Learning-by-doing starts early in the first semester for ESSEC MSc Marketing Management and Digital (MMD) students.

As part of their digital marketing module, the 2023/2024 cohort worked with French perfume brand Maison 21G to see how concepts such as influencer marketing and customer journey mapping play out in the real world.

Their task was to develop a digital marketing plan to increase brand awareness in Singapore and reach the Gen Z market.

Student Ambassador Mingyue Ma, who comes from China, notes that this project involved working closely with the actual Maison 21G team, unlike case studies done in class.

“We visited the Maison 21G store, and the director introduced us to how the company personalizes experiences and creates customized fragrances,” she explained, adding that this was a highlight as it taught her about the perfume industry and the retail market in Singapore.

MMD Student Creativity Shines

Armed with insights from meeting the Maison 21G team and the site visit, Mingyue and her team conducted competitive analyses and customer feedback sessions to draw out the brand’s unique value propositions.

They eventually put together a proposal to use AI to create an interactive shopping experience both online and in-store.

Their strategy impressed their digital marketing professor so much that they were one of two teams selected to present directly to Maison 21G management.

The second shortlisted team performed equally well with their idea to have Maison 21G pop-up events scattered across Singapore.

They recommended that each event focus on one of four seasons and customize Maison 21G scents to reflect each season’s atmosphere.

“For autumn, we could leverage on the Mid-Autumn festival at Gardens by the Bay and set up a booth with scents created specific to the festival,” Student Ambassador Marco Carini, who comes from Italy, shares.

He elaborates that these offline events would drive online traffic for the brand.

Strong Connections from Classroom to Real World

One may wonder how students tackle such projects, especially early in their MMD journey. However, Marco and Mingyue both believe they are well-prepared for the task.

Marco explains that the first part of the digital marketing module had been spent on smaller contests and challenges to teach students about paid advertising, SEM, and more.

The Maison 21G project was well-timed for students to combine what they had learned in the module with what they had learned in other MMD classes, such as Social Media Marketing.

The learning-by-doing approach also worked wonders in cementing their understanding of classroom concepts.

“The project underscored the value of customer-centric marketing strategies in all sectors—including luxury—and how crucial this is to enhance brand loyalty.

It also challenged me to blend new technologies to create unique customer experiences,” Mingyue says.

Marco agrees. “The project showed me how important it is that your strategy isn’t fully online or offline but something more omnichannel,” he chimes in.

“I also realized that you don’t need an unlimited budget to have good ideas, and I learned to use our resources to develop low-cost but high-impact strategies.”