Upon completion of my study abroad program, I have had some time to process and reflect on the most influential aspects of my experience. Within this marketing study abroad program, we had the opportunity to spend time with some of the world’s most well-known international companies. During these visits, we would tour their facilities, learn about their marketing strategies, and gain insight into the realities of being industry leaders. I found these visits to be extremely insightful into the actualities of conducting business within other countries, cultures, and in targeting specific segments of specific markets. For example, we spent one morning at Design Bridge & Partners in London, where we were taught about the strategy of breaking into global markets and working with companies that are based around the world. This company is globally known and accredited as a marketing agency and showed us some of their most successful campaigns. We were able to analyze specific tactics used to satisfy clients and how to develop far-reaching, sustainable strategies within an industry. Another example was the Swiss Paraplegic Center, where were were taught about their services to both Swiss and international patients, how they have gained international recognition, and how they work with companies and universities all over the world in spinal injury research.
Through our interview assignments, I had the opportunity to speak to locals, and this allowed me to quickly grasp the culture of each new place we visited. Speaking to locals gave me a better understanding of the general dispositions of each and how Americans were viewed in each location. I also found it very interesting to ask questions about American politics or pop culture and hear each response. These interviews, although not always the most easy flowing, helped develop a confidence within me to engage with people from different cultures, who speak different languages, and who may lead completely different lives than I do.
Last, on a more personal level, I found traveling opened up my eyes to the world in a way that I was not expecting. A lot of my initial impressions were accurate, but there were also things that I was surprised about when it came to the slower pace of everyday life and the stereotypes that many Europeans blindly believe about American people. While I know that there are so many places and cultures to experience, I did not expect to leave this program knowing that all I did was scratch the surface. It is almost addicting to experience ways of life that are so much different than your own, and I am already scheming up ways to leave the United States again and continue to experience the world.
