Marketing in the Digital Era

Need Help? Contact Us:

Program Advising team

Email: executive_education@hbs.edu

"Digital technology has changed how customers search, buy, and interact with businesses."

Sunil Gupta

Faculty Cochair

Rajiv Lal

Faculty Cochair

Review Our Campus Health & Safety Protocols

Need Help? Contact Us:

Program Advising team

Email: executive_education@hbs.edu

Summary

Digital technologies are transforming the potential and practice of marketing—as companies have become more agile, data-driven, and ROI-focused. Whether you are a marketing executive or a general manager, this program will take you deep into essential marketing principles and strategies that will enable you to build and sustain a leading edge in your marketing and your business. You will emerge with the advanced skills to generate more value for customers and more business growth by developing an integrated marketing strategy that blends proven marketing paradigms with the latest innovations.

Summary: Digital technologies are transforming the potential and practice of marketing—as companies have become more agile, data-driven, and ROI-focused. Whether you are a marketing executive or a general manager, this program will take you deep into essential marketing principles and strategies that will enable you to build and sustain a leading edge in your marketing and your business. You will emerge with the advanced skills to generate more value for customers and more business growth by developing an integrated marketing strategy that blends proven marketing paradigms with the latest innovations.

Key Benefits

Marketing leaders are charged with driving organic growth for their businesses. This program prepares you to build and execute an integrated marketing strategy that aligns your business with consumer needs and differentiates it from the competition. Whatever your industry, you will emerge with the frameworks, concepts and tools to drive profitable growth through a more forward-thinking approach to marketing strategy development and implementation.

DetailsExpand All Collapse All

Thrive in the era of digital marketing and digital business models Thrive in the era of digital marketing and digital business models

Understand the playbook of direct-to-consumer (DTC) brands
Know how to respond to the threat of new DTC entrants
Assess ROI for your marketing spend
Balance performance and brand marketing

Drive integrated, customer-centric marketing strategies Drive integrated, customer-centric marketing strategies

Effectively analyze markets, customer needs, and buying behaviors
Determine strengths and weaknesses of competitors and substitutes
Identify business shifts related to technological, regulatory, and customer change
Assess the economic impact and viability of social media and digital business strategies

Ensure marketing activities contribute to company success Ensure marketing activities contribute to company success

Align marketing strategies with your business objectives
Fine-tune brand management strategies
Make strategic tradeoffs with a thorough understanding of the marketing implications
Assess the performance of your marketing function, including talent, programs, and infrastructure
Synchronize marketing activities across your organization to create and capture more value

Expand your personal and professional network Expand your personal and professional network

Extend your network by connecting and working with accomplished executives from various backgrounds, industries, and countries across the globe
Build relationships with a diverse group of peers who can provide wide-ranging insights into your business challenges and career decisions

Key Benefits

Details

Thrive in the era of digital marketing and digital business models

Understand the playbook of direct-to-consumer (DTC) brands
Know how to respond to the threat of new DTC entrants
Assess ROI for your marketing spend
Balance performance and brand marketing

Drive integrated, customer-centric marketing strategies

Effectively analyze markets, customer needs, and buying behaviors
Determine strengths and weaknesses of competitors and substitutes
Identify business shifts related to technological, regulatory, and customer change
Assess the economic impact and viability of social media and digital business strategies

Ensure marketing activities contribute to company success

Align marketing strategies with your business objectives
Fine-tune brand management strategies
Make strategic tradeoffs with a thorough understanding of the marketing implications
Assess the performance of your marketing function, including talent, programs, and infrastructure
Synchronize marketing activities across your organization to create and capture more value

Expand your personal and professional network

Extend your network by connecting and working with accomplished executives from various backgrounds, industries, and countries across the globe
Build relationships with a diverse group of peers who can provide wide-ranging insights into your business challenges and career decisions

Who Should Attend

Senior marketing executives in any industry who want to learn established and emerging best practices and improve planning and implementation skills
General managers and entrepreneurs who are responsible for business growth
CEOs and other senior leaders who manage large marketing budgets for their organizations

Program for Leadership Development participants earn 5 PLDA Points on completion of this program.

Who Should Attend

Senior marketing executives in any industry who want to learn established and emerging best practices and improve planning and implementation skills
General managers and entrepreneurs who are responsible for business growth
CEOs and other senior leaders who manage large marketing budgets for their organizations

Program for Leadership Development participants earn 5 PLDA Points on completion of this program.

