Central Research Question: How should digital marketing education be reimagined to prepare learners for rapidly evolving technological, professional, ethical, and societal demands in emerging digital ecosystems? Digital marketing has become one of the most dynamic and strategically significant areas of contemporary business practice. The rapid expansion of artificial intelligence, machine learning, data analytics, automation tools, social media ecosystems, and immersive technologies is fundamentally transforming how organisations create value, engage consumers, and build brands in digital environments (Basu et al., 2025). Despite this rapid transformation, higher education institutions continue to struggle to align marketing curricula with the evolving demands of the digital economy. Existing research highlights persistent gaps between academic programs and industry expectations, particularly regarding emerging digital competencies, technological readiness, and curriculum innovation. Studies also reveal curriculum obsolescence, institutional inertia, and difficulties in updating educational programs at the pace required by technological change, reinforcing concerns about the growing mismatch between educational provision and labour market needs (Qian et al., 2022). Digital marketing education is inherently dynamic and requires continuous updating. An effective curriculum should be transversal, structured, and progressive, combining a strong generalist foundation with modular specialisations. It should be grounded in empirical evidence and remain adaptable to different contexts and ongoing technological developments, including artificial intelligence (Pires et al., 2026). Recent studies show that organisations increasingly demand professionals with advanced digital marketing capabilities, including analytics, media strategy, stakeholder management, performance measurement, and continuous learning competencies. However, many higher education institutions still fail to adequately develop these capabilities within their curricula, creating a significant disconnect between academic training and employability outcomes (Comai, 2025a; Comai, 2025b). Beyond technical competencies, marketing education must also prepare students for evolving career trajectories. Recent research demonstrates that marketing capabilities acquired during higher education significantly influence students’ professional identity formation and career intentions, underscoring the growing importance of employability-oriented, career-focused curricula (Silva et al., 2025). Higher education institutions also face significant structural barriers when adopting digital marketing practices, including limited resources, insufficient faculty training, leadership constraints, and low levels of organisational readiness (Comai, 2024). These challenges are further intensified by the growing relevance of social media ecosystems in student engagement, institutional branding, recruitment strategies, and stakeholder relationship management (Pawar, 2024). Simultaneously, the rise of generative artificial intelligence is reshaping both digital marketing practice and pedagogy. AI-powered tools are transforming content creation, personalisation, campaign optimisation, and consumer engagement, while simultaneously raising critical ethical concerns related to transparency, bias, misinformation, and responsible technology use (Basu et al., 2025; Seif, 2026). Recent trends demonstrate that AI can be effectively integrated into teaching practices, particularly by enhancing the speed, consistency, and accessibility of feedback in marketing education. However, AI should be used as a supportive tool rather than a substitute for the instructor. Trust, the pedagogical relationship, and human judgment remain central to ensuring that feedback is perceived as legitimate, meaningful, and pedagogically effective (Russell et al., 2026). Sustainability has also emerged as a critical dimension of contemporary marketing education. Universities are increasingly expected to equip students not only with technical digital capabilities but also with ethical awareness and sustainability-oriented decision-making competencies (El-Menawy, 2025). Furthermore, the digital transformation of higher education has intensified concerns related to equity, accessibility, and inclusion. Recent research demonstrates that even leading universities continue to fail basic web accessibility standards, creating barriers for students with disabilities and reinforcing digital inequalities. As digital marketing education becomes increasingly platform-based, issues of accessibility, inclusive design, and digital equity become central to future educational models (Asok & Rekha, 2025). Although prior studies have examined isolated aspects of digital marketing education, the literature remains fragmented. It lacks an integrated understanding of how universities, educators, industry actors, policymakers, and digital platforms can collaborate to build new learning ecosystems that prepare future professionals for rapidly evolving digital environments. This special issue seeks to address this gap by bringing together interdisciplinary research that explores how marketing education must evolve in response to technological disruption, shifting skill demands, pedagogical innovation, and emerging learning ecosystems. Possible topics for this special issue include, but are not limited to:
Potential contributions: This Special Issue invites theoretical, empirical, methodological, and conceptual contributions that advance knowledge at the intersection of marketing education, digital transformation, communication technologies, and future workforce development. We particularly encourage submissions employing diverse methodological approaches, including qualitative, quantitative, mixed-methods, experimental, and design-based research. Contributions may address a wide range of educational contexts, including higher education, executive education, lifelong learning, corporate training, and alternative educational ecosystems. It seeks to consolidate fragmented research and advance an integrated, ecosystem-based theoretical perspective on digital marketing education, bridging curriculum design, technological transformation, and future workforce development. This Special Issue targets scholars, educators, practitioners, and policymakers engaged in shaping the future of digital marketing education in response to technological disruption, evolving skill demands, and emerging learning ecosystems. By fostering this discussion, the Special Issue aims to generate actionable insights and forward-looking frameworks to guide the redesign of marketing education in an increasingly digital, AI-driven, inclusive, and platform-based future.
