Rethinking the Marketing Degree for an AI-Driven Marketplace

Rethinking the Marketing Degree for the AI-Driven Marketplace

Over the past year the marketing faculty at the University of Missouri–St. Louis have been working hard to redefine what a marketing degree should look like now and in the foreseeable future. Not an easy task to say the least. Especially given how quickly this field is being disrupted daily by technology.

Marketing is still a discipline rooted in understanding customers, creating value, building brands, and helping organizations communicate and compete. Those fundamentals have not changed. In fact, they matter more than ever. But the world around those fundamentals has changed dramatically.

How Do You Rethink a Marketing Degree for Today’s Marketplace?

Today’s marketing students are entering a profession shaped by artificial intelligence, digital strategy, social media, CRM, marketing automation, analytics, search, content, branding, customer experience, and rapidly changing expectations from employers. They are also entering a world where students and families are asking an important question: What is the return on the educational investment?

That question matters and it should.

For us, the goal was not simply to update a few course titles and descriptions or sprinkle in a few trendy topics. The goal was to step back and rethink the marketing degree around the skills, tools, technologies, and the strategic thinking students will need to create value in a rapidly changing marketplace. From the ground up.

This was not a quick tweak. It was a serious, yearlong faculty and advisory board effort.

The process began last summer with a close look at where the marketing discipline is heading, where employers are placing value, what our students need to be able to do, and how other universities are approaching marketing education. We held an offsite strategy meeting with key advisory board members and faculty to brainstorm the future of the curriculum, discuss the skills students need, and think through how we could make the degree more relevant and more focused.

From there, the work moved into curriculum mapping, which is an important part of making sure each course in the program is delivering meaningful outcomes for students. This was not just a conversation about adding topics. It was a deeper process of asking what students should know, what they should be able to do, where those outcomes are introduced, where they are reinforced, and how the degree fits together as a complete learning experience.

I am proud to say that faculty were highly engaged throughout the process. There were many conversations, revisions, action items, and follow-up discussions. Some were a bit heated. The work moved quickly, but it was not rushed. By December 2025, the major pieces had been finalized. From there, the proposal moved through the appropriate faculty review, college-level processes, faculty votes, and university governance. The revised marketing degree is now in place for Fall 2026. The university was in full support of our plan.

I am proud of that timeline. I am also proud of what it says about UMSL. We are a public university, rooted in St. Louis, serving students who want a strong, practical, high-value education. But we are also nimble enough to respond when the marketplace changes. In marketing, that ability to respond matters tremendously.

How Can a Marketing Degree Deliver a Stronger Return on Educational Value?

One of the biggest shifts in the revised program is that students now have more room to focus their educational dollars on marketing-specific coursework. This is not about saying that economics, calculus, finance, or accounting are not valuable. They are valuable disciplines, and they remain important in business education. But for students who are choosing marketing as their major, we believed there was an opportunity to create a stronger return on educational value by allowing them to spend more of their credit hours on courses directly connected to the profession they are preparing to enter.

That matters because marketing today is incredibly broad and increasingly technical. Students need more exposure to the areas where the field is growing. They need more applied knowledge. They need to understand both strategy and tools. They need to be able to walk into an interview and talk with confidence about branding, CRM, analytics, digital platforms, content strategy, search, AI, and customer relationships.

Why Is Digital Strategy No Longer Optional in a Marketing Degree Program?

One of the most important changes is that Digital Strategies (Marketing 3721) is now part of the required marketing curriculum. To me, this was essential. And our faculty agreed 100%. Digital is no longer a side topic in marketing. It is not something only a few students need if they happen to be interested in online advertising or social media. Digital strategy is now woven into almost every marketing role. In fact, it now represents approximately 70% of the marketing and advertising budget.

Students need to understand how brands are discovered, how customers move through digital journeys, how search is changing, how campaigns are measured, how content performs, and how data informs decisions. They need exposure to SEO, paid search, analytics, digital channels, attribution, content strategy, and now generative AI search and GEO. The way people find information is changing quickly, and marketers need to understand what that means for visibility, credibility, and customer decision-making.

We also strengthened the curriculum around branding, CRM, email, automation, analytics, and applied marketing tools. Branding remains one of the core pillars of marketing. In a noisy, AI-driven, content-saturated marketplace, the ability to create meaning, trust, distinction, and value through a brand is only becoming more important.

CRM and marketing automation are also critical. Students need to understand how organizations manage customer relationships, segment audiences, build campaigns, personalize communication, and use platforms that are common in the workplace. Through the revised curriculum, students will have exposure to tools and certifications connected to areas such as HubSpot, Salesforce, SEO, social media, and Google Analytics. This is important because students should leave the program with more than theoretical understanding. They should have language, tools, credentials, and applied experiences they can talk about in interviews and use in their early careers.

Should AI Be a Core Marketing Degree Competency?

Artificial intelligence is another major part of the redesign. AI is not being treated as a one-week topic or a special add-on. It is being embedded throughout the curriculum because it is becoming embedded throughout the marketing discipline. Our faculty are taking this very seriously.

Marketers are using AI to brainstorm, write, research, analyze, summarize, personalize, optimize, test, and make decisions. Consumers are using AI to search, compare, evaluate, and make choices. Platforms are using AI to determine what content gets seen. Search itself is changing as generative platforms become part of how people discover information. That means students need to understand AI not only as a tool, but as a force reshaping the marketplace.  

How Should Students Learn to Use AI Responsibly in Marketing?

