About This Course
Programme Description
The programme would focus on providing in-depth and hands-on knowledge on digital and social media marketing and analytics strategy that would help in planning, implementing and measuring the digital and social media marketing activities to create awareness, and ultimately drive sales.
The programme has been designed to provide a foundation for marketers who want to specialize in the digital and social media marketing strategies, or those wanting to broaden their understanding in this domain. This six months certificate programme from IIM Calcutta would hone the general management skills followed by deep diving into the basic and advanced modules of marketing in the social and digital media platforms. The course will focus on sharing the latest trends, best practices and technologies for effective digital and social media marketing. programme focuses on marketing strategy and digital strategy and builds on the three pillars of traditional marketing analytics, search marketing and social media listening and analytics. The faculty will focus on the synergy between on-field practice, digital and social media simulations and in-class learning.
This programme will be of interest to an executive or a manager from marketing, product / brand, and sales functions or a marketing analyst or business owner, who is planning to implement digital and social media marketing strategy to create brand awareness, enhance brand recall, generate leads and enhance customer experience. Managers from other functional areas or a non-marketing background with a supporting role for organization’s marketing activities would also find the programme relevant
Programme Director
Prof. Saravana Jaikumar
Pedagogy
The programme will be highly experiential and interactive, comprising group-based or individual participant presentations and discussions, case studies, classroom lectures, simulations and presentations by experts from academia as well as industry.
Programme Directors/faculty:
Prof. Saravana Jaikumar is currently a faculty with the Marketing Group at IIM Calcutta. During his tenure, he has developed and served as the incumbent director for analytics and digital marketing programmes for executives. His research work is primarily in the nexus of public policy, development and marketing. His teaching focus is on marketing analytics, artificial intelligence and machine learning applications, and digital marketing. He has authored several papers in journals of international repute including Journal of Advertising Research, Journal of Business Research, Marketing Letters, International Journal of Information Management, Information Management Frontiers, and Journal of Product and Brand Management. His research work has been cited in several policy documents including Economic Survey of India and United States Library of Congress Foreign Digital Materials. He has won several research awards including the Outstanding Research on Development by Global Development Network. He holds BE (Mech, PSG Tech), MBA (Gold Medalist, Cardiff Business School, UK) and Ph.D (IIM Ahmedabad). He can be contacted at: saravana@iimcal.ac.in and https://www.iimcal.ac.in/users/saravana
Industry Experts
Mr. Laxmi Narayanan – Polestar
MS. Hina Bhakt – MD – EVOPS Marketing, UAE
Mr. Amit Yadhav – Head of Marketing – Kashkha
Dr. Jitesh Kumar – Deloitte, UAE
Programme Duration & Delivery
6 months duration in person session.
The programme will be of 75 hours duration with an approximate contact of maximum 6 hours per day.
12 days on select weekends at dubai
IIM Calcutta campus visit : 3 days (15 hours), Academics & certificate ceremony.
Programme Modules
Programme Structure (APDMS)
The structure of the programme is as following:
Module 1 : Customer Centricity and Data-Driven Digital Strategy
This module lays the foundation for AI-empowered marketing by combining customer insight with digital strategy. Participants explore the end-to-end process of designing customer-centric campaigns and applying predictive and prescriptive analytics for measurable impact.
Topics
- Customer Centricity in the Digital Age
- Crafting Effective Digital Strategy
- Google Paid Search Marketing
- Campaign Optimization: Data and Design
- Predictive and Prescriptive Analytics
- Introduction to Machine Learning Applications
- No-Code ML with Orange
Tools
Module 2 : Generative AI and Intelligent Brand Building
This module introduces participants to the fundamentals of generative AI and its transformative potential in marketing strategy and automation. From creating custom GPTs to implementing AI in branding and social media, participants learn how to build intelligent marketing processes.
Topics
- Fundamentals of Generative AI
- Creating Custom GPTs and AI Personas
- Identifying Bottlenecks and Designing AI Automation Flows
- Branding and Social Media Strategy
- Case Study: Lulu Group’s AI-Driven Marketing Strategy
Tools
Module 3 : Building AI-Powered Digital Marketing Applications
Participants will move from concept to execution — ideating, developing, and deploying marketing tools using AI. This module integrates hands-on practice with Google’s marketing ecosystem and explores regional trends shaping digital marketing in the MENA region.
Topics
- Advanced Social Media Marketing Strategy
- AI in Application Development for Marketing
- Rapid Ideation and Deployment with AI
- Google Ecosystem: Ads, Analytics 4, Merchant Center, Tag Manager
- Current Digital Marketing Trends in the MENA Region
Tools
Module 4 : Marketing Automation, Content Creation, and Platform Synergy
This hands-on module brings together the most advanced automation and generative tools. Participants learn to design intelligent workflows across platforms and use AI to enhance content creation, advertising efficiency, and cross-platform strategy.
