Hutchison Taught Kelley Guinn McArtor ’12 to Be Fearless, Confident, and Creative

Never a dull day working on a brand like Mountain Dew! I lead a team that works on brand strategy, ad campaigns, media planning, cultural activation, & commercial execution. At a company like PepsiCo, working on a brand like Mountain Dew can involve managing research, development, and design on a new flavor, briefing an ad agency on TV creative, or partnering with our insights team to sharpen consumer strategy. All in one day!

My job also requires an inquisitive nature and creativity. My team and I are always exploring what other brands are doing and keeping a finger on the pulse of consumer culture. Being “chronically online” is an asset in my business. Many of our campaigns or activations begin as ideas in the team group chat or brainstorms in the hallways. I always wanted a career in which I could be both analytical and creative, and I found that sweet spot at PepsiCo.

During my 15 years at Hutchison, I had many teachers who encouraged me to be the bold and opinionated person I am today. Whether it was allowing me to pitch a creative spin on a 2nd grade project or fostering intellectual debate in a 10th grade history class, my Hutchison experiences gave me the space to push boundaries and voice my opinions fearlessly. Most importantly, Hutchison was not a vacuum. I learned to present my perspective confidently in the face of measured pushback and counterarguments. Not many schools provide students with an environment that not only emboldens you but also prepares you to face adversity. In that way, Hutchison prepared me for Harvard and for my professional career. I’ve often been the youngest one in the room or even the only woman in the room, but those situations have never held me back from inserting myself into the business decision-making process.

I am eternally grateful for the caliber of English courses I took at Hutchison. A love of writing and storytelling is my most cherished gift. I could write pages on how Hutchison incited my love of reading and writing from a young age. In third grade, Ms. Drumel encouraged my creative writing interest with personal essay and poetry assignments. In ninth and 12th grade, Mrs. (Newbury) Kelly’s teachings of John Donne and Emily Bronte prepared me to shine in Harvard’s close reading assignments. In fact, I dedicated my college Honors English thesis to both of these Hutchison teachers who galvanized me to lean deeper into my passion for reading and writing. They, along with several other teachers during my 15 years, taught me how to be critical but creative in my storytelling approach. I carry these lessons with me when I write a creative ad brief at my job, or even when I write a poem for an open-mic night as a personal hobby. 

Devising an annual strategy for a major consumer brand like Mountain Dew involves many impactful decisions. We need to decide on what kind of innovation to launch, how to partner with our retail and foodservice partners, and what creative to show and in which media channels. Even the most outlandish Mountain Dew ads you might’ve seen started with sharp business and consumer insights, and every one of those ads was selected among several (if not dozens of!) other initial creative concepts. 

When people ask me about my job, I’ve noticed they are sometimes surprised by the range of what marketing means in the consumer-packaged goods space and particularly on a brand like Mountain Dew. Yes, my team works on TV ads, influencer marketing, and social media strategy; however, we also support retail channel planning, pricing strategy, and packaging design. I could spend one day on an ad shoot set and the next diving into distribution and sales data. That day-to-day versatility and marriage of analytics and creativity make my job incredibly stimulating and rewarding. 

My Hutchison experience spanned 15 years, and I can’t overstate how much that time shaped me into who I am today. As a Hutchison student, I fell in love with learning at a young age and had a network that fostered my academic interests throughout my most impressionable years. I had top-notch teachers and class offerings that inspired me to pursue a college education that would continue to challenge me and feed my intellectual curiosity. I credit Hutchison’s course catalog, premier teachers, college counselors, and leadership opportunities with my admission to my dream school, Harvard.

I also had the opportunity to pursue several passions at Hutchison: athletics, theater, and creative writing, all of which I continued in my collegiate and adult years. Hutchison always encouraged a well-rounded life, so I learned how to balance my academic and professional ambitions with my personal passions. Most importantly, I gained lifelong friends, some of whom I’ve known for almost 30 years. I would not be where I am today without those friendships; we continue to support each other well into our adult lives, and it all began at Hutchison.

Kelley Guinn McArtor ’12 is a brand marketing director at PepsiCo in New York, where she has held a variety of marketing roles since 2016. She studied English and Spanish at Harvard University, graduating in 2016. At Hutchison, she was senior class president, editor of the Lantern yearbook, and an athlete.