Marketing teams that work all over the world often feel overwhelmed. They have to, for example, manage hundreds of different versions of ads for different countries, dig through piles of long PDF reports to find facts, and spend hours making small changes by hand. It is hard to stay organized when everything is scattered. Many people think that using AI will automatically fix these problems. However, the real issue is not a lack of AI tools, but rather that people usually lack the skills to use them strategically, effectively and responsibly. Because AI technology changes every single day, most professionals are just trying to keep up rather than thinking about how to use it as a long-term strategy.

That is exactly what this course is about. Instead of chasing every new AI tool, students will learn how to think and work with AI strategically, effectively and responsibly, so that they stay ahead no matter what changes next. This course provides students the tools to incorporate the latest AI technologies into their workflows, focusing on international marketing contexts but remaining fully applicable and transferable to various other fields. Students will learn, for example, how to:

• Identify and resolve bottlenecks in global marketing workflows

• Summarize massive amounts of information effectively 

• Automate repetitive tasks involving files and data

• Build their own AI tools to use in their personal and professional life 

After completing this course, students will be able to:

• systemically understand the functionalities and limitations of the most recent generative AI tools  

• diagnose where, how and why generative AI tools can resolve everyday challenges in international marketing profession

• apply most recent GenAI tools in specific international marketing contexts effectively, responsibly and strategically 

• design complex GenAI workflows in international marketing contexts 

• collaborate effectively in international marketing teams that integrate GenAI workflows 

• communicate and justify GenAI-assisted work to professional and academic audiences, including how findings were produced, as well as which tools were used and why 

• critically evaluate the ethical dimensions of deploying GenAI in international marketing contexts, including data sovereignty, algorithmic bias, and cultural representation across target markets

Participation in the first session is mandatory.  If you do not attend the first session, you will be de-registered from the course. As this course is designed around iterative learning and hands-on applications to follow in subsequent sessions, the foundational concepts introduced in the first session are of utmost importance.

For the remaining sessions, one session may be missed without penalty. In order to obtain a grade for the course, students must attend at least 80% of the course. 

It is mandatory to bring your own laptop to each class (not an iPad or a smartphone!). If you need a laptop or have any concerns, please send an email to milos.ivanis@wu.ac.at. 

The course combines instructor-led inputs with hands-on work. Core concepts are introduced and immediately applied in practical tasks. Students work individually and in teams on realistic international marketing problems, using different generative AI tools to develop and improve their solutions. Sessions regularly include guided exercises, time-constrained tasks, and structured discussions of results. Student contributions (e.g., presentations and case discussions) are used to deepen understanding and compare different approaches. Thus, the course involves a mixture of lecturer presentations, participant presentations, and practical exercises. Active and meaningful class participation is encouraged and expected.

1. Individual assessment: Short reflections (40%)
Throughout the term, students submit a number of brief, written individual reflections based on in-class exercises. These reflections are designed to serve as a personal reflective toolbox after the course, providing students with a practical reference for various GenAI applications they may use in international marketing, workplace, etc. 

2. Group assessment: In-class project (20%)
Working in small teams, students get a real-world marketing scenario. The project requires teams to collaborate during class to develop and execute a solution using various GenAI tools effectively, responsibly and strategically. 

3. Individual assessment: Personal project (40%)
Each student gets a specific marketing task of their preference and demonstrates how to tackle it using the GenAI tools covered in the course. This project serves as a professional demonstration of newly acquired GenAI skills, suitable for a portfolio or as a talking point during future job interviews.

Extra credit
Bonus points may be awarded to students based on their participation and performance in multiple in-class Kahoot quizzes.

No coding or technical background required! If you have a basic curiosity about how to effectively, responsibly and strategically use GenAI in international marketing contexts and beyond, you're ready for this course. 

It is mandatory to bring your own laptop to each class (not an iPad or a smartphone!). If you need a laptop or have any concerns, please send an email to milos.ivanis@wu.ac.at. 

Please log in with your WU account to use all functionalities of read!t. For off-campus access to our licensed electronic resources, remember to activate your VPN connection connection. In case you encounter any technical problems or have questions regarding read!t, please feel free to contact the library at readinglists@wu.ac.at.

No coding or technical background required! If you have a basic curiosity about how to effectively, responsibly and strategically use GenAI in international marketing contexts and beyond, you're ready for this course. 

Feel free to write me anytime at milos.ivanis@wu.ac.at. 

IMPORTANT

• Feel free to experiment with GenAI, but always disclose your tool use and avoid uploading any sensitive or private data to public models.
• Use GenAI as your creative partner, but ensure the class contributions remain your own original work.
• Please don't hesitate to reach out to me personally in class or at milos.ivanis@wu.ac.at if you have any concerns regarding the course.