IMPORTANT DATES Deadline for submission: 31 October 2026
REFERENCES Asok, A. R. A., & Rekha, R. V. (2025). Digital inclusion in higher education: A web content accessibility evaluation of the best Asian university library websites. The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 51(5), Article 103120. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acalib.2025.103120 Basu, R., Aktar, M. N., & Kumar, S. (2025). The interplay of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data analytics in digital marketing and promotions: A review and research agenda. Journal of Marketing Analytics, 13, 267–287. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41270-024-00355-6 Comai, A. (2024). Enablers and barriers to adopting digital marketing in Japanese higher education institutions. Studies in Higher Education, 49(9), 1666–1683. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2023.2275149 Comai, A. (2025a). Bridging the gap: How business schools signal digital marketing capability to the market. Journal of Marketing Communications, 1–28. https://doi.org/10.1080/13527266.2025.2581674 Comai, A. (2025b). The power of digital marketing capabilities: The case of higher education. Journal of Marketing Communications, 1–24. https://doi.org/10.1080/13527266.2025.2486131 El-Menawy, S. M. A. (2025). Sustainability-driven marketing education: Assessing the role of perceived marketplace influence on consumption patterns in private Egyptian universities. Future Business Journal, 11(1), Article 202. https://doi.org/10.1186/s43093-025-00631-6 Pawar, S. K. (2024). Social media in higher education marketing: a systematic literature review and research agenda. Cogent Business & Management, 11(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/23311975.2024.2423059 Pires, P. B., Santos, J. D., Brito, P. Q., & Delgado, C. (2026). From Fragmentation to Integration: Designing a Transversal Curriculum for Digital Marketing Education. Journal of Marketing Education, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/02734753261434138 Qian, J., Lin, P. M. C., Law, R., & Li, X. (2022). Lack of IT and digital marketing professionals in hospitality: Is it education’s fault? Heliyon, 8(12), e12002. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e12002 Russell, L. T. M., Zeiser, A., Mickler, R., Jr., & Winkel, D. (2026). Grading in the Digital Age: AI Feedback Versus Professor Feedback. Journal of Marketing Education, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/02734753261440 Seif, G. (2026). Academic strategies for using artificial intelligence in strategic communication and digital marketing education: Current and future directions. Marketing Education Review, 36(?), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1080/10528008.2026.2615880 Silva, P. M., Teixeira, S. F., & Pinto Lima, A. (2025). Exploring the Impact of B2B Marketing Skills on Sales Career Intentions: A Comprehensive Analysis. Marketing Education Review, 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1080/10528008.2025.2584238 |
International Journal of Marketing, Communication and New Media
ISSN: 2182-9306
DOI: 10.54663/2182-9306
Qualis Periódicos - CAPES: B2
REBIB: Q2
Indexing:
WEB OF SCIENCE (WoS) & JOURNAL CITATION REPORTS (JCR)
QUALIS - GOOGLE SCHOLAR - LATINDEX - REDIB - RCAAP - OAJI - DRJI - MIAR - LIVRE - ERIH PLUS - INDEX COPERNICUS