At the same time, we are not teaching students to use AI carelessly. We are teaching them to use it responsibly and professionally. In my own classes, I often tell students: You create. ChatGPT refines. You verify. That mindset is important. AI can support ideation, improve communication, help analyze information, and strengthen thinking. But students still need judgment. They need to verify. They need to understand bias, hallucinations, privacy, ethics, and the limits of automation.

I must admit, I also used AI throughout this curriculum process as a thought partner, not as a substitute for faculty judgment. It helped me brainstorm, compare how other universities were approaching marketing curriculum, pressure-test ideas, and think through how AI itself is reshaping the discipline. But the real work came from faculty discussion, advisory board input, curriculum mapping, shared governance, and a commitment to building something better for our students.

That distinction matters. AI can assist the process. It can help generate ideas, organize thinking, and expand the set of possibilities. But curriculum design still requires human judgment, faculty expertise, industry insight, and a deep understanding of the students we serve.

Why Should a Marketing Degree Be Rooted in the Discipline and Built for the Future?

One of the things I appreciate most about this new curriculum is that it is both current and rooted in the discipline. We did not replace marketing fundamentals with tools. We connected the fundamentals more directly to the tools, platforms, and decisions students will encounter in the workplace.

Students still need to understand consumer behavior, segmentation, targeting, positioning, branding, strategy, communication, value creation, and ethical decision-making. Those are the foundation. But they also need to understand how those ideas show up in CRM systems, dashboards, digital campaigns, search results, social media platforms, email automation, AI tools, and customer experiences.

That is where I believe the revised degree is especially strong. It does not chase technology for technology’s sake. It uses technology to strengthen marketing education.

What Does This Mean for Students, Families, and Employers?

For students, the result is a more focused, more relevant, and more applied degree. For families, it represents a stronger return on the investment they are making in higher education. For employers, it means graduates who are better prepared to contribute earlier because they understand both the strategy of marketing and the tools shaping the profession.

For UMSL, I believe it reflects who we are at our best: practical, student-centered, connected to the region, responsive to change, and committed to helping students build meaningful careers.

Why I Am Proud of This Work

This was a major lift, and I am incredibly proud of the faculty who helped make it happen. I am grateful for the board members who shared their insights, the colleagues who engaged in the hard work of curriculum mapping, and the university processes that allowed us to move this forward.

Most of all, I am excited for our students.

Beginning in Fall 2026, UMSL marketing students will be entering a program that better reflects the world they are preparing to join. It is more focused on marketing. It is more connected to the marketplace. It is more intentional about AI, digital strategy, CRM, branding, analytics, and applied tools. And it is built around a simple belief: students deserve a marketing degree that prepares them not just for the field as it once was, but for the field as it is becoming.

In short: UMSL redesigned its marketing degree to better prepare students for a marketplace shaped by AI, digital strategy, CRM, marketing automation, branding, analytics, SEO, GEO, and applied marketing tools. The goal is simple: give students a more focused, current, and career-relevant marketing education.

For related thoughts on how marketing education continues to change, see my earlier posts on digital marketing, social media strategy, and the evolving role of AI in marketing.

Dr. Perry D. Drake
Chair, Department of Marketing & Entrepreneurship
University of Missouri–St. Louis

Related Resources

• UMSL Marketing Degree Program
• UMSL Department of Marketing & Entrepreneurship
• UMSL Marketing Advisory Council
• HubSpot Academy Certifications
• Salesforce Certification Overview
• Google Analytics Academy
• Google SEO Starter Guide
• Meta Certification Programs

SEO, AEO, GEO, and Agentic AI: What Marketing Students Need to Know

 

Digital marketing is changing quickly. For years, marketers focused heavily on SEO, or Search Engine Optimization. The goal was to help a brand appear near the top of Google search results.

SEO still matters, but search is no longer just about typing a question into Google and clicking a link. Today, people ask questions through tools such as:

• ChatGPT
• Gemini
• Perplexity
• Copilot
• Siri
• Alexa
• Google AI Overviews

Because of this shift, marketers need to understand four important terms:

• SEO: Search Engine Optimization
• AEO: Answer Engine Optimization
• GEO: Generative Engine Optimization
• Agentic AI: AI that can plan and take action

Together, these concepts show how marketing is moving from simply “getting found” to being understood, selected, summarized, recommended, and acted upon by AI systems.

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1. SEO: Search Engine Optimization

SEO is the process of improving content so search engines can find it, understand it, and rank it in search results.

The traditional SEO goal is to appear high on a search engine results page.

For example, if someone searches:

    “Best running shoes for beginners”

Nike, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Runner’s World, or a local running store would all want to appear near the top of Google.

SEO usually includes:

• Researching keywords people use
• Creating helpful content
• Improving website structure
• Making pages easy for search engines to crawl
• Building credibility through quality content and backlinks

Simple definition:

    “SEO helps people find your content through search engines.”

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2. AEO: Answer Engine Optimization

AEO stands for Answer Engine Optimization.

AEO focuses on helping your content become the direct answer to a user’s question.

Today, users often do not want to scroll through a long list of links. They want a quick, useful answer.

For example, someone might ask:

• “What is a brand?”
• “What is email marketing?”
• “What is the difference between SEO and SEM?”
• “What can I do with a marketing degree?”

AEO helps content appear in places such as:

• Google featured snippets
• Voice search results
• AI Overviews
• FAQ-style answers
• Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant responses

To improve AEO, content should include:

• Clear definitions
• Short answers
• FAQ sections
• Step-by-step explanations
• Plain language
• Strong headings

Simple definition:

    “AEO helps your content become the answer.”

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3. GEO: Generative Engine Optimization

GEO stands for Generative Engine Optimization.

