate Brand Manager (ABM) on Cheerios. He started at General Mills in 2021 as the ABM on the Kid Cereal business working on brands like Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Lucky Charms. Before that, Zack completed an Honors of Business Administration at the Ivey Business School.
In his free time he enjoys watching football–go Minnesota Vikings!, working out, reading and cooking. A fun fact about Zack is that he used to be a child actor for commercials, TV shows, and short films. Most notably he was a voice actor for a kids animated TV show called Super Why!
The Highlights and Hottest Takes 🔥
How Zack Got the Job
Zack was interested in marketing since high school, which helped through university and into the job search. Ivey Business School had a strong process for work terms and on-campus recruitment. He got an internship at Labatt Breweries Canada. Then in the final year “recruiting was like a 6th course in final year of university”. General Mills recruited directly from Ivey, which is how Zach got this role.
Lesson Learned
You’re not that stupid! “Every 3 months I realize how stupid I was 3 months ago.” What was I talking about? What was I thinking? I’m constantly learning and developing my skills. Take time to reflect on the past month, or the past quarter.
Pro Tip
Write fewer notes. Went through first notebook in 6 months. Now the second notebook has lasted over one year.
“Not a mistake per se, but I was focused on not missing anything for later vs. being engaged in the moment now.”
Segments
Zack's Year 1ne @ General Mills
1:40 | Introduction from Zack
2:30 | Overview of General Mills
4:45 | Working as an Assistant Brand Manager
7:10 | Does brand management include marketing communication?
9:30 | What does CPG mean?
10:10 | Managing a global brand like Cheerios
12:15 | Essential skills for a brand manager
15:50 | Developing your analytics skills
19:50 | Which football position is brand manager most like?
24:20 | Essential software and tools
26:15 | What’s on your mind in marketing right now?
31:50 | How to deliver value to consumers in a recession
Getting to Day 1ne: The Job Search
34:50 | Getting hired at General Mills
39:00 | Trusting the process
40:15 | Hardest part of the job search
41:55 | The “What’s your favourite brand?” question
Things I've Learned in Year 1ne
48:25 | Lesson learned becoming “slightly less stupid”
51:00 | Pro tip on writing fewer notes
53:50 | Lesson learned about Imposter Syndrome
56:20 | Lesson learned on ups and downs
Re(Sources)
- Connect with Zack Bloch: LinkedIn
- Brands/organizations: General Mills | Cheerios | Ivey Business School | Labatt Breweries | Apple | Coca-Cola | Bubly
- Marketing and media tools: Microsoft 365 | Nielsen | Tableau | ChatGPT
- Connect with The Year 1ne’s host Blair Smith: LinkedIn
Credits
Created and Produced by Blair Smith
Hosted by Blair Smith
Mixed and Mastered by Ray Harripaul
Sponsor(s)
N/A for this episode...Interested in being a sponsor of The Year 1ne's Show? Drop us a line via email 😀
Zack Bloch
24 year old marketer currently working at General Mills as an Associate Brand Manager (ABM) on Cheerios. I started at General Mills in August 2021 as the ABM on our Kid Cereal business working on brands like Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Lucky Charms. I completed my Honors of Business Administration at the Ivey Business School in the Spring of 2021, and in my free time I enjoy working out, watching football, reading, and hanging out with friends.
