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8 hours ago
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Before starting an MBA, many of us romanticize the marketing function. We envision brainstorming creative campaigns, managing iconic brand identities, and working on high-budget advertising. We imagine "marketing" as the world of big ideas and flashy aesthetics.
However, the reality of a summer internship—especially in sectors like FMCG or Pharmaceuticals—often hits quite differently. You quickly learn that marketing isn't just about what looks good; it’s about solving structural problems.
To build effective strategies, you must first master the "ground reality." You need to understand:
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Why a product isn’t moving off the shelf.
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What customers actually want, not just what they say.
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Where the distribution gaps are in the supply chain.
This is why many top companies start their marketing hires in sales roles. Spending time as a sales executive isn't a step backward; it is a prerequisite for success. Only by being on the ground—facing the daily challenges of productivity and market friction—can you gain the insights required to build brands that actually work.
6 Replies
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If you’re currently struggling during your internship because it feels like a 'sales job,' don’t be discouraged. You are building the foundation that will make you a much better strategist than the peers who only focus on the creative side
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Marketing is fundamentally about understanding the market, and you don't learn the market in a lecture hall. You learn it by hitting the pavement and talking to the people who are actually selling and buying the product
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I think the transition from sales to marketing is exactly why 'experience matters.' You can't market a product if you haven't seen a retailer reject it or a customer complain about it. It’s about building empathy for the product.
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Does anyone else feel like B-schools sell the 'Creative' dream of marketing a bit too hard? It creates a real shock for students when they realize the role is 80% data analysis and ground-level problem solving and only 20% creative work
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I went into my FMCG internship thinking I’d be working on ad copy, and I spent the first three weeks just traveling to local distributors. It was brutal at the time, but it completely changed my perspective on how to build a distribution strategy
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This is the most underrated piece of advice for MBA students. Everyone wants to jump into Brand Management, but you’ll never truly understand the brand if you don't understand the supply chain and the customer's actual pain points. Sales is the best training ground
