In today’s fast-changing digital marketing world, it’s challenging to build a program that prepares students for the rigors of the job market. That’s why Fernand Zuili of SEReS University in Querétaro, Mexico, joined Stukent to discuss best practices for building a robust, modern marketing program.
Zuili has taught marketing with Stukent’s courseware and simulations for years: “Stukent has helped SEReS University elevate its digital marketing program in every single way,” says Zuili, who teaches digital and full-stack marketing. SEReS University’s impact is multinational, too — it has translated its courses into nine languages, including Chinese, Japanese, and German. SEReS University has also built training courses for international companies such as Cisco and SAP.
SEReS University’s Marketing Curriculum
“‘Digital Marketing Essentials’ is one of my favorite courses,” says Zuili. “[And our] students use the simulators from Stukent. … When they leave our courses and are looking for work, they can show their experience” with the material they have learned. SEReS University utilizes Stukent’s Mimic Pro digital marketing simulation, which gives students tens of thousands of dollars in simulated ad budget. Not only does Mimic Pro help students put textbook concepts into practice, but it also gives them real-world experience they can put on a resume.
As a professor, Zuili also focuses on a “growth hacking” framework in his marketing classrooms. Zuili developed the growth hacking curriculum from Sean Ellis and Morgan Brown’s 2017 book “Hacking Growth.” Growth hacking principles encourage marketers to conduct experiments and use big data to make better business decisions. Zuili pairs his growth hacking framework with Stukent’s “Marketing Analytics” courseware and simulations, helping students practice cleaning and applying big data.
“Usually, sales and marketing stop at acquisition,” says Zuili. “We are aiming to teach our students the full-stack marketing process, all the way to … revenue.”
“Digital marketing is not only evolving the way we do advertising, but it’s also evolving the way we build products,” Zuili says. “If our students don’t understand the process, we have a problem, … so they’re learning the full stack.”
Zuili also employs Philip Kotler’s “Marketing 5.0” strategies in his classroom. “[This framework teaches] students to make informed decisions, not creative decisions,” Zuili says. The Marketing 5.0 framework allows marketers to predict outcomes of marketing strategies, speed up execution, deliver better value, and more.
SEReS University’s Program Structure
The structure SEReS University uses to teach is just as important as the substance of its curriculum.
Unlike traditional universities, SEReS University doesn’t operate on the semester system. Instead, students may start a master’s program whenever a new course begins, allowing them to tailor their education to their timetables. SEReS University’s Master’s Degree for Educators in Digital Marketing begins three times a year, and their Full-stack Marketing Master’s Degree starts seven times a year.
“We don’t have sequential content,” says Zuili, so that students can start their master’s program when it works for them.
Stukent’s courseware is easy to implement and can be used in online, in-person, and hybrid classrooms, making it ideal for an innovative institution such as SEReS University. “You can use Stukent materials to create courses where students attend a campus or use [them] to create courses that are delivered online,” Zuili says. “[At SEReS University], we do both.”
SEReS University also takes a unique approach to real-world projects and assignments: “We do not do assignments, we do mentorships,” says Zuili. “Students either find or bring a project [to the program], and they work on [multiple] projects throughout their master’s degree.” This method allows students to work on practical ventures while building a balanced, modern skill set they can take with them into the job market.
Using these strategies — and Stukent’s courseware — Fernand Zuili is building a robust international marketing program that reaches students all over the world. Stukent’s mission is to help educators help students help the world, and we’re proud to partner with SEReS University to make that happen!
“Digital Marketing Boost: Elevate Your Digital Marketing Program” was a one-day event held on January 21, 2022. This Stukent webinar focused on actionable, useful tips and tools for marketing educators. It featured expert speakers from SEReS University, HubSpot, and Canva. You can access the webinar, sample assignments, and more on the webinar homepage.
To learn more about Stukent’s revolutionary courseware and simulations, or to get free instructor access to our digital marketing products, visit our website.
