digital marketing at hbs online case study

• Harvard Business School →
• Faculty & Research →
• August 2020 (Revised January 2021)
• HBS Case Collection

Digital Marketing at HBS Online

• Format: Print
• | Language: English
• | Pages: 18

About The Authors

Sunil Gupta

Related Work

• Faculty Research

Case Exhibits for Digital Marketing at HBS Online

• February 2021

Digital Marketing at HBS Online Teaching Note

• Case Exhibits for Digital Marketing at HBS Online  By: Sunil Gupta and Rajiv Lal
• Digital Marketing at HBS Online Teaching Note  By: Sunil Gupta and Rajiv Lal
• Digital Marketing at HBS Online  By: Sunil Gupta and Rajiv Lal

• Browse All Articles
• Newsletter Sign-Up

Marketing →

• 29 Feb 2024

Beyond Goals: David Beckham's Playbook for Mobilizing Star Talent

Reach soccer's pinnacle. Become a global brand. Buy a team. Sign Lionel Messi. David Beckham makes success look as easy as his epic free kicks. But leveraging world-class talent takes discipline and deft decision-making, as case studies by Anita Elberse reveal. What could other businesses learn from his ascent?

• 17 Jan 2024

Psychological Pricing Tactics to Fight the Inflation Blues

Inflation has slowed from the epic rates of 2021 and 2022, but many consumers still feel pinched. What will it take to encourage them to spend? Thoughtful pricing strategies that empower customers as they make purchasing decisions, says research by Elie Ofek.

• 05 Dec 2023
• Cold Call Podcast

What Founders Get Wrong about Sales and Marketing

Which sales candidate is a startup’s ideal first hire? What marketing channels are best to invest in? How aggressively should an executive team align sales with customer success? Senior Lecturer Mark Roberge discusses how early-stage founders, sales leaders, and marketing executives can address these challenges as they grow their ventures in the case, “Entrepreneurial Sales and Marketing Vignettes.”

Tommy Hilfiger’s Adaptive Clothing Line: Making Fashion Inclusive

In 2017, Tommy Hilfiger launched its adaptive fashion line to provide fashion apparel that aims to make dressing easier. By 2020, it was still a relatively unknown line in the U.S. and the Tommy Hilfiger team was continuing to learn more about how to serve these new customers. Should the team make adaptive clothing available beyond the U.S., or is a global expansion premature? Assistant Professor Elizabeth Keenan discusses the opportunities and challenges that accompanied the introduction of a new product line that effectively serves an entirely new customer while simultaneously starting a movement to provide fashion for all in the case, “Tommy Hilfiger Adaptive: Fashion for All.”

• Research & Ideas

Are Virtual Tours Still Worth It in Real Estate? Evidence from 75,000 Home Sales

Many real estate listings still feature videos and interactive tools that simulate the experience of walking through properties. But do they help homes sell faster? Research by Isamar Troncoso probes the post-pandemic value of virtual home tours.

• 17 Oct 2023

With Subscription Fatigue Setting In, Companies Need to Think Hard About Fees

Subscriptions are available for everything from dental floss to dog toys, but are consumers tiring of monthly fees? Elie Ofek says that subscription revenue can provide stability, but companies need to tread carefully or risk alienating customers.

• 29 Aug 2023

As Social Networks Get More Competitive, Which Ones Will Survive?

In early 2023, TikTok reached close to 1 billion users globally, placing it fourth behind the leading social networks: Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram. Meanwhile, competition in the market for videos had intensified. Can all four networks continue to attract audiences and creators? Felix Oberholzer-Gee discusses competition and imitation among social networks in his case “Hey, Insta & YouTube, Are You Watching TikTok?”

• 26 Jun 2023

Want to Leave a Lasting Impression on Customers? Don't Forget the (Proverbial) Fireworks

Some of the most successful customer experiences end with a bang. Julian De Freitas provides three tips to help businesses invest in the kind of memorable moments that will keep customers coming back.

• 31 May 2023

With Predictive Analytics, Companies Can Tap the Ultimate Opportunity: Customers’ Routines

Armed with more data than ever, many companies know what key customers need. But how many know exactly when they need it? An analysis of 2,000 ridesharing commuters by Eva Ascarza and colleagues shows what's possible for companies that can anticipate a customer's routine.

• 30 May 2023

Can AI Predict Whether Shoppers Would Pick Crest Over Colgate?

Is it the end of customer surveys? Definitely not, but research by Ayelet Israeli sheds light on the potential for generative AI to improve market research. But first, businesses will need to learn to harness the technology.

• 24 Apr 2023

What Does It Take to Build as Much Buzz as Booze? Inside the Epic Challenge of Cannabis-Infused Drinks

The market for cannabis products has exploded as more states legalize marijuana. But the path to success is rife with complexity as a case study about the beverage company Cann by Ayelet Israeli illustrates.

• 07 Apr 2023

When Celebrity ‘Crypto-Influencers’ Rake in Cash, Investors Lose Big

Kim Kardashian, Lindsay Lohan, and other entertainers have been accused of promoting crypto products on social media without disclosing conflicts. Research by Joseph Pacelli shows what can happen to eager investors who follow them.

• 10 Feb 2023

COVID-19 Lessons: Social Media Can Nudge More People to Get Vaccinated

Social networks have been criticized for spreading COVID-19 misinformation, but the platforms have also helped public health agencies spread the word on vaccines, says research by Michael Luca and colleagues. What does this mean for the next pandemic?

• 02 Feb 2023

Why We Still Need Twitter: How Social Media Holds Companies Accountable

Remember the viral video of the United passenger being removed from a plane? An analysis of Twitter activity and corporate misconduct by Jonas Heese and Joseph Pacelli reveals the power of social media to uncover questionable situations at companies.

