Marketing Interview Questions & Answers

I was contacted by a member of the graduate recruitment team who left me a message to arrange a time for the interview. When I called back she conducted the interview then rather than arranging another time so be prepared for this. When calling back I was not given a direct line to contact the person so had to go through the switchboard and be transferred several times before someone was able to put me through to the right place.
The interview lasted about 15-20 minutes and she started by explaining a bit more about the role and then asked some questions about the company and about the specific role. Then some competency questions about how I have demonstrated certain skills that they value at ovo.
Finally she finished with some more general questions eg. What's the most adventurous thing you've ever done and why?
Following this she told me that I would hear back from her within a week but it ended up taking about 3 weeks to hear anything back and I hadn't reached the assessment centre unfortunately.

Explain how you demonstrate the characteristics that we value eg bright, intuitive etc. she named about 5 traits and I panicked and started to answer and then forgot what all the characteristics were that she mentioned so didn't give a very relevant answer.

Read up on the role and how you'd be suited for it. Read up on the company and their values and think how you can demonstrate these.

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My phone interview was with one of the HR leads, and lasted approximately 20 minutes. I was incredibly nervous about this, and because the call was delayed by half an hour past my scheduled time, this made me even more anxious. We talked about my C.V and dissertation, and I had to answers competency questions about team-building, and my marketing experience so far. Conversation flowed really well because I had prepared myself as how to answer this questions on a word document.

Describe a situation where something went wrong, and you had to quickly make an appropriate judgement to resolve this situation.

Prepare as much as you can. Differentiate yourself from the other candidates - like I did with the survey. Anticipate interview questions and enjoy yourself!

10 candidates attended the day, and it was stated that there were two positions up for grabs. There were 5 tasks in the day. The first task tested our ability to extract data from tables, and relate this to three different televised adverts for Cravendale Milk. We were separately asked to critique these adverts and choose our favourite, justifying this answer using our marketing knowledge.
The second task involved an interview about branding. I spoke about a survey I had made myself based on the public perception of luxury brands. I was asked how the examples I had used could be segmented to different markets. I found this difficult because I thought that they would all be suited for the same audience. After this we had lunch and spoke to candidates who had been employed for the take role the year before. We then performed an attention to detail proofreading task, as well as a task that tested our abilities to prioritise clients and responses to emails. These were both administered under time constraints. Our next task was done as a whole group, and tested our ability to collaborate as a team, lead the group, offer input etc... using a 'What items would you keep if you were stranded on the moon' survival task. The final interview asked personal questions about career aims and goals and experience.

My initial telephone interview lasted 40 minutes,although it was supposed to take 20. It was a combination of an informal chat, competency and situational based questions.

The chat was just as much of a chance for them to understand my reasoning behind applying as for me to find out more about the role. This was then followed by 3 competency based questions and 2 situational questions, this is easily answered by using the STAR technique.

Afterwards they enquired whether I would be available for the assessment centre in a weeks time, but I wasn't as I would be away on holiday.

What was key on this phone interview was building rapport with the recruiter and showing personality that the brand desires.

A day later I got another phone call where they invited me to the assessment centre knowing that I would be on holiday, but I rearranged my flight to come home early.

Describe a time where you have learnt something in the past and applied it to a problem you encountered elsewhere.

With this I think the key was personality and confidence, its a big brand and a big role so they are looking for someone who can step into with ease and build rapport quickly.

Timing was also everything, they don't want people who take forever to make one simple point.

There were 10 of us candidates and about 10 assessors.

We were first given a presentation on the company which lasted 30 minutes. We were next given 15 minutes to prepare a 1 minute introduction followed by a 4 minute answer to two competency based questions. We then went round the room taking turns to present our answer, I personally kept it under 5 minutes but others went on for 10-15 and the assessors were getting quite annoyed by this. The key here was engagement with the room, some did not get a reaction at all out of the audience.

Next was a written case study where we were given an 1 hour and 15 mins to study a 20 page document and write two reports on it. I struggled here on the time, and didn't finish it.

Next was lunch where we had the chance to chat informally to the guys at Coke.

