Business managers and leaders who are responsible for driving innovation and growth, as well as seasoned marketing practitioners, will gain a practical understanding of what modern marketing looks like from an organizational perspective. If your role includes attracting and retaining customers in some way or delivering products and services, there's something useful in this online program for you. If managing a marketing team falls under your responsibility, this program will be especially appropriate, as it takes a high-level strategic view.

Participants come from a wide range of industries, which include retail, telecommunications, hospitality, global shipping, technology, automotive, manufacturing, and others.

Going beyond traditional marketing practices, this online program shows you how leading companies are incorporating AI, automation, and customer journey mapping into their organizations to make better decisions and gain efficiencies. At the end of this program, you will know how to:

Understand customers and discover related insights through:

• Ethnographic research
• Customer experience mapping
• Social data mining

Segment customers through:

• Behavioral segmentation

Engage customers through:

• Customer journey mapping
• Brand storytelling
• Content hubs

Execute and optimize digital marketing campaigns through:

• Marketing attribution
• Experimentation
• Automation

Learn how to build a marketing-driven organization using strategies that support better decision making.

• Understand when, where, and why customers choose your product or service
• Learn how to tell great brand stories across media channels that convert customers
• Discover data-driven strategies for more precise attribution and better experimentation
• Market smarter through automation and AI technologies

Module 1: A Framework for Marketing in a Digital World

Understand customer expectations and learn about the five marketing transformation lanes.

• Customer Expectations in a Digital World
• Marketing Transformation as a Journey
• Laying Out the Framework: 5 Marketing Transformation Lanes (Engagement & Content, Data & Analytics, Process & Execution, Organization & People, Platforms & Automation)

Module 2: Understanding Customers and Generating Insights

Learn about the nature of customer insights through social data and how to map the customer experience.

• Customer Insights: Deductive and Inductive
• Ethnography
• Customer Experience Mapping
• Human Factors Research
• Social Data Mining
• Motivescape
• AI in Customer Insights

Module 3: Customer Segmentation and Behavioral Marketing

Study the fundamentals of customer segmentation and how to select target markets based on behavior and responses.

• A Priori vs. Response-Based Segmentation
• Segmentation Process Overview (Hypothesize, Quantify, Validate/Describe)
• Behavioral Marketing and Automated Behavioral Marketing

Module 4: The Customer Journey and Content Strategy

Find out where your customers are in their relationship with your brand and learn how to create new ways to engage and inform them.

• Customer Journey Mapping
• Improving Customer Experience with ERRC Grid (Eliminate, Raise, Reduce, Create)
• Content Management Process
• Creating Content Hubs

Module 5: Brand Storytelling in a Digital World

Understand how to engage with impactful and thoughtful stories to connect customers with your brand and values.

• Structure of Storytelling
• Transmedia Storytelling Storytelling
• Campaign Design

Module 6: Designing and Executing Digital Marketing Campaigns

Explore the end-to-end process of designing and executing digital campaigns, and learn how marketing automation software helps to optimize the effectiveness of your marketing strategy.

• Campaign Strategy
• Steps for Implementation
• Measuring, Monitoring, and Adjusting Campaign Execution
• Automating the Campaign Process with AI and Machine Learning

Module 7: Marketing Attribution, Testing, and Experimentation

Learn how to leverage testing and experimentation to maximize the performance of your marketing activities.

• Marketing Attribution Models
• The Marketing Attribution Process
• Experimentation for Continuous Improvement
• The Role of Technology in Testing and Experimentation

Module 8: Automation and Artificial Intelligence in Marketing

Learn about software applications that can save time and increase productivity while still effectively engaging customers and managing relationships.

• Marketing Automation
• AI Applications & Customer Life Cycle (Understand, Reach, Attract, Convert, Engage)

Mohanbir Sawhney - Academic Director; Associate Dean for Digital Innovation; McCormick Foundation Chair of Technology; Clinical Professor of Marketing; Director of the Center for Research in Technology and Innovation

What is the program about?

