Educating the First Wave of Trained Digital Strategy Leads
Welcome to Bentley University
Its 6pm and I’m eating sushi outside the LaCava student center at Bentley University before giving a guest lecture. About a quarter of the people I meet are international. It’s 80 degrees and spring break is over. Everyone seems tanned rested and relieved.
But behind the happy afternoon, higher education in America is facing challenges big enough to nearly end its existence on the way to dramatically remaking it.
We’re already aware of the looming obligation of debt that students too often graduate into. And too often, they find their academic work doesn’t line up to corresponding professional rewards.
Could Higher Education Become a Sucker Bet?
There is a point at which the cost of higher education becomes a sucker bet. That usually happens when everyone agrees something is a sure win. Often there are even loan programs to extend such markets, and cost bubbles emerge. And those last in get hurt the worst. Sounds familiar, right?
But cost isn’t higher education’s only challenge.
A recent poll showed that professors know less that one-fifth of their students by name. The speed of economic and business changes makes the half-life of specific knowledge conveyed in undergraduate education breathtakingly short.
Students need the kind of creative and adaptive skills that can only come from instructors who know them up close, who can encourage and evaluate them, and will remember their names for a few months. Anonymity is a clearly an anti-pattern to this kind of involved learning.
Student Consulting Teams Work at Bentley
So I was delighted to walk across the Bentley University campus with my host, Mari Anne, as she stopped and visited with no fewer than three separate teams of students working together before her class. They were preparing marketing programs for real small-business clients that are part of their course with her.
By this time in the year, she knows them both by name and more: here’s the bad boy who often has great ideas; she’s driven and we did a session to get her ready for a Digitas interview; he’s up for a job at Hubspot and is headed out sailing after graduation.
She opens up the network, allowing students unfettered access during class. (yes, America, students play Tetris during lectures – certainly during mine.) She puts the week’s quiz questions up on the screen early, letting early arrivers get a few minutes extra to answer her weekly marketing current-events quiz.
- What big Apple event occurred while we were on break? (The iPad launch)
- How are big-box retailers cashing in on Apple’s big event? (Early openings, which Apple loves.)
- How is Amazon getting in on Apple’s big event? (With a new reader for the hi-res new iPad.)
- What major digital event occurred in Austin, TX while we were on break? (SxSW)
It’s the kind of information you’d expect young marketers to have “top of mind.” It creates a culture of people who are on top of the space, even during spring break. “The more knowledge you have that is relevant and current, the happier I am,” says Mari Anne.
Ideas, Action and Adaptation
I give my short talk on how marketers can use the rubric of Lay Epistemology to plan campaigns that shift audience beliefs, and a quick flyover of how to analyze “conversion architecture” on landing pages. It’s just academic enough to inspire note-taking. And when the questions start, it gets fun.
These are people on deadline; they want to know if these ideas will help them deliver better advice. “What’s the right mix between inbound techniques and advertising?” “How far into social media can you expect a client to go who is non-technical?” “How can you advise a company that badly needs market research?”
Professor as Account Director
When two students mention their plan to visit a restaurant they’re advising, Mari Anne asks, “What for? If it’s to get the vibe, go at rush hour. If it’s to talk to the client, go late – one owner is always in the kitchen, and they’re more accessible during closedown.”
Mari Anne functions like an Account Director. She wants to see previews of their client-solution pitches, and emphasizes that they have to connect ideas to next steps that the clients will be able to put into action.
Most of the class is headed to graduation. They’re interviewing at agencies, marketing service companies, and media firms. Thanks to Mari Anne, each has worked for clients usually in two different industries. They know current events, speak the lingo, and expect to adapt ferociously to a fast-changing industry.
A half -of them have sent me LinkedIn invitations before I’m out of the room. They’ve tweeted the night’s high points, and dropped ideas into draft PowerPoint stacks for their clients. They get the need to connect to a broader network, and to have skills and points of view that set them apart. Some may become friends, competitors, clients or colleagues.
In just two months, most will be alumni. They’ll be filling the gap between the promise of digital media and the best we’ve done, so far. We’ve got a long way still to go. So, I’ll be at two more universities this week. To know the future of digital marketing, it helps to see the next generation’s talent.
