M.S. in Digital Marketing and Media

Two recent Katz School graduates drew rave reviews for a marketing plan they developed to help launch Piggy, a mobile content creation app, as part of their student capstone project.

Abagail Berkowitz and Joseph Hafetz, both of whom graduated with an M.S. in Digital Marketing and Media in December, were tasked with helping Piggy identify potential use cases and target audiences, and developing a marketing strategy to reach those audiences. Piggy, an early-stage startup that recently raised $7.7 million in seed money, enables people to easily create documents, presentations and invitations on their mobile phones.

Read the entire story in the Katz blog.

Growing up in Mumbai, Himali Katti, a Katz School Digital Marketing and Media student, was a dreamer. The self-described introvert recalls “getting lost in my own world while classmates played around me.” My teachers and parents constantly chided me to get my head “out of the clouds.” So, for a time, she did.

Then along came Nancy Drew. The long-running girl-detective book series contained everything she loved – adventures, mysteries, romance, friendship. It inspired the young Himali to become a voracious reader of fiction and nonfiction. Most important, it sparked her to start dreaming again.

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Digital Marketing and Media students conduct research on consumer attitudes towards sustainability in the fashion industry as part of a grant-funded project for the City of New York. 

As fashion comes to grips with its own responsibility in the climate crisis, the concept of sustainable clothing, whether remaking old clothes or re-engineering used fabric, is starting to take root in the consciousness of American consumers. 

That idea has also inspired several students in the Digital Marketing and Media program at the Katz School of Science and Health to conduct research on sustainability and to test their model on the fashion industry as part of a grant-funded project for the City of New York. The project is equal parts applied behavioral experiment on social responsibility and an analysis of fashion-industry practices that are damaging the environment. 

The research grant was written by Dr. Paul Russo, dean of the Katz School of Science and Health who said it “fits in the Katz School’s vision to make the world smarter safer and healthier.” 

Lavanya Karanth, Carli Muller, Alexandra Stern and Christine Vulpescu plan to explore ways of increasing consumer interest in sustainable clothing by measuring and understanding consumers’ attitudes, motivations and behaviors. 

Fast-fashion retailers have become giants by quickly churning out fresh, low-priced styles that pull trend-seekers into stores. But that comes at a price. Rapidly producing clothes in large batches can save money but encouraging shoppers to buy as often as trends change means old clothes can end up in landfills. 

According to the Katz School team, 200 million pounds of clothing, or 90.7 million kilograms, end up in New York City landfills every year—the equivalent of filling the Statue of Liberty 440 times. Today, more than 60 percent of fabrics are composed of synthetics derived from fossil fuels and, therefore, not biodegradable. 

“This makes it imperative for us to explore how to circulate clothing and promote closet-sharing to save the future of our planet,” said Lavanya. 

The growth in clothing waste coincides with the dominance of fast-fashion brands such as H&M and Zara, whose business models are based on selling low-priced items at high volumes. Zara, for example, releases 20,000 new designs a year and unveils new lines during shorter seasons beyond the traditional winter/fall and summer/spring lines. 

The clothing industry is responsible for about 10 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions and consumes more energy than aviation and shipping combined, according to the United Nations Environment Program. 

The overall goal of the Katz School research is to develop a marketing research study and quantify citizen awareness and attitudes toward sustainability initiatives; design and test a marketing and education campaign to have a positive impact on those attitudes; and collect follow-up data six months afterward to measure the impact of the campaign on urban sustainability. 

“This elegant survey on consumer attitudes draws connections between business, social science and commerce,” said Dean Russo. “The outcomes could result in new sustainable business models.” 

Alexandra said that for the purposes of this project, the target audience would broadly include the residents of Manhattan and a few small to midsize apparel businesses. The intended audience for the digital campaign would be those already exhibiting favorable attitudes toward sustainable clothing, as well as those who are either indifferent or hostile to it. 

“In addition to the consumers, we feel it is equally important to learn the steps taken by marketers and businesses to promote sustainable action and their barriers,” said Alexandra. 

Carli Muller said the team plans to review a host of research papers, from behavioral marketing and consumer behavior journals such as Journal of Marketing, Journal of Consumer Psychology, Journal of Consumer Research and Journal of Marketing Research to understand the key drivers of sustainable consumption. 