GEO is about making sure your brand, content, or organization can appear inside responses created by generative AI tools.

These tools include:

• ChatGPT
• Gemini
• Claude
• Perplexity
• Copilot
• Google AI Overviews

Unlike traditional Google search, generative AI tools often create a summarized response instead of showing only a list of websites.

For example, a user might ask:

    “What are the best social media management platforms for small businesses?”

An AI tool might generate a comparison of platforms such as Hootsuite, Buffer, Sprout Social, Later, HubSpot, and others.

GEO asks:

• Is your brand included?
• Is your content summarized accurately?
• Are you seen as credible?
• Are you cited or recommended?
• Does the AI understand what your company offers?

Simple definition:

    “GEO helps your content appear in AI-generated responses.”

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4. Are AEO and GEO the Same?

AEO and GEO are closely related, but they are not exactly the same.

AEO is about becoming the answer.

Example:

    “What is email marketing?”

AEO helps your content become the direct answer to that question.

GEO is about being included in an AI-generated response.

Example:

    “What are the best email marketing platforms for small businesses?”

GEO helps your brand or content appear in the AI’s comparison, summary, or recommendation.

Easy way to remember:

• SEO = Be found
• AEO = Be the answer
• GEO = Be included in the AI response

They overlap because all three require content that is:

• Clear
• Accurate
• Helpful
• Trustworthy
• Easy to understand
• Well organized

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5. Agentic AI: AI That Can Take Action

Agentic AI means AI that can do more than answer a question or generate content.

Agentic AI can:

• Understand a goal
• Plan steps
• Use tools
• Make decisions
• Take action
• Check results
• Adjust what it does next

A regular generative AI prompt might be:

    “Write five email subject lines.”

An agentic AI task might be:

    “Review our last email campaign, identify why open rates were low, create three new subject lines, set up an A/B test, monitor the results, and recommend the winner.”

The difference is important.

Generative AI creates content.
Agentic AI can help manage a process.

In marketing, agentic AI might:

• Monitor campaign performance
• Adjust ad budgets
• Personalize email campaigns
• Recommend content
• Score leads
• Create reports
• Suggest next steps
• Automate parts of the customer journey

Simple definition:

    “Agentic AI is AI that can plan, act, and adapt toward a goal.”

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6. How These Terms Fit Together

These four concepts show how digital marketing is evolving.

Traditional digital marketing:

A customer searches Google, clicks a link, visits a website, and makes a decision.

New AI-powered digital marketing:

A customer asks a question, receives an AI-generated answer, compares options, and may act without ever visiting a traditional search results page.

That creates a major shift for marketers.

Brands now need to be visible not only to people, but also to the AI systems helping people make decisions.

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7. Marketing Example

Imagine a university wants to promote its digital marketing program.

SEO

The university optimizes a page for:

    “Digital marketing degree in St. Louis”

Goal: appear in Google search results.

AEO

The university creates a clear answer to:

    “What can you do with a digital marketing degree?”

Goal: become the direct answer.

GEO

The university wants to be included when someone asks ChatGPT, Gemini, or Perplexity:

    “What are good digital marketing programs in Missouri?”

Goal: appear in the AI-generated comparison.

Agentic AI

The university uses AI to:

• Monitor student inquiries
• Send personalized follow-up emails
• Recommend program content
• Alert advisors when a student is ready to apply

Goal: use AI to support and improve the student journey.

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8. Why This Matters

For marketers, the goal is no longer just to rank on Google.

The new goal is to be:

• Found in search
• Chosen as an answer
• Included in AI-generated responses
• Trusted by both humans and AI systems
• Ready for AI tools that can take action

This means strong marketing content must be:

• Clear
• Useful
• Accurate
• Current
• Credible
• Easy to summarize
• Easy for AI systems to understand

The future of digital marketing is not just about keywords. It is about trust, clarity, authority, structure, and usefulness.

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Key Takeaways

• SEO helps people find your content in search engines.
• AEO helps your content become the direct answer.
• GEO helps your content appear in AI-generated responses.
• Agentic AI can plan, act, and adapt toward a goal.
• AEO and GEO are related, but GEO is broader and more focused on generative AI.
• Marketers now need to write for both people and AI systems.
• The goal is not just to get a click. The goal is to be understood, trusted, recommended, and selected.

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Additional Readings

Digital Marketing Institute: “Search Everywhere Optimization: What Is SEO, GEO, and AEO?”
https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/what-is-seo-geo-and-aeo

Google Search Central: SEO Starter Guide
https://developers.google.com/search/docs/fundamentals/seo-starter-guide

MIT Sloan: “Agentic AI, Explained”
https://mitsloan.mit.edu/ideas-made-to-matter/agentic-ai-explained

Harvard Business Review: “Agentic AI Is Already Changing the Workforce”
https://hbr.org/2025/05/agentic-ai-is-already-changing-the-workforce

Original GEO Research Paper: “GEO: Generative Engine Optimization”
https://arxiv.org/abs/2311.09735

The Rise of “Degree Hacking” ...And Why Higher Education Better Pay Attention

 The Rise of “Degree Hacking” ...And Why Higher Education Better Pay Attention

I recently came across a fascinating article in The Washington Post discussing the growing trend of what many are now calling “degree hacking.”

If you have not heard the term yet, you probably will soon.

In short, people are figuring out ways to complete accredited college degrees at dramatically accelerated speeds and significantly lower costs through combinations of:

• transfer credits,
• online competency-based programs,
• alternative learning platforms,
• certifications,
• testing out of courses,
• and increasingly… AI-assisted learning.

Some students are reportedly completing bachelor’s degrees in months instead of years.

