Marketing manager

Angela Lovrich began on the shop floor and is now Kmart’s marketing manager. Picture / Fotopress

Name: Angela Lovrich

Age: 29

Job title: Marketing manager

Working hours: Around 50-plus hours as the business requires

Employer: Kmart NZ

Salary: $50K to $70K for mid-range, up to $150K with experience

Qualifications: post graduate diploma (marketing)

Career prospects: There are a number of management roles within Kmart New Zealand outside marketing, and further opportunities within the Coles Myer group in Australia. Coles Myer includes a diverse range of brands in addition to Kmart, such as Target, Myer, Coles and Officeworks 

What do you do?

My primary focus is to localise the Australasian marketing programme to the New Zealand market, customising communications and offers to the New Zealand customer. The job includes travel between Auckland and Melbourne.

It's a diverse role with advertising management making up a large part of my day in our ongoing efforts to keep our business ahead of the competition and in touch with customers' needs.

I also set the marketing and public relations strategies for special projects, such as new store openings, and manage the New Zealand Kmart Wishing Tree Appeal each Christmas.

Customer research and strategic development resulting from this research is an ongoing part of the role and there is a constant stream of new communications elements and ideas to be considered in the overall mix.

Why did you choose the job?

I worked at Kmart as a student while undertaking an environmental technology degree. I quickly discovered that marketing and retail were a passion. After completing a post graduate diploma in marketing, Kmart approached me to drive the New Zealand marketing arm.

This role gave me the opportunity to work across all marketing disciplines with a multinational company in the retail industry, which I knew I enjoyed. There is plenty of scope and never a dull day.

Why is it important?

This role plays an important part in building the Kmart brand and growing the market share of the New Zealand business. It is essential to have people based here in New Zealand to focus on our Kiwi customers, their expectations and the experience they have when they shop in Kmart.

What's the best part of the job?

Diversity - without it I would be bored. At this time of year it is incredibly busy as there are lots of additional challenges associated with Christmas retailing, though it's great to see all the hard work and planning come together in our stores. It's also satisfying to focus on our nationwide community project the Kmart Wishing Tree Appeal.

The Kmart Wishing Tree Appeal enables me to interact with community groups, visit our stores, meet our "champions" who oversee co-ordination of the appeal in their stores, and share ideas and learnings from the shop floor. It's a wonderful feeling to know that the Kmart Wishing Tree Appeal is making a positive contribution to communities around the country.

What are your strengths?

Knowledge of the Kmart business and the New Zealand retailing environment has been key. The ability to put across a convincing argument to both Australian and local managers to get the best result locally is important.

My experience on the shop floor gives me practical understanding of how plans are executed. Never underestimate how much buy-in you need from front-line staff. My qualification has also enabled me to apply a rounded and thorough approach to the job.

Where would you like to be in five years?

Since sipping pina coladas in Fiji is not a long-term reality I'd like to be in a general management role leading a team in strategic planning and creative thought.

Job hunting advice?

Choose an industry you enjoy and can get passionate about, as anything else will bore you to tears. Work your way through it and back up the experience with study. I have combined the theory with reality by doing just that.

Don't be scared of networking your way to the job you want and don't undersell the value of your own achievements. Have someone independent take a look at your CV and make sure to tailor it to each job application.