Post by Jennifer Swartz, GMBA ’19
On October 20, 2018, our Chilean journey officially began. I remember excitedly walking into class, where we discussed Chile, the projects, and how the program would be organized. I could not wait to go to such a scenic location, work on a project for an emerging winery, and expand my marketing proficiency. Now as I sit here in January 2019 reflecting on the trip, I realize that it left me with much more – unexpected new skills and knowledge about myself that I will undoubtedly carry long after the program.
As we began the project, my team and I dove headfirst into research. Having previously worked in and heavily researched the wine industry, I stuck to my usual routine of books, reports, and journals. However, my teammates really expanded my approach to researching. They introduced me to new platforms, research techniques, and ways in which to conduct analysis. I am beyond grateful for this and am eager to apply these practices in my future work.
By way of utilizing different researching methods, I ended up learning a great deal more than I thought I would about the wine industry. For example, we conducted a comprehensive survey where we were able to identity types of labels that best resonate with Millennials, an area of growing importance. Moreover, I realized how much I actually retained from my winery internship. When I left my summer internship, I was overwhelmed by the industry as a whole and unsure about how much I was really taking away, given its many intricate dimensions. However, I was able to tap into my experience to help my team construct a more fleshed out marketing strategy that adequately addressed our client’s concerns, particularly for pricing and placement. I no longer felt overwhelmed, and instead became increasingly intrigued by the wine industry, which has since compelled me to reconsider the wine industry as a potential area to work in post-graduation.
Additionally, my experience has caused me to embrace presenting (insert shocked faced emoji here). For as long as I can remember, presenting has been an activity that fails to thrill me. In fact, it is one that I have avoided at all costs. Yet, that feeling subsided for this project. I loved working with my team as we rolled up our sleeves and got to know all we could about the wine industry. Our efforts made me feel both confident and fond of our findings, and I often could not resist piping up when answering questions, whether to our professor or our client. When it came time to present, I was not fearful, but in fact… exuberant. I was animated as I painted a picture of how our client should showcase their brand and left our presentation feeling fulfilled that I adequately conveyed our points.
It made me realize that by putting in the work in the researching phase and exploring an industry of interest, I actually want to share my findings and tell a story that will make a (hopefully) lasting impact… a self-discovery that I NEVER thought I would make.
