4Ps in a Pod
Trying to break into a Marketing career is tough. Itâs a mix of awkward networking circles, unnoticed LinkedIn requests, and a sea of stereotypes (no, marketing is not just advertising!).
To get a real look into the world of Marketing and the people who are shaping it - listen to 4Ps in a Pod. In every episode, Jeevs & JP (two CPG marketers) have a chat with a Canadian marketer from a different industry, company, and point in their career. Together, weâll hear their coming-of-age story, get an unfiltered look at what they do, and gain valuable advice on how to carve out a successful Marketing career.
This podcast is a must-listen for students looking for their first Marketing gig, seasoned vets looking for a change, and everyone in between.
4Ps in a Pod
#18: "Your Greatest Strength Is Also Your Weakness" | Christopher Henry (Google)
đ We had a great time chatting with Christopher Henry who is a Sr. Product Marketing Manager at Google. What is Google, you might ask...
In all seriousness, Google requires no introduction because itâs so ubiquitous and if youâre like us - youâve used one of their products/services countless times everyday (including right now). At Google, Chris helps to lead brand marketing on their blossoming hardware business in Canada. He primarily focuses on the Pixel, which is Google's range of phones, tablets, earbuds, smartwatches/trackers.
Chris has carved out a remarkable career at Google for the past 10 years having worked in marketing roles across Chromebook, Google Home, Youtube, Google.Org & Google Play Music. Prior to that he spent 3 years at Unilever and is a proud Queens alum.
Amongst other things - we chatted about his team acting like a challenger brand, how a passion for filmmaking has helped him, the importance of finding a leader that will champion you, what most people get wrong about marketing & a đŻ reasons that JP should switch to #TeamPixelđ.
More specifically, Chris shared his thoughts on the following:
- What was your Marketing Moment? (7:48)
- What was it like taking a Film Option in addition to your commerce degree?(10:04)
- Can you give us a brief overview of your career in Marketing since you graduated? (11:15)
- Tell us more about what youâve seen at Google in the ten years that youâve been at the company. (12:22)
- How has your perception of Marketing evolved since you started at Google?(13:30)
- What was it about tech that made you want to make the switch into the industry? (15:00)
- What are the things you look at when youâre debating a career move? (16:57)
- What would you look for as your assessing whether the manager youâll work for is a fit for you? (19:54)
- What resources or tips do you have for students to stay plugged in or to learn more about the industry? (22:02)
- Knowing what you know now, are there things that you look back on in your days in university that were most important or useful to your career today?(25:31)
- Why do you think the Google Pixel Canada team has been so successful in its brand building efforts? (28:17)
- How do you coordinate with other Google brand teams to align your objectives and ensure youâre building the Google Masterbrand? (31:50)
- What does the Marketing team look like at Google Canada? (35:26)
- How does Product Marketing at Google differ from other companies? (37:01)
- Do you have any cautionary advice for someone who is running towards big tech? (41:06)
- We put Chris in the Hot Seatđ„! (42:27)
