Week 1: Introduction to Digital Marketing

Key Learning Objectives:

• Understand the difference between traditional and digital marketing.

• Recognize the impact of digital disruption and how it reshapes marketing.
• Study the characteristics of different consumer generations: Baby Boomers, Gen X,
Millennials, and Gen Z.
• Comprehend the importance of real-time data in shaping digital strategies.

Important Concepts:

1. Traditional vs. Digital Marketing:

o Traditional marketing utilizes offline methods (e.g., TV, radio), while digital
marketing leverages online channels (e.g., social media, websites), offering
real-time tracking and greater personalization.
2. Digital Disruption:
o Innovations like AI and mobile technology require businesses to adapt by using
modern digital tools, enhancing customer experiences through features like AI-
driven support.
3. Generational Marketing:
o Different generations engage with brands uniquely. Ex. Gen Z is more social
media-savvy and sustainability-focused, while Baby Boomers value loyalty
and convenience but may be less tech-oriented.
4. Real-Time Data:
o Real-time data allows marketers to quickly adjust strategies by monitoring
customer behavior, offering timely, personalized content and increasing
customer engagement.

Study Tip:

• Understand how AI and real-time data optimize digital marketing strategies, and be
ready to explain how digital platforms cater to different consumer generations.

Week 2: Evolution of Digital Media and Hyperconnectivity

Key Learning Objectives:

• Examine the influence of hyperconnectivity on modern consumer behavior.

• Learn how trends like multi-screening affect how brands capture and retain attention.
• Explore the growing role of mobile devices and IoT in consumer-brand interactions.

Important Concepts:

1. Hyperconnectivity:
o Consumers interact with brands through multiple channels and devices (e.g.,
smartphones, smart speakers), driving the need for real-time marketing and
cross-channel strategies.
 2. Multi-screening:
o Multi-screening divides consumer attention across devices (e.g., browsing on a
phone while watching TV), making it essential for brands to create concise,
impactful messages to capture attention quickly.
3. Mobile Devices and IoT:
o Mobile-first strategies and IoT devices (e.g., smartwatches) play a key role in
enhancing consumer engagement, requiring marketers to focus on mobile
optimization and seamless digital experiences.

Study Tip:

• Be prepared to explain how hyperconnectivity affects customer expectations and how

brands should adapt to engage multi-screening audiences effectively.

Week 3: The Digital Marketplace and Intermediaries

Key Learning Objectives:

• Understand how intermediaries like Amazon and Google influence purchasing

decisions.
• Analyze the role of digital marketplaces and how technological advancements are
shaping them.

Important Concepts:

1. Role of Intermediaries:
o Platforms like Amazon and Google influence consumer purchasing decisions
by offering personalized product recommendations and facilitating product
discovery through advanced search algorithms.
2. The Digital Marketplace:
o Digital marketplaces provide businesses with global exposure, and the data
gathered from these platforms helps brands improve their targeting and
customer segmentation.

Study Tip:

• Review the importance of intermediaries in shaping the consumer journey and how
companies can leverage platforms like Amazon to gain a competitive advantage.

Week 4: Consumer Journey and Omnichannel Marketing

Key Learning Objectives:

• Learn the stages of the digital consumer journey.

• Understand the difference between multichannel and omnichannel marketing.
• Grasp the significance of balancing paid, owned, and earned media.
Important Concepts:

1. Digital Consumer Journey:

o The consumer journey includes stages such as awareness, consideration,
purchase, retention, and advocacy. Brands must ensure seamless experiences
at each touchpoint.
2. Omnichannel vs. Multichannel Marketing:
o Omnichannel marketing integrates online and offline touchpoints to create a
cohesive brand experience, while multichannel marketing manages each
platform independently.
3. Paid, Owned, and Earned Media:
o Understand how to effectively use paid media (e.g., ads), owned media (e.g.,
websites), and earned media (e.g., reviews) in a holistic strategy.

Study Tip:

• Practice visualizing the customer journey and be ready to differentiate between

omnichannel and multichannel marketing. Understand how to balance media types in
a comprehensive digital strategy.

