“MBAs go on New York field trip”
New York is often considered the global centre for the media, advertising, and marketing worlds; it’s for this reason that 56 MBA students from Saïd Business School, University of Oxford have travelled to the city for a new international elective, focused on the digital transformation of these industries, and on unravelling the implications of this both now and into the future.
‘New York affords us with a great diversity of companies and experiences that help students learn about digital transformation from many different perspectives,’ said Andrew Stephen, L’Oréal Professor of Marketing, who is running the elective alongside Associate Professor of Marketing, Rhonda Hadi. ‘For example, we are talking to marketing agencies and brands, but also cultural institutions like the Metropolitan Museum of Art, government agencies such as the digital office within the New York City Mayor’s Office, and publishers like Mashable and The New York Times.’
‘This is a special city, and it is the ideal place to see how the digital transformation of marketing is revolutionising all businesses and industries,’ said Oxford MBA student Justine Gamez, on day two of the elective. ‘Given the fast paced nature of the city and innovative perspectives from business leaders headquartered in NY, we are learning directly from companies about their digital strategies and how they have adapted. Each and every company emphasises the importance of digital, not just in marketing, but for the overall value of the company. From speaking with the New York City Mayor’s Chief Digital Officer to the Chief Digital Officer of the famed Met Museum, then going to new and traditional media companies like Mashable and the New York Times, among other notable companies, we are being exposed to varied industries from the public and private sectors. The week is a fantastic experience, and I am gaining insights, and establishing connections, with those individuals who are disrupting the digital environment to shape our personal experiences.’
The one-week module will see students visit 15 organisations, including L’Oréal Paris, Blue State Digital and Kantar Vermeer, giving students a comprehensive insight into the digital transformations going on in some of the most innovative companies in the media, advertising, marketing, and marketing technology industries.
‘Interacting first-hand with thought leaders in marketing brings the classroom into the real world,’ said Andreas Glinz. ‘It’s a fantastic complement to Oxford Saïd’s class-based learning, in that it adds depth and perspective to our theoretical knowledge. Touring a global megacity such as New York with a large number of my peers from all around the world is a truly phenomenal experience that only Oxford Saïd can provide.’
The group hopes these meetings will also be beneficial for the organisations involved, as students will share innovative and strategic ideas they’ve learnt on the MBA thus far, engaging in discussions about the pivotal challenges and opportunities that are being presented by recent technological innovations in digital advertising, social media, mobile marketing and smartphones, and the internet of things. Professor Stephen noted: ‘The companies we visit of course know Oxford Saïd, but they may not know how we have been innovating with our marketing curriculum to focus it on the future of marketing. This elective is the flagship course in our exciting, new approach to marketing on the MBA programme.’