• 06 Dec 2022

Latest Isn’t Always Greatest: Why Product Updates Capture Consumers

Consumers can't pass up a product update—even if there's no improvement. Research by Leslie John, Michael Norton, and Ximena Garcia-Rada illustrates the powerful allure of change. Are we really that naïve?

• 29 Nov 2022

How Much More Would Holiday Shoppers Pay to Wear Something Rare?

Economic worries will make pricing strategy even more critical this holiday season. Research by Chiara Farronato reveals the value that hip consumers see in hard-to-find products. Are companies simply making too many goods?

• 26 Oct 2022

How Paid Promos Take the Shine Off YouTube Stars (and Tips for Better Influencer Marketing)

Influencers aspire to turn "likes" into dollars through brand sponsorships, but these deals can erode their reputations, says research by Shunyuan Zhang. Marketers should seek out authentic voices on YouTube, not necessarily those with the most followers.

• 25 Oct 2022

Is Baseball Ready to Compete for the Next Generation of Fans?

With its slower pace and limited on-field action, major league baseball trails football in the US, basketball, and European soccer in revenue and popularity. Stephen Greyser discusses the state of "America's pastime."

• 18 Oct 2022

When Bias Creeps into AI, Managers Can Stop It by Asking the Right Questions

Even when companies actively try to prevent it, bias can sway algorithms and skew decision-making. Ayelet Israeli and Eva Ascarza offer a new approach to make artificial intelligence more accurate.

• 08 Aug 2022

Building an 'ARMY' of Fans: Marketing Lessons from K-Pop Sensation BTS

Few companies can boast a customer base as loyal and engaged as BTS fans. In a case study, Doug Chung shares what marketers can learn from the boyband's savvy use of social media and authentic connection with listeners.

Sales & Marketing

Digital Marketing at HBS Online

Digital Marketing at HBS Online ^ 521027

Want to buy more than 1 copy? Contact: [email protected]

Product Description

Publication Date: August 18, 2020

In July 2020, the management team of Harvard Business School Online (HBS Online) had to decide how to allocate its marketing budget for fiscal year 2021 between various digital channels and its portfolio of courses. Since its launch in 2014, HBS Online had grown to almost $60 million in revenue and there were concerns about its potential overlap with other HBS programs such as executive education and Harvard Business Publishing. Growth of HBS Online also raised questions about potential brand dilution of HBS.

This Product Also Appears In

Buy together, related products.

Marketing Reading: Digital Marketing

Fundamentals of Digital Marketing

Digital Marketing at Unilever International

Copyright permissions.

If you'd like to share this PDF, you can purchase copyright permissions by increasing the quantity.

Order for your team and save!

Digital Marketing At Hbs Online Case Solution & Answer

Home » Case Study Analysis Solutions » Digital Marketing At Hbs Online

Digital Marketing At Hbs Online Case Solution

It is always difficult for an organization to secure new leads and clients. Organizations utilize their assets to reach new clients consistently. To realize the achievement level of promoting procedures and missions, we want to look into customer acquisition costs. Paid media through advanced showcasing channels represents 34% of traffic to HBS online webpage. (see exhibit 1a) . One strategy that was lacking in the enrollment category was its marketing. Marketing is an important part of enrollment, it accelerates growth and improves effectiveness. Mohsen needs to look into different marketing courses to overcome these issues.Mohsen can improve the enrollment and customer acquisition cost through other simple strategies: (pawels, 2016)

• Prioritize the Right audience: It is important to implement marketing strategies and target the right audience. It is important to focus on the right customers and tell them about your content in the best possible way.
• Retarget Customers: retargeting the customers can help the companies to gain and build trust in front of new customers.
• Improve customer retention: Organizations can bring down their client procurement costs by expanding their existing client rate, buy frequencies, and normal request esteems. Use techniques like client feedback rates, add devotion projects and add education programs. On top of this, watch out for your agitate rates.
• Improve the sales funnel: Sales funnel is the essential element in reducing the cost acquisition process. It is very important to examine and prioritize the sales funnel effectively. Sales Funnel consists of 6 stages (see exhibit 1b)

In our current reality where the outcomes you can accomplish with natural computerized showcasing are beginning to blur, having a profoundly viable paid media methodology is pivotal for IT specialists. Mohsen can increase the effectiveness of paid media by implementing certain strategies such as testing out different channels, trying out different Ads, and updating them in a timely. Another strategy that might help is to never be afraid of experimenting with different ads ad channels and by improving the marketing content.

Beyond paid media, other promising strategies shows effective results in accelerating growth:

• Short-form Content:

There is an increasing demand for short-structure content as HBS courses required over 30 hours to finish. The advantages of short-structure content are tremendous as this content doesn’t request as much time or consideration: Audiences need their responses rapidly and short-structure content is an extraordinary method for conveying an idea briefly. Mohsen and spar realized the increasing demand for short-form content and know that it would require different strategies to imply and monetize.

• Learning Tracks:

Another way of accelerating growth is by bundling the existing courses in different learning tracks. It will also help in creating the week programs which plays a significant role in increasing the growth.

Investing in short-term content and learning tracks may accelerate the growth of HBS online, but in another way, it also dilutes the brand. If we see more broadly, it is quite the act of selfishness’s to restraint the growth of the platform due to its physical space.  So, in my opinion, I would invest in short-term content and learning tracks to increase the growth of the program so that the majority of people can be able to learn and qualify through it. The future of the HBS online program is not yet clear, but it will need to evolve and stay relevant in a changing environment. As the cost of education continues to rise, HBS must look at new business models that make the program more affordable and accessible. A key part of the future of the program is to engage with the unemployed. According to the International Labor Organization, 190 million people are unemployed worldwide, and many of them need employment. With a good HBS online program, this sector could be a major contributor and a potential long-term user of the platform.

