Refreshed for 2026: Design marketing strategies that drive customer engagement, growth, and value. Learn on your schedule with 90 days of full access starting the day you enroll.
Understand how marketing has evolved, and where it's headed, in a digital and AI-driven world through real-world insights from leading brands, agencies, expert practitioners, and faculty
Define the right objectives, metrics, target audiences, and value proposition to position your product or service for success
Discover how to acquire and retain customers through paid, owned, and earned media
Evaluate how AI-powered search, generative engines, and emerging agentic commerce are transforming customer discovery and digital marketing strategy
Develop approaches for attribution, budget allocation, and calculating customer lifetime value
Explore AI-powered approaches to customer engagement, including personalization, storytelling, and community building
Who Will Benefit
Advance beyond tactics and learn digital marketing on a strategic level.
I think this course was incredibly beneficial to go beyond the basics of digital marketing and help give me real-life examples that I can use in my everyday career.
Melody Pierce; Communications Leader | MAO Executive Director
82%
Felt more confident leading initiatives at work
11x
return on investment, with 24% of learners reporting an average $20,466 salary increase
91%
of HBS Online learners said they acquired new, immediately applicable skills
Certificate of Completion Boost your resume with a Certificate of Completion from HBS Online Earn by: completing this course
Certificate of Specialization Prove your mastery of marketing or digital transformation and AI Earn by: completing any three courses within either subject area to earn a Certificate of Specialization
Syllabus
6 modules, 5-7 hrs/module, 90-day access window
New: Explore AI-focused content integrated throughout the course that examines how AI is transforming digital marketing strategy. Through new faculty insights, real-world examples, and interactive activities, you'll learn how to apply AI alongside proven marketing frameworks to acquire, engage, and retain customers in an evolving digital landscape.
Explore how marketing has evolved from the pre-internet era to today's digital and AI-driven landscape, and how AI is transforming customer discovery, marketing strategy, and competitive advantage.
Assess which marketing functions are best suited for AI automation versus human augmentation
Evaluate the potential impact of agentic commerce on consumers, brands, and platforms
Module 2
Crafting a Digital Marketing Plan
5-7 Hours
Understand and establish the strategic components of a digital marketing plan, including relevant key performance indicators (KPIs), defined target audiences, and a compelling value proposition.
Highlights
PlayVideo duration:0:27
Bianca Reed, VP of Client Service and Inclusion Marketing, Rain: The Growth Agency
PlayVideo duration:1:04
Lou Pannaccione, CEO and Co-Founder, OOFOS
Concepts
Setting Objectives
Defining Target Audience
Determining Value Proposition
Identifying Metrics
Featured Exercises
Advise a company on its marketing plan
Determine which marketing funnel stage to prioritize given key business objectives
Module 3
Acquiring Customers, Part 1: Paid Media
5-7 Hours
Learn the differences between paid, owned, and earned media and how and when to get the most out of your brand’s advertising.
Highlights
PlayVideo duration:0:28
Kate Laliberte, Head of Ecommerce, OOFOS
Paid/Owned/Earned Venn Diagram
Concepts
The Challenges of Reaching and Acquiring Customers Online
Search Advertising
Display Advertising
Utilizing Paid Media Channels
Measuring Paid Media
Featured Exercises
Quiz yourself on the most important paid media channels and explore their optimal use
Determine which metrics you should use to measure a campaign’s success and practice calculating its effectiveness
Balance brand-building and performance marketing
Module 4
Acquiring Customers, Part II: Owned and Earned Media in the AI Era
5-7 Hours
Define owned and earned media and how to incorporate both into your marketing plan. Explore the process of working with influencers and learn to manage and measure their impact.
Highlights
PlayVideo duration:1:07
Maggie Malek, CEO, MMI Agency
PlayVideo duration:0:28
Eric Ligenza Gwynn, Podcaster and Influencer
Concepts
Owned and Earned Media in the AI Era
Influencer Marketing
Featured Exercises
Explore the unique advantages of owned media
Test your knowledge of content strategy fundamentals
Apply methods for effectively utilizing earned media
Draw on your experience to discuss the nature of online relationships between influencers, consumers, and brands
Module 5
Engaging Customers
5-7 Hours
Explain why it’s critical for companies to not only acquire but retain customers, and different engagement strategies you can implement to reduce churn.
Highlights
PlayVideo duration:0:52
Julie Bornstein, CEO, The YES
PlayVideo duration:0:28
Raja Rajamannar, CMO, Mastercard
Concepts
Personalization
From Storytelling to Story-Making
Connecting Customers and Building Community
Featured Exercises
Investigate reasons for customer churn and how companies can improve retention
Unpack strategies for increasing engagement, including personalization, storytelling, and brand communities
Share your experience with brand engagement
Module 6
Allocating Budget and Measuring Success
5-7 Hours
Discover how to measure the success of digital marketing campaigns and what to account for when creating digital marketing budgets. Explore major trends that could impact the landscape in the years ahead.
Highlights
PlayVideo duration:0:45
Michael Moynihan, SVP of Marketing, The LEGO Group
PlayVideo duration:0:47
Ann Lewnes, Former CEO, Adobe
Concepts
Budget Allocation
Customer Lifetime Value
Adobe Simulation
The Future of Marketing
AI-Driven Marketing Measurement
Featured Exercises
Evaluate a digital marketing budget
Calculate and identify means of maximizing the lifetime value (LTV) of different customer types
Practice budget allocation across the customer journey
Share your perspective on the future of digital marketing
Led by World-Renowned HBS Faculty
HBS Online courses are taught by Harvard Business School faculty, bringing the renowned HBS classroom experience directly to you.
Edward W. Carter Professor of Business Administration
Experience
Active
Stay active by engaging in a new activity every three to five minutes.
Social
Get social by collaborating and networking with a global community of peers before, during, and after the course. Learners who successfully complete an HBS Online program are added to the HBS Online Community's Official Networking Group and gain exclusive access to events and other networking opportunities.
Case-based
Immerse yourself in real-world, case-based examples brought to life by industry-leading experts from companies like e.l.f. Cosmetics, OOFOS, L’Oréal, Adobe, Mastercard, and Rain the Growth Agency.
Don’t be intimidated by the Harvard name or the price tag. Try one course; you’ll discover real value—not just in what you learn, but in the people you meet.
Ieva Ruža
Medical Doctor, Riga East Clinical University Hospital
Digital Marketing Strategy FAQs
Free Cheat Sheet
Marketing Terms Cheat Sheet
Download this guide to explore key marketing concepts and metrics, which can help you analyze campaign performance, drive results, and stay data-driven.
Bring HBS Online’s flexible, scalable, and high-impact learning experiences to your organization through shared learning and group discounts for teams of five or more.
