• The MSc in Marketing Management and Digital program’s dual focus on digital skills and luxury branding draws students from Europe.
• ESSEC Asia-Pacific campus in Singapore puts students at the heart of opportunities.
• An industry-focused and career-led curriculum gives students an edge.

It is common for fresh graduates to be uncertain about their futures and want to explore different industries.

However, during his undergraduate days at NEOMA Business School, Antoine Habay shored up his work experience interning at Louis Vuitton as a sales advisor and apprenticing as a product marketing assistant for American Express.

Juliette Briday had a similar experience and juggled her undergraduate studies at McGill University with part-time work in digital marketing.

Upon graduation, their goals were clear: They wanted digital marketing roles in the luxury sector.

Others in their shoes might have looked to study or live in fashion capitals like Milan, New York, and Paris to gain the requisite experience. Still, they reached the ESSEC MSc in Marketing Management and Digital (MMD) program in Singapore.

Being at the Right Place at the Right Time

“I chose ESSEC Asia-Pacific because I believe being in an institution situated in a modern, multicultural environment like Singapore would allow me to develop greater cultural sensitivity and critical thinking—skills crucial for aspiring luxury marketers,” Antoine declares.

Of course, Asia’s economic growth and Singapore’s reputation as a global business hub also helped.

“Singapore is the biggest talent hub in Southeast Asia, and many companies have their Asia-Pacific headquarters in the country,” Ilse Hilde Van Cauwenberghe, who, like Antoine and Juliette, joined the MMD program in 2022, says.

Ilse wanted to pivot from a career in IT and consulting in Belgium to employer branding in Asia, so she saw being near these global companies as an advantage.

Juliette concurs, adding that being located in Singapore, where luxury markets are booming, would be crucial for those who, like her, want to carve out luxury marketing careers in the region.

Development of Industry-relevant Skills

Significantly, although the MMD program allows students to specialize in luxury branding, the core focus is still on digital skills and marketing, making it relevant to those angling for careers in diverse industries.

“As both our world and technologies constantly evolve, we need to be able to adapt to the changes,” Juliette points out, noting that the MMD program offers students an abundance of opportunities to understand the larger business landscape and how both digital technology and marketing skills can play a part.

For example, during the Digital Marketing Challenge (DMC), students brainstorm digital marketing strategies to help actual companies from diverse industries solve their business problems.

In tandem with the growing conversation on climate change, students attend a Sustainability Bootcamp that exposes them to environmental challenges plaguing companies across the globe.

“During our classes, there are also many group projects and presentations, and evaluation is very much focused on group rather than individual performance,” Ilse adds.

She observes that this collaborative focus ensures students pick up transferable communication and time management skills that will put them in good stead in the working world.

Career-focused Training

Support is also available to help students find their footing in the Asian job market. Each cohort has a chance to attend a study trip overseas, where they will visit different companies to learn about the local customs and gain insights into the various roles and sectors available to them upon graduation.

To prepare students for career fairs and networking sessions, ESSEC Career Services also offers a wide range of workshops—from writing a CV and setting up a LinkedIn profile to market trends in Singapore—to support job searches. They are also readily available for one-on-one career coaching sessions.

In addition to the success of these programs thus far, Juliette secured a position with Christian Dior Couture as a part-time retail intern within her first trimester.

Although it is undeniably challenging to juggle school work alongside her internship, this will allow her to see classroom theories play out in the real world and give her the insights she needs for her future.

It is just the beginning of hers, Ilse’s, and Antoine’s journey at ESSEC Asia-Pacific, but as Antoine so aptly put it: “The opportunities that being in such a dynamic environment offers is something I would not have had coming from a small town in Europe.”