“MBA in marketing: The rise of the Digital Managers”
*dhum* *dhum*
“Is Tony home?”
The door creaked open just as we reached forward for the fourth time to knock in frustrated impatience. An old lady, wrinkled beyond recognition, opened the door. She leaned forward, squinting through her thick spectacles at us, her mouth half open in confusion.
“Hello, Aunty. We are Tony’s friends. Is he at home?”
Without a word, she walked us towards the basement staircase. We ventured down into a smelly room, lit only by strings of LEDs scattered all over the room.
At the end of this room, littered with cardboard boxes and action figures, sat the silhouette of Tony. The outline of this black figure was illuminated by the glow of the desktop screen and adorned by headphones.
We remembered Tony very well from our college days. However, while we ended up in the corporate warehouses, Tony disappeared into the darkness of his room.
After a few months of toiling, we heard about Tony during a meeting with our CEO.
“This guy knows his stuff. Be wary of the way you approach him. Before you go, understand that he has more control over you than you might realize.”
There stood one of the prototypes of the digital generation, with headphones adorning his head like a crown. The king of a digital empire that was vaster than any corporation or company could dream of. The digital manager of the new era chose to step down into the offline reality to help us create our own kingdoms!
The rise of online business platforms is pointing towards an increased interest in the process of digital marketing. Now, people like Tony wield the power of digital marketing and use it to create vast digital empires. The conceptual and practical interest in the nuances of Search Engine Optimization, Link Building and other elements of Digital Marketing is driving this new era forward.
In this world of opportunity and risk, MBA graduates are looking for an extra edge over the corporate wilderness. Gone are the days when companies and corporations were the only havens for individuals who had an MBA degree. As the digital world opens its arms to receive everyone who is willing to explore it, MBA in marketing becomes a preferred key to the kingdom. A whole new world is now open for MBA graduates, where there are no boundaries and limitations to what one can achieve.
Planned digital marketing budgets of UK marketers
MBA in Marketing: The Art of “Managing” Online Realities
Today, we can observe a general tendency amongst students to break free from the usual definitions of management. In its undiluted form, the core of management involves building powerful relationships with people and entities. In most management scenarios, building bonds with the stakeholders of the organization, adding value to the services and products offered to customers, and helping employees realize their needs and aspirations is a part of the job description.
As far as MBA in marketing is concerned, we see numerous areas where the knowledge of digital marketing can prove to be highly beneficial for managers. For instance, managing stakeholder interests and maintaining proper relations with them is akin to the practice of link building in the online domain. Enough work experience in terms of managing stakeholder relations can help any MBA aspirant appreciate and utilize the power of backlinks. Whether it is the online or the offline realm, creating proper relationships with one’s consumer base and adding value to one’s product or content is equally important. This is where aspects such as content marketing and social media marketing hold considerable significance as far as creating one’s own online reality is concerned.
The mind of a digital marketer
Digital Marketing and Management: A Potent Combination
The areas where management theories coincide with marketing practices are numerous and vast. MBA in marketing is an integral step for understanding how digital marketing and management are closely tied together. Management is a potent medium for creating and implementing growth systems to aid in the development of companies. However, MBA in marketing, especially in the realm of digital marketing, requires a more personal and customizable touch. Marketing can also help in understanding the needs and requirements of the customers, so that the level of satisfaction and loyalty in the company is maintained.
PRAQTISE Fact File: Numerous MBA-startups are waking up to the immense potential of digital marketing. Take a look at this statistic: a survey found that CMOs of several companies are planning to increase their spending on digital marketing by 14.7 % in the period of one year. The total spending on social media marketing is also expected to rise from 9.9 % of their total marketing budget to 13.5 % in the next year, and up to 22.4 % in the next five years.
With the immense functionality that the digital medium offers, managing one’s website or blogging platform has become easier than before. An MBA graduate with experience in digital marketing can design, develop and manage his/her virtual space. In other words, MBA entrance exams for such individuals can be an important step to leap into the digital sphere. At the same time, by combining a degree in management with a digital marketing degree, one can understand the usage of several important tools and software which are elemental in the development process of digital platforms and websites.
Top B-Schools Fusing Marketing and Management
| Institute | Course |
| IIM, Ahmedabad | PGP Specialization in Marketing |
| IIM, Bangalore | PGP Specialization in Marketing |
| IIM, Calcutta | PGDM Post Graduate Program in Management – Marketing |
| Indian School of Business (ISB) Hyderabad | PGDM Post Graduate Program in Management |
| IIT, Bombay | Master of Management Program – Marketing |
| FMS, Delhi | MBA in Marketing |
| IIM, Lucknow | PGDM Post Graduate Program in Management –Electives |
| Management Development Institute, Gurgaon | PGDM Post-Graduate in Management – Marketing Specialization |
| IIT, Delhi | MBA Specialization in Marketing – Department of Management Studies (DMS) |
| IMT, Ghaziabad | Post Graduate Diploma in Management (Marketing) |
| XLRI, Jamshedpur | Post Graduate Certificate in Sales & Marketing Management – PGCSMM |
The scope for growth and development that MBA-backed entrepreneurs have is vaster than we think it is. As more and more individuals leap into the digital wilderness, one cannot help but wonder about a particular question.
Will the increased focus on digital marketing lead to a slow death for traditional marketing methods and related practices?
Let us know what you think.
Image Sources:
[1]: http://www.londonschoolofmarketing.com/blog/bid/340820/McDonalds-plays-in-the-digital-world
[2]: http://blog.startuptalky.com/embrace-yourself-for-the-hottest-jobs-at-startups/