“We’ll also be conducting social deep listening to derive insights regarding the consumer awareness and sentiments of recycling and reusing clothes,” said Carli. 

The team’s insights will form the basis of their quantitative research. “During this project, we want to use everything we’ve learned from the classes we’ve taken in the Digital Marketing and Media program and apply them to deliver impactful results,” said Christine. 

Asaf Hochman, the team’s advisor, said the Katz School encourages students to tie their academic education to their own interests and passions. “In this case,” he said, “the team’s strong environmental consciousness is driving them to leverage their marketing skills in exploring an acute real-world challenge.”

Katz School: Congratulations on your new role at Digitas North America, part of the Publicis Groupe of ad agencies. Tell us more about your position.

Rachel Green: I am an associate project manager for a national telecommunications company. While I have only been a full-time employee at Digitas NYC for a few months, I am fortunate enough to have had the opportunity to have been an intern in the Boston office during the summer of 2019. As both an intern and a full-time employee, I have been part of Digitas’ Associate Project Manager (AMP) program, which allows me to gain skills in both project and account management.

Katz School: What one or two things did you take away from the MS in Digital Marketing & Media program that helped you secure the role?

Rachel: I have spent my time in the DMM program meeting, learning and working remotely with my peers and professors. This, along with all the amazing skills I have learned in my classes, has helped me immensely while beginning my marketing career and onboarding remotely at Digitas NYC. Even more, through my concentrations in both data analytics and social strategies, I have learned the true importance of data in understanding consumer behavior and how to best reach a brand’s target market.

Katz School: What was your favorite course or professor? Why?

Rachel: I have truly enjoyed many of my professors and classes. With that said, if I had to pick one favorite course, I would have to choose my Marketing Capstone class. Professor Asaf Hochman helped bring all my learning to life through the real-life experience of working with a startup at the YU Innovation Lab. Instead of the typical class structure, each meeting was conducted as if it were a project check-in, like one would have while working in an agency or company. He gave us feedback on our work as one would from a manager and allowed all of us to get great real-world experience and practice.

Katz School: What specific projects and networking opportunities at Yeshiva University have prepared you for future success?

Rachel: The Innovation Lab is an amazing resource. Not only has it helped me grow my skill set and prepare for my professional life, it has offered me immense networking opportunities, such as meeting various founders and professionals working in startups across a wide array of industries. 

Katz School: Students graduating from this program can find digital marketing roles in nearly any industry. What was appealing about a media firm such as Digitas?

Rachel: As an intern, I was originally drawn to Digitas due to its expertise in digital marketing and dedication to data-driven creative work. As an emerging professional passionate about the ever-changing world of digital marketing, it seemed like an amazing opportunity and company to explore. As a full-time professional, I decided to return to Digitas for so many reasons. The people and culture are amazing as well as the learning and growth opportunities are endless. As part of the Publicis Network, Digitas is a well-connected agency allowing for impeccable client service and innovative practices.

Katz School: What advice would you give incoming students? What should they take advantage of while studying at YU?

Rachel: Take advantage of the network that YU offers you! Between its alumni, current students and professors, Yeshiva University has an amazing network for you to tap into. Foster relationships and nurture your connections because they will be one of your best assets throughout your professional career.

Katz School: We hope you stay part of the YU community in the future. Wishing you nothing but continued success!

Rachel: Thank you so much! And to the DMM and larger YU community, please connect with me on LinkedIn if you are interested in hearing more about Digitas and the opportunities available at the company.

New York City is home to an infinite number of marketing clientele, from Wall Street to the city’s approximately 2 million small businesses including restaurants, theaters, shopping and luxury hotels. With such diverse businesses, this regional urban economy tops the list of one of the best places to find marketing jobs. 

New York City also has a rich history of advertising and is home to several global marketing agencies. With some New York City-based marketing companies housing upwards of 1,000 employees, the job market for digital marketers is strong. 

In the last decade, digital marketing and media has shifted from a niche skillset to a baseline expectation. Companies large and small want professionals who take a digital-first approach to campaigns and brand management, using tools such as SEM, SEO, geotargeting, email, content and video. They also expect that their digital spending is based on analytics that produce data-driven insights. There are currently tens of thousands of digital marketing and media jobs to fill, with titles such as digital media specialist, creative director, content specialist, market research analyst, and marketing director.