The Global Marketing Practicum study abroad experience, led by marketing professor Cindy Fox each spring, is a great opportunity to learn about marketing from a global perspective and can count as course credit (MKTG 3000).
The recruitment cycle for the Spring 2023 begins in September. To get a glimpse of the experience, read this article by Olivia Lawless, which recounts Lawless' experience in Paris, France and Athens, Greece from start to finish:
After weeks of monitoring COVID-19 restrictions and preparing folders of documents to travel, 26 undergraduate students were able to kick off their spring break travel to Paris and Athens. The undergraduate students, in varying programs of Marketing, International Business, and Finance, had the opportunity to study marketing and culture through the Global Marketing practicum.
They visited various businesses, important cultural locations, and entrepreneurial hubs to learn about one of the most essential parts of marketing: culture. With the trip being a total of 10 days (including travel), it was a whirlwind of activity.
Paris
The students arrived in Paris on Saturday and started with a cultural excursion, in which they were separated into groups and instructed on how to explore the area of Mirais. The following day was a free day, where students visited locations such as the Champs-Élysées, Musée d'Orsay, the Louvre, and of course, the Eiffel Tower. The day ended with an etiquette dinner, led by the professional lecturer Maud, who discussed the importance of French dinner culture.
The next day, the students walked through the brisk morning air and to the glass walls of Station F, the largest entrepreneurial hub in the world. Once an old train station, Station F’s building has been converted into a working and meeting space for more than 2000 companies. Students toured the facility, learning about the technical aspects of starting a business from scratch and how to network with like-minded individuals. Then, they were coached on how to turn their ideas into businesses and given the opportunity to practice a brief one-minute pitch.
On Tuesday, the last day in Paris, students visited the U.S. embassy and the golden-ringed domes of the Galleria. Just around the block from Notre Dame, the embassy stood proudly, slotted between two other buildings and secured behind an iron gate. The building had been handed over to the U.S. shortly after the French Revolution, when it had survived as a munitions building. Today it is used as a major meeting place for U.S. Foreign Commercial Services, an official U.S. department that helps companies break into global markets. Students learned about the numerous business and social events that were held in the meeting room and had the opportunity to network with other students who were interning there.
Students had a lunch break before heading to one of the largest shopping malls in Paris, a major symbol
of retail culture. Shoes, coats, dresses, and many other products were displayed next to salespeople in suits. As the guide brought students through the mall, they were able to note the significant distinctions between the French and U.S. retail environments.
Greece
After a morning of travel, students arrived in Greece to tour the Acropolis, one of Athens’ most significant cultural locations and home to the Parthenon. Their first full day started at the Athens Stock Exchange, where trade began at 10:30 a.m. and closed at 5:20 p.m. Students attended an in-depth presentation on Greece’s financial market where they gained insight on the history of Greek currency, the recent crash and peaks of the stock market, and popular Greek imports and exports.
Shifting from a focus on finance to entrepreneurship, students headed down the thin cobblestone streets to the Impact hub, a building that was colorful and apartment-like. Much like Station F in Paris, the building served as a meeting point for like-minded individuals to develop business ideas. This entrepreneur hub focused specifically on societal impact. Students separated into groups, where they developed program and company ideas to tackle social problems like financial literacy and food accessibility.
The final day in Greece brought students to tour Dive Coffee, a specialty coffee business, and Noctua Brewery, the first craft brewery in Athens. What was unique about these locations is that, unlike in many places in the U.S., specialty coffee and craft beer are not popular in Greece. Therefore, both of these businesses are facing the challenge of convincing their customers to pay for specialty items they normally wouldn’t buy. In both occasions, students were able to hear advice from these small business owners and learn about the unique challenges of breaking into new markets.
Overall, students were able to study abroad in both one of the most popular travel destinations in the world and one of the most ancient cities in the world. They not only learned about global business and culture, but they also met many different people, expanding their perspectives and gaining valuable experiences.
