Week 1: Digital Strategy & The Customer Journey

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MBA Module: Digital Marketing

Week 1

Digital Strategy & The Customer Journey

From business goal to marketing objective.

Today's Agenda

  • The Digital Ecosystem
  • Funnel vs. Flywheel
  • Customer Journey
  • Key Metrics (CAC, LTV, ROI)
  • Digital Sandbox Kickoff
  • Concept checks: short MCQ / true-false after each major Part (cold-call a student)
  • Deliverable: Strategy brief

Part 1: The Digital Ecosystem

Understanding the modern landscape.

The Digital Ecosystem

A network of interconnected channels working synergistically.

Core Principle: Don't treat channels in isolation.
  • Owned Media: Website, Blog, Email List
  • Earned Media: SEO, PR, Organic Social Shares
  • Paid Media: Search Ads, Social Ads, Display

The Reality of Silos

Many organizations run Search, Social, and Email as separate departments.

A customer does not experience your brand in silos. They experience a single journey across multiple touchpoints.

Check: Owned / Earned / Paid

Instructor: cold-call one student / group, then click to confirm.

Prompt: Which media type do you fully control?

Part 2: Funnel vs. Flywheel

Rethinking momentum in marketing.

The Traditional Funnel

Linear approach. Ends at conversion.

  • Awareness: Top of Funnel (TOFU)
  • Consideration: Middle of Funnel (MOFU)
  • Conversion: Bottom of Funnel (BOFU)
The Flaw: Once a customer converts, the funnel loses all its energy. You have to start over to get the next customer.

The Flywheel Model

Circular approach. Momentum drives growth.

  • Attract
  • Engage
  • Delight
The Advantage: Customers feed back into the system through referrals, repeat purchases, and brand advocacy, lowering future CAC.

Managerial Lens: Resource Allocation

Traditional Funnel Budget

Heavy spending on acquisition (Ads, SEO).

Result: Constantly buying new traffic. Blended CAC stays high.

Flywheel Budget

Reallocating funds to retention (Email flows, Community, Support).

Result: Retained customers refer others. Blended CAC drops.

Check: Funnel vs Flywheel

Instructor: ask a student or pair to answer — then reveal on-screen.

Prompt: True or false — cold-call one student.

Part 3: Mapping the Customer Journey

How a stranger becomes an advocate.

What is a Journey Map?

A visual representation of the process a customer goes through to achieve a goal with your company.

It maps touchpoints (where they interact with you) against their emotional state and intent.

Mapping the Phases

Phase Customer Mindset Marketing Tactic
Awareness "I have a problem." SEO, Organic Social, PR
Consideration "What are my options?" Retargeting, Webinars, Guides
Decision "Who should I choose?" Search Ads (SEM), Email Offers
Retention "Did I make the right choice?" Onboarding Emails, Customer Success

Check: Customer Journey

Instructor: cold-call one student / group, then click to confirm.

Prompt: Where does the critical conversion moment belong?

Part 4: Key Metrics & Economics

Measuring what matters.

Vanity Metrics vs. North Star

Vanity Metrics

  • Likes, Follows, Shares
  • Pageviews
  • Impressions

Good for ego, bad for paying payroll.

North Star Metrics

  • Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)
  • Lifetime Value (LTV)
  • Return on Ad Spend (ROAS)

Metrics that indicate business health.

The Golden Rule of Unit Economics

LTV ≥ 3× CAC

Minimum: LTV must exceed CAC or you lose money on every customer.
Healthy target (this module): Lifetime Value at least three times CAC — room for overhead and growth.

Calculating LTV: Revenue vs. Margin

Common Mistake: Calculating LTV based on total revenue.

Managerial Reality: You must calculate LTV based on Gross Margin.

Example: A customer spends NPR 10,000 over their lifetime. Your gross margin is 40%.

The true LTV contribution is NPR 4,000. (Your CAC must be compared to 4,000, not 10,000).

Aligning Strategy with Business Goals

Marketing objectives must flow directly from business objectives.

Business Goal: Increase Q3 Revenue by 20%.

Marketing Goal: Generate 80 qualified leads/month at a CAC of ≤ NPR 2,500.

Tactic: Launch Google Search campaign targeting high-intent keywords.

Check: Unit Economics

Instructor: ask a student or pair to answer — then reveal on-screen.

Prompt: LTV / CAC — ask a student to defend the answer.

Part 5: The Digital Sandbox

Your 8-week practicum project.

Lab Activity: Project Kickoff

The entire course revolves around building and marketing a single live web asset.

The Digital Sandbox

  1. Select a Business: Real local business, startup idea, or service.
  2. Define the Persona: Who is your ideal customer?
  3. Determine the Conversion: What is the ONE action you want them to take?

Check: Sandbox Kickoff

Instructor: cold-call one student / group, then click to confirm.

Prompt: What must every student lock today?

Real Nepal Proof (Week 1)

Published home services stack — cite layers separately (no invented blended ROAS):

  • Ads (90 days): CPA NPR 4,722 → 2,571 (−42%)
  • Local SEO (6 months): qualified leads ~3×
Read: Stack teaching brief · Full case map

Deliverable for Week 1

One-Page Strategy Brief

  • Business concept and primary objective
  • Target persona definition (demographics, pain points)
  • Customer journey map outline
  • North Star metric & core KPIs

Due before the start of Week 2.

Thank You!

Open Week 1 Note