What You'll Learn
Digital Marketing strategy relies on a complex set of skills, from communications and content to data and analytics. As technologies continue to evolve and disrupt the way consumers engage with brands, marketers must implement strategies to stay relevant and responsive.
To lead in the digital marketing space, marketing leaders must understand their customers’ changing preferences and journeys, develop data-driven plans that meet their organization’s business objectives, assess tools and vendor partners, and establish the business case to gain support from the c-suite.
This highly interactive program will teach you successful digital marketing strategies. You’ll learn how to apply current and emerging tactics through a mix of lecture, video, case studies, articles, and interactive group activities. The week will culminate in a final team presentation where participants present their digital strategies and hear their colleagues’ feedback. Participants will depart feeling prepared to initiate new digital programs for their organizations.
Program Benefits
- Develop the skills to build an actionable digital marketing strategy that aligns with your business goals.
- Examine how companies use data, analytics, and activation tactics to target customers and learn how to incorporate them creatively in your own organization.
- Develop an approach to digital marketing that breaks up groupthink and aligns departments around a common vision.
- Understand how to evaluate and manage vendors from influencers to agency partners
- Assess the capabilities of your internal teams to determine appetite and readiness for digital transformation
- Expand your definition of ROI to better understand relevant metrics and a measurement framework that can drive meaningful results.
- Discuss trending topics and technologies to understand the impact of AI, cookies, data, privacy to understand the impact on the industry
- Apply concepts learned in a final team project and create your own digital strategy when you return to work.
- Share ideas and challenges with a dynamic group of global digital marketers and enjoy multiple networking opportunities.
- Earn a Certificate of Participation from the Harvard Division of Continuing Education.
Participants will also have an opportunity to engage more deeply on trending technology, data, and analytics with a marketing expert and Partner at PwC.
Topics Covered
- Changes in consumer behavior and expectations resulting from rapid advancements in marketing and advertising technology
- Customer personas vs. segmentation to create focused journeys that can drive engagement and conversion
- Omni-channel vs. multi-channel marketing and analytics techniques for improved media efficiency via performance marketing
- Media Mix Modeling and Customer Data Platforms
- Data gathering and KPI frameworks for improved customer insights and personalization
- The role of content creators and the pros and cons of influencer marketing
- The power of online communities benefiting both businesses and customers
- Mitigating and avoiding brand crises in a complex open-source digital world
- End-to-end planning that incorporates social media, SEO, digital advertising, and measurement
Who Should Enroll
This intensive program is ideal for those looking to understand the big picture of the digital landscape to guide their teams toward the best opportunities for building and executing an effective digital marketing strategy.
This program is especially appropriate for:
- Marketing leaders who want an unbiased perspective of digital marketing (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities)
- Digital marketers who want to move into a more strategic role
- Executive level leaders who seek clarity about the opportunities in this space so that they can better lead, manage, and develop their current teams
Participants should be familiar with the various social and digital media platforms and understand how business drivers apply to these digital marketing initiatives.
April Schedule
Day 1
- The Digital Landscape
- Digital Marketing Overview
- Review of Tools and Platforms
Day 2
- Content Marketing & Digital
- Always On Content
- Non-linear Customer Journeys
Day 3
- The Impact of Data on Digital Marketing
- Strategy & Metrics without Cookies
- Data Marketing, KPIs, and Emerging Technology
Day 4
- Influencer Marketing
- Digital Communities
- Team Time
Day 5
- Planning for Crisis & Digital Media
- Team Presentations
- Recap & Course Outcomes
August Schedule
Day 1
- The Digital Landscape
- Digital Marketing Overview
- Review of Tools and Platforms
Day 2
- Content Marketing & Digital
- Always On Content
- Non-linear Customer Journeys
Day 3
- The Impact of Data on Digital Marketing
- Strategy & Metrics without Cookies
- Data Marketing, KPIs, and Emerging Technology
Day 4
- Influencer Marketing
- Digital Communities
- Team Time
Day 5
- Planning for Crisis & Digital Media
- Team Presentations
- Recap & Course Outcomes
October Schedule
Day 1
- The Digital Landscape
- Digital Marketing Overview
- Review of Tools and Platforms
Day 2
- Content Marketing & Digital
- Always On Content
- Non-linear Customer Journeys
Day 3
- The Impact of Data on Digital Marketing
- Strategy & Metrics without Cookies
- Data Marketing, KPIs, and Emerging Technology
Day 4
- Influencer Marketing
- Digital Communities
- Team Time
Day 5
- Planning for Crisis & Digital Media
- Team Presentations
- Recap & Course Outcomes
Instructor
-
Nicole Ames
Nicole Ames built her expertise in Digital Marketing by working with top international brands to lead strategic initiatives and develop high-performing, integrated marketing teams. In addition to her consulting business, she has honed her teaching experience through graduate-level Digital Marketing courses at Harvard Extension School, Emerson College and Boston University’s Questrom School of Business.
Instructor
-
Nicole Ames
Nicole Ames built her expertise in Digital Marketing by working with top international brands to lead strategic initiatives and develop high-performing, integrated marketing teams. In addition to her consulting business, she has honed her teaching experience through graduate-level Digital Marketing courses at Harvard Extension School, Emerson College and Boston University’s Questrom School of Business.
Instructor
-
Nicole Ames
Nicole Ames built her expertise in Digital Marketing by working with top international brands to lead strategic initiatives and develop high-performing, integrated marketing teams. In addition to her consulting business, she has honed her teaching experience through graduate-level Digital Marketing courses at Harvard Extension School, Emerson College and Boston University’s Questrom School of Business.
Expand Your Network
With participants from more than 100 different countries and a variety of industries, Harvard Professional Development Programs provide you the opportunity to gain fresh perspectives and unique insights as you learn alongside peers with similar roles who face like business challenges.

What Participants Are Saying
“Excellent course. What I love most is the true focus on strategy so you can embrace practices both for your business in its current state and as it evolves over time.”
—Nicole A., CMO, The Mullings Group Companies
“[the] Digital Marketing class with Nicole Ames … has been one of [those] ‘life-changing moments’ as a marketer. I learned so much from her experience, competence, and passion. After the class, I have been upskilled and delivered several campaigns with the result of double-digit growth.”
—Cindy D., Global Marketing Lead, Henkel