The future of the HBS online program depends on the number of applicants. Currently, the enrollment is limited at 10% per year. By increasing the number of applicants; the school will be able to attract both full-time students and those who are interested in a part-time MBA. The program will focus on immediate transferable skills and self-discovery, while leveraging the global nature of the university. There are some challenges for the future, though.

            To accelerate the growth of the HBS online through different other programs such as short-form content and learning tracks, the brand may seem to dilute. Brand dilution isn’t the only option to stop providing people with an online educational platform. There are several concerns regarding these issues that HBS might terminate these courses and overcome brand dilution.

In my opinion, HBS needs to look after its space and work on it so that the brand might not dilute. It is very important to work on the factors that may resolve these issues and fulfill the people’s needs. Also, developing efficient strategies may help overcome these issues and broaden the HBS space so that a lot of people can fulfill their dreams.Only in this way, HBS online best fulfill the mission of the school.

In 2014, Harvard Business School reported the launch of HBS Online, an online learning platform devoted to teaching pioneers who make a tremendous difference in the world.

In mid-2019 HBS broaden the scope of its projects.

HBS Online portfolio has since developed to include 12 courses, with two dispatching recently. It also develops other different demanding projects such as short-form content and different learning tracks, which not only accelerate the growth of the platform but also provide the opportunity for the people willing to learn from HBS online for long and broaden its aspects.

The lesson it would give for the people starting to initiate their digital platform is that first believe that nothing is impracticable. It is important to set a defined goal and work through it. Another important lesson that it provides is to start with the norms and increase the strategies with time, such as starting your platform with the basic qualitative courses, engaging and making customers through potential marketing strategies, and then broadening your platform. Once you gain your customer’s trust, nothing can let you down. Only through consistent hard work and quality product; one can expand his or her platform……………………….

This is just a sample partial case solution. Please place the order on the website to order your own originally done case solution.

Related Case Solutions:

LOOK FOR A FREE CASE STUDY SOLUTION

• Order Status
• Testimonials
• What Makes Us Different

Digital Marketing At Hbs Online Harvard Case Solution & Analysis

Home >> Harvard Case Study Analysis Solutions >> Digital Marketing At Hbs Online

Digital Marketing At Hbs Online Case Solution

Introduction.

In 2014, Harvard Business School reported the launch of HBS Online, an online learning platform, devoted to teaching pioneers who make a tremendous difference in the world. In mid-2019, HBS started to expand its online courses and worked on the strategies that accelerate its growth. After paid media content, another two strategies that seem to help in increasing the growth of the HBS, are: short-form content and learning tracks. These two strategies may accelerate the growth of the platform but dilute the website.

In July 2020, the supervisory crew of Harvard Business School Online (HBS Online) needed to choose the allocation method of its promoting plan for the financial year 2021 between different advanced channels and its arrangement of courses. Since its launch in 2014, HBS Online had developed to nearly $60 million in income and there were worries about its possible cross-over with different HBS projects like leader instruction and Harvard Business Publishing. The growth of HBS Online additionally brought up issues about the potential brand weakening of HBS. (gupta, 2020)

The programmatic display ads are important because they are used for purchasing the display. Mohsen allocated 3% because a very minimum amount in order to purchase the advertisement display. Along with that these slots will help us to buy the desired placed for the advertisement. The main advantage of using programmatic display advertisement is the ability to target a particular audience in a specific manner. The process of this type of advertising allows different ads to be shown to different people, even milliseconds apart. It is a relatively new concept, but it has already begun to have positive effects. In this article, we will discuss some of the advantages of this type of advertising. Read on to learn more about its potential.

A major advantage of programmatic advertising is its reach. With 3.5 billion people online at any given time, this technology is capable of reaching millions of people in a short amount of time. Furthermore, the technology used for this type of advertising allows for real-time tracking of campaign results. This is an important feature for advertisers, as it helps to improve the efficiency of their advertisements. It can save money as it allows marketers to use limited budgets without compromising the quality of their ads.

A programmatic display advertisement targets a specific audience. As it targets a certain audience, it can effectively target leads close to the purchase decision. It can also be tailored to the user's interests. For example, a pet store can show ads featuring cats or dogs to cat owners and vice versa. Another benefit of this type of advertisement is that it requires only a small investment, which reduces production costs. A good thing about this type of advertising is that it allows a company to spend as much money as it wants.

As it shows in case exhibit 10 CORe account was allocated 24% but only 9%was spent in FY20. This was to diversify the advertisement techniques of the company. Along with that it is important for the company to have diversified accounts to increase consumers approach and acquire more customers. Under-spending your digital marketing budget can save your company money. Under-spending shows that your marketing team has limited ability to spend the allocated budget to achieve desired business results. It also raises questions about the marketing operations of your company. It is also beneficial as an annual benchmark to adjust your budget in the future. Under-spending is also a better way to ensure your brand is consistently seen. It is not uncommon for companies to make year-over-year reductions in their marketing budgets.

New businesses should allocate approximately 12 to 20% of their gross revenue to marketing. However, this can be a problem if the budget is low or the ideas are not effective. In this case , it may be necessary to increase the budget or reduce the number of campaigns. Nevertheless, under-spending in digital marketing can result in low conversion rates. Ineffective spending in this area means losing clicks and conversions. Therefore, it is important to set a realistic and achievable budget for your digital marketing.

A new business should allocate between twelve and twenty percent of its gross revenue to marketing. This amount will allow the business to build its name and establish a presence in the market. Moreover, it is essential for a new business to invest in marketing. It is important to keep in mind that there are other ways to increase budgets than increasing them. If you want to save money by under-spending your digital marketing budget, it is important to create a budget plan that allows for both.

The generic and branded advertisements both are important because generic advertisement help company to discuss the benefits that apply to all the product categories. Whereas Branded advertising is particularly important in the digital age because it encourages loyal customers to buy from brands. Its success depends on the number of followers and the amount of time they spend on the brand. In addition, it is vital to keep an eye on the short-term performance of the advertisement. It is important to monitor brand traffic, which should increase over time. Even the smallest changes can make the campaign perform better. The importance of tracking and optimization is paramount in the success of an advertisement.

