By Mackenzie Burckbuchler
Adam Bloyd
Adam Bloyd graduated with a marketing degree from The University of Alabama in May 2018 and began a career in banking shortly thereafter. After 4 months on the job, Bloyd knew he wanted more from his career. He decided earning a one-year marketing degree could set him up for success, so he applied to various programs. When he was accepted to Vanderbilt’s Master of Marketing program, he identified it as the right fit.
“At the time I was applying to schools, I was not 100% sure what kind of path in marketing I wanted to go down,” said Bloyd. “I liked the fact that Vanderbilt’s program offered a wide variety of different courses for students to take. I felt like the program was not too specialized, so I would be able to get a better understanding of which career path I wanted to pursue.”
Bloyd’s Master of Marketing journey began in August 2019. After hearing Devin Kunysz (MBA’15) speak at a Vanderbilt symposium about his experience in the consumer packaged goods (CPG) industry, Bloyd was intrigued, and his desire to pursue a career in this space grew from there.
BrandWeek provided him the opportunity to work on a project for Mars Petcare and gain hands-on experience. Later in the spring, he pursued an internship with start-up CPG brand Daily Crunch Snacks.
“I got to be really hands on and touch a lot of different areas of the Daily Crunch business, including digital marketing, talking through a brand plan, and handling sales. That gave me a strong foundation when applying for full-time careers, because I had CPG experience to talk about when I interviewed,” he said. Bloyd continued interning with Daily Crunch Snacks past graduation, developing a deeper understanding of best practices and how to formulate strategy.
Bloyd later found a job opportunity at consumer insights firm Numerator, relying on his Master of Marketing education to bolster his analytical skills and prepare him for the interview process, which included a case study. “The extensive case study experience that I received throughout various classes I took in the program gave me a great foundation to succeed,” said Bloyd.
Numerator hired Bloyd as a Client Services Analyst, where he sharpened his market research skills. Bloyd is transitioning into a new role this year as Planner, Customer Marketing – Pureplay at General Mills, where he will largely be overseeing e-commerce partnerships and promotional campaigns.
Reflecting on his experience, Bloyd credits Vanderbilt for helping him reach this point. “The Master of Marketing program was the best academic experience I’ve ever had,” he said. “The program not only gave me an incredible foundation to be a successful marketer but also a leader in the CPG industry. I’m incredibly grateful for the faculty and staff that helped get me to where I am today.”