Success Story: Arrian Lim

CDMP Batch 11

What was your work background before enrolling in DMI?

I started my career in the pharmaceutical and medical device industry. Studies show that healthcare, at least for sales and marketing which is still mainly driven by face-to-face engagements, is one of the laggards in digital transformation. This is mainly because of the rigid regulations they are governed with. I think the regulators and tech innovators haven’t found the right balance yet to do their business ethically and innovatively. 

It was a very successful career until I ventured into entrepreneurship outside of healthcare. I always have this insatiable appetite for learning and experience. A GM I met once told me “several years of experience of one role is just equivalent to one year of experience”. It may not always be true, at least literally, but it definitely struck a chord in me.

What influenced your decision to study and get certified in digital marketing?

When I took the leap into entrepreneurship, I’m seeing hundreds of new ways to engage with your target audience. It almost felt like I was starting from scratch. So I knew then I had to reskill myself to make myself relevant again in the new digital economy. 

Especially for SMEs like me, it’s a challenge to hire a digital marketer because even bigger multinational companies are facing a shortage in digital practitioners. Most digital practitioners you see now, especially in these big companies, reskilled themselves from different backgrounds. You can immediately tell that’s how fast the transformation is happening. It also helps that sales and marketing are my cup of tea. So it’s only natural for me to add digital marketing in my skill set.

Why did you choose to study with DMI?

We are living in the Age of Information. It’s true you can find almost everything on the internet now. I was already trying to study as much as I can about digital marketing online before enrolling at DMI. But it came to a point that I seriously need to formally educate myself on the matter because there is tons of information you can get but you’re not sure which one is relevant or practical to your business. It will start to overwhelm you. 

So I searched for learning institutions offering digital marketing. Not even our top universities were offering digital marketing courses at the time. It came down to a few choices. Digital Marketing Institute stood out for me because the subject matter experts are real-world industry practitioners. That’s where I learned a lot from the classroom. Lecturers were sharing practical application and real-world experiences that otherwise wouldn’t have been available elsewhere.

How has it helped you in your business or work?

I co-founded a lifestyle brand for pets. Some say it’s a niche business. In today’s hyper-targeted and personalized digital marketing, niche businesses aren’t necessarily low potential businesses anymore. I think it’s a well targeted and highly differentiated segment that I’m maximizing with the help of technology. 

Had I launched this business several years earlier, I don’t think it would survive. I would have to put up with expensive rent in prime retail locations and operating expenses. I managed to grow the business with just a few full-time employees and relied mostly on outsourcing and automation. I’m doing both ecommerce and B2B. 

My learning experience at DMI equipped me to set up a system of software tools in doing business in both these segments. I designed and created my own website, generate my own analytical reports, manage my own ad campaigns, integrated all my marketing channels and funneled it down to my website with the help of a CRM. It’s an efficient system that makes my business lean and profitable. 

Some people were surprised I don’t have a single digital marketer in my employ. I think that is the ROI of DMI that keeps on giving.

Since completing the program, how has your career progressed?

It definitely gave me the competitive advantage I needed. I would sometimes see what my competitors are doing and I could easily tell that they aren’t a trained digital practitioner. At least not yet. Having that knowledge also gives me a mental edge. 

I’m a relatively new player in the pet care industry. So I’d appreciate every advantage I can gain. Every advantage you can gain is valuable especially if you’re an underdog or a new player. Also I’m a very competitive person, so I always benchmark my digital performance metrics and I’m happy that most of the time I outperform all the benchmarks I can find. That’s when I know I’m indeed doing things right, if not impressively.

What’s your advice for new students?

There will always be a mix of good experienced students and aspiring practitioners, I think one single advice that I think can appeal to both is my motto “I know I’m good, but I’m not good enough for tomorrow.” That mentality always keeps me to be confident enough to face my challenges yet humbles me to be always a student of the universe and aspire for more learnings and accomplishments.

How would you describe your learning experience with DMI?

I know it’s fun because I always looked forward to it even though it took away my weekends. The lecturers are generous with their time to stay a bit more after class to be consulted on different matters concerning the subject. It also connected me with my classmates who are like-minded digital practitioners today. I get in touch with them from time to time to catch up on best practices and help each other.