Junior Brand Manager at Coca-Cola

“I had an expectation that Coca-Cola would be a typical example of a traditional and slow-moving company, but it is completely the opposite. The company is very progressive internally and outwardly very innovative”, says Magnus.

At BI, Magnus Emil Furnes first completed a bachelor's degree in marketing management before later pursuing a master's degree in strategic marketing management at the same institution. After completing his master's degree, Magnus secured a job as a Junior Brand Manager at The Coca-Cola Company. In this position, Magnus has a varied range of responsibilities, including brand management for various products in both the Norwegian and Icelandic markets:

“I am the brand manager for Sprite, Powerade, Fuzetea, MER, and also support other brand managers on projects related to Coca-Cola and Fanta as needed.” 

The international beverage company is among the world’s most well-known brands, producing beverages that are sold and consumed worldwide. This is part of what makes it exciting to work with Coca-Cola, according to Magnus:

“The Coca-Cola Company is a company filled with talented people, making it a really motivating place to be. And since Coca-Cola is present in almost every corner of the world, this opens up international career opportunities that very few companies can otherwise offer.”

Active during his study years 

Working at Coca-Cola was not Magnus’s first encounter with the professional world. Before starting his master’s degree at BI, he spent two years at Dell Technologies. Magnus chose to pursue a master’s degree to gain more skilled competence.

“At The Coca-Cola Company, I would say that I had a bit more professional depth after completing my master’s, but I definitely bring with me several years of experience in building relationships and understanding how to best utilize available resources in a large system”, he says, adding:

“The marketing and sales courses I took at BI are really relevant in my current role, especially Brand Management, and the principle of “Frames of Reference,” which I constantly use to strengthen the brand’s significance for the consumer in the right moments and demonstrate the brand’s added value compared to others.”

During his study, Magnus was also active in various student associations and gained relevant experience through internship at Orkla and a part-time job in the communications department at BI. These experiences were also useful and relevant for him to bring into his current position.

“At The Coca-Cola Company, I use these experiences, and especially the network, to make informed decisions that highlight the brand among consumers, whether it's investments in media or in-store, as well as conducting sampling and events where the target audience. My experiences have also contributed to understanding what interests different target groups.”

Set your career goals early 

Working for  one of the world's most well-known brands did not happen by chance; Magnus dedicated a lot of effort and time throughout his bachelor's and master's studies to excel and be able to achieve his goals. He recommends others to do the same:

"If you know what you want to work with in your career, create a timeline where you place the main goal or desired outcome at the end of the timeline. What do you need to do to reach this goal? These are your objectives, and your main focus. The main goal then seems more achievable because when you achieve your objectives, you usually reach your main goal as well."