Now before many in higher education immediately dismiss this as some fringe internet movement, I would caution against doing so. In my opinion, this is not just a passing trend. This is a signal of a much larger shift happening in higher education right now.

And honestly? Higher education better pay attention.

What Is Really Happening Here?

This movement is not simply about “students trying to avoid learning.”

It is about several major forces colliding at the same time.

1. The Cost of Higher Education

Let’s be honest. Many families and adult learners are questioning whether the traditional four-year path is financially sustainable.

If someone can obtain:

• an accredited degree,
• while working full-time,
• for a fraction of the traditional cost,
• and complete it much faster,

that option becomes very attractive.

Especially for adult learners, career changers, and working professionals.

2. AI Is Accelerating Learning

We also cannot ignore the AI factor.

Today’s learners have access to:

• AI tutoring,
• instant explanations,
• study support,
• summarization tools,
• practice quizzes,
• writing assistance,
• and personalized learning support 24/7.

Whether higher education likes it or not, AI is dramatically changing how quickly motivated students can absorb and apply information.

That reality is not going away.

In many ways, AI did not create the pressure higher education is feeling right now. It simply accelerated issues that were already bubbling beneath the surface:

• rising costs,
• questions about ROI,
• concerns about relevance,
• and growing skepticism around traditional timelines.

3. Competency Is Starting to Matter More Than Seat Time

Traditional higher education has long been built around semesters, classroom hours, and seat time.

But competency-based education asks a difficult question:

If a student can demonstrate mastery, why should they be required to sit in a classroom for 15 weeks?

That question makes many traditional institutions uncomfortable because it challenges one of the foundational structures of higher education itself.

At the same time, employers are increasingly focusing on demonstrated skills and competencies rather than simply the traditional degree pathway itself.

We are beginning to see discussions around:

• skills-based hiring,
• competency transcripts,
• stackable credentials,
• micro-certifications,
• and alternative methods of validating learning.

That shift matters.

Here Is the Important Part…

I do not believe the traditional college experience disappears.

Far from it.

There will always be tremendous value in:

• campus life,
• networking,
• mentorship,
• collaboration,
• student organizations,
• internships,
• athletics,
• and the overall growth experience that occurs during college.

But I do believe the monopoly of the traditional four-year model is ending.

And that matters.

Higher Education’s “Blockbuster Moment”

There is an interesting analogy emerging in higher education circles right now.

Some argue universities risk having a “Blockbuster Video moment” if they fail to evolve with changing consumer expectations and technological realities.

I do not believe higher education is losing value.

Far from it.

But I do believe institutions risk losing relevance if they fail to adapt how that value is delivered.

That is a very different conversation.

So What Becomes the Value of a University?

This is where I think many universities need to rethink their positioning.

Because if content itself becomes increasingly accessible and commoditized, then the true value of higher education becomes:

• human connection,
• mentorship,
• experiential learning,
• networking,
• industry engagement,
• applied projects,
• career preparation,
• communication skills,
• leadership development,
• and community.

In other words:
The experience and the relationships become even more important.

This is exactly why I continue to believe strongly in:

• industry-connected curriculum,
• digital and AI integration,
• conferences and networking opportunities,
• applied learning,
• advisory councils,
• internships,
• and exposing students to real professionals and real-world challenges.

Students today need more than information.

They need:

• context,
• application,
• adaptability,
• critical thinking,
• communication skills,
• and human guidance.

The Role of Faculty Is Changing Too

I also believe AI is changing the role of faculty.

Faculty are no longer simply content deliverers.

Increasingly, they become:

• mentors,
• facilitators,
• coaches,
• discussion leaders,
• project guides,
• and translators of complexity.

The old “sage on the stage” model becomes harder to maintain when information is instantly accessible through AI.

Ironically, this may make great faculty even more valuable moving forward — not less.

Because students will continue to need:

• wisdom,
• perspective,
• ethics,
• accountability,
• and real human interaction.

We Also Need to Be Honest About the Risks

At the same time, legitimate concerns absolutely exist.

There are reasonable questions around:

• academic integrity,
• overreliance on AI,
• shallow learning,
• reduced attention spans,
• critical thinking decline,
• and credential dilution.

Those concerns should not be ignored.

Higher education must find ways to preserve rigor, quality, and meaningful learning outcomes while still adapting to changing realities.

This cannot become a race to the bottom.

Where I Think This Is Headed

I suspect over the next 5–10 years we will see:

• shorter degree pathways,
• stackable credentials,
• hybrid learning models,
• more competency-based education,
• increased employer partnerships,
• and greater integration of AI into learning environments.

At the same time, I also believe accrediting agencies and universities will eventually tighten oversight around extreme “speed-run” degree models to ensure academic quality remains strong.

But make no mistake:
This movement is real.

And institutions that refuse to adapt to changing learner expectations may find themselves struggling.

The future of higher education likely belongs to institutions that can successfully combine:

• flexibility,
• credibility,
• affordability,
• applied learning,
• technology,
• and authentic human engagement.

The universities that figure out that balance first will have a major advantage moving forward.

And frankly, this conversation is only beginning.

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References & Related Reading

• The Washington Post — “Accelerated college degrees and the rise of degree hacking”
• The New Yorker — “Will A.I. Make College Obsolete?”
• ETS — “7 Trends That Will Reshape Higher Education in 2026”
• Ellucian — “Don’t Be the Next Blockbuster: Higher Education and Relevance”
• Forbes — “The Rise of Three-Year Degrees and Alternative Pathways”

 

 

Behind the Scenes of Running A Major Conference... What Most People Don’t Realize

When people walk into the Midwest Digital Marketing Conference (MDMC), they see polished stages, energized speakers, packed sessions, networking, branding, technology, smiling volunteers, coffee stations, food trucks, and a seamless attendee experience.