The benefits of using branded advertisement in digital marketing are numerous. In particular, it increases conversion rates. Unlike traditional marketing strategies that focus on driving leads to a website, a branded advertisement will increase brand loyalty. In addition to this, a retargeting campaign will not only increase customer engagement, but will also reduce ad costs. In addition, a branded advertisement will increase a company's brand recognition and reputation. It will boost sales and revenue.

Branded advertisement in digital marketing campaigns will help companies gain more customers. According to the latest report by E-Marketers, 65% of digital ad budgets will be allocated to brand-focused ads, while only 35% will be allocated to direct response ads. These numbers align with the overall trend of increasing brand awareness in today's society. Those organizations that want long-term growth should consider this trend in their digital marketing strategies.............................

This is just a sample partial case solution. Please place the order on the website to order your own originally done case solution.

Related Case Solutions & Analyses:

Hire us for Originally Written Case Solution/ Analysis

Like us and get updates:.

Harvard Case Solutions

Search Case Solutions

• Accounting Case Solutions
• Auditing Case Studies
• Business Case Studies
• Economics Case Solutions
• Finance Case Studies Analysis
• Harvard Case Study Analysis Solutions
• Human Resource Cases
• Ivey Case Solutions
• Management Case Studies
• Marketing HBS Case Solutions
• Operations Management Case Studies
• Supply Chain Management Cases
• Taxation Case Studies

More From Harvard Case Study Analysis Solutions

• TESLA MOTORS
• Organizational Decline: Stimulus for Innovation
• Andrea Jung: Empowering Avon Women (A)
• Entrepreneurship and Venture Capital in Healthcare Fall Term 2011: Course Outline and Syllabus
• Cadence vs. Avant (A)
• Codex Alimentarius and Food Labeling
• SOCIAL MEDIA

Contact us:

Check Order Status

How Does it Work?

Why TheCaseSolutions.com?

Prepare your students to navigate business challenges by immersing them in real-world scenarios.

Transform business education

Bring excitement into your classroom with engaging case discussions and introduce students to the challenge and fun of making important decisions.

Illustrate business concepts

Help students learn by doing with over 50,000+ cases featuring real-world business scenarios spanning across multiple areas of business.

Encourage new ways of thinking

Student build confidence and critical thinking skills while learning to express their ideas and convince others, setting them up for success in the real world.

Explore Different Types of Cases

Find cases that meet your particular needs.

New! Quick Cases

Quickly immerse students in focused and engaging business dilemmas. No student prep time required.

Traditional cases from HBS and 50+ leading business schools.

Multimedia Cases

Cases that keep students engaged with video, audio, and interactive components.

Search Cases in Your Discipline

Select a discipline and start browsing available cases.

• Business & Government Relations
• Business Ethics
• Entrepreneurship
• General Management
• Human Resource Management
• Information Technology
• International Business
• Negotiation
• Operations Management
• Organizational Behavior
• Service Management
• Social Enterprise

Case Teaching Seminar

Register now for our Teaching with Cases Seminar at Harvard Business School, held June 21 - 22 . Learn how to lead case discussions like a pro and earn a certificate from Harvard Business Publishing.

Fundamentals of Case Teaching

Our new, self-paced, online course guides you through the fundamentals for leading successful case discussions at any course level.

Case Companion: Build Students’ Confidence in Case Analysis

Case Companion is an engaging and interactive introduction to case study analysis that is ideal for undergraduates or any student new to learning with cases.

Discover Trending Cases

Stay up to date on cases from leading business schools.

Discover new ideas for your courses

Course Explorer lets you browse learning materials by topic, curated by our editors, partners, and faculty from leading business schools. 

Teach with Cases

Explore resources designed to help you bring the case method into your classroom.

Inspiring Minds Articles on Case Teaching

Insights from leading educators about teaching with the case method.

Book: Teaching with Cases: A Practical Guide

A book featuring practical advice for instructors on managing class discussion to maximize learning.

Webinar: How ChatGPT and Other AI Tools Can Maximize the Learning Potential of Your Case-Based Classes

Register now.

Supplements: Inside the Case

Teaching tips and insights from case authors.

Guide: Teaching Cases Online

A guide for experienced educators who are new to online case teaching.

Educator Training: Selecting Cases to Use in Your Classes

Find the right materials to achieve your learning goals.

Educator Training: Teaching with Cases

Key strategies and practical advice for engaging students using the case method.

Frequently Asked Questions

What support can I offer my students around analyzing cases and preparing for discussion?

Case discussions can be a big departure from the norm for students who are used to lecture-based classes. The Case Analysis Coach is an interactive tutorial on reading and analyzing a case study. The Case Study Handbook covers key skills students need to read, understand, discuss and write about cases. The Case Study Handbook is also available as individual chapters to help your students focus on specific skills.

How can I transfer my in-person case teaching plan to an online environment?

The case method can be used in an online environment without sacrificing its benefits. We have compiled a few resources to help you create transformative online learning experiences with the case method. Learn how HBS brought the case method online in this podcast , gather some quick guidance from the article " How to Teach Any Case Online ", review the Teaching Cases Online Guide for a deep dive, and check out our Teaching Online Resources Page for more insights and inspiration.

After 35 years as an academic, I have come to the conclusion that there is a magic in the way Harvard cases are written. Cases go from specific to general, to show students that business situations are amenable to hard headed analysis that then generalize to larger theoretical insights. The students love it! Akshay Rao Professor, General Mills Chair in Marketing at the University of Minnesota

We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience, including personalizing content. Learn More . By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies and revised Privacy Policy .

