SAN LUIS OBISPO - Cal Poly’s Orfalea College of Business has announced a partnership with marketing software company Marketo that will give students practical experience with automated marketing software

Selected courses in the college’s Marketing Area will feature practical applications of Marketo’s “customer engagement” platform to better prepare students for emerging positions in data management, digital media, and mobile and social marketing. Professor Jeff Hess will offer the first use of the software in his Strategic Marketing Measurement course this fall.

“Our belief and motto has always been that students Learn by Doing and that practical, hands-on experience is a key contributor to career growth and success,” said Lynn Metcalf, Marketing Area chair. “Our partnership with Marketo allows us to arm our students with cutting-edge marketing techniques and practices to ensure they are not only competitive and desirable candidates but also invaluable contributors to and leaders of any organization.”

The relationship between Cal Poly and Marketo began in the spring of 2014 when Marketo sponsored two on-campus marketing internships for OCOB students. The internships supported the university’s “Earn by Doing” effort to employ students in positions providing job experience directly related to their field of study. David Kreitter, Marketo marketing automation consultant and a graduate of Cal Poly’s College of Liberal Arts, mentored the two interns as they worked with Hess to build the modules and tools that the students will use in class this fall.

According to Marketo, this partnership with Cal Poly will serve as the foundation for Marketo’s strategy to create training programs focused on next-generation marketing technology and strategies for students throughout the U.S.

“Companies need access to talent that not only possesses the creativity that informs great content but is also able to leverage technology in ways that make it possible to create personal relationships at scale,” said Phil Fernandez, CEO and president at Marketo. “That is why we are pleased to team with Cal Poly to design curricula that are relevant to the demands of marketing today.”

Metcalf says the outcome from the pilot will influence how Marketing Area instructors integrate Marketo’s software into additional courses.