Dive Deeper into the Experience

See how exchange with faculty and peers yields new insights into critical business trends.

Thrive in a learning environment that welcomes diverse ideas and perspectives.

Global perspectives > Leadership growth > Organizational impact.

Learning and Living at HBS

When you participate in an Executive Education program on the HBS campus, you enter an immersive experience where every aspect of the learning model has been carefully designed to facilitate your growth. Your learning will take place on your own, in your living group, and in the larger classroom, driven by the renowned HBS case method.

Learning and Living at HBS

Review Our Campus Health & Safety Protocols

Admissions Criteria and Process

We admit candidates to specific sessions on a rolling, space-available basis, and encourage you to apply as early as possible. Although most programs have no formal educational requirements, admission is a selective process based on your professional achievement and organizational responsibilities.

Answering Your Questions

Our Program Advising team can help you at any stage of the admissions process—starting with identifying the program that best addresses your learning and development goals. Contact a program advisor via email or call 1.800.427.5577 (outside the U.S., call +1.617.495.6555).

Application Submission

We recommend that you apply at least four weeks before the program start date. You may use our online form or download an application. HBS maintains all application information in strict confidentiality. We acknowledge receipt of applications via email. In the unlikely event that you do not receive an acknowledgment, please email us at exed_admissions@hbs.edu or call us at +1.617.495.6226.

Application Review

To optimize the learning experience and maximize the exchange of ideas, our Admissions Committee makes selections that balance each participant's experience, scope of current responsibilities, and type of organization. HBS seeks candidates who reflect a broad range of industries, functions, countries, and backgrounds. We review applications monthly and will contact you via email with the Admissions Committee's decision.

Fee, Payment, and Cancellations

The program fee covers tuition, e-books, and online case materials. You will be invoiced upon admission to the program. Invoices are due within 30 days of receipt, or upon receipt if the program start date is less than 30 days from the invoice date. If you need to cancel or defer your participation, you must submit your request in writing more than 30 days before the start of the program to receive a full refund. Cancellation or deferral requests received 14 to 30 days prior to the start of the program are subject to a fee of one-half of the program fee. Requests received within 14 days are subject to full payment.

Admissions Criteria and Process

Answering Your Questions

Application Submission

Application Review

Fee, Payment, and Cancellations

What You Will Learn

Through a rich combination of case discussions, faculty presentations, and small group debates, you will explore the latest concepts and tools of digital and strategic marketing as well as best practices that will drive success. Examining the challenges and opportunities a business faces during different stages of its life cycle—launch, growth, and maturity—you will expand your repertoire of strategic marketing approaches you can apply in any industry to help your business thrive in today’s fast-moving markets.

Participants should expect to spend at least 9-12 hours on self-paced case preparation prior to attending the program. Case materials will be made available approximately two weeks prior to program start.

What You Will Learn

Key TopicsExpand All Collapse All

Marketing disruption Marketing disruption

Analyzing the rise of direct-to-consumer brands
Understanding shifts in marketing processes
Thriving in the midst of disruption
Responding to the increasing emphasis on ROI

Value proposition and product-market fit Value proposition and product-market fit

Developing a compelling value proposition
Assessing product-market fit
Identifying target segments and aligning your product to customer needs
Navigating competitive markets

Performance marketing Performance marketing

Understanding and implementing performance marketing
Employing state-of-the-art digital marketing techniques
Leveraging social influencers
Managing customer acquisition, retention, and monetization
Analyzing and competing on the customer journey

Integrated marketing programs Integrated marketing programs

Designing products and services that deliver meaningful customer value
Developing effective go-to-market and pricing strategies
Creating an omnichannel strategy

Growth strategies Growth strategies

Growing by expanding your customer base
Growing through product expansion
Growing by redefining business scope

Managing brands Managing brands

Designing an innovative brand strategy
Evolving the marketing of legacy brands
Managing your brand portfolio
Scaling a brand
Building a brand activism strategy

Redefining strategy for the digital world Redefining strategy for the digital world

Understanding emerging business models
Engaging with the new rules of competition
Building an ecosystem for your business

