Adobe Advertising Academy Expands Globally
Over 300 executives and media traders certified in under six months; over 1,500 certified to date
Advertisers are under more pressure than ever. A myriad of technology platforms, media fragmentation, declining brand loyalty, a murky supply chain, attribution headaches, and near-constant brand safety crises all contribute to a more complicated landscape than advertisers faced a generation ago. It’s becoming mission-critical for marketers to cultivate, adapt, and train the next generation of advertising talent — particularly as industry hiring is expected to outpace the labor market overall.
Unfortunately, most training programs offered are not meeting this growing need. According to a survey commissioned by Adobe Digital Insights, 52 percent of marketers are unlikely to recommend the training they receive to peers. This ineffectiveness is largely due to format and limited scope. Many programs only focus on training buyers on specific point-solutions and are done online, despite over half of marketers preferring in-person learning programs broader in scope.
To address these concerns, Adobe Advertising Cloud launched Adobe Advertising Academy last June. Associated with Adobe Digital Learning Services, Experience Cloud learning programs, Adobe Advertising Academy builds on an award-winning program created at TubeMogul, which Adobe acquired in December 2016.
Adobe Advertising Academy is an immersive, complimentary training program that provides marketers with certified technical training, as well as a broader strategic understanding of industry developments and current events that are necessary to excel in today’s evolving market. Adobe Advertising Academy pushes the boundaries of traditional platform-specific training programs by utilizing insights from all of Adobe.
Since its relaunch, Adobe Advertising Academy has certified over 300 clients. Brands certified include Accenture, Air Canada, Dell, Enterprise Holdings, Four Seasons, Nordstrom, NVIDIA, Regital, and Shutterfly. Agencies trained include Affiperf, Cramer-Krasselt, Goodstuff, iCrossing, Mindshare, PHD, The Prosper Group, and more.
Adobe Advertising Academy “was geared to do more than just highlight the UI. It also allowed me to do some critical thinking about my approach to campaign management,” noted Latanya Hodges, senior manager of digital marketing and strategy at Redbox. “Plus, I received insights into the industry, trends analysis, how to approach my marketing needs, and ways to resolve it through the tool.”
In post-training surveys, over 98 percent of attendees reported that they “would recommend this program to others in the industry.” Over 30 brands and agencies are even making the program part of their on-boarding process for new hires.
To keep up with demand, Adobe Advertising Academy is expanding globally. More than 18 regional client training liaisons now span major markets, including APAC, EMEA, and North America.
The Academy is also adapting its available programs. These now include:
- Power user workshop: media buyers and others can add to their skills through software certification and presentations on the latest best practices.
- Executive seminar: offers a more immersive experience, covering everything from industry history, to specialized software skills and tips for hiring and scaling an in-house team. Marketers can also participate in live product feedback roundtable sessions with product managers and experts.
- Custom on-site: enables agencies and brands to bring a customized Academy experience directly into their offices.
New courses and programs added in the past six months include:
- How to win with Experience Cloud.
- Trending topics.
- Private inventory management.
- Direct response strategies & setup.
- Social strategies & setup.
- Emerging products.
- Advanced measurement.
Learn more about Adobe Advertising Academy.
Wes Everson is Sr. Training Manager, Adobe Advertising Cloud