The future of digital experiences will be built by strategists who grasp the full array of emerging business, social, and technical models. Specialties in user experience, branding, application design, and data science are laying the foundation for richer user experiences and business models breakthrough products and revenue based marketing.
40 Responses to "Educating the First Wave of Trained Digital Strategy Leads"
April 10, 2012
Thanks, Dave! Great to have you in the “power rotation” of great guest lecturers!!
March 17, 2013
I’d personally be concerned, it is usually particularly likely the particular cards are generally MiFare typical… and that is actually outdated and cracked.
August 26, 2015
Your automobile is really a complex vehicle, and
yes it needs the best care.
places that do oil changes near me oil change specials near me
November 11, 2015
Por poner un ejemplo, cuando deseamos guardar una ficha en un archivador, debemos remover todo las fichas
del mismo tipo y colocarla en el sitio preciso.
February 26, 2017
Valuable info. Lucky me I discovered your website by chance,
and I am stunned why this accident didn’t took place in advance!
I bookmarked it.
March 25, 2017
I savour, result in I found exactly what I used to
be taking a look for. You’ve ended my 4 day long hunt!
God Bless you man. Have a great day. Bye
February 12, 2018
Such a nice post, keep up the fantastic work
March 17, 2021
Carpentry, masonry, plaster, painting, tile, furniture is what we do as skill traders.
September 20, 2021
A totally free tell you which usually they can be a a superb content from the awesome people, we’re very happy to watch this approach.
September 23, 2021
The more knowledge you have that is relevant and current, the happier I am. — Bathroom Remodel Tacoma Wa
November 24, 2021
They were preparing marketing programs for real small-business clients that are part of their course with her.
Bathroom Remodel
December 17, 2021
We’re already aware of the looming obligation of debt that students too often graduate into.
Dumpster Rental Company
December 30, 2021
Thanks for this great share, nice content.
December 30, 2021
Great post!
January 13, 2022
The way we communicate, get services, and enjoy entertainment is changing as a result of digital technology. Immersive technologies like mixed and virtual reality are rapidly being used in medical education, and 3D technology allows for global delivery of lectures.
January 13, 2022
Every journey begins with a goal in mind. It’s all about envisioning the ideal destination in your digital vision. An effective vision also depicts the advantages that will be gained along the way as we endeavor to reach our goal.
February 8, 2022
The speed of economic and business changes makes the half-life of specific knowledge conveyed in undergraduate education breathtakingly short.
Mobile Pressure Washing Services in Benbrook, Tx
March 9, 2022
Very interesting!
March 14, 2022
Great site to visit, nice article.
March 14, 2022
Looking forward to seeing more posts from here.
March 23, 2022
How are big-box retailers cashing in on Apple’s big event? (Early openings, which Apple loves.)
March 29, 2022
Thank you for the effort you gave just to discuss this.
April 8, 2022
How far into social media can you expect a client to go who is non-technical? – chicago waterproofing Services
April 21, 2022
Glad to found this great and informative content. http://www.foundationrepairplanopro.com
April 22, 2022
Thanks for sharing such a nice content. Fencing miami fl
April 30, 2022
Thanks for this great and informative content. Keep sharing. Concrete companies colorado springs
May 11, 2022
Such great info, Keep on posting.
May 19, 2022
Great blog. Thanks for this.
May 24, 2022
Thanks for sharing this great article, would love to see more from here.
May 24, 2022
This what the students need in order to come up with this pandemic. – a href=”https://mobilefoundationrepair.net/basement-waterproofing/”>basement water.repair.
May 25, 2022
It’s a great article you shared. Great work!
May 26, 2022
Anonymity is clearly an anti-pattern to this kind of involved learning.
| Foundation Repair San Francisco, CA
May 26, 2022
slot online terpercaya
May 26, 2022
Very cool comics that you have created. I would love to read more of it. Sharing you also some some good reads in our blogs. Read more here.
May 31, 2022
thanks for sharing this great article that you have.
June 1, 2022
It’s just academic enough to inspire note-taking. And when the questions start, it gets fun.
June 1, 2022
This is awesome! Great site to visit.
June 14, 2022
Wow, I love it! Thank you so much for sharing
June 15, 2022
This is awesome!
June 17, 2022
Nice content, I like it.