Advanced Marketing Management

Digital marketing is no longer a niche tool reserved for innovative start-ups, big companies or specialized online companies. It has become the backbone of corporate strategy, shaping the way businesses connect with customers, position themselves against competitors, and drive long-term growth. This course in Corporate Digital Marketing is designed to give students both a strategic overview and a practical understanding of how companies can harness the power of digital technologies to achieve their objectives. Combining the structure of well-established framework with the latest insights and examples drawn from today’s digital marketplace, it offers a comprehensive learning journey into the heart of corporate digital transformation.

To anchor this journey, the course starts with the “Theories and Concepts in Marketing” through the lens of the S.A.V.E.D. Framework. This framework reframes traditional marketing thinking by encouraging students to: Sell Solutions instead of Products, focus on Access instead of Place, emphasize Value instead of Price, prioritize Emotions and Experience instead of Promotion, and integrate the D for Digital across all strategies. This conceptual foundation sets the stage for strategic and tactical marketing management in the digital age, giving students a fresh perspective on how marketing creates relevance, differentiation, and long-term impact.

The role and scope of digital marketing in business today is setting the stage for a deeper exploration of the environment in which companies operate. Students then will learn to analyze the digital marketplace, understand how digital customers behave and interact online, and assess both competitors and their own organization’s digital capabilities. From this situational analysis, the course moves to the setting of clear and measurable objectives, showing how digital goals can be aligned with broader corporate strategies.

Building on this foundation, students will examine how to design effective digital marketing strategies that deliver value and competitive advantage. They will explore in detail the full spectrum of digital marketing tactics that companies use in practice, from content marketing and owned media to search engine marketing, display advertising, email and mobile campaigns, social media initiatives, digital partnerships & affiliate programs, digital public relations & influencer collaborations. Each of these channels will be studied not only as standalone tools but also as parts of an integrated digital ecosystem.

The course does not stop at theory. Students will be guided through the essential steps of action and implementation, including how to plan campaigns and manage content workflows. Finally, attention will be given to control and measurement, ensuring students understand the importance of digital metrics and analytics in evaluating performance, optimizing strategies, and demonstrating return on investment.

By the end of the program, students will have developed both a strategic perspective and a practical skill set in corporate digital marketing. They will leave the course prepared to understand, design, and implement digital initiatives that make a real impact in today’s fast-paced business world.

GESTS489 is one of the core marketing courses in the Master program at the Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management. It is designed to serve as a review and in-depth study to the theory and practice of marketing (LO 2.1.). We will explore the theory and applications of marketing concepts through a mix of cases, discussions, lectures, guest speakers and a final assignment and applied field work. We will draw materials from a variety of sources and settings including services, consumer- and business-to-business products. The goal of this course is to help students develop a comprehensive understanding of how marketing strategies can be developed and executed in dynamic and competitive global and digital environments. It is an integrative course that brings together the marketing activities of creating, capturing, and sustaining customer value in a variety of marketing contexts. Students will be exposed to the most recent theories, methods, tools and analytical techniques, as well as current best practices for developing marketing strategies (LO 2.1.). At the end of the course, students will be able to (see Graduate Profile: LO = Learning Objectives https://www.ulb.be/servlet/search?q=&l=0&beanKey=beanKeyRechercheFormation&RH=15716250360 18525&s=CATEGORIE_ASC&natureFormation=ulb&anneePostbac=CFR6):

• Master and apply key economic and management concepts, frameworks, and theories in a professional context to identify a business opportunity and create a relevant innovative solution for it (LO 1.2)
• Translate a strategy into an actionable plan including the financial implications of the project (LO 1.4)
• Apply quantitative and qualitative techniques to support data analysis using standard office and statistical software (LO 3.1)
• Adopt a scientific approach to data collection, research and analysis and communicate results using clear, structured, and sophisticated arguments (LO 2.1.)
• Work and communicate effectively as part of a team in an international and multicultural environment (LO 4.1)
• Display critical thinking and develop autonomous learning strategies and techniques (LO 2.2.)

By the end of this course, you will be able to develop a broader scope of marketing, gaining insights that go beyond theoretical knowledge to touch on the real-world application of marketing principles. You will understand both the positive and destructive power of influencers, enabling you to navigate and leverage their impact effectively. You'll learn to identify the Unfair Advantage of any company and create a Marketing Zoonotic, a strategy that spreads ideas like a virus. Additionally, you will gain a deeper understanding of why certain businesses go viral and become more confident in the practical field of marketing, equipped with the skills and knowledge to excel in a dynamic and competitive landscape.