Do you ever wonder why consumers behave the way they do? Are you fascinated by the decisions that consumer products and services companies and retailers make about new product innovation, packaging, advertising, social media and more? If so, the Consumer Marketing Academy is for you.
CMA alumni and Director Emerita Jonlee Andrews discuss the experience, connections, and insights students gain that empower them to succeed in their summer internships and marketing careers.
Description of the video:
Ray Luther, Codirector, Consumer Marketing Academy:
The Consumer Marketing Academy offers a range of networking opportunities.
Jonlee Andrews, Codirector, Consumer Marketing Academy:
Imagine you'll have your 30 or 40 first years that you'll know very well, but you'll also know the second years very well, another equally important group. And then, you'll know the people coming in when you're a second year. So already, you've got a built-in network of like-minded people, plus all that you've met before. So the network opportunity is incredible.
Ray Luther:
We also visit between six to eight firms every fall and take the entire Academy to go meet with all of these companies on their turf.
Andrea Manney, Full-Time MBA student:
We have what we call a day in the life here in the Consumer Marketing Academy. And we had a representative from Nestlé, a brand manager, come in and talk about her role at Nestlé. She was the first connection I really had with Nestlé, and I kept that going throughout the rest of the fall and into the winter, and then was able to interview with Nestlé, really thanks to that first connection I made here in the Consumer Marketing Academy.
Ray Luther:
We really work to get everyone on a level playing field and we really work to enhance what are the strengths that students bring to the table. So even the largest career changer, they all have some skills that are related to succeeding on the consumer marketing side.
Samuel Edwards, Full-Time MBA student:
Without the Consumer Marketing Academy, I don't think I would have had success in my internship. As a career switcher, it was very difficult for me to get up to speed. I had to exercise a different part of my brain this summer. And beyond that, even getting the internship itself would have been difficult without the training.
Ray Luther:
In the first semester, the Academy Fridays are focused on getting the student exposed to consumer marketing in general.
Samuel Edwards:
The Consumer Marketing Academy actually does a fantastic job with bringing people in from the corporate world to sit and talk to us.
Andrea Manney:
We learned a lot of skills in the Consumer Marketing Academy that was above and beyond anything I could learn in the classroom because it was really more of the functional day-to-day behaviors that we would be doing.
Ray Luther:
In the second semester, the Fridays are more dedicated to expertise within the mock internship project that we run. The students are paired together in teams. They take about seven weeks and then finally it culminates in a presentation, two representatives from that firm, with a real recommendation that many times companies take back and go to implement right away.
Samuel Edwards:
That project is sort of a safe space to learn. You're provided with coaching from experts and they really walk you through, okay, when you get on your internship, these are the things you need to think about. Getting that early success was differential for me. It showed that I was a deep thinker, that I knew how to approach a problem and how to solve it.
Andrea Manney:
Once I did my internship this past summer at Nestlé, I knew I was above and beyond my other fellow interns. I was ahead of the pack because the Consumer Marketing Academy set me up for that.
During your Academy experience, you’ll apply key marketing frameworks and develop skills that you’ll use during your internship and career. You’ll also expand your business network through networking activities with peers, alumni and industry leaders. You will:
Nearly 900 CMA alumni work in consumer products and services for the top companies around the world. Recent CMA students have landed internships and full-time roles in such companies as Colgate Palmolive, Conagra, E&J Gallo, GE Haier, General Mills, Kellogg's, Kimberly-Clark, Kraft Heinz, Mars, Nestlé, PepsiCo, Procter & Gamble, Stellantis, Tyson Foods, and Wendy's. View Kelley MBA employment statistics.
Gain insights about the Academy and consumer marketing careers such as brand management from Kelley CMA alumni and program leaders.
Consumer Marketing Academy Director
knieder@iu.edu
Consumer Marketing Academy Director Keith Niedermeier has worked as a professor and consultant, focusing on consumer behavior and decision making, branding, retail, investor psychology and generational differences.
Check out the Marketing Club, the largest student-led club for Kelley MBAs. You’ll learn about marketing across various industries, sharpen your marketing skills, prepare for interviews, and continue developing your network and new friendships.