MSC MARKETING SCIENCE

From Thailand To Singapore: A Day In The Life Of A Marketing Intern At Philips Singapore

For Nanyang Business School (NBS) alumnus Nidchakul (Jen), honing these communication skills has been a game-changer for her career. Having lived in Thailand all her life, she embarked on an MSc Marketing Science (MMS) in Singapore to connect with different cultures and perspectives.

“If I stayed in Thailand, I would be staying within my comfort zone,” Jen shared. “I wanted to work with people from different countries, learn about how they think and do projects, and become more adaptable. That’s why I decided to quit my job and seize this once-in-a-lifetime chance.”

Her bold move paid off. Jen’s journey in Singapore – first as an MMS participant, and most recently as a marketing intern at Philips Singapore – has equipped her with the skills to thrive in any marketing team.

A day in the life of a marketing intern at Philips Singapore

It’s not uncommon to find a Philips product at home — the brand is recognised worldwide for its diverse range of electronics, including shavers and air fryers. Jen’s five-month internship at Philips Singapore exposed her to the complexities of creating end-to-end campaigns for various product categories.

“The marketing team in Singapore is quite lean, which gave me a great chance to help out across all categories: oral healthcare, beauty products, and more,” she said. “One of my key tasks was analysing sales data and discovering opportunities and challenges. We would then leverage these data insights to optimise promotional campaigns for products of the month.”

Besides data analytics, Jen was able to exercise her creative skills as well. She was in charge of designing and executing a range of creatives, such as social media posts, brochures, and posters for retail stores.

In particular, the internship has allowed her to participate in the planning behind a successful product launch. In one recent project, she supported the launch of Philips’ latest Hair Dryer 8000 Series, from on-the-ground consumer research to crafting key messages.

“It was a good experience to be part of the whole process of a marketing campaign,” she shared. “We started by interviewing consumers about their behaviour when using hair dryers, their pain points, and what they thought about our product. We used these insights to shape the tagline and messaging for the campaign.”

This industry experience has enabled Jen to reinforce her learnings from her MSc Marketing Science classes.

“My module on Marketing Analytics gave me the analytics skills to build data-driven campaigns and deliver better results,” she recalled. “I also loved the Branding module, which taught me how to craft compelling brand campaigns that appeal to the audience.

Mastering effective communication in conflict

Before joining the MMS programme, Jen already had two years of working experience in Bangkok under her belt. But she found that working in a multicultural melting pot like Singapore was a whole new ballgame, challenging her to strengthen her communication skills.

“In Philips, I was working with colleagues of different nationalities: Singaporean, Malaysian, Chinese, Indian, and more,” she explained. “My experience with group projects in the MMS programme gave me the foundation to communicate with people and deal with conflicts when they happen.”

Group projects are a crucial part of the MMS journey. This gave Jen hands-on experience in solving real-world marketing problems alongside course mates of diverse backgrounds.

“Different people work in different ways, so of course, we sometimes encountered conflicts,” she pointed out. “I learnt how to adapt my communication style and find common ground in order to achieve our goals together. Knowing how to meet others halfway and deal with conflict prepared me better to take on the working world.”

From classmates to family

Singapore’s fast-paced working culture was another eye-opener for Jen during her internship. “I think people are a bit more chill in Thailand,” she laughed. “In Singapore, people are more intense – everyone works so hard.”

But thanks to the time management skills she honed at NBS, it didn’t take long for her to adapt. “Every module has group projects and individual assignments, so we had a lot of deadlines to juggle,” she said. “I learnt how to manage my time efficiently.”

Beyond time management, Jen appreciates that studying abroad has taught her how to manage her life. Being away from family meant that she had to “do everything by myself”, building her strength and independence. “I feel like I’m not a young kid anymore,” she confessed.

Although she was far from home, Jen was able to find a supportive family in the NBS community. Her NBS journey left her with cherished friends that she keeps in touch with today. “We worked on group projects together, faced problems together, supported each other,” she recalled. “If we have time in the future, we’ll definitely travel somewhere together.”

The MMS professors were a pillar of support for her too. “I could ask them about anything – not only about marketing, but also about life in Singapore,” she shared. “It felt just like family there, with people that really supported me. I didn’t feel lonely or homesick at all.”

Bringing knowledge back home

Now that Jen has completed her Philips internship, she hopes to return to Thailand and make an impact with her newfound skills.

“In the long term, I want to share the knowledge and experience I’ve gained in Singapore with the Thai community,” she explained. “I’ve been lucky to study abroad and I’d like to bring back my learnings, such as Singapore’s culture of efficiency and good time management.”

Looking back on her journey, Jen fondly reflects on how much her time at NBS has given her a global perspective.

“My MMS experience pushed me out of my comfort zone and transformed my worldview,” she summed up. “I believe the mindset I’ve developed will help me to achieve my goal of making an impact in Thailand.”

Find out more about the Master of Science (MSc) in Marketing Science (MMS) here.

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MSC MARKETING SCIENCE

A Day in the Life of a Brand Marketing Lead at Cainiao

“Before doing an MSc in Marketing Science, I could only get basic answers from customer data,” Eric recalled. “Now, I’ve realised we can discover almost infinite things about customer behaviour from one Excel sheet.”

This ability to harness data is crucial in his daily work as a Brand Marketing Lead at Cainiao Smart Hub BU, a Chinese e-commerce logistics provider under the Alibaba Group. “Today, being data-driven in marketing is so important to identify trends and opportunities,” he shared.