• Business Essentials
• Leadership & Management
• Credential of Leadership, Impact, and Management in Business (CLIMB)
• Entrepreneurship & Innovation
• Digital Transformation
• Finance & Accounting
• Business in Society
• For Organizations
• Support Portal
• Media Coverage
• Founding Donors
• Leadership Team

• Harvard Business School →
• HBS Online →
• Business Insights →

Business Insights

Harvard Business School Online's Business Insights Blog provides the career insights you need to achieve your goals and gain confidence in your business skills.

• Career Development
• Communication
• Decision-Making
• Earning Your MBA
• Negotiation
• News & Events
• Productivity
• Staff Spotlight
• Student Profiles
• Work-Life Balance
• AI Essentials for Business
• Alternative Investments
• Business Analytics
• Business Strategy
• Business and Climate Change
• Design Thinking and Innovation
• Digital Marketing Strategy
• Disruptive Strategy
• Economics for Managers
• Entrepreneurship Essentials
• Financial Accounting
• Global Business
• Launching Tech Ventures
• Leadership Principles
• Leadership, Ethics, and Corporate Accountability
• Leading with Finance
• Management Essentials
• Negotiation Mastery
• Organizational Leadership
• Power and Influence for Positive Impact
• Strategy Execution
• Sustainable Business Strategy
• Sustainable Investing
• Winning with Digital Platforms

3 Tips to Help You Lead in the Digital World

• 18 Apr 2024

As the world becomes more technologically advanced, business roles evolve. It’s your job as a leader to guide your team through digital transformation and uncertainty and inspire them to innovate.

While digital and technological savviness are helpful, Harvard Business School Professor Linda Hill—who teaches Leading in the Digital World, one of seven courses in the Credential of Leadership, Impact, and Management in Business (CLIMB) —says digital leadership is about empowering your team.

"What does it mean to be an effective leader when you have digital tools and data to enable you to be able to innovate and meet the needs of your customer?" Hill asks in an episode of The Parlor Room podcast .

Regardless of whether you have formal authority, Hill says you can inspire innovation.

“It's not so much about coming up with a vision and following the leader to the future,” she continues. “It's really about how you create the kind of culture and capabilities necessary for [the team] to be willing and able to co-create that future together.”

Listen to the full podcast episode below, or watch it on YouTube :

To help you harness your leadership skills in the digital age, here’s a primer on digital leadership’s challenges, the roles you must play, and three tips to remember for success.

What Is Digital Leadership?

Digital leadership is a type of leadership characterized by a willingness to engage with, leverage, and navigate the uncertainty of emerging technologies, digital tools, and data.

In today’s business world, considering the implications and opportunities that come with new, disruptive technology is critical. Yet, many find it daunting—and for good reason.

Digital leadership’s common challenges include:

• Adapting to leading virtual or hybrid teams
• Auditing, selecting, and implementing new tools and processes and inspiring employee buy-in
• Mitigating the overwhelm associated with accessing large amounts of data
• Navigating and leading others through constant change

One way to conceptualize your role as a leader is by using a framework called “the ABCs of leadership.” Drawing from Hill’s research in the Harvard Business Review , here’s a breakdown of each of the three leadership roles you must play in the digital world.

Access your free e-book today.

A Leader’s 3 Roles in the Digital World

1. architect.

Your architectural leadership responsibilities involve shaping your team or organization’s culture and capabilities. Your goal is to create an environment in which employees can experiment, collaborate, and learn.

“The idea here is that everyone in your organization has a slice of genius,” Hill says in a video for the Harvard Business Review . “Everyone has talents, everyone has passions. Your role as a leader is to unleash the diverse slices of genius in your organization and then leverage and harness them for the collective good.”

Next, you need to act as a bridge between your team and external resources. That can mean connecting with internal teams or other organizations to reach mutual goals.

Because each person, team, and company has a specific set of talents, expertise, and resources, your employees will likely require some outside collaboration to innovate effectively . It’s your job to bridge those gaps to empower them.

Making connections also requires forging trust and a shared vision with “outsiders” and influencing those you don’t have formal authority over.

Related: 7 Ways to Empower Your Employees

3. Catalyst

The third role you must play is catalyst, which draws on the fact that your team and organization are part of a much larger ecosystem centered on leveraging technology to drive innovation.

Not only must you create conditions for success within your team (architect) and form connections with external groups (bridger) but do the same with external groups. Catalysts understand the intricate interdependencies between companies, governments, and individuals and support third parties that will help others succeed.

For instance, if you partner with a firm with an outdated, inefficient project management system, you may act as a catalyst and help revamp it—in turn, increasing the firm’s productivity and benefiting your organization.

Related: Check out Professor Linda Hill’s explanation of “the ABCs of leadership” in this Harvard Business Review video .

3 Tips for Leading in the Digital World

1. maintain a human-centered focus.

While digital transformation often focuses on emerging technology, keep your leadership human-focused.

Ask yourself:

• How can I create the environment for my employees to succeed?
• How can I tap into my team’s individual strengths?
• What resources do they need that I can link them to?
• What opportunities exist for collaboration that we aren’t taking advantage of?

Remember: You’re not managing technology; you’re managing how your employees interact with it.

2. Drive Innovation Through Psychological Safety

When acting in the “architect” role, you must create an environment in which employees feel comfortable offering opinions, suggesting ideas, asking questions, raising concerns, speaking up, and admitting mistakes without fearing negative consequences.

You can achieve that through a phenomenon called psychological safety , which allows and sparks interpersonal risk-taking within teams.

In Dynamic Teaming —another CLIMB course—HBS Professor Amy Edmondson explains that while diversity and an inclusive leadership style are vital to teams’ success, psychological safety is the underlying factor. Without it, diverse teams can underperform compared to their homogenous counterparts.

Without psychological safety, your team’s diverse “slices of genius” that drive innovation might never be unlocked—so make it a point to foster it.

