Professor Douglas Stayman is an associate professor at the Johnson Graduate School of Management. His teaching and research interests are in the areas of advertising and consumer decision making. He came to Johnson from the University of Texas at Austin. His research has focused on the study of emotional responses to advertising and the role of affect in decision making. His work has involved methodological and measurement issues in studying emotions. He is also interested in theoretical accounts of the effects of emotions on people’s preferences. His research has been supported by grants from the Ogilvy Center for Research and Development, the Marketing Science Institute, and the American Academy of Advertising. He is currently involved in research into the future of professional, most specifically management, education.
Overview and Courses
Marketing strategy isn’t confined to your marketing team. By understanding how to align marketing strategies with business strategy, high-performing business leaders make better decisions about their products, services, customers, brand, and competition.
This six-course online marketing certificate provides you with the MBA-level strategic marketing training you need to make strong business decisions and set strategic direction for your company, unit, department, or product line.
The courses in this certificate program are required to be completed in the order that they appear.
This program includes a year of free access to Symposium! These events feature several days of live, highly participatory virtual Zoom sessions with Cornell faculty and experts to explore the marketing industry’s most pressing topics. Symposium events are held several times throughout the year. Once enrolled in your program, you will receive information about upcoming events.
Throughout the year, you may participate in as many sessions as you wish. Attending Symposium sessions is not required to successfully complete the certificate program.
Course list
In this course you will apply the core marketing concepts of segmentation, targeting and positioning to a product or service. You will then explore the strategic role of pricing and methods for influencing buying decisions. You will also address common pricing errors and identify instances of pricing mistakes in the market. At the end of this course you will have developed a strategic approach to making pricing decisions.
You are required to have completed the following course or have equivalent experience before taking this course:
- Essentials of Marketing Strategy
Marketing professionals rely on clearly defined goals to determine the course of action when placing a product in the market. Leveraging research to learn more about your target audience is the focus of this course. In it, you will learn how to be an intelligent consumer of information when it comes to market research and analysis so you can become a more effective decision-maker. You will first look at market research, including the purpose and goals of research; how to balance the ideal with reality in doing research; and how to apply the six stages of research to a marketing situation.
You will then examine different ways to analyze the data acquired through market research. Using formulas to determine how cannibalization affects the profitability of new products and the value of a long-term customer, you will perform a basic sensitivity analysis to assess the robustness of your results.
You are required to have completed the following course or have equivalent experience before taking this course:
- Essentials of Marketing Strategy
An organization's brand is one of its most valuable assets. Your organization's brand represents the themes and ideas that your customers associate with the organization. The value of your brand, otherwise known as brand equity, impacts everything from consumer awareness to the salience of your brand in the market. Creating and communicating the value of your brand across channels can improve the value of your organization and the return on your marketing.
In this course, you will look at the value of a brand through brand equity from both the firm's and the customer's perspective. You will make the connection between customer loyalty and building brand equity. You will also discuss marketing communications: how they work, what forms exist, and how you use them to build brand equity.
You are required to have completed the following course or have equivalent experience before taking this course:
- Essentials of Marketing Strategy
You begin this course by considering the importance of new products and services to the overall health of a firm, and you look at some of the risks these products entail. Why do so many otherwise good products fail to achieve broad market diffusion? You analyze the significance of product characteristics such as complexity and communicability on customers' decisions to adopt new products. Then you consider innovations in terms of a continuum.
In the second part of the course, you look at new products through the lens of the product diffusion process. This process shows how different customer segments enter the market at different times and why. Finally, you learn how the diffusion process is related to the overall product life cycle.
You are required to have completed the following course or have equivalent experience before taking this course:
- Essentials of Marketing Strategy
In this course, you investigate marketing channels and learn how to leverage them to provide value to your company and benefits to your customers. In the second part of the course, you'll explore the world of international marketing and discover the nuances of global markets. You identify the types of global organizations and explore the pros and cons of globalization.
You are required to have completed the following course or have equivalent experience before taking this course:
- Essentials of Marketing Strategy
Symposium sessions feature three days of live, highly interactive virtual Zoom sessions that will explore today’s most pressing topics. The Marketing Symposium offers you a unique opportunity to engage in real-time conversations with peers and experts from the Cornell community and beyond. Using the context of your own experiences, you will take part in reflections and small-group discussions to build on the skills and knowledge you have gained from your courses.
Join us for the next Symposium, in which we’ll share experiences from across the industry, inspiring real-time conversations about best practices, innovation, and the future of marketing work. You will support your coursework by applying your knowledge and experiences to some of the most pressing topics and trends in the marketing field. By participating in relevant and engaging discussions, you will discover a variety of perspectives and build connections with your fellow participants from across the industry.
Upcoming Symposium: April 18-19, 2023 from 11-1pm ET
- Evaluating Ways To Integrate AI
- Tuesday, April 18, 2023 11 AM ET – 1 PM ET
- Finding Your Market Premium
- Wednesday, April 19, 2023 11 AM ET – 1 PM ET
- Optimizing Market Positioning
- Thursday, April 20, 2023 11 AM ET – 1 PM ET
All sessions are held on Zoom.
Future dates are subject to change. You may participate in as many sessions as you wish. Attending Symposium sessions is not required to successfully complete any certificate program. Once enrolled in your courses, you will receive information about upcoming events. Accessibility accommodations will be available upon request.
How It Works
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Faculty Author
Key Course Takeaways
- Identify the components of a well-defined marketing strategy and how it might influence overall business strategy
- Apply the concepts of segmentation, targeting, and positioning to a product or service
- Perform a market analysis and learn to apply the six stages of research to a marketing initiative
- Create and communicate the value of your brand
- Improve new product diffusion and develop strategies to increase product adoption and sales
- Identify new marketing channels and learn how to communicate value to potential consumers

Download a Brochure
Not ready to enroll but want to learn more? Download the certificate brochure to review program details.
What You'll Earn
- Marketing Strategy Certificate from Cornell Johnson Graduate School of Management
- 60 Professional Development Hours (6 CEUs)
- 48 Professional Development Units (PDUs) toward PMI recertification
- 50 Professional Development Credits (PDCs) toward SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP recertification
- 50 Credit hours towards HRCI recertification
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Who Should Enroll
- Marketing managers
- Project and product managers
- Anyone responsible for producing or executing a marketing plan
- Non-marketing professionals and business leaders looking to develop marketing strategy
“Using what I’ve learned in the certificate programs I’ve been able to add that content into courses that I teach. I’ve also been able to connect with students over the years and I’ve become a course facilitator! I definitely have appreciated what I’ve learned both personally and professionally, and I definitely recommend eCornell to anyone who is interested.”
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Marketing Strategy
Select Payment Method | Cost |
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$3,750 | |