MSC MARKETING SCIENCE

From Peru to Singapore: Crossing the Globe with our MMS Alumnus

Faced with the prospect of a 40-hour flight away from home, even the most adventurous traveller might get cold feet. ​However, Keri Baba decided to cross the globe to enrol in Nanyang Business School’s Specialised Master’s in Marketing Science programme in Singapore – more than 19,000km from her home country. ​

“I wanted to change my environment entirely,” she explains. “I wanted to learn more about a country that’s completely different from my own.”

Keri’s heritage is Japanese – her family emigrated from Japan after WWII. She had always dreamt of exploring more of her Asian roots, but felt more comfortable in an English-speaking environment. With its record of safety, strong economic growth, and cultural blend of East and West, Singapore felt like the right choice.

Unlocking far-sighted marketing expertise

Back in her home city of Lima, Keri was a Senior Marketing Analyst at Audi Peru. She was in charge of the automotive giant’s digital branding and performance strategies in Peru, while managing the digital sales funnel.

Despite her industry experience, Keri hoped to deepen her marketing expertise. “My bachelor’s degree was in advertising, so I didn’t have deep knowledge in marketing topics,” she shares. “I began looking for marketing degrees in prestigious universities in Asia, and that’s how I stumbled upon the MSc Marketing Science (MMS) programme at NBS.”

What struck Keri was the programme’s focus on cutting-edge ​topics​ like data analytics and AI, equipping participants with the skills to navigate a fast-changing marketing world. “I was drawn to this really forward-thinking approach that I didn’t see find in any other marketing programme,” she says.

A​ new world

Moving to a new country is never easy, but Keri’s first months were especially tough. Having arrived in 2021 – midway through the COVID-19 crisis – she began her journey at NBS completely online. 

“I was in quarantine for two weeks, not knowing anyone in the country,” she recalls. “Luckily, our programme coordinator, Angie, had put together a fun online orientation. We played Bingo, Never Have I Ever, and karaoke. That helped me get to know some people before the programme started.” 

Frequent groupwork for classes also offered Keri a chance to meet new course mates. “I had course mates from India, China, Spain, Morocco, Poland, the Netherlands – such a variety! There were definitely language barriers and cultural differences to overcome, but having such a diverse cohort was exciting.” 

One key cultural difference that intrigued her was working styles during groupwork. As a Peruvian, she was used to discussing each detail in-depth as a group. In contrast, some of her groupmates preferred to divide the work efficiently and let each member come up with solutions for their respective parts. “While it didn’t feel as collaborative, it did speed up our work a lot,” she laughs. 

​​​​​These experiences helped hone her flexibility in working with teammates of diverse backgrounds. “We would try to explain our ​​own ​​perspectives and find some common ground,” she says. “The trick is to ask, ‘What are the positives each of us can bring to the table?’”​​ 

Gaining a global perspective

Besides her course mates, the curriculum itself offered a rich exposure to global perspectives as well. While Keri was well-versed in marketing to a local audience in Peru, her lessons at NBS taught her to create strategic solutions on a global scale.

In one memorable instance, a representative from Shiseido’s Clé de Peau Beauté visited the class to give them a business problem to work on. “The case study was for Asia-Pacific, so we had to design a top-level plan that could be adapted to diverse local markets,” she explains.

​​“Previously, I was only familiar with thinking about solutions specific to Peru. But our case studies at NBS gave us a global lens to strategise for different regions and markets around the globe. The MMS curriculum has broadened my perspective on thinking strategically for diverse contexts.”​

Opening doors to regional opportunities

This global perspective has proven invaluable as Keri embarks on her career post-graduation. Right now, she’s ​​two months into an exciting new role as an Experiential Marketing Specialist for Bentley Motors Asia Pacific

Keri thanks the support of NBS’s Graduate Studies Career Development Office (GSCDO) during her search for internship. “It’s a funny story: The GSCDO connected me with an internship opening at Bentley Motors last year,” she shares. “After six months, they invited me to interview with Interpublic Group, ​​a leading advertising company who had just won the account for Bentley Motors. A few months in, Bentley called me back for this newly created role.”

Her work as an Experiential Marketing Specialist, she says, is one of the most abstract and interesting roles she’s seen yet. “It’s all about how to make this brand more than just a car brand. How can we make Bentley more than just its products? I’m looking into partnerships and organising events on a local and regional level.”

Needless to say, this regional role calls upon her to connect with people from all backgrounds and cultures – a skill that her MMS experience has equipped her well with. “Strategic thinking from a global perspective is something I apply everyday to my work for APAC,” she says.

Her ability to find a common ground between different perspectives has also come in handy as well. “I work with retailers from different markets and colleagues from all over the world. Being able to blend my view of life with someone else’s and understand their style of working is very important.”

Taking the leap out of one’s comfort zone

Crossing the globe to study at NBS may have been a bold move, ​​but it’s has been a most rewarding one. Not only has the experience given her leverage in today’s global marketing landscape, it has also rewarded her with lifelong friendships.

Some of her fondest memories from in the programme were spent celebrating spending Christmas and Chinese New Year with friends. “The international students couldn’t go home without having to quarantine upon their return, so we all had to stay. I was initially saddened to be away from home, but we gathered at a friend’s house for potluck and spent the night playing games. We felt all the warmth of a true Christmas celebration.”

On Chinese New Year, she recalls, their Chinese classmates organised another memorable potluck. “We cooked and folded dumplings together, shared red packets, and played games. It was a true blending and sharing of cultures.”

For anyone daunted by the prospect of studying in a new country, Keri’s advice is to face these challenges head-on. “Sometimes we’re scared to venture too far out of our comfort zone, with all the cultural shocks and uncertainty we might face. But growth comes from overcoming challenges. I have learned that the world is vast, positivity is a mindset, and there is beauty in differences. So why not take a leap and challenge yourself?”

Find out more about the MSc Marketing Science programme here.

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