MDMC 2026 Session

What they often do not see is what happens behind the curtain.

Running a large conference is not simply “putting on an event.” It is the management of a high-stakes business operation with a fixed deadline, hundreds of moving parts, and no option to postpone when pressure rises. Industry research consistently notes that event planners face major stress around budgeting, staffing, logistics, rising costs, and stakeholder expectations. PCMA identified budget concerns as one of the top challenges facing event organizers, along with staffing shortages and workload pressure.

And that is exactly where the real story lives.

The Clock Never Stops

Unlike many business projects, conferences do not have flexible launch dates. Once the doors open, they open. Once thousands of dollars are committed, they are committed. Once guests arrive, excuses have no value.

The Project Management Institute has noted that events create a unique form of pressure because deadlines are immovable and schedule overruns are not acceptable.

That means every delay matters.

• A missing sponsor payment matters.
• A late speaker deck matters.
• A catering miscount matters.
• A registration tech glitch matters.
• An AV issue matters.
• A weather issue matters.
• A vendor misunderstanding matters.

And all of it tends to matter at the same time.

The Weight of the Wallet

There is another reality many people never fully understand:

At the end of the day, someone has to own the financial bottom line.

• Someone must look at contracts.
• Someone must ask if costs are justified.
• Someone must monitor ticket sales daily.
• Someone must decide what can be upgraded and what cannot.
• Someone must determine whether the event breaks even, loses money, or succeeds financially.

That responsibility can be lonely.

While others may focus only on programming, branding, hospitality, or creative ideas, the person carrying the financial burden must balance optimism with discipline. Hyatt notes that strong event budgeting is essential because it protects investment, reduces risk, and builds stakeholder confidence.

What many people don’t realize is how quickly small decisions turn into real dollars.

A simple request—like adding a second microphone to a breakout room—can cost $150–$200, even if it’s used for just one hour. A last-minute tweak to catering or AV may seem minor in isolation, but multiplied across dozens of rooms, sessions, and attendees, those changes can materially impact the bottom line.

Even food comes with constraints. Due to health regulations, anything not consumed within a short window—often just a couple of hours—must be removed and discarded. That means over-ordering isn’t just wasteful; it’s expensive.

These are the kinds of decisions happening constantly behind the scenes. Individually, they seem small. Collectively, they determine whether an event stays on budget, breaks even, or falls short.

In plain English: if the money side is not managed, nothing else matters.

Pressure Changes People

Pressure can also strain relationships.

When stakes are high, patience can shrink. Tone can harden. Emails can feel sharper than intended. Small misunderstandings can become larger than they should. Good people can say things they normally would not say.

This does not always come from bad intent.

Often, it comes from fatigue, urgency, fear, and the emotional weight of carrying too much for too long. Industry sources discussing event-planning burnout frequently point to the nonstop juggling of responsibilities and expectations as a major cause of tension.

That does not excuse poor behavior—but it does explain why grace matters.

What Leadership Really Looks Like

Leadership during conference season is not glamorous.

• It can mean making unpopular calls.
• It can mean saying no when others want yes.
• It can mean absorbing criticism quietly.
• It can mean keeping calm while others panic.
• It can mean protecting the mission while navigating personalities.

And sometimes it means repairing relationships after the dust settles.

Because once the ballroom empties and the lights dim, what remains are the people who built it together.

Why It Is Still Worth It

Despite the pressure, there is something meaningful about creating an event that helps others learn, grow, connect, and advance their careers.

That makes the stress worth carrying.

MDMC is more than sessions and speakers. It is opportunity. It is community. It is students meeting professionals. It is ideas becoming action. It is momentum for people who needed it.

So if you ever attend a conference and everything seems effortless, remember:

It probably wasn’t.

Someone carried a heavy load so others could have a great experience.

And more often than not, that burden falls on the one watching the numbers, signing the checks, and making sure the whole thing survives.

Sources & Further Reading

The realities described above are well documented across the events industry:

PCMA — Budget Woes Top List of Event Planners’ Biggest Challenges
https://www.pcma.org/budget-woes-top-list-event-planners-biggest-challenges/
(Highlights budget constraints, rising costs, staffing shortages, workload pressure, and stakeholder challenges in event planning.)

PCMA — Budget Pressures and Big Expectations: Insights from the Meetings Market Survey
https://www.pcma.org/budget-pressures-big-expectations-insights-pcma-meetings-market-survey/
(Explains how planners must manage strict deadlines, budgets, rising expectations, and complex operations simultaneously.)

PCMA — Event Planning: The Third-Most Stressful Job in the World
https://www.pcma.org/3rd-most-stressful-job-event-planning/
(Discusses rising costs, financial pressure, and the growing stress placed on those responsible for event outcomes and revenue.)

PCMA — Planners Under Pressure
https://www.pcma.org/industry-under-pressure-stress/
(Explores how stress is deeply embedded in event planning roles and impacts professionals across the industry.)

GoGather — Event Planning: Overcoming the Top 10 Challenges
https://gogather.com/blog/top-10-event-planning-challenges
(Details the complexity of managing budgets, logistics, vendors, travel, and attendee expectations across large-scale events.)

TEAM IM — 7 Key Challenges in Event Planning
https://teami.org/7-key-challenges-in-event-planning-and-how-to-overcome-them/
(Outlines core operational challenges including budgeting, coordination, and managing multiple stakeholders.)

