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Marius Westhoff

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Marius is a Vertical Head & part of the Founding Team at UpGrad. He heads multiple programs at UpGrad, overseeing product development, launch and P&L. Born and raised in Germany, Marius is an alumnus of UC Berkeley with 5+ years of experience in Corporate Development and Venture Capital at Bertelsmann India Investments in Germany and India.

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Creating Digital Marketing Leaders: UpGrad and MICA
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Creating Digital Marketing Leaders: UpGrad and MICA

The Direct Marketing Association approximates the global Digital Marketing Industry to be worth USD 62 billion in 2017 with growth rates significantly outperforming any other media segment. In India alone, Digital Marketing spends will amount to USD 1 billion in 2017. According to LinkedIn, Digital Marketing & Communication falls into the top 5 of most in-demand skills for hiring, in today’s world. There are approximately 1.5 lakh jobs in the Digital Marketing & Communication arena in India across IT/ BPO, agencies as well as other FMCG companies, in 2017. Now, none of this might be news to you – you would probably have heard this before in some way or the other – yet these numbers are actually, truly remarkable. Every day, more than USD 2 million are spent in Digital Marketing in India, every month, on average more than 12,500 additional skilled Digital Marketing & Communication professionals are required by the industry. Few other industries in the past decades have seen such magnificent growth rates and opportunities. For me, these numbers make two things very clear and evident. Firstly, there are massive career opportunities in digital marketing as companies need more skilled professionals than any institute is educating right now. Secondly, a deep knowledge in Digital Marketing is no longer a good-to-have for a marketing professional – it is a must-have; it’s no longer sufficient to run newspaper ads, print posters and distribute brochures – a profound understanding in Digital Marketing is required to excel in today’s marketing landscape. In light of this huge talent gap in the market and a lack of quality education offerings that allow students to get tangible outcomes and an actual career impact, we decided to create a program that allows individuals to accelerate their growth in Marketing in a Digital Age, to master tools and technologies and see an enriching impact on their careers or their businesses. Some months ago, we started having conversations with MICA, India’s leading Management and Strategic Marketing School, with a track record in educating the marketing leaders of Asia for more than 25 years. The Deans of MICA, Prof. Preeti and Prof. Siddharth as well as the Head of Online Programs at MICA, Prof. Falguni, felt the strong need for a program that would help individuals master Marketing in a Digital Age, from a strategic and yet hands-on angle. Both the teams at UpGrad and MICA have been spending the last few weeks on designing what we believe is the most enriching and impactful program in Digital Marketing & Communication. Organic Content Marketing for Growth of Your Business In this process, we identified three pillars that we believe are critical in bringing a tangible career impact to any student graduating from the program: 1) Learning in the best possible manner We believe that students should go through the most active and actionable learning experience possible. What this means is, firstly, that students learn from Academicians and Industry Experts. For the 5-month program, we have roped in MICA’s most experienced Strategy & Digital Faculty to teach fundamental concepts of Marketing in a Digital World. Next to MICA’s Faculty, we have engaged not only professors from Cambridge University to teach students the fundamentals of branding and marketing but also industry stalwarts such as Apurva Chamaria, Head of Marketing at HCL Technologies, Sakhee Dheer, Head of Digital Marketing at Facebook APAC, Karan Sarin, Head of Marketing at Razorpay, and many more to provide an in-depth understanding of the most recent industry trends and requirements. Digital Marketing Today – Is Content King & Platform Queen? Secondly, learning in the best possible manner isn’t just about having concepts explained. Students graduating from this program need to be job-ready and have a profound, applicable understanding of concepts, tools and technologies. That is why we will be following a three-step pedagogy