Summer Internship: A Day in the Life of a Kelloggs MBA Intern

MBA Student with a Specialization in Marketing

Nicole Dionisopoulos, MBA Student with a Specialization in Marketing.

Hi all! My name is Nicole Dionisopoulos and I am a second year MBA student specializing in marketing. This summer I’m putting my Fowler education to good use by working as a Brand Marketing Intern at Kellogg’s. Last fall, I applied to dozens of MBA internships, but was most excited about the opportunity to work at Kellogg’s, a company whose food I’ve loved since I was a young kid.

From helping feed the United States Army during World War II to joining the Apollo 11 crew on the first lunar mission, Kellogg’s has a storied history that spans more than a century. Equally as impressive is the company’s portfolio of iconic brands, which include Cheez-It, Pop-Tarts and Frosted Flakes. 

For my role, I’ve been tasked to work on the Frosted Mini Wheats brand team and am assigned six projects to complete throughout my 12-week internship. While Kellogg’s is headquartered in Battle Creek, Michigan, my position is remote, due to COVID-19, and I’m working from my home in San Diego, California. 

Below is a glimpse into what my typical day looks like as a Kellogg’s Brand Marketing Intern: 

4:15 am – My day starts a bit early, as Kellogg’s operates in the Eastern Time Zone. After hitting snooze once – okay, maybe three times – I jump out of bed and start getting ready. 

5:00 am – I’m at my desk and begin my workday by checking emails. Then, I make a to-do list of what tasks I need to accomplish. 

6:00 am – Once a week, all Kellogg’s cereal employees meet for a 30-minute check-in call. We discuss project updates, team announcements and trend news. It’s a nice opportunity to hear what other teams are working on and see if there are synergies. Everyone I’ve met at Kellogg’s is incredibly nice and there’s definitely a camaraderie feel during these calls.

6:30 am – I start working on one of my projects, which entails putting together a strategic recommendation for the Frosted Mini Wheats team. At the end of my internship, I’ll present this report to the broader leadership team. To ensure I’m ready, I work on my project daily. 

Kellogg's Headquarters in Battle Creek, Michigan. 

8:00 am – I attend a company-wide presentation on growing food trends. Led by one of Kellogg’s accomplished innovation leaders, the hour-long session covers an array of topics around areas of culinary interest that are starting to pop-up all over the United States. 

9:00 am – Lunch time (well, sort of!). As mentioned, Kellogg’s operates on the Eastern Time Zone, so most people take a break around this point to eat. This is usually when I have breakfast and enjoy a cup of coffee. I also spend this time virtually meeting with a couple other MBA interns. We discuss our projects and what other work-related tasks we have slated for the day. 

10:00 am – I meet with my manager, who is also on the Frosted Mini Wheats team. She has been a Kellogg’s employee for many years and is incredibly knowledgeable on the company. We review my project, and she provides feedback.

11:00 am – Along with my manager, I attend a packaging meeting with one of our external agencies. As a consumer-packaged foods company, a lot of thought goes into creating food packs, from how they should look on shelf to the ideal pack size.

12:00 pm – I spend the next hour pulling and analyzing reports from Nielsen, a marketing tool that helps track what items consumers buy. This data is incredibly helpful in allowing brand teams to make informed decisions. One of my goals for the summer has been to become more comfortable with this platform, so I aim to spend an hour every day on Nielsen.

1:00 pm – To close the day, I meet with the Frosted Mini Wheats team. We discuss brand updates, tasks for the week-ahead and objectives for the next year.

I feel incredibly lucky to be interning at Kellogg’s! Only at the halfway point of my position, I have already learned so much about marketing and how brands operate. I am grateful for this opportunity and the chance to work with Frosted Mini Wheats. Cheers to a gr-r-reat summer!