Related: Innovation in Business: What It Is & Why It’s So Important

3. Spark Commitment, Not Compliance

Where outdated leadership styles emphasize compliance, modern leadership values commitment. Rather than simply telling your team to come up with and execute innovative ideas, inspire them to care about the outcome so they feel committed to generating one they’re proud of.

You can do that by aligning all involved parties on purpose. Why are you all working on this? What impact do you aim to have? Why was this specific team selected?

Hill stresses that relying on formal authority is a thing of the past and won’t get you innovative solutions unless you think outside the box.

“In leading innovation, formal authority is a very limited source of power, because innovation is a voluntary act,” Hill writes in the Harvard Business Review . “Command-and-control—even as the big boss—doesn’t work; leaders must invite people to innovate and give them the space to do so.”

Lifelong Learning for Adaptability

Part of remaining adaptable means constantly learning. Because the digital landscape is forever in flux, you must continue building your abilities.

One way to do so is by taking an online program centered on cutting-edge leadership skills, like CLIMB . Hill’s course, Leading in the Digital World, is one of seven courses you’ll take over a yearlong period alongside peers from around the world in either the New Leaders or Experienced Leaders learning path.

By committing to lifelong learning, you can be the leader your organization needs in an increasingly digital world.

Do you want to develop your digital leadership skills? Explore our yearlong Credential of Leadership, Impact, and Management in Business (CLIMB) program , comprising seven courses for leading in the modern business world. Download the CLIMB brochure to learn about its curriculum, admissions requirements, and benefits.

About the Author

Digital Marketing Case Studies: 35 Examples for Online Success

How would you like to read the best digital marketing case studies ever published?

More importantly, how would you like to copy the best practices for online marketing that are based on real-world examples and not just theory.

If that sounds, good then you’ll get a lot of value out of this post.

Below, you’ll find a list of the top 35 online marketing case studies along with the results and key findings from each example. There are 5 sections in total covering the different aspects of digital marketing, including content marketing, SEO, PPC, social media, email, video, and affiliate. Within each section is also a link to find even more expert insights and data examples on that particular topic.

By studying these Internet marketing case study examples and applying the lessons learned in your own digital campaigns, you can hopefully achieve similar results to speed up your online success.

Table of Contents

Digital Marketing Case Studies

Content marketing case studies, appsumo grew organic traffic 843% & revenue 340%  – omniscient digital marketing case study.

In this digital marketing case study, you’ll find out how Omniscient Digital used a four-part approach to grow AppSumo’s organic website traffic by 843% and the revenue from that traffic by 340$. Includes details on the research process, strategy development, content production, and building links to those web pages.

From 0 to 100,000 Visitors Per Month  – Optimist Digital Marketing Case Study

This online marketing case study example shows you how Optimist took a startup called College Raptor from 0 to 100,000 organic sessions per month. It focuses on the big-picture strategy that was used to achieve that result and explains why it worked. This is a good case study example that demonstrates what successful content creation and promotion look like for startup businesses.

American Kennel Club Increased Online Traffic by 30%  – Contently Digital Marketing Case Study

If you’re in the animal niche and looking for good Internet marketing case studies that can help you grow your website with content creation, then this article by Contently can help. Inside, you’ll learn how the company used a digital content strategy to increase website traffic by 30% for the American Kennel Club. This method attracted both new puppy owners and seasoned dog lovers and resulted in $26.6 million in content value.

3,532 New Beta Users for alwaysAI  – Beacons Point Digital Marketing Case Study

Beacons Point is a digital marketing agency that partners with B2B companies in software and technology to execute results-driven online campaigns. In this case study example, you’ll learn how Beacons Point discerned the right market for alwaysAI, a software company, to target prospects with the content they wanted, and transform the audience into an avid user base using a well-researched Internet strategy and content planning process. As a result, alwaysAI gained 3,532 new beta users, 20,000 monthly website sessions, and a 2,021% increase in traffic within just 10 months.

Online Marketing Strategy Drives 452% Increase In Organic Traffic  – Top Rank Digital Marketing Case Study

In this case study, you’ll learn how Top Rank Marketing used a combination of several digital marketing resources (e.g., content, SEO, social media, and influencers) to help Introhive get more organic traffic to its site to create a higher demand for its SaaS product and improve the brand’s overall digital visibility. This online marketing campaign increased organic search traffic by 452% and raised the average session duration by 155%.

Check out the full list of 15+ Content Marketing Case Studies here .

SEO Marketing Case Studies

How i increased my organic traffic 652% in 7 days  – backlinko digital marketing case study.

Learn how Brian Dean from Backlinko used the “Skyscraper Technique 2.0” to increase his organic SEO traffic to one of his web pages by 652%. It’s also the same approach that helped a brand new post hit the #1 spot on Google within a few weeks. This online marketing case study example is full of screenshots, key findings, and guided steps for you to follow.

From 126 to 121,883 Unique Visitors In Under 6 Months  – Ahrefs Digital Marketing Case Study

This digital marketing case study example focuses on Northmill, a Fintech company founded in Stockholm. It reveals how you can analyze your top business competitors to develop higher-quality SEO content that can gain a large amount of traffic and convert those readers into customers. Read this case study to find out exactly what Northmill did during the search engine optimization campaign to go from 126 unique visitors to 121,883 in under 6 months.

From 0 to 75,000 Visits A Year  – Ryan Darani Digital Marketing Case Study

In this case study, you’ll get complete details on the challenges, limits, budgets, and timeframes for a client in the property industry that went from 0 clicks per day to 300-400 on average with only 60 pieces of content on the website. This is a good SEO marketing case study for any business that’s on a tight budget.

How We 4x’d Traffic and Doubled Revenue in E-Commerce  – Diggity Marketing Case Study

This is one of the best digital marketing case studies for e-commerce using SEO. Inside, you’ll learn how an e-commerce client grew its traffic by 417% in 8 months. You’ll get the exact SEO strategies deployed, content improvements, and backlink marketing tactics. The results speak for themselves: an extra $48,000 in additional monthly revenue was achieved for a total of 112% increase in overall revenue using a strategic online marketing strategy.

