Online Marketing Institute Partnership

PRESS RELEASE: APRIL 30, 2010

The Interactive Marketing Program at Northern Illinois University is proud to announce a partnership arrangement with the Online Marketing Institute. The Institute is part of Online Marketing Connect, which operates the educational programs at the Online Marketing Summit and also provides certification in Online Marketing through the Online Marketing institute.

NIU’s Interactive Marketing Area of Study graduates about thirty undergraduate students every year versed in the areas of Social Media, Search, Email, Web Analytics, Design and Usability, Database Marketing and Integrated and Direct Marketing Principles. The program has been in existence since 2003, when Debra Zahay Blatz was recruited to develop and teach the coursework.

NIU students in the Interactive Marketing Program will now be able to take the advanced courses in the Institute’s certification program for a reduce fee to obtain a specialization in Search Marketing, Demand Generation or any of the topics provided by the Institute. Local executives seeking online marketing knowledge will also get discounted access to Online Marketing Summit programs and the Online Marketing Institute’s certification program.

Debra Zahay Blatz, Associate Professor of Interactive Marketing and head of the Interactive Marketing program at NIU is delighted with the association. “I evaluated a lot of programs out there and the Online Marketing Institute and Online Marketing Summit provides their attendees the opportunity to learn without the distractions of vendor sales pitches. It is a true learning environment, which is consistent with our mission here at NIU. The topics covered are nearly identical to our curriculum. I get a lot of inquiries from working professionals for our type of education but an undergraduate daytime program does not meet their needs. Now, however, we will be able to help our students gain an online specialty which will increase their chances of gaining employment after graduation and also provide executives access to material similar to that covered in our courses but in a real-time, online environment best-suited to their schedules.”

Aaron Kahlow, CEO, Online Marketing Institute, Online Marketing Summit and Online Marketing Connect, Inc. echoes Debra Zahay Blatz’s sentiments. “We value our University Partnership arrangements and were pleased to develop an association with NIU’s program. What NIU is doing at the undergraduate level is ahead of the curve in terms of giving marketing students knowledge of current online marketing practices. Now we can provide students with access to even more material from leading practitioners through the online certification modules. NIU’s network of contacts will also help us get our material out to a broader audience that is looking to receive this kind of education online.”

Take advantage of the partnership. Find out how to measure social media and buzz and much more at #OMSCHI on June 30 http://bit.ly/NIUOMS. Use code NIU20 for twenty percent off!