Fundraising Coach — Event Planning Challenges and Solutions
https://fundraisingcoach.com/2025/01/17/event-planning-challenges-and-solutions/
(Discusses financial constraints and the difficulty of delivering high-quality experiences within limited budgets.)

Wikipedia — Event Management Overview
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Event_management
(Provides a broad overview of the complexity of event management, including budgeting, logistics, coordination, and execution.)

State of Digital: 2015 vs 2025 — What Changed (and What Didn’t)

 

By Dr. Perry D. Drake

Let’s be honest… ten years is a lifetime in digital marketing.

In 2015, We Are Social released one of the most widely shared global snapshots of digital behavior: internet adoption, social media growth, and mobile penetration. Back then, it helped the world understand what was becoming obvious: digital wasn’t “the future” anymore. It was the new normal.

Fast forward to 2025, and We Are Social’s latest Digital report shows a world that is bigger, faster, more algorithmic, and more AI-shaped than anything we could have truly predicted.

So here’s what I wanted to do: put these two worlds side by side (2015 and 2025) and pull out the real storyline.

Not just numbers… but what it means for marketers, business leaders, and honestly anyone trying to keep up.

1) The Digital World Got Bigger. But the Story Isn’t “Access” Anymore

2015: The world hit a digital tipping point

In 2015, the report captured milestones that felt huge at the time:

• The world passed 3 billion internet users
• Social media surpassed 2 billion users
• Mobile phone penetration passed 50%
• Active mobile connections surpassed the global population

That wasn’t just trivia. That was a worldwide shift. Digital had officially moved from “emerging” to mass adoption.

2025: Access is assumed. Behavior is the battle.

In 2025, the digital world isn’t just bigger. It’s basically everywhere.

What the 2025 report shows is that digital is now where:

• products get discovered,
• brands get evaluated,
• social credibility gets formed,
• purchases get influenced,
• and culture gets shaped.

And here’s the big shift:

In 2015 we were asking, “How many people are online?”
In 2025 we’re asking:

• Which platform owns their attention?
• Which algorithm decides what they see?
• Which formats dominate their consumption?
• How much is AI influencing all of this?

The 2025 digital world isn’t defined by connection. It’s defined by control.

2) Social Media: From “Mass Adoption” to “Influence Infrastructure”

2015: Social media was still a category people were learning

Back then, businesses were still asking:

• Which platform should we use?
• Do we need a Facebook page?
• Is Twitter important?
• What does “engagement” actually mean?

Social media growth was impressive, but the platform business models were still evolving. Influencer marketing hadn’t fully arrived yet.

2025: Social became a discovery engine (and commerce engine)

In 2025, social isn’t just “social.” It’s where discovery happens.

We Are Social’s 2025 report makes it clear: platforms now dominate:

• brand discovery
• product research
• purchase influence
• and a growing share of ad spend (plus influencer budgets)

Here’s the point I always tell students:

Social media isn’t where marketing happens in addition to everything else.
Social media is where the “everything else” often begins.

And one of the biggest trends worth spotlighting:

Social platforms are now competing with search engines, especially for younger consumers.

3) Mobile Went From a “Strategy” to the Default Reality Layer

2015: “Mobile-first” was still mostly a strategy

In 2015, mobile-first was basically code for:

• responsive design
• mobile-friendly websites
• fewer desktop-only experiences

The report highlighted the rise of mobile internet access and device adoption.

2025: Mobile isn’t just a device. It’s the environment.

Today, mobile isn’t a channel. It’s the default setting for life:

• navigation
• entertainment
• identity + social presence
• payments and banking
• shopping
• customer service expectations
• and even how AI assists our decisions

And here’s the key hidden shift:

Mobile no longer means browsing. Mobile means living inside apps.

This matters a LOT for marketing education and student readiness, because it forces people to think in terms of:

• platform-native content
• short-form storytelling
• algorithm-triggered discovery
• hyper-personalization
• fast creative testing + iteration

In 2025, that’s normal.
In 2015, it wasn’t.

4) E-Commerce Went From “Option” to “Expected”

2015: E-commerce was growing, but not default

Back then, many consumers still:

• researched online but bought offline
• distrusted online payments
• used digital mostly for information, not transaction

2025: Commerce is integrated into everything

In 2025, We Are Social treats commerce as baked into the digital ecosystem.

And the real change is this:

In 2025:

• people don’t separate “shopping” from “media”
• entertainment and commerce are blended
• content IS commerce
• creators are retail channels
• feeds are product catalogs

This is why marketing today is far more cross-functional than it was in 2015. Strategy isn’t siloed anymore. It’s integrated.

5) The Biggest Difference of All: AI Wasn’t Even in the Story (Now It’s Everywhere)

2015: AI wasn’t mainstream marketing language

In 2015, marketing tech was framed around:

• social media management
• email automation
• SEO / Google search dominance
• digital ads expanding

AI existed, but it wasn’t shaping daily consumer behavior or the marketing playbook.

2025: AI is the hidden layer of digital life

In 2025, AI is influencing everything:

• ad targeting
• recommendation engines
• search results
• customer service (chatbots)
• creative production (copy/video/image)
• synthetic media + influencer ecosystems
• workplace productivity and workflows

This shift deserves its own spotlight:

In 2015, digital marketing was about how humans use technology.
In 2025, digital marketing is increasingly about how technology uses humans.

That’s not negative. It’s the strategic reality now.

6) The “Dark Side” Trend: Digital Costs More (Socially, Emotionally, Politically)

This is the part most digital reports don’t emphasize enough. But it’s real.

