An MBA in Advertising?

A Campus Right in the Heart of Madrid

Nice to meet you.
I'm Habe, and I'll be writing this column.

I'm pursuing an MBA and have been studying at IE Business School in Spain since last fall through Dentsu Inc.'s "Overseas Student Dispatch Program."

This time, as part of my introduction, I'll address the question, "Why pursue an MBA in advertising?"—a perfectly reasonable query.

For seven years since joining the company, I've worked in sales.
I often handled foreign-affiliated clients, and I found that the way of working and mindset are completely different between domestic and overseas companies.
I personally attended English conversation classes, but when it came to actual English meetings, I could barely speak. The problem wasn't language ability; unless I understood the fundamental "cultural differences," there was nothing I could do.

Furthermore, as I advanced in seniority and began interacting with clients' executive-level personnel, I found it increasingly difficult to connect meaningfully with them, given my background solely in the advertising industry. Precisely because I was often perceived as a young upstart, I felt a profound need to approach advertising from the perspective of management.

In short, I lacked both the "breadth" to transcend countries and cultures, and the "depth" grounded in knowledge and experience.
This is why I wanted to study abroad.

So why Spain?

Before studying abroad, various people inside and outside the company told me things like, "Isn't it because the food is great?" or "The admissions officer was pretty, right?" But that wasn't the only reason.
The food is indeed delicious (the Jamón Ibérico de Bellota is exquisite), and there are many beautiful people (though surprisingly young), but the main reason I chose Spain was because I was drawn to the school.

The strengths of IE Business School, where I study, are Diversity and Entrepreneurship.
It may not be well-known in Japan, but it's a top-10 business school globally.

Classmates gathered from around the world

Students hail from 72 countries.
Their professional backgrounds are also diverse, with almost no one from the advertising industry.
For someone like me with no overseas experience, the chance to immerse myself for a year in such diverse cultures and industries was incredibly appealing.

You might think "Entrepreneurship" doesn't apply if you're not starting a business. But I believe "creating something new in ambiguous situations" is very close to Dentsu Inc.'s work style.
After all, entrepreneurship is even part of Dentsu Inc.'s corporate slogan.

Finally, I titled this column "What is Globalization?" It's my own theme for studying abroad.

In advertising, you can't accomplish anything alone; working together with others absolutely leads to better results.

The Dentsu Group now has offices in 110 countries. Connecting ideas from around the world should lead to delivering more interesting work to a broader global audience.
I want people around the world to think, "I want to work with this person." What does that require? Is that what "globalization" means?

As I write this column, I hope to find some answers along the way.
Though it will be brief, I look forward to your continued support.