Home Away From Home
By: Isabella Wang, Wharton ’26
GRIP: PR and Marketing in Bangkok
The first few days after arriving in Thailand, time moved inexplicably fast. One minute I was unpacking my luggage and the next I was meeting the entire cohort over lunch. Another moment would pass and I would be exploring the streets of Bangkok, buying Thai teas and strolling through night markets.
And seemingly all of a sudden, I was standing in front of the doors of my office building. As nervous as I was, I was even more excited to see what office life would be like for the next two months.
Brand Now provided great flexibility in terms of the work responsibilities for interns. Our supervisor gave us room to explore which areas of marketing/PR we were most passionate in, ranging anywhere from designing digital marketing campaigns to publishing press releases.
Through trying a little bit of everything, I discovered my interest in client-facing deliverables. Every week or so, our team would be introduced to a new client and conduct research corresponding to their marketing goals. This background research would help us ideate and present pitch decks to clients. Our fast-paced workflow always kept research interesting and engaging.
Beyond work, I was also meeting the most incredible people at Brand Now. This was the first time that I had ever lived abroad so I had endless questions about anything from the best place to buy groceries to the easiest way to get to the airport. These questions were all met with nothing but enthusiastic recommendations and heartfelt advice.
Our entire team ate lunch together every day, learning about each other’s wildly different backgrounds. They told me about their hometowns and would ask me about America (and whether or not the portion sizes were as big as they had heard). Every lunch and every day was filled with big laughter and so much learning about different cultures and upbringings. I still remember my office mate telling me to text her when I arrived home so she knew I was safe.
My time in Thailand far exceeded my expectations in every way possible. I gained a foundational knowledge of the marketing industry, paving the way for my future career choices. I spent countless hours interacting with both clients and my team, understanding what true collaboration looks like in a workplace setting. And most importantly, I found an office community that I will never forget. They are my second family, my home away from home.
The Global Research and Internship Program (GRIP) provides outstanding undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity to intern or conduct research abroad for 8 to 12 weeks over the summer. Participants gain career-enhancing experience and global exposure that is essential in a global workforce.