As the resident online marketing expert in the EMEA region in Experian, one of my main objectives was to expand the skillset and skill level of all the marketers in the region. In order to achieve that, I set up a training program called the Digital Marketing Certification Program, which consisted in a series of webinars organized around different tracks. This program lasted 5 years, and had a lot of internal support, from marketers to managers to HR departments.
In the first year of the program the focus was exclusively in Email Marketing, but after the second year we expanded the topics to Digital Analytics, SEO, Content Strategy, Social Media, Digital Strategy, Mobile Marketing and SEM and Display advertising. Each track consisted in 4 webinars, and attendance to those webinars was rewarded with a certification. We considered the program to be a success. As the digital marketing skillset of the participants improved, we decided to continue our educational efforts on a 1-1 basis, addressing specific needs.
An award that recognized how critical education can be
The business recognized the Digital Marketing Certification Program with a regional marketing award in 2015. I was also a finalist for the global award during this period. This was an internal award to highlight initiatives that had a highly positive impact in the business. People in the marketing community nominated projects and people, and then a group of senior managers and country directors decided which project deserved the award.
The Digital Marketing Certification Program in numbers
- 43 webinars over 5 years
- 11 different certification tracks
- 83% of regional marketers attended at least one of the webinars in this program.
- The attendees rated the content of the webinars with a 4.4/5.
- And the presentation with a 4.5/5.