Abigail Staples, Marketing Communications for Rockstar ® Energy

December 7th, 2020

Abigail Staples is a Senior Brand Manager at PepsiCo, specifically leading their energy portfolio. In her role, she’s focused on marketing communications for Rockstar ® Energy, including anything from in store retail programming to commercials to content / social strategy. From studying broadcast journalism at Northwestern University, she started her early career in entertainment at CAA, MediaCom, and OMD USA; she pursued her MBA at Kellogg with a focus in Marketing and joined PepsiCo shortly after.

In this feature, Abigail shares with us how her early experiences in entertainment shaped her career in marketing and branding, her thoughts on where to start your career, why she pursued an MBA, and her role as Senior Brand Manager. Read along to soak up her incredible career advice for ambitious women, such as yourself.

Early Career

You graduated Northwestern University with a degree in Journalism and Political Science and your first job post-grad was as an Assistant for Creative Artists Agency. How did your studies and early roles in entertainment help shape your career in marketing and branding?

Medill is arguably one of the best journalism schools in the country. In undergrad, I learned how to be a strong writer--sharp, succinct, and imaginative--a skill that has served me well my entire career. Effective communication is one of the best ways to stand out in corporate America!

Specifically, my degree in broadcast journalism gave me great confidence in presentations and in evaluations, my managers have often commented on my strong executive presence. Especially as a black woman, it’s not lost on me how critical it is for me to be articulate and knowledgeable.

You spent the first few years of your career in entertainment - Assistant at Creative Artists Agency, Coordinator and then Manager at MediaCom, and Content Supervisor at OMD USA. What made you switch roles / companies and what would your recommendation be for individuals considering leaving their role / company?

All of my early career roles in entertainment provided a strong foundation for marketing. At its core entertainment is matching product (content) to a consumer (audience.) I’m grateful to have learned the business side of entertainment from such storied institutions. I was able to audit the art of deal making and witness the magic of relationship building-- superhero skills that have served me well my entire career.

In my humble opinion, the best early career jobs allow an individual to be an apprentice to captains of industry, provide a platform for networking with industry peers, and give early prestige on a resume. To this day, I have meaningful entertainment connections due to my time at CAA. I would encourage young individuals to evaluate any early career job opportunity against that litmus test.

What key learnings did you take from your first few roles? And what skills did you gain that helped you later in your career?

I’m eternally grateful to the Emma Bowen Foundation which is an organization that empowers under-represented minorities to get started in the media industry. My very first paid internship was at Comcast where I rotated in marketing, sales, government affairs, and corporate affairs. It was at the tender age of 18 that I learned basic professionalism-- punctuality, note taking, and relationship building.

My roles after undergrad built on those basic skills and allowed me to deepen my industry knowledge. At CAA I learned how to be scrappy and resilient. Thanks to incredible mentors/ managers like Lee Horvitz, I recognized the beauty of doing advanced research on new business contacts and relationship building from a space of genuine curiosity and humility. The approach to networking at CAA was to be empathetic and honest-- some would say that’s a rarity in Hollywood ;-) I’m so glad I learned that habit early in my career! I’ve found that human-based relationship building is much more meaningful than transaction-based relationship building.

After OMD, you pursued an MBA at Northwestern University with a focus in Marketing. Why an MBA and why Marketing in particular?

I pursued an MBA to diversify my career opportunities. I now have the confidence and business education to be an entrepreneur, strategist, or business operator in any industry.

Even with this freedom, I had clarity of vision going into b school that I want to be a Chief Marketing Officer. I’ve always been fascinated with brands and storytelling so I knew I wanted to continue my marketing career but with an emphasis on being a brand builder.

PepsiCo

After receiving your MBA, you joined PepsiCo as an Associate Marketing Manager. What attracted you to PepsiCo and the role you pursued?

A little secret-- I wrote about PepsiCo in my Kellogg admissions essay. Kellogg is irrefutably the #1 marketing school, and I knew that if I continued my “education” at the #1 brand building company that I would be both personally fulfilled and professionally unstoppable. PepsiCo has storied brands, healthy resources, and the most dynamic thinkers in the industry. I’m so thrilled that I’m building my career here!

For individuals graduating from an advanced degree program, I would encourage them to consider their first role post school as an extension of their education. They shouldn’t worry about maximizing earning potential; that will come. Their main focus should be on soaking up all the juicy industry knowledge an organization can give.

Since joining PepsiCo as Associate Marketing Manager, you’ve been promoted to Brand Manager and Senior Brand Manager. What’s your advice for women looking to advance within their companies?

Be an exceptional performer and control the narrative. Start by having an open conversation with your manager about what it takes to get to the next level. Be specific and clear. Set an action plan and ask the manager to evaluate you against what’s needed with a time bound goal of re-evaluation. After you have a clear understanding of what’s needed, work on both gaining the skills necessary AND controlling what’s being said about you even when you’re not in the room. It’s not just about what you contributed; it’s what people can articulate that you contributed. The narrative surrounding you is just as critical as your work results.

Seek feedback consistently from your manager, peers, and direct reports. Feedback is a gift. As an emotional being, I used to have trouble internalizing constructive feedback; I’ve retrained myself to think of it as a roadmap illuminating the path to promotion.

You’re currently the Senior Brand Manager at PepsiCo. What exactly does your role entail and what is your day-to-day like?

I’m focused on marketing communications for Rockstar ® Energy. I have a role in anything that consumers see from in store retail programming to commercials to content/social strategy. My job is highly collaborative and although my team leads how the brand shows up in the world, it truly takes an army of exceptional individuals to work together on our consumer passion points, the way we commercialize products, and our brand strategy.

Advice

What do you wish you knew when you were first starting your career?

I wish I knew the importance of nurturing relationships year-round. It’s easy to be close to a colleague when you see each other daily. It’s a bit more tricky to stay connected (especially in this mostly virtual world) when you’re no longer working on the same business. I implore you to make it a habit to check in with folks quarterly. Even a small simple note to wish them congratulations on a recent deal or inquire about their family is meaningful to keep relationships warm.

What advice do you have for young women in their early career who are looking to build their careers in a large and well-known company such as PepsiCo?

I strongly advise young women to be dangerous about your industry knowledge. Social media is an excellent tool to curate information and deepen your way of thinking. Identify career professionals you admire and follow resourceful publications, podcasts, and influencers. Stay curious, and you’ll always be one step ahead of your peers! After all, nothing beats a well-read woman.

Who is one woman you aspire to be like?

Cha McCoy is one of my personal sheros. She’s a Certified Sommelier with the Court of The Master Sommeliers. I admire the way she’s charted her own path as a black woman in the not typically inclusive wine industry. Her charm, wit, depth of knowledge, and spirit of exploration make her a dynamic voice to follow. I love the way she’s reinvented herself and remained relevant especially in this virtual world. Although she’s not a marketer, I would love to emulate her thirst (no pun intended) for being a modern day pioneer and truly unique voice.