Have B-Schools Become the Most Outdated Place to Learn Marketing?

Business schools are temples of learning where bright minds congregate to worship at the altar of Kotler’s 4Ps, raise hymns to ROI analyses, and ritualistically chant the virtues of imaginary things like “synergy”. But when it comes to learning marketing that truly works in 2024, are these hallowed halls turning into the equivalent of learning to swim in a desert?

The Mismatched Curriculum of 90s

First off, let’s paint the real picture: your typical marketing course at a B-school often feels like it's stuck in a 1990s time warp. There’s a heavy romance with traditional marketing theories (especially everything FMCG), extensive case studies on companies that were relevant when flip phones were a status symbol, and an obsessive focus on the classical Kotlerian Marketing — a school of marketing that’s quickly losing favour and demanding to be read in a dusty, professorial tone.

But we’re in an era where digital marketing evolves faster than you can say “algorithm update.” Today's marketing landscape is a hyper-speed vortex of performance, content marketing, social media strategies, conversion optimisation, influencers, and a whole slew of analytics that your dear old four-decade old textbook might not even graze upon.

The Digital Disconnect

Here’s the crux of the problem: many B-schools have been slow on the uptake when it comes to integrating modern, digital-first strategies into their syllabi. It’s harshly akin to learning to drive on a horse and buggy in an age of self-driving cars. Sure, the foundational knowledge is grand, but there is little-to-no effort in truly creating a curriculum that can help marketers do better in their current or future jobs.?

The digital marketing world is a wild, ever-changing beast. Algorithms change, new platforms emerge, and consumer behaviours pivot faster than a B-school can convene a meeting to update course content. The result? Graduates often walk out wielding a hammer when they need a screwdriver.

Case Studies: The Fossil Record

Let’s talk about case studies, the bedrock of B-school teaching methodology. While it’s fabulous to dissect the successes and failures of big brands of yesteryear, one might find these studies becoming the fossils of the marketing education ecosystem. Studying a 2008 viral campaign for a product that has since been discontinued can be as useful as learning to type on a typewriter.?

The publishing of case studies is also a false and misdirected incentive that professors are driven towards. But thankfully, this is better than journal articles that literally less than ten people in the practitioner world read.?

In an era where today's X trend becomes tomorrow's case study, the pace of content generation and the speed of consumer feedback is breathtaking. Modern marketing moves at the speed of tweets, not textbooks and case studies which take 2 years to publish.?

The Executive Education Farce

Then there's the curious world of executive education, often touted as a rejuvenating spa retreat for your career skills but occasionally turning out to be more of a mirage. Pitched at high-flying executives with money to burn and perhaps an existential crisis about their relevance in the digital age, these courses are frequently under the tutelage of the youngest professors. These fresh-faced academics, armed with PhDs but scant real-world experience, preach from textbooks so old they should be historical artifacts.?

The irony? These programs often cost a bomb, not just for the 'prestige' they confer, but because they're a critical revenue stream, funding everything from the new auditorium to the shiny hostel building across campus. Participants leave with a certificate, a nebulous 'alumni' status that's more about optics than true belonging, and a lingering question: "Did I really learn what's needed to stay ahead, or just subsidise a new hostel on this campus?" This model, stuck somewhere between tradition and opportunism, makes you wonder if the hefty fee was for education or just a very expensive networking event disguised as class time.

The Call for Change

The rallying cry for business schools is clear: Adapt or risk becoming relics. As digital platforms morph and multiply, so too must the curriculum that seeks to teach its mastery. B-schools need to foster agility in learning, with courses that evolve semester to semester, not century to century.

To truly equip tomorrow’s marketers, business schools must mirror the real-time, fast-paced, and technologically driven world these future professionals will operate in. This means faculty who are practitioners, courses that pivot with trends, and partnerships with industry leaders who live on the marketing front lines.

Conclusion: The Classroom and The Real World

Can B-schools still claim to be the premier crucibles for budding marketers? Only if they evolve. Because in the current landscape, clinging to the traditional while the world switches to digital is like bringing a knife to a gunfight. And let’s face it, nobody wants to be that person especially with the job market getting tougher.?

In sum, while business schools are not yet the worst place to learn marketing, they're on a precarious ledge. It’s time to leap into the current, where learning keeps pace with the fast-evolving digital marketplace.