MARK 465 · Haslam College of Business
Marketing 465: Digital Marketing
Digital marketing the way it’s practiced: real consulting work for a real client, grounded in one idea from Marketing Rebellion: the most human company wins.
16
topics
16
interactive labs
33+
real brand examples
3
deep dives
What you’ll be able to do
01
Build and present a complete digital marketing strategy for a real client
02
Create content across short-form video, email and written brand content
03
Measure what’s working with Google Analytics 4
04
Build a brand community and a professional personal brand
How each topic page works
Start with See it in action, an interactive lab you can play with. Then read the key concepts, study real brands in action, work through the frameworks from class, try the activity, and finish with tips and a quick check.
Topics
Topic 01
AI in Marketing
AI is only as good as the thinking you give it. It reflects your strategy, or shows that you don’t have one. Your value is judgment, empathy and accountability, which no tool can supply.
Lab: Prompt Builder Lab · Slides
Topic 02
Strategy Foundations: Goals, Audiences and Channels
Strategy starts with who your audience is and what they value, not with which platform is hot. Go where your people already are, in a setting where your message is welcome.
Lab: SWOT Sorter Lab · Slides
Topic 03
Personas and Audience Journey Maps
Good marketing sees the audience as real people, through what they do, fear and trust, not as a demographic. A persona is only useful if it helps you make a real decision.
Lab: Journey Walk Lab · Slides
04
Story Arc Builder Lab
Topic 04
Content Strategy and Brand Storytelling
People don’t buy products. They buy who they want to be. The brands that win commit to a clear point of view and a voice you’d recognize without seeing the logo.
Lab: Story Arc Builder Lab · Slides
Topic 05
Human-Centered Marketing
The most human company wins. People trust each other far more than they trust ads, so the brands that grow are the ones people want to talk about and belong to.
Lab: Flip the Message Lab
06
The Case of the Missing Sales Lab
Topic 06
Analytics with GA4
Analytics tells you what people actually do, not what you hope they do. Measure the actions that matter to the business, and let the data change your mind.
Lab: The Case of the Missing Sales Lab · Deep dive
07
Hook & Hold Lab
Topic 07
Social Media and Short-Form Video
Short-form video is where attention lives right now. Win the first few seconds, deliver one clear idea, and make content people want to share.
Lab: Hook & Hold Lab
Topic 08
SEO and AI Discoverability
Search starts with a question. Be the clearest, most trustworthy answer, for search engines and for the AI tools that now answer people directly.
Lab: SEO & AI Discoverability Lab · Deep dive
Topic 09
Community vs. Audience
An audience listens to you. A community talks to each other.
Lab: Audience to Community Lab
10
Lifecycle Flow Lab
Topic 10
Email and Lifecycle Marketing
Email is the channel you own. Send the right message at the right moment in someone’s relationship with your brand, and every email should earn the next open.
Lab: Lifecycle Flow Lab
Topic 11
Influencer and UGC Strategy
Trust is borrowed from people. Choose creators for fit and credibility, not follower count, and make it easy for real customers to share their own stories.
Lab: Creator Match Lab
12
Run a Campaign Lab
Topic 12
Paid Media
Paid media buys reach and speed. Spend it on a clear objective, test small, and scale what works for the budget your client actually has.
Lab: Run a Campaign Lab · Deep dive
13
A/B Test Lab
Topic 13
Campaign Planning and Creative Testing
A campaign is one clear goal, one audience and one big idea, carried across channels. Test your creative on purpose so the data teaches you something.
Lab: A/B Test Lab
14
Vanity or Valuable Lab
Topic 14
Measurement: KPIs and Dashboards
Measure what matters to the goal, not what’s easy to count. A good dashboard answers one question: is it working, and what should we do next?
Lab: Vanity or Valuable Lab
Topic 15
Personal Branding and Digital Portfolio
Your personal brand is the promise of what it’s like to work with you. Show your thinking, not just your finished work.
Lab: Headline Makeover Lab
16
Slide Fix Lab
Topic 16
Presenting Like Pros
Lead with the answer. Busy clients want your recommendation first, then the evidence that supports it.
Lab: Slide Fix Lab
Dates, deadlines and grades are in Canvas.