Afterwards was a 60 minute group discussion, watched by the assessors where we discussed our case study and come to a group agreement on what we thought the outcome and plan of action should be. Here they didn't want anyone to take the lead and dominate the group but give everyone a fair chance to talk which we were told we were the first group to ever do this successfully.

Lastly was a 5 minute presentation on the case study and we were given 30 minutes to prepare. My presentation was with the head assessor and the presentation was quick followed by questions on how the day went and how I thought I performed. I was honest and said I performed well but thought I failed at the case study, so she asked me what I would have done differently next time.

Interview was very informal and did not go by a structured set of questions. Interviewer was more interested in asking curve ball competency questions.
After interview was asked to do a simple maths test and then a personality questionnaire

Tell me about a time when you think you underperformed in a task and what you did after.

If applying for an analytical role, be prepared to give indepth details of previous quantitative projects you have done and how you did them.

There was no assessment centre.

The initial stage was a phone interview that lasted about 30 minutes with a member of Ochre House - the company responsible for the recruitment for Kimberly Clark (KC). The phone interview was really relaxed and was competency based. At the end we went through availability for the assessment centre which would be the following week.

Questions were generally easy and straightforward. I was asked, "What are your 3 main strengths?", "Describe a time when you had to deal with a difficult team member and how did you adapt to this?" and finally, "What makes you a suitable candidate for the Kimberly Clark graduate scheme?"

After my case study preparation I kind of had an inkling i wouldn't be offered the job. But i would advise anyone applying to be good with numbers (my weakness), research KC's core values, at the assessment centre really speak out and don't let others take control. Ensure everyone in your group is involved. I'd also say you need to be very confident and prepared for a long, intense day. I did loads of research on the company but to be honest, most of it wasn't required on the day. It was more about your skills.

The assessment centre was intense. We were put up in a hotel for the previous night and all expenses were paid for. The day began quite early, about 8.30am and we first had an icebreaker task. There was about 12 other candidates and around 20 members of staff from KC in the room which made it extra daunting. We had to describe ourself as a brand and say why we would be that brand. After we were split into groups. The first task was to prepare for a case study interview later on in the afternoon. We worked in silence for an hour and the case study was about launching a new product in Boots. After, we had the group presentation which was to make an advert for a KC product. This part was quite enjoyable, but as to be expected there were some people who were quite overbearing and took control. We had to present to the KC staff and after answer some questions. There was also a networking lunch where we got the chance to speak to some graduates currently on the scheme and other members of staff. Everyone was really nice and relaxed. The first task after lunch was the case study presentation. This was the scariest and most intense part of the day. I presented alone to two members of the sales team, and it was a role play where they were acting as members of the buying team from Boots. They really got into it and picked holes in my presentation and threw out random numbers to throw me off. It was really intense, but a glimpse of how buyers in the industry could be. The final part of the day was an interview with a member of HR, Marketing and Sales. I was asked 5 questions based on KC's core values and then asked about my CV. At the end of the day we were given a goody-bag which was a nice touch.

Following the initial application, online tests and video recording, I was invited to a telephone interview. This lasted around half an hour and consisted of a number of questions around education, motivations for the role, key competencies, previous work experience and background knowledge on the company. They also asked a couple of questions to determine your level of commercial awareness.

If we were to ask your previous manager what your main weakness is, what would they say?

- Read up on the latest industry news
- Be prepared to talk about yourself - motivations for the role, why you're suitable - research their key competencies
- Be yourself - you don't have to shout the loudest to be noticed
- Include quieter group members
- Keep an eye on the time in group exercise/analytical test
- Prepare your own questions during face to face interview - this is a great chance to display your interest in the role/company, besides just asking if you get a car!

The assessment day was based at the Nissan Head Office, and consisted of four separate tasks:

- Group exercise
- Analytical test
- Face to face interview
- Pre-prepared presentation.

There were 4 candidates invited to each AC.

The group task involved working in pairs to discuss our approach to a given task (related to Sales and Marketing), followed by a group discussion with all 4 candidates, and a group presentation to the management panel - followed by several questions.

The individual analytical test lasted an hour, where we were given a data sheet to analyse before writing a report with our recommendations/comments on the data.