in the MICA and UpGrad Program. The faculty of a specific module teaches the concepts and the theory such as Digital Lead Nurturing. After understanding the concepts in depth, students go through a rigorous case study that we have developed with our corporate partners i.e. Star India, Zivame, Bajaj Automotive and others – these case studies represent real-life challenges that the heads of marketing and decision makers at these companies were exposed to. Through these case studies, students get to experience first-hand, and in real business environments, the concepts they learn through the program. Plus, the delivery and learning platform is such that what the marketers may have experienced on the job, and is best simulated for the students to derive value from. After learning concepts and experiencing their impact in the form of a case study, the student is then asked to apply these learnings in an industry project, where he/she has to design marketing campaigns or use the latest technology tools. After these projects are submitted, the student gets 1-on-1 personalized feedback on his/her weaknesses and areas of improvement. This three step approach from learning to experiencing and eventually applying assures that students get job-ready skills rather than just theoretical knowledge. Thirdly, in order to allow students to learn in the best way, we have incorporated live lectures and Teaching Assistant Sessions into the program to give students the chance to solve their doubts and questions in the most interactive manner possible. Students can interact with Faculty and Industry Experts as well as UpGrad Teaching Assistants in order to solve any queries they may have. Lastly, we have created the world’s most advanced technology platform for students to experience a digital-first learning experience. Students can learn anywhere and anytime through UpGrad’s desktop or mobile application. They can interact with fellow students across the globe and learn from others through interactive elements such as poll questions, in-classroom discussions and many more technology features that we have built, in order to create a truly engaging learning experience. 2) Learn what matters The second pillar that we believe is critical in making a tangible career impact for any student graduating from the program is a strong focus on topics that really matter in the Digital Marketing & Communication space. Only if the syllabus of a program reflects the needs and requirements of the industry, are students able to land jobs or achieve career progressions after completing the program. In order to achieve this, we have interviewed 50+ CEOs of Agencies, CMOs, Heads of Marketing as well as HR Managers across agencies, FMCG companies, e-commerce companies and many more sectors. We asked them a very simple question: “What are the kind of skillsets that you see lacking in candidates of current times?” – the answer – “A holistic understanding of branding and marketing that goes beyond just channel management.” With that discovered, we created a syllabus that meets the needs of the industry in a three-stage approach. In the first part of the program, students are exposed to the fundamentals of branding, marketing and digital. In this section, fundamental concepts such as Segmentation & Targeting, Digital Marketing Channels & Metrics and Digital Community building are recapped – for those with more experience in Marketing & Branding, this section is optional. In the second section of the program, once the fundamentals of branding and marketing are understood, students are exposed to the most relevant digital marketing channels – Website & App Creation and User Experience, Search, Social, Display, Email and more. In this section, students learn to use these channels in a rigorous and hands-on manner. Through industry projects, it is guaranteed that the learning does not stop at the concept stage but goes all the way to application. upGrad’s Exclusive Digital Marketing Webinar for you – How Marketers can enable Sales for Success? document.createElement('video'); https://cdn.upgrad.com/blog/abhishek-ballabh.mp4   In the last part of the program, we take these channels into consideration to teach students how to create holistic Digital Marketing & Communication Strategies, how to use Google Analytics and other tools in order to optimize campaigns and how to distribute budgets most efficiently in order to achieve the highest possible ROI on marketing spends. Throughout the entire syllabus, students have access to the UpGrad Toolbox – where recent technology tools are explained in the most practical