Mastering marketing management Mastering marketing management

Creating a strategic marketing plan
Anticipating and adapting to change
Understanding ethical and legal issues

Key Topics

Marketing disruption

Analyzing the rise of direct-to-consumer brands
Understanding shifts in marketing processes
Thriving in the midst of disruption
Responding to the increasing emphasis on ROI

Value proposition and product-market fit

Developing a compelling value proposition
Assessing product-market fit
Identifying target segments and aligning your product to customer needs
Navigating competitive markets

Performance marketing

Understanding and implementing performance marketing
Employing state-of-the-art digital marketing techniques
Leveraging social influencers
Managing customer acquisition, retention, and monetization
Analyzing and competing on the customer journey

Integrated marketing programs

Designing products and services that deliver meaningful customer value
Developing effective go-to-market and pricing strategies
Creating an omnichannel strategy

Growth strategies

Growing by expanding your customer base
Growing through product expansion
Growing by redefining business scope

Managing brands

Designing an innovative brand strategy
Evolving the marketing of legacy brands
Managing your brand portfolio
Scaling a brand
Building a brand activism strategy

Redefining strategy for the digital world

Understanding emerging business models
Engaging with the new rules of competition
Building an ecosystem for your business

Mastering marketing management

Creating a strategic marketing plan
Anticipating and adapting to change
Understanding ethical and legal issues

The HBS Advantage

Our Executive Education programs are developed and taught by HBS faculty who are widely recognized as skilled educators, groundbreaking researchers, and award-winning authors. Through their board memberships, consulting, and field-based research, they address the complex challenges facing business leaders across the globe.

Faculty Cochairs

Sunil Gupta

Edward W. Carter Professor of Business Administration

HBS Unit:

Marketing

Rajiv Lal

Stanley Roth, Sr. Professor of Retailing

HBS Unit:

Marketing

Faculty

Eva Ascarza

Jakurski Family Associate Professor of Business Administration

HBS Unit:

Marketing

Jill J. Avery

Senior Lecturer of Business Administration

HBS Unit:

Marketing

David Edelman

Senior Lecturer of Business Administration

HBS Unit:

Marketing

Hubert Joly

Senior Lecturer of Business Administration

HBS Unit:

Marketing

Elie Ofek

Malcolm P. McNair Professor of Marketing

HBS Unit:

Marketing

Shunyuan Zhang

Assistant Professor of Business Administration

HBS Unit:

Marketing

More Admissions Information

The HBS Advantage: Our Executive Education programs are developed and taught by HBS faculty who are widely recognized as skilled educators, groundbreaking researchers, and award-winning authors. Through their board memberships, consulting, and field-based research, they address the complex challenges facing business leaders across the globe.

Faculty Cochairs

Sunil Gupta

Edward W. Carter Professor of Business Administration

HBS Unit:

Marketing

Read Full Bio

Rajiv Lal

Stanley Roth, Sr. Professor of Retailing

HBS Unit:

Marketing

Read Full Bio

Faculty

Eva Ascarza

Jakurski Family Associate Professor of Business Administration

HBS Unit:

Marketing

Read Full Bio

Jill J. Avery

Senior Lecturer of Business Administration

HBS Unit:

Marketing

Read Full Bio

David Edelman

Senior Lecturer of Business Administration

HBS Unit:

Marketing

Read Full Bio

Hubert Joly

Senior Lecturer of Business Administration

HBS Unit:

Marketing

Read Full Bio

Elie Ofek

Malcolm P. McNair Professor of Marketing

HBS Unit:

Marketing

Read Full Bio

Shunyuan Zhang

Assistant Professor of Business Administration

HBS Unit:

Marketing

Read Full Bio

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Program content, dates, schedule, fees, technology platforms, and faculty are subject to change. In accordance with Harvard University policy, Harvard Business School does not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, color, sex or sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, age, national or ethnic origin, political beliefs, veteran status, or disability in admission to, access to, treatment in, or employment in its programs and activities.

"Digital technology has changed how customers search, buy, and interact with businesses."

Sunil Gupta

Faculty Cochair

Rajiv Lal

Faculty Cochair

Need Help? Contact Us:

Program Advising team

Email: executive_education@hbs.edu

"Digital technology has changed how customers search, buy, and interact with businesses."

Sunil Gupta

Faculty Cochair

Rajiv Lal

Faculty Cochair