The face to face interview was conducted by a member of HR and one of the hiring managers. This lasted an hour, and consisted of a number of competency questions, an in depth discussion of your CV, your motivations for the role and questions about the company/industry (think market share, recent industry news, best selling etc.). I found this part of the day quite enjoyable. They're not there to trip you up at all - it's a chance for them to get to know you, as well as an opportunity for you to get to know the company and where you'll fit in best.

Next we were taken to lunch, where we had a chance to meet the current graduates in a more relaxed environment. This gave us a chance to ask them any questions regarding the role, their personal experience and life outside of work.

A week before the assessment centre, we were tasked to create a 20 minute presentation in response to a brief Nissan had sent across. Here we were assessed on our ability to interpret research, analyse the topic given, alongside the ability to display a cross-functional business understanding. On the day, we presented to a panel of Nissan's management team who used the remaining time to ask questions regarding our presentations.

The first stage of the interview process was when I was invited in for a group interview, initially 15 people were selected for the group interviews as I was informed by my recruiter however only 6 people turned up on the day for the group interview.

We were sat in a board room and had informal presentations from the Head of Marketing and Events, Marketing Manager and current Marketing Executive to provide more information on Euromoney and Euromoney Conferences.

Following this we were then asked to interact with our partner sat next to us and after 3 minutes present back to the team as much information as we could remember about our partner. This was a fun and fairly informal exercise.

We were then asked to complete a general knowledge questionnaire of one A1 side consisting of a few numerical and general knowledge questions such as; capitals and currencies of different countries worldwide.

Following this we were then interviewed in different rooms one on one by the Marketing Manager and Marketing Executive. These interviews lasted around 20 minutes and I was asked about my passion for Euromoney Conferences, the events and marketing industry, my experience in marketing from previous jobs and what I could bring to the role. The questions were fairly generic and easy to prepare for.

Personally the most difficult questions I was asked were in the general knowledge questionnaire as this is not something I had anticipated or prepared for. Whereas, I had prepared for the generic interview questions of my passion for the business, industry experience, marketing capabilities etc.
The questionnaire was fairly informal but asked a wide range of questions about the G7 countries, which countries have the largest economy China, Japan or India? Which country used to be in the G8 but is not and has now formed the G7? What is the capital of Brazil, Thailand and Japan? What currency is used in China?

As Euromoney Conferences operates worldwide with international clients, sponsors and attendees it is important to this role to have a strong understanding of global issues.

Before interviewing with Euromoney Conferences make sure that you fully understand what Euromoney are all about and then understand the difference between their subsidiary Euromoney Conferences.
During the group panel board room the Head of Marketing and Marketing Manager presented to the group about what Euromoney Conferences involves. However, she was looking for contributions from the interviewees and asked the group questions about our knowledge and understanding of Euromoney. E.g. What do you currently understand about Euromoney? Who are our competitors? What sponsors do we use?

I was able to answer these questions posed to the group as I had completed considerable research before the interview. However, some group members remained very quiet during this informal discussion which did not leave a positive impression and noticeably these candidates were not invited to the second stage of the interviews.

Also, make sure that you are very well prepared for the one to one interviews to demonstrate your enthusiasm for marketing and events and give examples of your personal experience in the industry and how you can make a significant difference in this role.

As we were in a small group of only 6 candidates we remained in this group for most of the exercises e.g. during the presentations from the Head of Marketing and Marketing Manager.

We were then split into three groups of 2 and asked to interview our partner for 1.5 minutes each and try to find out as much about our partners life as possible e.g. their school/uni life, work experience, personal background etc. Then we were asked to present back to the group and members of staff as much as we could remember about our partner as possible. This exercise was fairly informal and although it seemed to test our memory it was focused more on our confidence in presenting to a group of people.

We were then asked to individually complete the general knowledge questionnaire. Once we completed the questionnaire we were then called for our one to one interviews with the Marketing Manager and Marketing Executive. Once this was complete we were free to leave the premises and the assessment morning was finished.

I was received by two women who did say their names, but not their function.
One mainly asked the questions and the other took notes, although the other also had some clarifying questions. We had a small chat at the beginning and soon we moved on to discuss my CV.
What they wanted me to do was to describe my education. Since I'm not from the UK I couldn't talk about A levels or anything, so I basically started at the age of 4 explaining what I had done. They would ask me things about what modules I liked in high school, and why.

