Our lives are being transformed with the worldwide explosion of rapidly advancing social technologies.   Today, many businesses are rapidly evolving and increasingly becoming social businesses.   What we are discovering, though not surprising, is that social technologies are empowering consumers. Yet, there is a talent gap growing between the skills of new marketing and advertising jobs required and the people able to fill them.

This gap is driven by the “enormous amount of user data that ad tech companies are collecting for agencies and marketers”, according to the Tanzina Vega, author of the New York Times, “Advertising Companies Fret Over a Digital Talent Gap”.   Vega said, “…those who have the skills are in high demand, often fetching salaries that can reach $100,000.”   The demand for talent is far surpassing the supply.  On average it takes two to three months to find the right person with the right skills.

“Colleges and universities are not teaching the skills they need to survive in this environment,” said Dough Weaver, the founder and chief executive of the Upstream Group.”  Many colleges and universities offer traditional marketing and advertising courses, but for companies to be successful in today’s environment, they need to hire graduates with a combination of both traditional and digital skills.

A recent article by Greg Jarboe, (@gregjarboe ) President & co-founder of SEO-PR, author of YouTube and Video Marketing: An Hour a Day, highlights Weaver’s article and states that Rutgers Center for Management Development (CMD) is committed to bridging this gap by offering a Mini-MBA: Digital Marketing Program.

Rutgers is not only addressing this urgent need, but they are doing it first class and with state-of-the-art technology.  Each participant in the Mini-MBA:  Digital Marketing Program (began in 2010) is provided with an Apple iPad, pre-configured with all the required reading materials, cases, articles, chapters and videos.  In a video interview entitled, “New Digital Marketing Course at Rutgers University, “Goodbye Chalkboard and Hello iPad”, Eric Greenberg, Director – Marketing Programs for Rutgers CDM, explained that participants were provided an iPad because if they’re going to be professionals in digital marketing it is important to understand the latest technologies and “how people consume information”.

In February, 2011 Rutgers CMB expanded their Mini-MBA to an Online Mini-MBA: Social Media Marketing Program.

US Tablet Growth – eMarketer

According to eMarketer, the number of “US tablet users will reach 89.5 million in 2014, up from 33.7 million in 2011.  Tablet users will make up 35.6% of Internet users in 2014, up from 14.5% this year.”

The paradigm shift in marketing and advertising has recalibrated businesses. There are positive results for educational institutions that embrace these challenges and deliver superior education for students ready to embark in a highly competitive, complex world.

Awards for Business Schools –Twitter Excellence

To encourage excellence in business education B2B Twitterer of the Year (@B2BTOTY) Award, now in its third year, recognizes business schools, individuals and organizations for outstanding contributions in practicing, promoting, and/or enhancing business using Twitter.

With this commitment in excellence for superior performance in Twitter the B2BTOTY awards has a special category for “Business Schools”.

The Oscar of B2BTOTY Awards – Needs your vote today.  The deadline for submissions is Friday, December 16, 2011 at midnight ET.

The winners will be selected by a committee of judges with professional experience.

 

 

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