It’s not just about the numbers: Eric’s job allows him to flex his creative muscles too. The quest to blend storytelling with data-driven strategies is what gets him excited for work – and his MMS journey at Nanyang Business School (NBS) has equipped him for the challenge.

A day in the life of a Brand Marketing Coordinator

Eric’s current role at Cainiao isn’t the one he originally started in. He first joined two years ago as a Business Strategy Analyst. Over time, he realised Cainiao lacked the established marketing systems and formal marketing materials that it needed to drive business growth efficiently. This insight spurred him to step into the role and build a strong marketing foundation for his company.

“If there’s nothing established, I can try more,” he explained. “For example, I can explore omni-channel marketing or experiment with social media instead of traditional marketing. This really excited me.”

Starting from scratch means that Eric has to juggle multiple hats at once, from social media management and public relations to content marketing. A typical day at work is fast-paced and action-packed.

“I usually start by reviewing our KPIs and analysing data to uncover actionable insights,” he said. “I spend a large chunk of my day collaborating with cross-functional teams to develop and execute marketing campaigns. I also manage our social media platforms, including WeChat and Douyin, to ensure our content aligns with our brand narrative.”

For example, during the recent 11.11 festival, he worked closely with Cainiao’s sales and operations teams to create a comprehensive marketing strategy that spanned social media campaigns, promotional materials, and event planning.

Seven months in, Eric has also laid the groundwork for marketing toolboxes that streamline business conversations and support the sales process.

“Let’s say our sales team is meeting with an FMCG company or an e-commerce business,” he explained. “I’ve built toolboxes, including PowerPoint slides, to introduce Cainiao’s different industry solutions. The sales team can use these toolboxes to present our solutions persuasively and gain more business opportunities.”

Turning data into a growth engine

Data is at the heart of Eric’s work – it informs his understanding of customers and enables the company to engage them effectively. In one key project, he drew on data analytics and programming skills to establish a new customer relationship management (CRM) system.

“I used JavaScript to programme a spreadsheet with columns tracking customer data, such as their industry, location, assets, and income level,” Eric said. This allowed him to cross-check between different columns and discover connections between customers.

“Let’s say client A is based in Shanghai in the FMCG industry, while client B is doing e-commerce in Shenzhen,” he shared. “They don’t seem to have any connection, but I can cross-check different dimensions to show they have the same net operating income. Our sales team can then use client A as a case study to win a contract with client B, or vice versa.”

Eric credits his strong data analytics skills to his MSc Marketing Science (MMS) at NBS. Modules like Marketing Analytics introduced him to advanced statistical tools to analyse customer data. Group projects and case studies also gave him the chance to apply this classroom knowledge to real-world business challenges.

In fact, he believes his analytics skill sets gave him an edge in landing a role at Cainiao from the start. “During my interviews, I was able to discuss how I used business analytics to optimise marketing campaigns, which impressed the hiring managers,” he revealed.

Balancing data and creativity

But data is only half the equation for marketing success. Eric’s role requires him to blend data-driven strategies with creativity – the ‘X factor’ that takes a campaign from good to great.

“The power of storytelling was one of my most important learnings from the MMS programme,” he shared. “In particular, the Integrated Marketing Communications module taught me how to craft compelling narratives that resonate across different cultures, which has been invaluable in my role.”

Eric now brings these lessons into play when crafting campaigns at Cainiao. In one recent partnership with a Chinese snack company, he conceptualised a funny short video to market the snack to Thai consumers.

“Latiao is a spicy Chinese snack, so we needed to spark interest among Thai consumers” he explained. “We created a video inspired by a Thai TV series that’s popular in both China and Thailand.”

The video made a splash with Thai consumers and drove demand, resulting in a “massive increase” in retailers using Cainiao’s logistics services to ship the snacks to Thailand. For Eric, the project was a perfect example of data-driven creativity in action.

“My market analysis revealed that the Thai market had almost 20% growth in the past quarter. I saw this as a potential market we could do more in, which prompted me to make this video in the first place,” he shared. “I love that I get to develop campaigns which not only look great but are also backed by solid data.”

The art of cross-cultural communication

Creativity wasn’t the only factor that made Eric’s latiao video a hit. His knowledge of cultural distance played a big role too. Knowing that Thailand had a majority Buddhist population, for instance, he incorporated Buddhist cultural elements into the video.

Eric credits this cultural agility to his MMS experiences. “The global perspective I gained from the MMS programme has helped me appreciate the nuances of marketing in diverse cultures,” he said.

During his MMS group projects, Eric had the chance to work closely with course mates from around the world. This gave him insight into how people from different cultures made decisions.

“By recognising how cultural differences impact customer behaviours, I can better predict how they make purchase decisions,” he explained. “I can understand and adapt to Asia’s diverse market dynamics, which is especially relevant for Cainiao’s international operations.”

Gaining a competitive edge

Eric’s advanced analytical skills and cross-cultural agility have given him a competitive edge in his career. In fact, he reveals that when he was applying for jobs in China, it was “seldom that any company said no.” 

“I really appreciate how the programme has opened doors to exciting opportunities, like this role at Cainiao,” he said.

Fast-paced and dynamic though Eric’s job may be, it’s clear he loves the challenge. Asked for his advice to anyone keen to follow in his footsteps, he emphasised: “Marketing needs passion.”

“If you have a passion for marketing, an MSc in Marketing Science can be incredibly rewarding,” he shared. “I’ve gained a solid foundation in both theoretical knowledge and practical experience, preparing me for a wide range of marketing roles.”

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