manner. You can learn how to set-up Facebook or Google AdWords campaigns, how to conduct email marketing while using various tools such as Google Analytics, Facebook Business Manager, etc. Top 21 Tech Product Marketing Tools for Startups in 2017 Best Digital Marketing Courses Online Advanced Certificate in Brand Communication Management - MICA Advanced Certificate in Digital Marketing and Communication - MICA Performance Marketing Bootcamp - Google Ads from upGrad To Explore all our courses, visit our page below. Digital Marketing Courses 3) Learning with guidance The third and last pillar we believe is critical to create a real career impact is made up of a strong student support and mentoring system. As mentioned earlier, we are extremely convinced that learning cannot stop at concepts – it must go down all the way to application and eventually create real impact on a student’s career or business. For that to happen, we have to provide students with much more than just online content. Throughout the program, students can interact with their “buddies” – UpGrad’s customer service angels who help participants in every possible scenario to make sure that students are engaged with the learning experience. Whether students have issues with attending a live lecture or meeting deadlines, whether they need to reschedule a mentoring session or seek more information on a specific topic – UpGrad’s buddies are there 24/7 to answer any doubts and assure that students are meeting the targets they set themselves. Along with the buddies to handhold students, we have incorporated in the program a 1-on-1 career mentoring component. Experienced Industry Mentors from various fields give students feedback on their CV, discuss career options and career growth plans and prepare them for the toughest interviews. We believe that this kind of 1-on-1 engagement is necessary in order to assure a long-lasting career impact. For students who run their own business, our Industry Mentors provide inputs on their marketing related business challenges. Learn Digital Marketing Course Online from the World’s top Universities. Earn Masters, Executive PGP, or Advanced Certificate Programs to fast-track your career. Next to the buddy-system and mentoring, the program also gives students the chance to become part of the MICA Alumni network – a vibrant community of business and Marketing Leaders across the globe – individuals such as Kunal Jeswani, CEO of Ogilvy and Mather, India’s largest integrated communication agency and other seasoned leaders and entrepreneurs are part of the MICA Alumni network. Being part of this community gives you a chance to stay up-to-date on MICA developments and network with industry leaders. In-demand Digital Marketing Skills Advertising Courses Influencer Marketing Courses SEO Courses Performance Marketing Courses SEM Courses Email Marketing Courses Content Marketing Courses Social Media Marketing Courses Marketing Analytics Courses Web Analytics Courses Display Advertising Courses Affiliate Marketing Courses 17 Essential Digital Marketing Skills which will help you Rock! We believe that these three pillars – A superior learning experience, a unique syllabus and a strong hand-holding component – are the cornerstones for an impactful learning experience. Digital Marketing Free courses to Learn Influencer marketing free course Introduction to advertising free course Influencer marketing right free course SEO basics free course SEM basics free course Email marketing free course Social media marketing introduction free course How to leverage user generated content free course Content marketing free course Fundamentals of marketing free course Brand marketing masterclass free course We are excited to start this journey in Digital Marketing & Communication in June this year and train the next generation of Digital Leaders for the country. If you are curious to get into the world of digital marketing, check out upGrad & MICA’s Advanced Certificate in Digital Marketing & Communication. Popular Digital Marketing Blogs Beginners Guide to YouTube Marketing : Complete List How to Monetize Your YouTube Channel? Top 5 Actionable Steps The Complete Guide on setting up a LinkedIn Company Page Everything You Need To Know About Digital Marketing A Complete Guide to Digital Marketing Strategy: What it is and How to create it? Digital Marketing Tutorial: A Step-by-Step Guide To Become an Expert Future of Digital Marketing: How It Goes From Here Importance of Digital Marketing: Top 10 Reasons Your Business Needs it Digital Marketing Challenges: How to Win Amidst the Challenges in Digital Marketing