Topics
- Marketing Automation using OpenAI Agent Builder, n8n, and Zapier
- Meta Platform Optimization Strategies
- LinkedIn and YouTube Marketing with Generative AI
- Image & Video Generation using AI
- Combining Platforms for Maximum ROI
Tools
Module 5 : Enterprise AI Deployment and Model Integration
This module transitions participants from user-level AI to builder-level mastery. Focusing on enterprise AI services, participants learn to deploy models, create APIs, and integrate multiple AI services to power scalable digital marketing solutions.
Topics
- Microsoft Azure AI Services Overview
- Setup and Common AI Service Deployments
- Deploying AI Models for API Access
- Working with OpenAI API
- Building Standalone AI Applications
- Creating Multi-Service AI Workflows
- Open Source Models vs. Platform APIs: Comparative Infrastructure
Tools
Module 6 : Strategic Integration and Scaling AI in Marketing
(On-campus at IIM Calcutta – 15 hours)
The final module integrates all concepts to help participants design scalable AI marketing strategies. Using real-world business cases, participants explore pricing, content, and consumer education while formulating enterprise-level AI roadmaps.
Topics
- Pricing in the Digital World
- Educating Consumers with AI-Enhanced Content
- Enterprise AI Strategy
- Viral and Influencer Marketing
- Content Strategy for Digital Scale
- Scaling in Search and Social Media
- Integrating All Elements: The Capstone Strategy
Tools & Platforms Covered
AI & Automation Tools
| Tool / Platform | Description |
|---|---|
| n8n / Zapier / OpenAI Agent Builder | Workflow automation and AI orchestration tools. |
| LangChain / FastAPI / Docker | Frameworks for AI app development, deployment, and integration. |
Digital Marketing & Analytics Platforms
| Tool / Platform | Description |
|---|---|
| Google Ads & GA4 | End-to-end digital advertising and analytics ecosystem. |
| Semrush | Competitor intelligence and SEO/SEM tool for keyword and campaign optimization. |
| Similarweb | Web analytics platform for traffic, engagement, and audience benchmarking. |
| Spyfu | PPC intelligence and competitor ad strategy analyzer. |
| Meta, LinkedIn, YouTube | Major social platforms for AI-assisted marketing and ad optimization. |
Enterprise & Development Tools
| Tool / Platform | Description |
|---|---|
| Microsoft Azure AI Studio | Enterprise AI service suite for deploying and managing custom models. |
| Hugging Face | Open-source AI model repository and integration toolkit. |
| Base 44 / Loveable / Replit | Rapid prototyping platforms for building marketing apps. |
Generative & Creative Tools
| Tool / Platform | Description |
|---|---|
| Custom GPTs | Create personalized AI assistants within ChatGPT. |
| Gemini Gems & Notebook LM | Google AI tools for knowledge management and document-linked reasoning. |
| Claude Skills & Artifacts | Tools to design and deploy specialized AI functions in Claude. |
| Nano Banana / Canva / Sora / Veo / Invideo / Kling AI | AI tools for text-to-image and text-to-video content creation. |
Certification
On successful completion of the programme, participants will be awarded Certificate of Participation by IIM Calcutta.
IIM Calcutta’s Ranking and Accreditations
- Triple accreditations by AACSB, AMBA and EQUIS
- IIM Calcutta is the only B-School in India to be a part of the prestigious CEMS. The Global Alliance in Management Education or CEMS (formerly the Community of European Management Schools and International Companies)
- IIM Calcutta has been ranked at No.2 in India and 59 Globally in the Financial Times Executive Education Ranking 2022. IIM Calcutta has secured 2nd rank amongst all B-School in India and 21st Globally, in Financial Times: Masters in Management Rankings 2020
Duration
Six Months
Eligibility
At least a Graduate degree with minimum 50% marks, and at least 2 years of experience in media, advertising, start-ups, social or digital media, e-commerce or related domains.
How To Enroll
Interested candidates are requested to submit the completed application and all required documents at the stipulated time, in order to prepare the application for review by the Admissions Committee. The Admission committee reserves the right to foreclose applications depending upon exhaustion of seats. You may fill in the application from (sent by email) and email us or submit it in person at our office
The Admissions Committee will review applications and qualified candidates are informed and admitted on a rolling, space-available basis. Once the review process has begun, applicants are notified within minimum time period via email regarding Admissions Committee decisions
Your Instructors
