A Spotlight On... Digital Marketing

“Adapt or perish…” as the English writer Herbert George Wells once said. In an increasingly digital world, these words could not be more true. For businesses to flourish and rise above the competition, they must excel in reaching their audiences and cultivating customers online or risk becoming obsolete. 

In the Digital Marketing module, students learn how to use social media marketing, content marketing, and online public relations to build a successful online communication and marketing plan. Here’s a sneak peak at what students gain from this module: 

1. Learn how to build a strategic digital marketing plan 

In this module, students learn about the fundamentals of digital marketing and how it can be harnessed to help businesses succeed in today’s digital age. Students put their knowledge to the test by creating a digital marketing plan for a fictitious hotel opening, which they must pitch to the hotel’s management team. This exercise also helps develop students’ presentation skills, which are essential in the hospitality and business sector.  

2. Acquire real-world experience by applying learnings to real-life scenarios 

A unique element of this course are the many opportunities for students to apply what they learn in the classroom to real-world situations. In one activity, students form small management teams to develop digital marketing plans for the opening of a fictional ski resort.  

Together, students must brainstorm digital marketing ideas that will help the resort achieve a 60 percent occupancy rate upon opening. They then must present their plan to the hotel's Marketing Director along with a portfolio of supporting documents, project plans, worksheets, and a complete budget to justify their plan. 

This type of practical learning is what helps prepare students for the real world of business and hospitality.

3. Build a firm foundation for a career in digital marketing 

Many of our students who have gone on to jobs in digital marketing find themselves performing many tasks they have already practiced in the classroom.  

This is definitely the right course to learn how to navigate our ever-changing industry.

"This course really helped me improve my professional skills in digital marketing. Ms. Medico always comes to class with great input and with a large smile on her face. This is definitely the right course to learn how to navigate our ever-changing industry," says Anita S. Santoso, 4th year student.

Students in this module leave equipped with a solid foundation and understanding of how to devise a cohesive digital marketing plan, build and manage social media accounts, and manage marketing budgets. This real-world learning helps students walk away with the confidence to put theory into action in the workplace. 

Meet the Lecturer

Kathryn Medico is a journalist, author, and lecturer from the United States. Her classes cover Digital Marketing, Hospitality, Communication, and Broadcast Journalism. Formerly a manager at Ritz-Carlton, she enjoys sharing her "real world" experiences in the hospitality industry with her students. As a writer on issues of juvenile justice, her book A Perversion of Justice is currently on its fifth printing. She is also an international conference speaker on the rights of children. 

Learn more about Kathryn in our Faculty Friday Series.

Learn more about the Bachelor of Arts program 

Learn by doing, with this bachelor's program that prepares you to excel in an international career in hospitality management and beyond. The curriculum features applied practical and academic learning, with two professional internships and the opportunity to refine your skills in a specialization of your choice that will make you stand out in the job market.

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