6-Step Process That Generated 150,732 Visits  – Robbie Richards Digital Marketing Case Study

In this case study, you’ll learn a repeatable 6-step process that one digital marketer used to get his client to #1 in Google using SEO. This strategy helped him outrank major digital media brands like Mashable, and increase organic website traffic by 11,065% in just 6 months.

Check out the full list of 25+ SEO Case Studies here .

Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Marketing Case Studies

32% increase in return on internet marketing ad spend  – adshark case study.

Learn how Adshark helped dogIDS, an e-commerce manufacturer and retailer of personalized dog collars and tags, achieve a high return on investment (ROI) for their pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns by analyzing historical search terms, categories, and product performance. This case study example demonstrates how Adshark segmented dogIDs Google Shopping campaigns in a way that allowed for better online bid and budget management.

49% Decrease In CPA  – Captivate Search Digital Marketing Case Study

In this case study, you’ll find out how Captivate Search, an Internet marketing agency, helped the Women’s Institute for Health (WIFH) in Atlanta, Georgia, decrease their cost per acquisition (CPA) from $98 to $50 with a strategic PPC optimization in Google Adwords.

20% Increase In Subscribers for Forbes  – Adventure Media Digital Marketing Case Study

Forbes Magazine has been in circulation for over 100 years; however, with print subscriptions on the decline, the company had to get strategic about bringing in new digital customers. The top goals for this online marketing case study were to increase the number of paid subscriptions. In addition to PPC optimization to attract a broad range of ages, income levels, and genders, Adventure Media also used a strategic video marketing campaign to bring in a new wave of college graduates.

139% ROI for a UK Clothing Brand  – Click Consult Digital Marketing Case Study

Boohoo is a British online fashion retailer that has been recognized by top consumer titles like Reveal, Heat, and Cosmopolitan magazines. When Boohoo came to Click Consult, the retailer had been running its own paid digital marketing campaigns for 18 months and seeing poor results (PPC revenue had fallen by 26% YOY). In this example case study, you’ll learn how Click Consult achieved a 139% ROI on online ad spend and a 431% increase in UK non-branded PPC revenue.

ROAS Up 3,197% for Natural Nutrients  – PPC Geeks Digital Marketing Case Study

Discover how PPC Geeks improved the Google Ads campaigns for Natural Nutrients and achieved a dramatic increase in revenue (5,789%) and ROAS (3,197%) year over year. Example paid marketing strategies include granular campaign extension, single keyword ad groups, ad copy A/B testing, KPI-focused ROAS, conversion rate optimization, and more.

Check out the full list of 20+ PPC Case Studies here .

Social Media Marketing Case Studies

793,500+ impressions for semrush on twitter – walker sands digital marketing case study.

Semrush is a global leader in digital marketing software; however, the company needed a strategic partner to help distinguish its brand from competitors, drive a higher engagement rate among its target audience, and build brand loyalty. In this case study, you’ll find out how Walker Sands implemented a premium Twitter microcontent program for Semrush that focused on three things: using humor, embedding the brand in trending conversations, and focusing on the audience’s interests over marketing messages. The result was an increase of more than 793,500 impressions, 34,800 engagements, and a 4.4% average engagement rate.

Viral Oreo Super Bowl Tweet – Digiday Digital Marketing Case Study

During Super Bowl XLVII, the lights went out in the stadium and the Oreo brand went viral with a single tweet that said “Power out? No problem. You can still dunk in the dark.” Read the historical account of that famous digital marketing moment from the people who lived through it so you can gather insights on how to be better prepared for your future online marketing campaigns that you can take advantage of in real-time.

Facebook Posting Strategy That Lead to 3X Reach & Engagement – Buffer Digital Marketing Case Study

In this case study, you’ll find out how Buffer cut its Facebook posting frequency by 50% but increased the average weekly reach and engagement by 3X. Hint: The strategy had to do with creating fewer, better-quality posts, that were aimed at gaining higher engagement.

Achieving a 9 Million Audience by Automating Pinterest SEO – Digital Marketing Case Study

This is a good digital marketing case study example for marketers who use Pinterest. Discover how Chillital went from 0 to 9 million engaged audience members and 268 million impressions. You’ll learn about the step-by-step research process of finding where your audience lives and breathes content, get a detailed analysis of how the author used Pinterest to generate brand awareness, and learn about using community-driven content promotion to scale online results.

5X Increase In App Installs – Bumble Digital Marketing Case Study

Find out how Bumble, a dating app, used TikTok more effectively for social media marketing by following the mantra, “Don’t Make Ads, Make TikToks”. This case study in digital marketing resulted in a 5X increase in app installs and a 64% decrease in cost-per-registration.

Check out the full list of 20+ Social Media Case Studies here .

Email Marketing Case Studies

Collecting 100,000 emails in one week  – tim ferris show digital marketing case study.

This digital marketing case study on email has it all: tips, templates, and code to create a successful email campaign. Discover how Harry’s, a men’s grooming brand, launched its brand online and how it collected nearly 100,000 email addresses in one week. You’ll learn everything they did using the marketing power of the Internet and email so you can try to replicate the results.

The Science Behind Obama’s Campaign Emails  – Bloomberg Digital Marketing Case Study

President Obama’s election has been cited as one of the best digital marketing campaigns in history. And a big part of that success was from strategic email campaigns. Most of the $690 million dollars Obama raised online came from fundraising emails. In this case study example, you’ll learn about the rigorous experimentation conducted by a large team of analysts and the strategies that made this Internet campaign so successful.

