We are at a transitional period with technology and things are changing very quickly. It is quite amazing to be aware and involved with this transition from what is considered a traditional means of advertising and marketing to the very technology focused era of digital marketing.
I remember when the Internet initially became mainstream, it was a very exciting time as a technology user to be involved. I remembered thinking how cool it would be to be involved with technology from the inside, as a person actually driving the growth of the technology.
The first boom of technology really put us in a position to see such growth in this field. It was so very different than what is online now; it is quite amazing how things have grown and how quickly they have grown. The Internet initially was VERY text driven and basic. I you go to a website called the Wayback Machine you can actually see how your favorite website displayed during the first boom of the Internet. You will be quite amazed at the changes and growth of technology in a relatively short period of time.
A few years ago I decided to go back to school after returning ten years previously to get my Bachelors Degree in Business. This time I decided to get a Graduate Degree in Internet Marketing and this was driven by my need to be a part of the evolution of technolgy. When I started doing my research online every search produced Full Sail University as the only option that taught everything thing that I was interested in learning. They were very cutting edge and differed from any other University that I’ve ever seen with their platform and coursework. So of course Full Sail was the option for me.
After spending so much time in traditional sales and marketing industries and having a love for all things Internet related, this was a natural progression for me. So I went full steam ahead into this exciting and evolving industry. I felt a real sense of urgency when moving into this field because I knew that is would be life altering and I was correct.
Digital Marketing has truly changed how all industries are promoting and advertising their organizations. Traditional marketing, which was partially driven by physical media, has had a 180-degree change. I am not minimizing the role of traditional marketing only stating that it has changed. It has change so quickly that it has grown even beyond what I was taught in Graduate school just 2 years ago. That is astounding.
When I attended Full Sail University the curriculum was geared toward giving students the most cutting edge knowledge needed to either work with an organization, start your own organization or grow your current organization. Honestly I’ve never seen a University embrace cutting edge technologies as I’ve seen Full Sail University. This really makes me proud to be Alumni, because I graduated from the best!
Attending such a cutting edge university made me take a look at the offerings of some of the other universities. This is when I realized that there are so many universities and colleges still offering degrees in Traditional Marketing. I am really amazed that more universities have NOT pursued offering degrees in Digital/Internet Marketing or even altered their curriculum to incorporate MORE digital marketing courses.
I was speaking to a few people about traditional marketing degrees and the dire need for colleges and universities to take a look at what they are teaching. Hello? Traditional Marketing as we once knew it, does not exist anymore. I am not saying that it’s totally gone, only that it is a hybrid of what it once was at best. Due to this fact colleges and universities should address their curriculum immediately.
Teaching traditional marketing in a world that no longer exclusively utilizes this media as a primary means of advertising and marketing is irresponsible on the part of the university. The goal of colleges and universities are to prepare students for work in the real world. Continuing to teach marketing as it was many years ago only prepares students for a world that no longer exists. We have evolved way past brochures, print media, flyer and other traditional marketing strategies.
Time to step it up colleges and universities that have not altered their marketing curriculum in the past two years or so. What you are teaching is obsolete at worse and dated as best. Either way it does NOT prepare your graduates for the new world of Digital Marketing.
The takeaway: When looking for a college or university make sure their curriculum is up to date and prepares you for the field that will best put you on the best path for your career.