Week 5: Consumer Psychology and Behavioral Economics

Key Learning Objectives:

• Understand the difference between cognitive and emotional decision-making

processes.
• Learn about decision-making frameworks like compensatory and non-compensatory
models.
• Study the use of behavioral nudges to influence purchasing decisions.

Important Concepts:

1. Cognitive vs. Emotional Decision-Making:

o Cognitive decisions are based on logical factors like price or features, while
emotional decisions are influenced by personal preferences and brand
perceptions.
2. Behavioral Economics and Nudges:
o Behavioral nudges, such as scarcity cues (e.g., “limited time offer”), influence
consumer decisions by creating urgency.

Study Tip:

• Be able to explain how consumers make decisions using cognitive and emotional
processes, and how marketers use behavioral nudges to guide those decisions.
Week 6: Digital Marketing Mix and Channels

Key Learning Objectives:

• Review the 7Ps of the marketing mix (Product, Price, Place, Promotion, People,
Process, Physical Evidence) in the digital context.
• Explore the roles of SEO, SEM, and other digital marketing channels.

Important Concepts:

1. 7Ps of Digital Marketing:

o Understand how digital platforms modify traditional 7Ps (e.g., Place in digital
marketing refers to digital distribution channels like e-commerce).
2. SEO and SEM:
o SEO involves optimizing content to improve organic search rankings, while
SEM uses paid ads to increase visibility on search engines.

Study Tip:

• Understand how the 7Ps apply to digital marketing and how to differentiate between
SEO and SEM strategies.

Week 7: Social Media Duopoly and Digital Advertising Shifts

Key Learning Objectives:

• Understand the concept of the duopoly between Google and Meta (Facebook) in
digital advertising.
• Learn how the digital advertising landscape is evolving with the rise of new
competitors.
• Explore the impact of privacy changes, like Apple's iOS 14 update, on digital
marketing strategies.
• Grasp how emerging platforms like TikTok and Amazon are challenging the duopoly
in the digital ad space.

Important Concepts:

1. The Google-Meta Duopoly:

o Google and Meta have long dominated the digital advertising market. Google
controls the majority of search advertising, while Meta dominates social media
advertising through platforms like Facebook and Instagram.
o However, this dominance is being challenged by privacy regulations and the
rise of new platforms that offer different advertising models and reach.
2. Impact of Privacy Changes:
o Apple’s iOS 14 update brought significant changes to how data is tracked
across apps, giving users more control over their data and reducing the
effectiveness of targeted ads on platforms like Meta. As a result, brands need to
rethink their strategies and rely more on first-party data.
o This shift forces advertisers to find creative ways to gather data and engage
audiences without heavily relying on third-party tracking.
 3. New Competitors:
o TikTok and Amazon are rapidly growing in the digital ad space. TikTok’s
focus on short-form, engaging video content has attracted a younger
demographic, challenging Meta's stronghold on social media advertising.
o Amazon has become a major player in search-based advertising, especially in
e-commerce. Its ability to combine advertising with purchase intent gives it a
unique advantage, attracting brands looking to advertise directly to consumers
ready to make purchases.

Study Tips:

• Understand the changing dynamics of the digital advertising landscape. Be prepared to

discuss how new competitors like TikTok and Amazon are influencing digital ad spend,
and how privacy changes impact brands’ ability to target consumers.
• Review the shifts in data collection methods and explore how first-party data is
becoming increasingly important in maintaining ad effectiveness in a privacy-focused
environment.

Recommendations for Study:

• Focus on Media Types: Be well-prepared to differentiate between paid, owned, and

earned media. Understand how they complement each other in a digital marketing
strategy.
• Intermediaries and Their Role: Study how intermediaries like Amazon and Google
influence consumer decisions, particularly through personalized recommendations.
• Behavioral Economics: Review the psychological aspects of decision-making,
especially how cognitive biases are used in marketing.
• Customer Journey: Make sure you can map the different phases of the customer
journey, from awareness to advocacy. Also, understand the importance of real-time
data in enhancing customer engagement.
• Omnichannel vs. Multichannel: Be clear on how omnichannel marketing
integrates channels for a seamless experience, while multichannel marketing operates
channels independently.