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James Tranter

"Placement year was my route into the company."
James Tranter James with a pint of Coors Light

I am an... assistant brand manager

You could be an Assistant Brand Manager if you would enjoy:

  • Being creative in a business environment
  • Helping to create and develop brands
  • Creating campaigns and working with the media
  • Sales and advertising
  • Create and implementing marketing plans
  • Working closely with sponsors
  • Exporting
  • Working with customers and your team
  • Using your initiative
  • Making presentations
  • Planning and organising
  • Managing budgets

It almost sounds too good to be true – working with beer every day. It is quite probably the dream job of many. But if you are James Tranter, it’s no dream.

Since graduating from Harper Adams in 2010 with a BSc (Hons) Business Management with Marketing degree, the 27-year old has been working for UK brewer Molson Coors. The company offered him a permanent position after he spent his placement year as an Assistant Customer Marketing Manager with them as part of his degree.

“After graduating I returned to my placement job but within three months I moved into brand marketing as an Assistant Brand Manager on Grolsch,” he says. “Since then I’ve worked on Corona and ales (mostly Worthingtons) and I’m now working as an Assistant Brand Manager on Coors Light. I am responsible for digital and social media, activation support, packaging updates, managing the Northern Ireland plan, stock keeping unit implementation, and category stories.

“I worked on our Cold Caller App, for instance. This promotion asked people to nominate a friend for Jean Claude Van Damme to call. Both the caller and the recipient then received a free four-pack or pint of Coors Light. I made sure the app was designed and worked correctly and was delivered on time. I’m also heavily involved in our new pack research for 2014; this involves everything from the design to the formats we show up in.”

James knows better than most that undertaking a year placement as part of a course at Harper Adams enhances students’ career prospects.

“Placement year was my route into the company. They employed me as soon as I finished my last exam. I was the first person in the marketing department to have a placement year and then be offered a job. During my placement I wasn’t just seen as a placement student, in fact many people didn’t realise I was until I left to return to Harper Adams for my final year.”

“James grabbed the opportunity given to him by being curious, enthusiastic and showing an appetite to learn every day,” says Jim Shearer, Customer Director. “These qualities made it an easy decision for us to turn the placement into a permanent move when he graduated.”

James opted to study at Harper Adams as it offered the course he wished to study and - even better - was only a few miles away from his home in Newport.

“The best things about my course were the great people. The lecturers were enthusiastic and the course subjects were tailored to involve projects with industry,” he says. “The teaching staff are very helpful and always had time to help and support us. Harper Adams has the best of both worlds – great teaching and a great social life.”

Careers in the drinks industry

There is a vast range of careers for graduates in the drinks industry from brewing to wineries, hospitality to technical and engineering roles. Check out these links for ideas:

For more Harper Adams graduates in the industry:

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