by Marius Westhoff

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08 May 2017

Can Entrepreneurship Be Taught? (Yes, And Here’s What It Takes)
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Can Entrepreneurship Be Taught? (Yes, And Here’s What It Takes)

When UpGrad started up in March 2015, we knew that we wanted to do something in the area of management. Back then, the entrepreneurial ecosystem in India had been booming for a couple of years. International investors like Softbank or Tiger Global had created the unicorns across the country – Ola Cabs, Flipkart, Snapdeal and many more had entered their growth path. At the same time, ventures such as Indigo Airlines, Equitas in microfinance and the ongoing initiatives of the Government to promote and foster the entrepreneurial spirit in the country; left many budding and aspiring entrepreneurs with immense curiosity. It was to recognize and encourage this curiosity and spirit that we at UpGrad decided to launch the Leadership & Management program . With many critics claiming that Entrepreneurship is not something that can be taught; rather it is a unique gift given to a lucky few or inherited from previous generations – we really saw this program as a challenge to prove that Entrepreneurship can be learnt and should be taught. Learn Online MBA Courses from the World’s top Universities. Earn Masters, Executive PGP, or Advanced Certificate Programs to fast-track your career. From day 1, we were clear about certain elements that should be included in the program to make it meaningful and tangible for entrepreneurs who want to start or scale their venture. These elements were driven by the belief that experience extracted from others, local networks, practical application and individual hand-holding are some of the cornerstones of entrepreneurial education: The Indian Perspective One of the key elements that we knew would be extremely critical in order to make the program meaningful was the Indian perspective on the ecosystem. Many programs that tried to help entrepreneurs came from the Silicon Valley and many of the concepts and examples taught had little relevance in an Indian environment. That’s why we roped in some of India’s top entrepreneurs to share their experiences across varied entrepreneurial journeys. Also Read: The Idea Called UpGrad Concepts & Cases Particularly when it comes to leadership and management, we knew that a program can only be successful if it empowers individuals with tangible skill-sets rather than textbook knowledge. That’s why we took a case-study driven approach which combines learnings of leading startups in India such as Snapdeal’s business model pivoting and Pepperfry’s differentiation. Personal Feedback After learning new concepts from industry leaders, global academicians and through case-studies, UpGrad entrepreneurs have to apply this knowledge in the context of their own ventures. The program requires students to answer a multitude of questions – once responses to these questions are submitted, industry experts give personal feedback to students consistently. In this way, the program exposes students to tough questions at the right time; forcing them to evaluate, introspect and assess the depth of their own business plans. This is done in order to give them more clarity regarding their ideas, ventures and thought-process. Networking One of the most important assets for any entrepreneur is his or her personal network. Which we at UpGrad recognized and wanted to leverage. However, this would be especially challenging for us considering it was an online program, where individuals tend to stay anonymous. We have solved for this through numerous Peer-to-Peer Sessions, Online Hangouts, an interactive discussion forum as well as regular offline events where people network with other entrepreneurs and industry experts, trying to build a network that lasts a long time. Also Read: What Do Investors Look For? Investor Connect Finally, one of the most crucial parts of the program, for us, was connecting young entrepreneurs to investors who would potentially fund their startups. We brought this to life through the UpGrad Pitchday. Throughout the program, students are mentored and given feedback on their business plan. Post completion of the program, students have 3 months to further work on their idea/business before they are exposed to a jury of early stage, venture capital funds such as Blume Ventures, IDG Ventures, India Quotient, Matrix Partners, Accel partners as well as Angel Investors from LetsVenture. These 5 elements – The Indian Perspective, Concept & Cases, Personal Feedback, Networking and Investor Connect became the corner stones of the UpGrad Entrepreneurship Program and empowered more than 400 entrepreneurs in their journey.  One year after the first batch launched, we have seen significant impact with respect to their ventures: The number of program participants who were able to successfully launch their venture increased by 50% 88% of participants reported that they were able to pivot or improve their business model 48% launched new products within 6 months of completion of the program 54% significantly increased operational efficiency and 31% were able to increase their revenues more than 30% 46% were able to find business development and partnership opportunities 11% found co-founders or key employees in the program 9% of students received funding through angels, institutional investors, incubators or accelerators These numbers, one year after the launch of the program, make us confident that the elements we included in the program created meaningful impact for our ventures. This gives us the strong belief that many more successful stories can be created and the program can help promote and foster many entrepreneurial journeys in the future. Entrepreneurship can be learnt and should be taught. In my next blog, I will deep dive into the 5 elements and some of our students’ experiences with the program. Stay tuned. If you want to learn more about marketing and entrepreneurship, Liverpool Business School & upGrad offers Master of Business Administration (MBA) Liverpool Business School which helps you to transform your career. The program provides 1-on-1 mentorship from industry leaders, 1-week immersion program at University campus, dual credentials (MBA from LBS & PGPM from IMT), network with peers at offline basecamps and more.

by Marius Westhoff

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13 Dec 2016

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