The concepts of Agile Marketing and Data-Driven Marketing are becoming increasingly popular in response to the rapidly changing marketing landscape. Marketing teams are scrumming, sprinting and pivoting with a renewed energy to improve speed, transparency and adaptability of their strategies. The ability to make smart decisions quickly and repeatedly has shown that it is not just limited to the software industry, but is applicable to all industries; including higher education and learning organizations.

1. Rob Kingyens
Chief Marketing & Technology Officer
eCornell, Cornell University | ecornell.com

2. How Agile Can Transform
Your Marketing Strategy
• Why are Marketers Adopting Agile?
• Case Study of Agile Marketing in Practice
• Where to Start Agile Marketing in Your Organization

3. Why are Marketers
Adopting Agile?
Why Organizations Worldwide are
Adopting Agile Marketing at a Rapid Pace

4. Marketing is Changing Dramatically
Increased Complexity, Dynamic Change
Source: Gartner Group, Digital Marketing Transit Map

5. Source: Adapted from Forrester Research, Inc.
The Marketing Funnel has Changed
From Simple to Complex
Awareness Consideration Preference Action Loyalty
Peer Review
Alternatives
Content Recommendations
Students
Influencers

6. The Digital, Connected Student
The Student has Dramatically Changed

7. The Student has Dramatically Changed
Source: Forrester Research, Inc.
The Always Connected, Empowered Student

8. Marketing Channels are Rapidly Changing
Source: The Conversation Prism, conversationprism.com; Jason Howie
Hundreds of Channels and Touchpoints

9. Technology is Changing Marketing
CRM, Social Listening, Automation, Analytics…
Sources: Forbes, Gartner, Experian

10. …and Don’t Forget the MOOCs
Thousands of Free Courses, Millions of Students
Sources: chronicle.com, Forbes, Mixergy

11. The Marketing Plan Must Change
Plans Can’t Anticipate Rapid Change

12. It’s Overwhelming to
be a Marketer Today
Source: Gartner Group, Digital Marketing Transit Map
How do You Respond to Constant, Rapid Change?

13. Agile Marketing
An Iterative Approach to Marketing
that Responds to the Rapid Changes

14. Small Bets over Big Bangs
✔ Adaptive, Iterative Campaigns ✖ Big Bang Campaigns
✔ Many, Small Experiments ✖ Few, Large Bets
✔ Real-time, Flexible Planning ✖ Fixed, Rigid Planning
✔ Respond to Change ✖ Following a Plan
✔ Customer-focused Collaboration ✖ Silos, Opinions, and Conventions
Source: agilemarketingmanifesto.org

15. 1. Failure is okay on short scales
2. Failure is not okay on large scales
3. Try new things all the time
4. If you’re not failing, you’re not trying
Learn to Fail Fast with Little Bets
Sources: Mathew Sweezey, Pardot; Peter Sims, Little Bets, Wayne Gretzky
“You Miss 100 Percent of the Shots You Never Take”

16. Adapt to Iterative Marketing
Little Bets, Big Insights, Rapid Iteration
Big
Strategy
Big
Launch
Insight
Measure
Insight
Insight
Little
Strategy
Plan
Design
Launch
Measure
Iteration
Insight
0d 15d 30d 45d 60d 75d 90d
Big
Strategy
Big
Launch
Measure
Insight
Little
Strategy
Plan
Design
Launch
Measure
Iteration
Insight
Little
Strategy
Plan
Design
Launch
Measure
Iteration
Insight
Little
Strategy
Plan
Design
Launch
Measure
Iteration
Insight

17. As a Marketing Strategy prospect,
I want to see actual student reviews
so that I can validate that others
have also achieved my personal
learning goals and career objectives.
1
5 Step
Agile Process
Overview
2

18. Agile Marketing Roles & Responsibilities
Scrum Master Product Owner
Represents the voice of the
student and stakeholders to
ensure that the team
understands and delivers value.
Ensures that team members
have what they need to
complete tasks with the highest
degree of accuracy and quality.
Self-organizing teams that determine
the best way to complete the work to
meet objectives and deliver value.
Team Members

