From B-School To Brand Manager: A Dream Journey Via L’Oréal Brandstorm

I still clearly remember the mission statement for Brandstorm from the year I participated: 

"Your mission for Brandstorm 2018 is to invent the customer experience for the professional salon of the future”

Back then, my teammates and I probably learned the most valuable lessons in marketing and sales on our journey of 6 months as Brandstorm participants.

The mission was challenging since it had a B2B angle (L’Oréal – Salon) but the fact that we would get to work on something special and distinct attracted us. At this stage, honestly, we were just focusing on making it to the first round and I remember reading and re-reading the caselet to ensure we understood every word and interpreted it correctly – something that held us in very good stead!

A good tip to remember when working on making any idea wholesome is to focus on consumer desirability, business viability and technological feasibility.

When I think back, what really stood out for me during Brandstorm were 3 things:

The process of the competition

There were multiple rounds over those 6 months which varied from detailed presentations to elevator pitches. This meant that by the end of the National Finals, every aspect of our idea had been thoroughly vetted – by us, our friends, our professors, our mentors and by the judges (yes, it took a village!)

Mentorship & knowledge kits

Unique to Brandstorm, and something that made me truly fall in love with the beauty industry, were the knowledge kits and the mentorship rounds. We got the chance to walk senior L’Oréal leadership through our idea and get their input on crucial points like pricing, competition benchmarking, and even the flow of presenting.

Brand love

On our market visits to better understand the case, I remember meeting so many salon owners and consumers and them gushing about how much they loved the products, how much they valued the brand and the support they received from L’Oréal – be it training, tricks of the trade, tools, or opportunities to network with some great international artists.

In the National Finals, apart from being very nervous, I remember thoroughly enjoying all the presentations, question-answer sessions, and interactions I had through the evening – an evening when I truly realized that this was where I wanted to be – with these people, working in this industry and immersed in this kind of culture.

It was during the National Finals that the interview opportunities were announced for all National Finalists – and while we did not make it to the International finals, it was this announcement that fueled a series of events that led to me now working in my dream role – in brand management of Garnier.

In true L’Oréal style, the interview process focused on my passion for the beauty industry and interest in consumer behavior and marketing. Once selected, I was part of an incredible group of management trainees from different B-Schools and functions. We spent a year learning the ropes of the industry, the company, the business operations, our core functions (marketing for me) as well as cross functions (sales, finance, supply chain, HR). Not only has this period made us more business ready, but our bond as fellow management trainees has led to some great professional collaborations and friendships!

In the last two and a half years, as a management trainee and now as an assistant marketing manager, there are 3 things that still stand out for me in L’Oréal:

• The processes,
• The mentorship, and
• The brand love

It’s incredible that these 3 things still ring so true for me - I believe very few companies would be able to say that their B-School competitions represent what their company truly stands for. I feel incredibly lucky to be a part of an organization where the culture and the work I do resonate so much with my own passions and beliefs! C’est fantastique!

Suggested reads:

• Lifting L’Oréal Brandstorm 2021 Trophy - By Aakriti Bansal from IMT Ghaziabad
•  …and that’s how I got to intern with HUL - By Ashutosh Gupta from IMT Ghaziabad
• Engaging with students in the L'Oréal way!
• L'Oréal campus engagement | A day at MDI Gurgaon and IIM Indore