Insights from Dr. Sajna Razi on Marketing Technologies and Education
Dr. Sajna Razi, Clinical Associate Professor in Marketing and Director of the Marketing Technology Hub at the Department of Marketing, UIC College of Business Administration, shares her views on the evolving landscape of marketing technologies and their integration into education.
The Rise of Marketing Technologies
Marketing technologies are digital tools used to achieve business goals in the marketing field. Over the past decade, the number of marketing technologies has skyrocketed from 150 to 16,000, driven by advancements in Artificial Intelligence (AI). This includes both Generative AI and Agentic AI, which are utilized to create and monitor omnichannel consumer experiences. The use of marketing technologies in the industry is wide, ranging from Content generation using Gen AI tools, sales management using Sales CRM tools, marketing intelligence using AI enabled Business platforms , Market research platforms, Digital Ad platforms, Website analytic platforms, SEO tools etc to name a few. These technologies are now integral to the daily operations of marketers, making it crucial to align the new generation of marketers with these skills through their education. The traditional method of marketing education is currently not aligned to this dynamic need of the data driven marketer. To bridge this gap, we conceptualized and implemented the “Marketing Technology Hub Initiative”.
The Marketing Technology Hub Initiative
Q: Can you tell us more about this initiative?
The Marketing Technology Hub is an initiative within the Department of Marketing at the UIC College of Business aimed at "Educating and inspiring technology-driven marketing leaders in the digital era." We craft the strategic roadmap for the initiative, evaluate the marketing technology landscape, engage with marketing technology companies, and collaborate with faculty to integrate these technologies into undergraduate and graduate programs.
How the Hub Works
Q: Can you provide more details on how the Hub works?
The Hub continuously researches and identifies marketing technologies relevant in the industry across multiple disciplines within marketing, evaluating their feasibility for curriculum integration. It connects with marketing technology companies to provide students access to tools and leverages resources within the UIC ecosystem as well. Our marketing degree programs cover multiple domains of marketing, ranging from digital marketing to data driven marketing. The Hub works with faculty to incorporate these technologies into courses, workshops, and projects, emphasizing experiential learning through Martech tools.
We strongly believe that technology should augment student learning in the marketing domain. Therefore, we emphasize learning the concepts in marketing through the use of MarTech tools. For example, we use AI supported IBM Cognos Analytics and Tableau to learn the process of Insight creation and story telling. We use social media management like platforms to learn how to optimize and design organic, paid and influencer marketing strategies. We learn the ropes of content marketing by applying and showcasing skills using platforms like CANVA, Content creation with GenAI platforms, Capcut, Adobe etc. We learn sales concepts and learn to apply it through a Salesforce CRM interface. We learn to do market research using Qualtrics, GenAI platforms and databases like Mintel and Passport. We understand social selling/email strategy through Hubspot platform and Ads(Search/Display/AI) through Google platforms.
Benefits for Students
Q: How do you think it would benefit students?
Students gain access to the latest marketing technologies, learning to solve complex marketing challenges through experiential learning. This prepares them for successful careers, making them employable directly upon graduation. Many alumni have reported the usefulness of these skills in their job searches and careers. Additionally, students can earn micro-learning certificates on relevant marketing topics, showcasing their skills directly.
Benefits for the Industry
Q: How does this help the industry?
The initiative provides the industry with a focus on their marketing platforms and helps develop talent in the increasingly relevant area of Marketing Technologies. It also aids in attracting exceptional talent from the university.
Research and Impact
Q: Can you share your experience about research connected to this?
I am conducting research as part of the Action Research Scholars program at the Centre for Advancement of Teaching Excellence, UIC, to understand the impact of marketing technologies on student learning, engagement, and outcomes, including skills, self-efficacy, and career readiness. The findings will inform how such initiatives can address STEM adoption concerns for diverse students and can be applied across various fields, including healthcare.
More About Dr. Sajna Razi
Dr. Sajna Razi is an academic with international industry experience with teaching and research interests in the fields of marketing technologies, digital marketing and marketing education. She is also a member of ANA/AEF MarTech Academic Advisory Board.