Because I have done lots of internships and projects, they wondered if I had any gap years and when I said no, they wondered how I combined it all. They were also interested in my Bachelor dissertation, what topic it was on and what the company did with my advice.

They asked me what I look for in a company, and where I would see myself in 5, 10 and 20 years from now. They also wanted to know what brands I favour and why and which I dislike. The same was asked about people/ leaders.

They asked me what kind of job I'm looking for and why I like marketing. They also wanted to know how I feel about moving to other countries.

The phone interview lasted for about 20 minutes and the face to face for about an hour.

Bot interviews so far were really nice, everyone was very kind to me and made me feel very comfortable.

I think this depends on how much you know yourself and your wishes and if you want to please the recruiter by giving perfect answers.
For me personally I though the questions about where do you see yourself in 5, 10 and 20 years. Can you say you see yourself in another profession? I want to do a PhD. in the future, which means I will possibly need to quit my Job. But I chose to tell them that I aspire a academic career and that I for now would like to experience how it is to work for a big company. I believe honesty in these questions is most important. If you want to make an impression anyway ;)

Practical advise is to not over prepare. I even went unprepared! Before I practiced questions and things I wanted to say, only to sound like a robot during my interview! Now I was completely relaxed, not stressing about what I was SUPPOSED to say, but really having a conversation rather than answering questions perfectly. I felt like I was more in the moment, paying more attention to what the women were saying and also enjoying it more, making me smile and look like a nice and confident candidate. They asked me what I knew about the company though, couldn't really answer that one, but I just turned it around and said thats why I'm here, to learn more about you.

No Tasks.

I had an initial telephone interview, which was with their recruitment team and lasted about 15 mins and was just about my experience and CV. Then I was invited to an interview in one of their centres. It was two interviewees, with basic questions about my experience and also scenario based questions like what I would do if someone complained of a colleague being racist or what I would do if the director was away and the teams performance started slipping. I also had to do a role play selling a gym membership, which they email information about previous to your interview. They then give you feedback and then you repeat the role play. Be sure to take their feedback on board for the second role play. Then I was just asked to chat with some children and they watched from a distance- this was the nicest part. Overall lasted about two hours. Was called the next day to be told I was through to the assessment centre round.

The role play was the most nerve racking

Also the question about the performance of the team slipping whilst the director is on holiday and how I would combat it

Definitely do you research and prepare because you need to be able to sell the product assertively in the role plays. Put across your assertive manner and confidence because that is what they are looking for, you need to show you also love the product. I'd say this is more a marketing role than teaching so be sure you know this before going in.

Again I was sent an email prior to the assessment day saying I had to prepare a presentation about marketing the explore product , and a role play with a primary school teacher who is interested in partnering with her school. This was done with two people watching. There was also another interview, one to one and maths and English tests which was pretty easy. There was then a lunch at Zizzi's in which they were definitely still assessing us! Finally there was a group session, one where we had to put items in priority from a shipwreck and where we all put words into a hat and had to talk about it for a minute.

Interview process was split into two interviews. First was a one to one with the training/personnel manager, second interview was with two other managers. I was asked generic interview questions about strengths/weaknesses. What area do I think I need most improvement on? How previous employers would describe me. How my friends would describe me. Both time we went through my CV and I was asked to talk about different points/aspects. What I enjoyed about what I had done. Then I was asked what I would expect from employers. Which personalities did I work best with. Time management questions e.g. if I had 12 hours of work to do in a 12 hour day what would I do?
The 2nd interview was concluded with an Excel test and a Literacy test. Each taking half an hour.

Questions about how others perceived me were the most difficult. In previous interviews feedback suggested that I did not let enough of my own personality into my answers. So I struggled to find a balance between giving answered that reflected well on me and being more myself.

Both times the interviewers said that the interview was informal. So there is a less stressful atmosphere.I would suggest researching the company as in the second interview they asked how I would describe the company to others and what my initial impressions were.

Excel Test: Checking Data, Data Entry, Analysis

Literacy Test: Grammar, Spelling, Writing, E-mail, Tone of voice between co-workers and clients