Bonjour tout le monde! I am officially blogging from my homestay in Paris. What a week it has been! I am not even sure where to start… it feels like I’ve been here for weeks!
Over the past five days, I have been hopping around the arrondissements of Paris, trying my best to pack my day full of adventure from sun up to sun down (which isn’t until 11:30, to my surprise). As a part of our orientation with EUSA, we took a lovely boat ride down the Seine, explored the streets of Montmartre, and took a day trip to Versailles (my favorite day thus far)! Along with our orientation, I’ve got to break off on my own to do some solo exploring… and let me tell you, there is endless exploration to be done in this city. I’ve visited the Louvre, Musée d’Orsay, Sacre-Coeur, and countless other famous landmarks around Paris. Honestly, I don’t think I will ever get enough of this place… every single street has its own charm. And of course, these long days come with a price, with my step count being above 25,000 every single day. Personally, I think that’s the tell-tale sign of a day well spent abroad!
I have already learned so much in the past week. I have already adapted to the public transportation system here, and feel confident when I need to go places on my own. Could this be due to my Bonjour RATP app or my insanely strong navigation skills? I’m gonna go with the latter. Even this morning, on my way to my first day at my internship, I felt confident enough to get there without any practice runs (then again, I don’t have to deal with Pittsburgh traffic here…). I’ve already started learning little elements of French culture that I didn’t know before, like that you absolutely cannot walk into a shop without saying “bonjour!” first, or that French drivers do not fear the law and will run you over if you don’t pay attention! Above all, I have learned the importance of adaptability; adapting to a new environment, new people, new food, and most of all, a new place of work!
This finally leads me to the point of this blog post, which is my job! I intern for a nutricosmetics company called D-LAB in the B2B pharmaceutical cosmetics industry. Though I have only gone through my first official day at my internship, I am already familiar with what is expected of me due to the demands of this industry. In the pharmaceutical cosmetics industry, it is essential for marketing teams to emphasize consumer trust, education, and constant communication. This way, if a product is working or not working for a client, then we will know immediately and be able to adjust the product or adjust what we are selling to the customer. It is essential to be flexible and understand that all consumers are different, and their needs come first, no matter what. In France, the beauty industry is quite large, and marketing in the beauty industry is a dynamic field. There are constantly new ways that products are marketed, and new trends circulate like clockwork. Similar to the US, marketing must be sharp and to the point, able to catch consumers’ attention and get them excited about the product.
In the pharmaceutical cosmetics industry, it is also essential to know exactly what clients are looking for/want in a product. If they are properly educated about its usage and how exactly it will improve their daily life, then they are more likely to invest in the product and the company at large. Often, I feel that beauty companies can be heavy on the false advertising of their products and not really show the true results, whereas in pharmaceutical cosmetics, there is no option for the products not to work. It is important to show how the product works, the science behind it, and how it will impact the user directly.
Though I have yet to be assigned a project at D-LAB, I am so excited to start my internship with them. I have already got to learn so much about the brand, their mission, their products, and their current marketing strategies. Although I have a long way to go in the company, I cannot wait to dive into their brand and use my marketing skills to improve their current communication and marketing strategies!
Well, that’s all from me for now. I am exhausted typing this… and must get sleep for my second day of my internship bright and early tomorrow! Thinking back on this past week, I am proud of myself for everything I’ve accomplished, especially in times when I wasn’t sure how to proceed. One night, my phone lost internet connection, and I had to find my way home all alone… and I did it! That was probably my biggest feat so far. Oh! I’ve been asked three times for directions to places… I must be looking the part of a nonchalant Parisian very well.
Well, who knows what other adventures are in store for me this week. Only time will tell!
A plus!
Hailey Krawczyk