The Kummel Exchange

I should have included this in my first entry but I've known I was going since the beginning of the year so I guess it slipped my mind that others wouldn't also know about the program that has allowed me to come to Singapore.

The Kummel Exchange is a program offered by IPG (Interpublic Group - Fitzgerald + CO's holding company) that was developed to grow the global perspective of McCann Worldgroup employees. Each year, they select +/- 15 employees from around the world to go and work in another country for 3-6 months and learn from the cultural differences. I applied for the program last November, and found out I was accepted in January (when I was in Pasadena for the National Championship...best week ever!) It is a true honor and I couldn't be more excited to be in Singapore. Over 200 employees applied this year, 17 were selected. Employees from Hong Kong going to New York, from Mumbai to London, Norway to Australia, Atlanta to Singapore...among others. (I think I definitely got the sweetest end of this deal).

I learned about the program a few years back when I found out someone else from our office had gone to Mexico. Then, last June, we were working on global transcreations for Amway and I was working with 9 other McCann offices around the world to make our concepts culturally relevant and appropriate in each market for testing. I realized my own lack of global perspective. While I can't dream of understanding every market we'll ever do creative for, I wanted to open my mind to other cultures and how the strategies and marketing differs.

Singapore is the perfect place to do this.

It's already a melting pot of cultures within itself that I learn from just walking around the streets. Anything that I've been writing about that's different from the US is a learning experience for me; yes, even the escalators.

The group organizing my program in the Singapore office has put together a program that I'm really, really excited about. I'll be working on L'Oreal, Panasonic and Holiday Inn. Holiday Inn is a campaign in China which is Amway's biggest market.

And they set up all this in a month. It's amazing. I originally was scheduled to go to Bangkok in May, but due to the political protests, that was put on hold and eventually cancelled. Singapore stepped up and put together the above mentioned program. It's an excellent agency with excellent clients. I'm excited and ready to get started on Monday.

I can't believe I'm here in Singapore and doing this. It's so scary and yet so exhilarating at the same time. Let's do this!!

P.S. So far, Bug Spray has been a success. Don't want to jinx it, but I've seen less bugs around. I also haven't left a coke out either.