In 2015, digital optimism was still dominant:

• connect the world
• build community
• access information
• “social” networking

In 2025, digital is still powerful. But it comes with major side effects:

• polarization
• misinformation
• deepfakes
• harassment
• addiction dynamics
• identity performance pressure

And here’s why that matters:

In 2025, marketers operate in an environment where trust is fragile. Credibility is not optional.

Key Takeaways for Marketing Leaders & Educators

If I had to summarize the “10-year shift” in real-world terms, it’s this:

1. Digital isn’t marketing. It’s infrastructure now.
   Consumer life is digitally mediated. Strategy has to assume that.
2. Social platforms aren’t “social.” They’re discovery engines.
   If you’re absent from social, you’re not quiet. You’re invisible.
3. Mobile isn’t a channel. It’s the default.
   If it’s not built for mobile-native life, it doesn’t exist.
4. AI is part of the marketing operating system.
   This is not a trend. It’s a permanent capability shift.
5. Trust is a brand asset.
   Credibility is currency, and it must be earned continuously.

Closing Thought: What Didn’t Change

Here’s the twist: the tools changed dramatically, but the fundamentals didn’t.

Technology changes fast.
Human psychology changes slowly.

Consumers still want:

• belonging
• status
• convenience
• confidence
• emotional satisfaction
• identity reinforcement

But now those needs are expressed through a digital environment that’s more algorithmic, more commercial, and more AI-driven than the 2015 world ever imagined.

And that’s why comparing these reports side-by-side matters: the tools changed, the scale exploded, but human motivation still drives everything.

Sources / Credit

• We Are Social (2015): Digital, Social & Mobile Worldwide in 2015
• We Are Social (2025): Digital 2025 (Global Digital Report)

AI Skills: Your Key to Career Opportunity and the Future

 ⭐ AI Skills: Your Key to Career Opportunity & the Future

By Dr. Perry Drake

I recently held a conversation with Ryan Brennell, a nationally recognized generative AI educator, consultant, and co-founder of Rocketing.ai. on the future of artificial intelligence, business education, and what career opportunity will look like for our students and professionals over the next decade — and it turned into one of the most thoughtful, energizing discussions I’ve had all year.

Ryan and I have been talking about AI for months, but this time felt different. The questions were deeper. The observations were sharper. And the sense of urgency — and opportunity — was unmistakable.

We covered everything from how AI is transforming marketing, finance, accounting, supply chain, and management, to how young professionals should think about the job market, and even what business schools like UMSL need to rethink in our curriculum.

In this post, I want to share some of the biggest takeaways from that conversation.
And at the end, you'll find the link to the full live discussion if you’d like to watch the entire session.

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⭐ AI Isn’t Coming — It’s Already Here

One of the first points Ryan and I aligned on is simple: AI isn’t the future; it’s the present. Not in the abstract sense — but in the daily operations of nearly every business discipline.

When we think of “AI,” many people still picture robots or humanoid assistants. But the reality is that AI is now embedded in:

• The ads you see online
• How banks flag fraud
• How hospitals schedule staff
• How airlines price seats
• How companies evaluate supply chain risk
• How marketers build audiences
• How HR screens résumés
• How analysts generate reports

It’s not science fiction.
It’s infrastructure.

Ryan shared how many companies he consults with already use AI to connect disparate data systems, automate repetitive workflows, or generate reports that used to take hours or days.

In marketing and social media — something near and dear to my heart — nearly every platform now uses AI to influence what content is seen, who it is shown to, and why. And with generative AI tools accelerating ideation, writing, editing, and analytics, marketers no longer spend the bulk of their time “doing tasks.” They spend more of their time making decisions.

We aren’t preparing students for a world where AI exists.
We are preparing them for a world where AI is the baseline.

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⭐ The “AI Will Take My Job” Fear Is Misguided — Here’s the Real Risk

There’s a lot of anxiety attached to AI, especially among students and early-career professionals. We addressed those fears head-on.

Ryan said something that stuck with many listeners:

“AI isn’t going to replace you.
But a person who knows how to use AI absolutely will.”

That is the distinction people must understand.

Jobs are not disappearing; tasks are disappearing.
Workflows are disappearing.
Inefficient processes are disappearing.

But roles are evolving, and in many cases, expanding.

The real risk isn’t AI itself — it’s being unprepared.

Professionals who avoid learning AI tools aren’t maintaining the status quo.
They’re falling behind faster each month. Not because they lack intelligence or work ethic, but because they’re not building fluency in the tools that companies now consider essential.

From accounting to supply chain, the message from employers is clear:
AI literacy is now part of being professionally literate.

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⭐ Human Judgment: The One Skill AI Will Never Replace

Throughout the conversation, we returned several times to what I consider the most essential point:

AI is powerful, but it cannot replace human judgment.

Here’s what AI can do:

• Analyze large datasets
• Generate first drafts
• Summarize information
• Recommend next steps
• Automate repetitive tasks

But AI cannot:

• Understand organizational culture
• Weigh ethical tradeoffs
• Navigate ambiguity
• Inspire teams
• Read a room
• Build relationships
• Apply lived experience
• Make strategic decisions when data is incomplete

Ryan called these “the human advantage stack”, and it really resonated.

Our students — and today’s working adults — must lean into curiosity, communication, leadership, ethics, adaptability, and critical thinking. These are the skills that are not automatable.

The secret is learning how to pair AI’s strengths with your own.

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⭐ What AI Means for Each Major Business Discipline

One of my favorite parts of the discussion was exploring how each discipline in the College of Business will be impacted differently by AI.