Increasing Open Rates from 20% to 29%  – Pipedrive Digital Marketing Case Study

This is one of the best digital marketing case studies on email that any business can learn from no matter the size of the email list. Inside, you’ll find out how Pipedrive used one simple tactic to increase open rates from 20% to 29% that can work with any email software.

25% Reduction In Churn for Peacock  – Braze Digital Marketing Case Study

This is one of the top online marketing case studies that prove why you shouldn’t send out a one-size-fits-all message to your mailing list. It’s a great case study to read about using a year-in-review email campaign to increase user consumption. As a result, Peacock experienced a 25% reduction in customer churn over 30 days, 6% free-to-paid upgrade rates, and a two-point lift in return rate when it came to returning to the service to view content.

The Amazon Email Experience  – Vero Digital Marketing Case Study

In this case study example by Vero, you’ll get a complete analysis of Amazon’s email experience for the user. It takes you from the initial subscriber welcome message to email receipts, shipping updates, thank you content, invites, Black Friday deals, the review email, and more. There are loads of data in this case study and useful tips you can gain and use for your own email campaigns to have better success.

Check out the full list of 15+ Email Marketing Case Studies here .

Video Marketing Case Studies

8,000 video views on linkedin – biteable digital marketing case study.

During the rise of #OpenToWork movement that hit the world during the COVID layoff, one digital marketer named Katie got creative to make herself stand out from the crowd for potential employers. Find out how Katie approached video in digital marketing to amass 800 video views, 54 comments, and 100 new connections. This case study includes simple tips you can also use to get noticed on LinkedIn with the power of video.

163 Million Views On YouTube – Dove Digital Marketing Case Study

Dove launched an online marketing campaign called “Dove Real Beauty Sketches”, which was a three-minute YouTube film about how women view themselves. The goal was to ignite a global conversation about the definition of beauty, and this case study proves how video in Internet marketing helped Dove reach their goal. During its launch, the video received 163 million global views, topped the Cannes YouTube Ads Leaderboard, and won the Titanium Grand Prix at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. Find out how a combination of great content, YouTube Brand Channels, YouTube Ads, and Google Ads led to this beautiful success.

Dollar Shave Club Viral Video – Making a Video Marketer Case Study

The ultra-famous Dollar Shave Club was a club that no one had heard about before the release of a single video. And within 72 hours, the brand went insanely viral and had more than 12,000 orders for its product. In this case study, you’ll get a complete analysis of the video that made the Dollar Shave Club one of the most talked about companies in Internet marketing that profits from selling $1 razors.

How Artists and Songs Go Viral – EDMProd Digital Marketing Case Study

Although it’s impossible to guarantee that a musical artist or song will go viral, there is a lot to be learned from examples that have gone viral. In this case study, you’ll discover the common threads in every viral music marketing campaign so you can try to use the same strategies for your own music or apply them to an online business.

10X Increase In Video Views – Vireo Video Digital Marketing Case Study

In this example, you’ll find out how Vireo Video helped the “We Are The Davises” YouTube channel 10X its video views. The digital marketing strategy and execution succeeded in driving over 1.2 million subscribers and over 60 million monthly views within 4 months. Inside, you’ll learn about the initial challenges, strategy solutions, and results.

Affiliate Marketing Case Studies

Going from zero to $10k in monthly revenue  – contentellect digital marketing case study.

Follow the steps Contentellect has taken to grow an affiliate marketing website from $0 to $10k a month in under 24 months. Includes a breakdown of the monthly costs, income, and traffic.

Zero to $20k/month In a Year  – Side Hustle Nation Digital Marketing Case Study

In this case study, you’ll learn how the owners of Finvsfin.com scaled their affiliate website from $0 to $20,0000 per month in one year. Includes strategies on keyword research, how to structure content, ways to attract backlinks, optimization tactics to grow traffic, and more.

How I Made $16,433 With One Product  – BloggersPassion Digital Marketing Case Study

This case study example explains how the site owner made $16,433 from a single affiliate product. The information and steps revealed in this digital marketing case study can be applied to any niche.

Amazon Site Earns $2,000/Month with 100 Articles  – Fat Stacks Digital Marketing Case Study

This is one of the best online marketing case studies for affiliate marketers. Dom Wells from Human Proof Designs posted complete details on the Fat Stacks Blog with example content types, content timelines, link types, and link timelines to help other affiliates improve their sites to make more money on the Internet.

Amazon Site Grows from $0 to $4500+ In 4 Months  – NichePie Digital Marketing Case Study

In this case study, you’ll learn how NichePie took a famous affiliate marketing website called 10Beasts to $4,500 in monthly earnings in just 4 months. The site then went on to make $40,000 by month 8 and kept growing. Luqman Khan, the owner, eventually sold the affiliate site for over half-a-million dollars. Inside this Internet marketing case study example, you’ll get important insights into the keyword research process, site structure, content setup, SEO, and link building process. This article also includes a lot of screenshots to help you follow along with the online journey to success.

Check out the full list of 10+ Affiliate Marketing Case Studies here .

What Is a Digital Marketing Case Study?

A digital marketing case study is an in-depth study of digital marketing in a real-world context. It can focus on one digital marketing tactic or a group of strategies to find out what works in online marketing to provide quantifiable results on the Internet.

Are Case Studies Good for Digital Marketing?

Case studies are good for digital marketing because you can learn about how to do digital marketing in an effective way. Instead of just studying the theory of digital marketing, you can learn from real examples that applied online methods to achieve success.

Digital Marketing Case Study Examples Summary

I hope you enjoyed this list of the best digital marketing case studies that are based on real-world results and not just theory.

As you discovered, the digital marketing case study examples above demonstrated many different ways to implement an effective online strategy. By studying the key findings from these Internet marketing examples, and applying the methods learned to your own business, you can hopefully achieve the same positive outcome.

New online marketing case studies are being published every month and I’ll continue to update this list as they become available. So keep checking back to read the current sources of information on digital marketing.