Real Intelligence on AI: How Husson Prepares Marketing Students to Succeed in Today's Industry

Published on: September 12, 2024

When it comes to marketing, any advantage or tool a marketer can use to more effectively reach customers and clients is invaluable. After all, with so many different voices, brands and outlets competing for the attention of the audiences, something that can help your brand or organization to stand is worth trying. For many marketers today, generative artificial intelligence (AI) offers that extra advantage. Though the technology is relatively new and the full scope of its potential is still being explored, there's little doubt that it's poised to significantly impact the marketing industry.

That's why instructors in Husson's Marketing Communications program – offered by the New England School of Communication (NESCOM) – have worked quickly to incorporate AI into the marketing curriculum. To find out more about what technology offers to marketers, what Husson marketing students can expect to learn and what potential pitfalls this technology presents, we spoke with Nancy Roberts, marketing program coordinator and instructor. 

Teaching the Industry Standard

Describing Husson's Marketing Communications program, Roberts says that the program exists at "the intersection of business and creativity. Here, students take business classes, but also communications and creative classes, like graphic design and photography and video. They take this wide variety of classes because I want our students to be really knowledgeable but also marketable, with a skill set in a wide variety of areas."

She further explains: "Oftentimes you'll see a marketing program that's strictly housed in a school of business and is very much about numbers and data, or you might see a communications program that's focused on audience and developing relationships. This program really combines those elements, because that's how the industry works now."

This approach is informed by Roberts' own decades of experience in the marketing and public relations fields, and the incorporation of AI and how to use it in the program is also rooted in the desire to ensure what students learn in the program is practical and applicable. 

"The advertising industry is changing all the time, and AI is an aspect of that, so we want to be sure that we're teaching what's the industry standard today," Roberts says. "My students and I toured some agencies here in the Bangor area, and then we went down to agencies in Portland, and a we were surprised at how fully AI has been adopted. Companies are looking to hire people who know how to use AI. So we feel like we would be remiss in not training our students in this area."

Using AI for Successful Marketing

But just how is AI being used in marketing and communications? Roberts sees the technology being used in several ways, and is intent on passing that knowledge on to her students.

"AI allows digital marketing to be more efficient and to be personalized and data driven. That's giving organizations using it a significant competitive advantage," Roberts explains. "The ultimate goal in marketing is to sell a product or service. And if you can tailor your message to what your customer wants and ensure you're reaching them and doing it in a way that they feel is meaningful for them, that's really important. AI allows marketers to highly personalize the experiences for the customer, so they're able to analyze a lot of data, and then predict customer preferences and behaviors, and then tailor content to that specific customer."

Roberts also points to the ways that AI can help automate and quickly perform routine tasks, like summarizing emails or developing media posts. Plus, she adds, "The other thing that AI does that's really helpful is looking at sentiment online, looking at the conversation that people are having about a product or about a company, and making a determination as to whether or not a brand's marketing is working or if there's a need to modify or adjust it."

These uses for AI also impact how Roberts incorporates the technology into her teaching and curriculum, which goes beyond using AI to generate content or designs and seeks to find more practical applications. One example is in the program's capstone class, focused on Husson's student-run One Circle Agency. As part of the class, students work with real clients and create marketing plans and materials to meet those clients' needs. And to create those marketing plans for this class (and others), students utilize AI to come up with ideas, or they generate their own ideas and they see if the AI delivers similar results, reinforcing those ideas' viability and relevance. 

Roberts is even considering using AI to help student learn some of the "power skills" (formerly called soft skills) needed to be an effective marketing professional, such as interpersonal communication, problem solving and networking. Using AI models, she plans to create a client character for students to interact with that will "help them to develop their skills and comfort level in meeting and presenting to clients."

Navigating AI's Pitfalls and Ethical Concerns

Of course, there are many practical and ethical concerns regarding the usage of generative AI, but Roberts doesn't shy away from those in her instruction. Indeed, they are a core part of the curriculum. Students discuss the environmental impact of the massive amounts of energy required to power generative AI servers, the potential privacy concerns of using these public tools for private, confidential information and how AIs use the work of other artists and writers without permission or compensation. Though these issues are not easily solved, their discussion ensures that students use this technology responsibly and prudently. 

Students also learn to avoid some of the practical pitfalls of AI, such as the technology's occasional tendency to "hallucinate" facts, reinforce racial bias and offer questionable suggestions and content. "One of the things we talk to students about is that you can't just use something that AI has created for you. You have to review it and pay attention and make sure it is legitimate," Roberts says. When using AI on marketing plans or creative work for example, Roberts stresses the importance of checking behind the AI and making changes as necessary to ensure its quality and relevance.  

She also ensures students learn when it is not appropriate to use AI, such as in cases where a company or brand needs to be heartfelt and a human touch is necessary. "If a company's in crisis, you do not want to generate AI responses. You want to hear from a CEO directly and have those statements come from a human being."

Ultimately, the solution to all the concerns of AI comes down to the basics of marketing and communication work. "It's so important that students have an understanding of the theories and concepts and best practices that guide marketing, so they can understand when AI is failing or hallucinating," Roberts says. "That's why make sure that students can do all of the work themselves and not just rely on AI."

Your Marketing Career Begins at Husson

Thankfully, Roberts and her colleagues at NESCOM have worked to ensure that the Marketing Communications program curriculum provides students with that grounding in marketing principles as well as technology like AI. 

To be part of a program that will truly prepare you for a career in marketing – whether that means working for a small company or at larger agency – apply to Husson or request more info today. Your future as a marketer starts here.