In a world of Generative AI, what’s the point in having a Masters in Marketing? 

We’re living in a world where Generative AI can churn out marketing analysis, marketing plans and reams of tactical marcomms outputs in just seconds.

So does it make sense any more to invest in a future in marketing? Does that future even exist? These are valid concerns – especially if you’re making decisions about your long-term career and ambitions.

So what is the situation?

In 2023, Stanford University carried out a study^[1] into the occupations in the USA that are most exposed to Generative AI. Exposure was found to be highest in skilled, knowledge-based roles – particularly those involving communication and analysis.

The study found that Generative AI could do at least 10% of the tasks of 80% of workers. And almost 20% of workers could have half of their work replaced by Large Language Models (LLMs).

A couple of years later, Stanford published further research^[2], highlighting a 13% reduction in entry-level employment in these AI-exposed roles over the three previous years. Researchers concluded that instead of giving repetitive, simple work to junior team members, organisations are increasingly using GenAI.

Does this mean it’s game over for marketing?

No, it really doesn’t. However, it does mean that aspiring marketers need to be strategic in their ambitions – and how they plan to achieve them.

It’s no longer good enough – or even possible – to start at ground level. Organisations are looking to hire individuals who have both strategic marketing understanding and exposure to the real-life experience of marketing – with its pressures, messiness and challenges.

If you’re excited by a career in marketing (and if you’re one of those interesting people who combines creativity with entrepreneurialism and commerciality, why wouldn’t you be?) – you need to think ahead.

Don’t just think of your first job – think about your destination

The decisions you make about your entry into marketing will strongly influence where your career takes you. You could become a Chief Marketing Officer. You could become a Chief Revenue Officer – or head up innovation and product development in an organisation.

But this is far more likely to happen if you give yourself the strongest start.

To succeed in marketing, you now need a firm foundation in strategy, finance, technology and more. And as we’ve already discussed, you need experience.

Should certifications be part of the journey?

Platforms like Google and Hubspot offer self-taught courses that help you to navigate the technology proficiently. And certifications from these courses can certainly be useful – and some employers seek them out. Which is why our Masters in Marketing Strategy has a full module on self-paced tools.

However, on their own, certifications are not enough. For one, they can become obsolete quickly if a platform falls out of favour. And perhaps more importantly, if you don’t have the strategic knowledge to know when and why to deploy technology – and only know how to operate it – you’ll be positioning yourself as a tactical doer, rather than a forward-looking strategist.

The same rationale applies to thinking: “Well, I don’t need to know anything, I’ll just get a chatbot to plan everything for me…”

Only having certifications – or delegating your thinking to GenAI – means that sooner or later, GenAI could come for your job.

Why high-quality marketing education is more important than ever

In 2023, McKinsey reported that by 2040, GenAI could generate up to $4.4 trillion of additional value. A total of 75% of this value, according to the consultancy, is likely to be generated in customer service, software engineering, R&D – and sales and marketing.

It’s a significant figure – and as well as hinting at the likelihood of increased automation of tasks, it also signals the changes the marketing function will go through in coming years.

Which means that more than ever before, there is a need for specialist professional education. And it needs to be education that provides experience, builds resilience – and allows you to develop in-depth strategic capabilities.

Our Masters in Marketing Strategy is designed for now

As you’d expect from a high-ranking, highly accredited international business school, Vlerick keeps you ahead of the curve with learning experiences that give you a clear advantage.

Our Masters in Marketing Strategy provides a highly structured, deeply immersive learning journey that transforms you into a highly employable future leader. You start with the strategic foundations, you learn how to apply them in simulations, business cases and in interactions with speakers – and then you integrate them in a professional environment, with a hands-on, real-world in-company project.

Through it you gain the strategic judgement, professional confidence and experience to become a highly effective decision-maker in any organisation.

A focused, intense experience

Book learning and abstract assignments won’t prepare you for the real world. Instead, we’ve designed our Masters in Marketing Strategy so that you can develop the tacit knowledge you need to succeed.

Your projects take place in the high-pressure, sometimes messy, world of real business. You’ll be inspired by companies like Coca-Cola and TBWA – as they invite you into the heart of their operations. You’ll take part in bootcamps – and immerse yourself in the big tech and marketing hub of Dublin.

And because our Masters in Marketing Strategy takes place over 10 focused months, it provides a high-momentum fast-track to the workplace.

This is the degree you need to succeed

So is there any point to having a Masters in marketing? Yes, there is – but it has to be the right Masters in marketing. It has to give you the skill to master technology, the strategic insight to plan – and the competency and experience to work with colleagues across your organisation.

Our Masters in Marketing Strategy gives you the ability to direct and integrate technology, rather than compete with chatbots on lower-level, tactical activities. Join us – and the future will belong to you.

1. _{Eloundou, T., Manning, S., Mishkin, P. and Rock, D. (2023) GPTs are GPTs: An early look at the labor market impact potential of large language models}
2. _{Brynjolfsson, E., Chandar, B. and Chen, R. (2025) Canaries in the coal mine? Six facts about the recent employment effects of artificial intelligence. Stanford Digital Economy Lab.}