Coming into this semester, I didn’t know what to expect from studying marketing in London. Now that I’m about a month in, it’s been really interesting to see how the same field I’ve been studying back home operates differently in another country and culture.
At Richmond American University London, I’m currently taking Introduction to Advertising, PR, and Media; Persuasive Communication in Advertising and PR; Integrated Marketing Communications; and History of Arts and Visual Cultures. Between all four courses, I’ve had to spend a lot of time thinking about how differently marketing works depending on where you are in the world.
Back home, I had this idea that a strong marketing campaign was strong no matter the audience. Being here has pushed back on that pretty quickly. In my Integrated Marketing Communications class, we’ve been looking at how brands approach advertising across different cultures, and it’s made me realize how much context shapes whether a message actually resonates with the intended audience.
What I’ve been realizing is that marketing demands the ability to understand people who have different backgrounds than you. Strategy and analytics matter, but if you can’t get into the mindset of the audience you’re trying to appeal to, you can only go so far. My Persuasive Communication class has been really focused on that concept, breaking down what makes people respond to messaging and why, which has been one of the more interesting topics I’ve studied here so far.
The classroom dynamic here has also been a bit of an adjustment. Some of my classes are way more conversational than what I’m used to, with my professors expecting you to come into class with opinions and be able to explain your reasoning behind them. One class that surprised me was History of Arts and Visual Cultures. I wasn’t sure if I would be able to connect this course to my major, but understanding the cultural and historical background behind visual choices has made me think differently about how things can be portrayed to an audience. Being in London makes it even better because we are able to actually visit the museums and galleries we talk about in class, which makes the material feel a lot more tangible than just reading about it.
London itself has been just as educational as my coursework. The city is so culturally diverse that it shows up in everything around you, including how businesses market themselves to different communities. It’s a good reminder that what I’m studying isn’t just theoretical, but is a part of everyday life. There is still a lot of semester left, but so far this has been an invaluable experience both in and out of the classroom.