19. 5 Step
Agile Process
Overview
1
2
3 4
5

20. Agile Marketing
Applied
Agile Marketing in Practice

21. Agile Case Study:
Marketing Strategy Program
Applying an Iterative Approach to Drive Enrollments
Insight
Little
Strategy
Plan
Design
Launch
Measure
Iteration
Insight
Little
Strategy
Plan
Design
Launch
Measure
Iteration
Insight
Little
Strategy
Plan
Design
Launch
Measure
Iteration
Insight
Little
Strategy
Plan
Design
Launch
Measure
Iteration
Insight

22. Iteration 1 of 6: Lean Canvas
Customer and Market Validation
Source: Adapted from Leancanvas.net, Steve Blank
Problem
Student
Segments
Unique Value
Proposition
Solution
Key Metrics
Unfair
Advantage
Channels
Cost Structure Revenue Streams

23. Iteration 2 of 6: Web Page Redesign
Source: ecornell.com/certificates/marketing/marketing-strategy/
New Branding and Messaging to Support the Lean Canvas

24. Source: ecornell.com/certificates/marketing/marketing-strategy/
New Branding and Messaging to Support the Lean Canvas
Iteration 2 of 6: Web Page Redesign

25. Iteration 2 of 6: Landing Page Redesign
Source: ecornell.com/certificates/marketing/marketing-strategy/
Messaging to Support the Lean Canvas, Responsive Design

26. Source: ecornell.com/certificates/marketing/marketing-strategy/
186% Increase in Enrollments
Iteration 2 of 6: Landing Page Redesign

27. Iteration 3 of 6: Social Proof
Highest Click %
Customer Ratings, Testimonials, and Videos

28. Iteration 4 of 6: Pricing Variations
A/B Testing to Gain Insights on Student Engagement
Audience
Divided in
Thirds
$3,600
One-time Payment
A
B
C
$514/mth
7 Monthly Payments
$257/mth
14 Monthly Payments

29. Conversion Rate:
Request Info:
Chat/Email/Call:
Watched Video:
10.31%
4.87%
4.37%
3.44%
Conversion Rate:
Request Info:
Chat/Email/Call:
Watched Video:
12.75% (+23.71%)
8.21% (+68.73%)
4.90% (+25.81%)
4.32% (+23.71%)
Conversion Rate:
Request Info:
Chat/Email/Call:
Watched Video:
15.19% (+47.34%)
9.71% (+99.46%)
5.69% (+30.23%)
4.58% (+33.21%)
Iteration 5 of 6: Pricing Test Analysis
Data-Driven Analysis and Decision Making
30d
$3,600
One-time Payment
A
B
C
$514/mth
7 Monthly Payments
$257/mth
14 Monthly Payments

30. Iteration 6 of 6: Implement Payment Plans
Empower the Customer Decision Journey

31. Where to Start
Agile Marketing in
Your Organization
Tips & Tricks to Get Started Quickly

32. 1
2
3 4
5
Start to
Apply the
Agile Process

33. Change the Culture
Source: VersionOne 6th Annual State of Agile Survey
Agile Marketing Requires Culture Change
52%
Inability to
Change
Organizational
Culture
31%
Lack of
Management
Support
41%
General
Resistance to
Change

34. Drive to Outcomes over Speed
“We have to be careful that we don’t let all
this great activity… lull us into thinking that
we’re accomplishing our goals just because
we’re moving so much from the Sprint
backlog column into the done column.”
- Matt Heinz, Heinz Marketing
Avoid Losing Sight of the Big Picture while Being Agile

35. Key Takeaways for Agile Success
Source: Adapted from http://fcw.com/articles/2012/07/31/gao-agile-best-practices.aspx
1. Continually Drive Agile Adoption
2. Quickly Address Impediments
3. Acquire Student and Stakeholder Feedback
4. Empower Small Teams to Own Outcomes
5. Demonstrate Valuable Outcomes
6. Use Tools and Metrics
7. Track Progress Daily and Openly
8. Perform Retrospectives

36. Don’t Just Do Agile, Be Agile
Embrace Change to Drive Positive Culture and Outcomes
Insight
Little
Strategy
Plan
Design
Launch
Measure
Iteration
Insight
Little
Strategy
Plan
Design
Launch
Measure
Iteration
Insight
Little
Strategy
Plan
Design
Launch
Measure
Iteration
Insight
Little
Strategy
Plan
Design
Launch
Measure
Iteration
Insight

37. Thank You!
Rob Kingyens
Linkedin.com/in/robkingyens
blog.ecornell.com