Saїd Business School and Facebook have joined forces to address the changing needs of contemporary marketers and business leaders.
Saїd Business School, University of Oxford today announces the launch of a partnership with Facebook to cooperate on the school’s research into the digital transformation of the industry. Facebook is becoming the latest member of the ‘Oxford Future of Marketing Initiative’, the academic/industry collaboration that aims to help understand and influence the future practice of marketing in a technologically-complex world.
Facebook, which is influential in connecting brands and consumers across the globe, is the latest high-level industry partner to join the initiative, which is made up of key players who are shaping (and being shaped by) the future of marketing.
Through the partnership, Oxford Saїd will work with advertisers to create and measure controlled campaigns across Facebook and Instagram, providing researchers with new levels of control, insight and scale for their studies. The resulting research will enable brands to use Facebook and other digital platforms even more effectively and inform the expansion of their digital and mobile strategies.
This latest partnership strengthens the vision behind the initiative - that no single organisation can take on the new challenges of the digital transformation of marketing on its own, and no business school should conduct research and teach future leaders without industry collaboration and partnership. Together, the partners will address the marketing challenges and opportunities that lie ahead in an increasingly digital and socially interactive world.
Ian Edwards, Head of Planning, Facebook, comments:
‘Marketing is undergoing an unprecedented period of disruption. New opportunities are appearing every day and at the same time, consumers are increasingly in control. Facebook is working closely with advertisers and independent partners to help navigate this new landscape. The Future of Marketing Initiative is a brilliant opportunity to expand on this work. Saїd Business School’s research will help the entire industry to market more creatively and more effectively, beat consumer expectations and seize the opportunities ahead of us.’
Talking about the new partnership, Andrew Stephen, Associate Dean of Research and L’Oréal Professor of Marketing at Oxford Saïd, said:
‘Social media has transformed the ways that brands engage with consumers across the globe, and this is only set to increase. We are delighted to welcome Facebook, the leading player in social media, which is committed to helping brands speak to the right audience, to the Future of Marketing Initiative, and we look forward to working together to understand the opportunities that lie ahead for marketers.’
Peter Tufano, Peter Moores Dean, Oxford Saïd commented on the broader Initiative:
‘Technological advances and shifts in consumer expectations throw up many challenges to marketers trying to navigate the changing landscape. We are building a community of major players from industry and academia to ensure our research, teaching and activities remain forward thinking and relevant, and will create opportunities for us tackle world-scale issues in this field. We are delighted to welcome Facebook as the latest partner to the Initiative.’
Existing partners include L’Oréal, Kantar, Teradata, Nucleus Marketing Solutions, General Assembly and Allianz, together forming a powerful community that seeks to influence the shape of marketing research and teaching, and ultimately impact the future marketing practices of business.
About Andrew Stephen:
Professor Andrew Stephen is the Associate Dean of Research and L’Oréal Professor of Marketing at the Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford. Andrew is one of the world’s leading academic marketing experts.