The proliferation of new technologies, such as mobile, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence (AI), have transformed customer behavior and disrupted marketplaces. As a result, our marketing practices must also evolve. Digital Marketing Strategies: Data, Automation, AI and Analytics is designed to give participants an end-to-end perspective of the modern marketing process, which starts with gathering customer insights, moves through content strategies and execution, and culminates in optimization.

What is the learning experience?

Our programs are designed to meet the needs of individual learning styles while also leveraging the power of peer learning. This is achieved through a user-friendly learning platform that enables participants to easily navigate the program content to achieve learning objectives.  Throughout this program, you will work on a marketing transformation challenge in which you identify a business challenge that you would like to solve with a marketing-based solution.

What is the program format?

The program consists of 8 modules delivered over 9 weeks online. Access to program content is flexible and available through multiple devices, allowing working professionals to easily manage schedules and learn remotely—anytime, anywhere. Participants enrolled in the program obtain access to learning materials in a modular approach, with new content released weekly. Program modules include a variety of teaching instruments, such as:

• Video lectures
• Discussions
• Class materials (articles, cases, etc.) Surveys
• Assignments

Could a learner choose to opt out of some topics?

No. This is an online program in which a topic module is introduced each week and the learner is expected to watch the video lectures, participate in the live webinars, complete the exercises/activities and take the mastery quiz at the end of each week to progress to the subsequent week’s topic.

Are any of the sessions delivered in real time (live)?

There will be live webinars, led by faculty and/or subject matter experts, delivered during the course of the program via a video conferencing platform. These sessions provide learners an opportunity to listen and ask questions, and while they are valuable in enhancing the overall experience, attendance is not mandatory. All live sessions are recorded for later viewing.

What methods will be used for grading and evaluations?

Kellogg program leaders will review assignments, discussions and exercises to determine participants’ understanding of the material.

How much time is allocated to complete assignments?

The due date for submitting assignments is typically within 7 days of the module opening, but can be as long as 14 days, depending on the scope of the assignment. However, learners may request deadline extensions to accommodate for business and personal conflicts that may arise during the program timeframe. Reach out to the program leader to discuss any challenges you may have in completing assignments.

Can participation in this program be counted as credit toward a degree, either at Kellogg, Northwestern University or another academic institution?

No. Executive Education offers only non-degree programs and each participant receives a certificate of completion at the end of the program. This certificate does not count as credit toward a degree. In addition, at this time, our online programs do not count as credit toward a Kellogg Executive Scholar Certificate.

Does the program offer community engagement for learners?

Yes, participants can create a profile, connect and collaborate with peers, and interact with academic/industry experts such as program leaders and teaching assistants. Office hours will be held during the program and all participants are welcome to join in with questions or to discuss assignments.

What are the requirements for accessing the program?

Participants will need the following to access the Customer Loyalty program:

• Valid email address
• Computing device connected to the internet (Mac/PC/laptop, tablet or smartphone)
• The latest version of your preferred browser to access our learning platform (Chrome and Firefox are preferred for accessing Canvas)
• Microsoft Office and PDF viewer to access content such as documents, spreadsheets, presentations, PDF files, and transcripts
• Additional software and resources may be required for certain programs – this will be communicated upon registration and/or at the beginning of the program

PLEASE NOTE: Google, Vimeo and YouTube may be utilized in the program delivery

Does the program offer a certificate?

Yes. Participants will receive a digital certificate of completion from Kellogg following a successful conclusion to the program. Since this program is graded as a pass or fail, participants must receive an 80% to pass and obtain the certificate. This digital certificate can be shared with colleagues and posted on LinkedIn. (PLEASE NOTE: We do not provide reports of assessments, or “transcripts,” since this is a non-degree program.)

Who is Emeritus and what is their relationship with Kellogg Executive Education?

Kellogg Executive Education is partnering with Emeritus Institute of Management, an online education provider, to develop and deliver this program. By working with Emeritus, we are able to provide broader access to Executive Education, beyond our on-campus offerings, in a collaborative and engaging format that is consistent with Kellogg’s standard of quality.

Additional questions?

Please contact us by calling 847-467-6018 or email us at execedonline@kellogg.northwestern.edu.