Twenty+ years ago, I kicked off my career in marketing at Sony Music Indonesia. It was an exciting time, but fast forward to today, I realized my knowledge is a bit rusty and needed a serious refresh. Marketing has changed a lot, and I did not want to be that person still talking about billboard ads while the world is running on algorithms and data.
In the spirit of lifelong learning, I enrolled in the Digital Marketing: Strategies, Models, and Frameworks program at the National University of Singapore Business School late last year. It was a three-month deep dive into modern marketing, it was intense but eye-opening. I had to juggle studying while working (and also my Umrah trip, at that time), but the program was well-structured and easy to follow and it’s online. Big respect to the team for making it digestible for people like me who have been around since the cassette era!
It completely refreshed my perspective on customers and targeting. I learned how to manage digital ad investments properly. The real game-changer was the Stukent simulation, where we got to test our strategies in a virtual market. And guess what? I scored a perfect 100% (120/120). Alhamdulillah! I was so happy I considered printing out my score and framing it on my wall.
At the end of the program, we had to come up with a product idea to market with the Capstone Project. That is when Ihsan Groom was born. It is my concept for a halal, skin-friendly, and serene grooming product for Muslim men. It is a niche idea, but I see real potential in places like Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand.
For now, I am applying all this fresh knowledge to my work, but who knows? Maybe one day, Ihsan Groom will be on the shelves, and I will be marketing my dream product for real. Insya Allah.
