I’ve been back from my study abroad experience for about a week now, and I still continue to think about my daily experiences. After going to 7 countries, my perspective on the world and how business is conducted abroad has widened. I enjoyed learning about the similarities and differences between the way business is conducted abroad and how it is conducted in the US, especially with marketing campaigns. One of the most interesting things I learned was how companies prepare their campaigns far in advance. For example, L’Occitane is already prepping for Christmas 2028, and Bucherer has finished its Christmas 2025 campaign. Just hearing how far in advance companies prepare is mind-blowing, considering all the trends and popular things that will happen between now and then. Another thing that stuck out to me was how personable the companies aimed to be, even though they are global brands. L’Occitane, a worldwide company, still only has factories in Provence, France, and Bucherer wants their work done by in-house teams. These things stood out to me as the difference between how companies conduct/ run their businesses in the US vs Europe. As for engaging with individuals in the countries we visited, we went to restaurants every night and talked to people on public transportation and in shops. We also had to conduct interviews in each county that required us to speak to residents of the city we were visiting and ask their thoughts about the US and the city we were in. It was fascinating to talk to them and learn their opinions and how they view the US. It was also really interesting to learn about their lives and jobs and how they live.
My perspectives of each country changed from when I first arrived to when I left each country. I had presumed ideas about each country that were far from correct. For example, I’ve always heard that the French are rude and don’t like American tourists, but I found that the French people I did interact with were very kind and willing to speak English. I also don’t think I expected every city to have as much greenery as they did; it was very surprising. I will say my impression of the company visits being diverse was correct. The companies we visited throughout the countries were very diverse, and I learned a lot about the company and how it conducts business. I also think my impression of how people walk or use public transportation everywhere was accurate, as we went to cities that were either very walkable or had great public transportation. I now see the countries and cities we visited in a much different light, and I can’t wait to go back and experience things again.