Here’s a deeper dive into what we covered:

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⭐ Marketing: From Tactics to Strategy

In marketing, AI tools can now:

• Generate content drafts
• Suggest SEO keywords
• Analyze social media trends
• Build audience segments
• Personalize email flows
• Predict customer churn

This is incredible — but it doesn’t eliminate marketers.
It elevates them.
It pushes them toward strategy, creativity, experimentation, insight, and storytelling.

Students who rely solely on the “creative feel” of marketing will struggle.
Students who combine creativity with data, analytics, and AI tools will thrive.

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⭐ Finance: Faster Numbers, Deeper Interpretation

AI can produce financial summaries, scenario models, and variance reports faster than any entry-level analyst.

But the value now lies in:

• interpreting the model
• questioning assumptions
• spotting anomalies
• making recommendations

Ryan shared that companies increasingly want analysts who can explain the “why,” not just generate the “what.”

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⭐ Accounting: Automation With Oversight

AI does exceptionally well with:

• reconciliations
• error detection
• report drafting

But accountants who understand compliance, regulation, audit standards, ethics, internal controls, and risk will be in even higher demand.

Why?
Because automation raises the stakes on expert oversight.
It doesn’t reduce it.

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⭐ Supply Chain: Predict, Adjust, Optimize

AI is already transforming logistics:

• demand forecasting
• inventory optimization
• route planning
• supplier risk analysis
• capacity modeling

Students who understand problem-solving — who can run scenarios, think critically, and adapt to disruption — will lead in this field.

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⭐ Management & HR: AI Can Screen — But Humans Lead

AI can help match candidates to roles, assess skill gaps, analyze performance trends, and support training plans.

But leadership, coaching, conflict resolution, empathy, and communication remain fundamentally human.

We need leaders who understand how to guide organizations during change — not just operate systems.

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⭐ Education Must Evolve — And Fast

One of the most important parts of the conversation centered on what business schools must do to prepare students for this new world.

Ryan and I discussed several things:

✔ 1. AI must be integrated into every course — not treated as a standalone topic.

Students shouldn’t learn AI the way they learn a language or a coding class.
They should learn it inside:

• marketing
• finance
• accounting
• supply chain
• management
• analytics

✔ 2. Project-based learning is essential.

Students must use the tools, not just hear about them.

✔ 3. Digital portfolios matter more than ever.

Employers want to see how students apply AI.

✔ 4. Ethics needs to move from theory to practice.

Students should understand the responsible use of AI — where guardrails matter, and where judgment overrides algorithms.

✔ 5. Faculty development is crucial.

Professors must also learn AI tools to teach them effectively.

This is a turning point in higher education — and UMSL is working to be ahead of it.

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⭐ The New First Impression: AI Fluency

Another powerful theme that emerged was how AI literacy is now a signal to employers.

Just like Excel, communication, or teamwork, AI is becoming part of what employers look for before interviews even begin.

Hiring managers now ask questions like:

• “How do you use AI in your workflow?”
• “What AI tools are you most comfortable with?”
• “Can you show me examples of how you’ve used AI?”

If students can answer these questions clearly — with examples — they stand out immediately.

AI literacy is not optional.
It’s part of the professional handshake.

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⭐ Small Daily Habits Make the Biggest Difference

One message we emphasized repeatedly is that adopting AI does not require massive change or huge time investments.

Ten minutes a day is enough.

Students and professionals can:

• explore one new tool
• test one workflow
• write one prompt
• read one article
• attend one webinar
• watch one tutorial
• try automating one task

AI rewards curiosity.
And curiosity compounds.

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⭐ Closing Reflection: Choose to Be Ready

As we wrapped up our conversation, we returned to an idea that Ryan articulated beautifully:

“You’re not competing with AI.
You’re competing with people who use AI.”

And that’s empowering.

Because we all have access to the same tools.
The same opportunities.
The same chance to prepare.

Students, professionals, executives, educators — we’re all in this together, learning as we go.

My advice is simple:

• Stay curious
• Stay open
• Stay brave
• Learn continuously
• Use the tools
• Question the outputs
• Trust your judgment
• Be willing to adapt

The future is coming fast — but so is your opportunity to shape it.

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⭐ Watch the Full Conversation

Here is the link to the complete live discussion, where Ryan and I dive even deeper into these ideas and take questions from our audience:

➡️ YouTube Conversation with Drake and Brennell

I hope you find it as energizing as we did.

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⭐ BONUS: Download the Full PowerPoint + Explore Certification Resources

To support your learning journey, I’ve made the full PowerPoint used during the discussion available for download. It includes:

• Key frameworks
• Recommended AI tools
• Examples of AI workflows
• Prompts and exercises
• Slides covering trends across all business disciplines
• A curated resource list for AI education

You’ll also find direct links to several AI certification and training programs, including:

✔ Google Skillshop

AI Essentials, Digital Marketing AI modules, data analytics pathways, and generative AI basics.

✔ HubSpot Academy

AI in Marketing, Prompting for Marketers, and certifications related to automation and content strategy.

✔ LinkedIn Learning

AI literacy tracks, business AI fundamentals, and role-specific AI courses (marketing, finance, HR, analytics).

✔ IBM SkillsBuild

AI foundations, ethical AI, machine learning introductions, and business-focused AI pathways.

✔ Microsoft Learn

Copilot training, AI productivity certifications, Azure AI fundamentals, and applied AI in the workplace.

These resources help students and professionals build real-world AI fluency — and they pair perfectly with the insights from our conversation.

➡️ Download PowerPoint Deck

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⭐ Connect

Dr. Perry D. Drake:  drakep@umsl.edu

Ryan Brennell : ryan.brennell@gmail.com