Our special guest for this edition of EdTech Mentor is Stephanie Goldberg, Regional Marketing Manager LATAM at Turnitin. In this conversation, we will explore key topics like academic integrity, the vital importance of events for forging genuine connections, and the creation of spaces with room for all voices. Stephanie will guide us through her experiences and perspectives about how to foster collaboration among all actors in the educational realm.
I’m a communications expert by profession and a marketer by vocation. I’m a big fan of interpersonal connections, having started my career working at shows and corporate events. That field became the starting point of my career; I love live interactions as a medium of communication. Over time, I grew into a role in regional marketing, taking on various responsibilities. It has been an exciting journey from my start in events to taking on a global and strategic perspective.
I started in this job 7 years ago as a wonderful sequence of extraordinary coincidences that united all the things that I love to do in one place; first I was working with specific events, then over time I got involved in other activities like interviewing customers about their use of technology in education.
Bit by bit I continued to develop in field marketing, public relations and digital marketing. During the pandemic we worked side by side with educational institutions, we quickly pivoted to cater to the need to collaborate digitally and provide valuable resources to the community.
The pandemic blurred the lines between digital and in-person, and pushed the integrated program that combines all channels in our marketing mix.
Now I am leading the Latin America regional marketing initiatives under the direction of regional marketing for the Americas and Global Secondary Education.
The principles of education will endure, but we have experienced significant changes. The 2020 pandemic marked an inflection point that forced education to make a leap. Then 2022 brought the new influence of Artificial Intelligence, which transformed both professional and educational fields. These changes show us the need for continual evolution. All of us, from educational institutions to service providers, must work together to do what’s best for students and lay the groundwork for a different future. The pandemic brought a major change, and now we’re facing the challenge of AI, which requires preparation and decisions that are every bit as significant as what the pandemic brought.
In Latin America we’re facing multiple challenges. We value the community we have built, which was tied up in improvement in our practice of collaboration. Although there are areas for improvement in all countries, I would highlight our efforts to share best practices.
I think the conjunction of those two things is multifaceted, but it is essential to have clear policies. When you define technological expectations for students, teachers, and institutions, then you can start to evaluate where you’re headed next. Technology can make it easier to collect data for conversations about integrity, provide rapid feedback, and evaluate students fairly. However, integrity also depends on institutional policies and the relationship between faculty and students that encourage original thinking and fair assessment. There are multiple areas where integrity and technology converge, and with the use of AI, teachers, students, and institutions must define their directives.
I find spaces of connection and community a source of pride. The ability to bring institutions together to participate and be part of our community is gratifying. This connection between sharing best practices and the technology we offer is fundamental to adding value for the institutions.
Over the course of my career, I’ve learned that not everything turns out the way you might think. Life surprises us, and it’s essential to adapt to circumstances. I started my current job with a twist of luck. You can plan and prepare, but sometimes life takes you in unexpected directions. I would tell myself at the age of 20 to know how to flow and adapt, without losing sight of my goals, always moving towards them, but adapting to circumstances as needed.
The key to our regional marketing success in Latin America has been constant team collaboration. I have learned that it is essential to work together with colleagues in sales and all departments. We work together to reach our audience. Collaboration among teams and the openness to learning from experts in other areas is fundamental. It’s not just a question of marketing, but rather a group effort toward a common objective.
Understanding your audience is very important because that way you’re able to make an impact with a local flavor. You have to do a lot of research and know how to ask questions. You can also align yourself with others who know more to ensure that the message is reaching your target audience.
The objectives are the base, and the strategies are the tools that allow us to reach them. Be an expert in your role and region so you can adjust to the needs of the market.
You need passion, but you also need strategy and execution. Don't be afraid to experiment and to make things happen. You also need a touch of creativity, because we have to innovate all the time.
We have to keep all contact channels open, both in terms of digital channels, which include the content that we provide and searches on social media, as well as physical channels, which include everything from live events to participation in external events organized by third parties. This allows us to cover a wide spectrum of interactions and ensure ourselves that, at each point of contact we are delivering significant value.
The effectiveness of public relations in the industry depends on your goals. For concrete regional goals, such as acquisition, the impact can be hard to measure. The complexity comes from the fact that it’s not always easy to link a PR action to specific demand generation goals beyond increasing awareness or reaching a broader audience. PR is valuable for generating recognition, but its impact can’t be traced with the same precision as other marketing channels, which can lead to its efficacy being underestimated in regional contexts.
To appropriately measure a marketing plan, the key is to link it with your goals. The measurement should be in line with what you want to achieve. For example, if your goal is to increase sales, you need metrics that reflect whether you have achieved that result. Data is crucial to understanding what works, why it works, and what can be improved.
It’s also important to have space for experimentation and innovation. You shouldn’t limit yourself to what you know works, you should also explore new strategies.
I think that everything starts with adding value and offering opportunities to share, give them a voice and allow them to talk while actively listening. We are working toward a common goal because of our shared purpose. The goal is to provide a backdrop for them to be the protagonists in their stories, similar to the events.
Our work with institutions is based on identifying where our solutions can address their specific challenges and needs. We don't try to address every need, but rather look for a focal point in their strategies and experiences, and how technology can support their progress.
When it comes to organizing and attending events, I think it is essential to clearly define the objectives and strategy, both for external events and ones we put on internally. Each event should be part of a broader global strategy and be an inflection point in the ecosystem, which strengthens the connection.
The effectiveness of an event depends on its alignment with specific goals and your commitment to execute it exceptionally. There isn’t a universally effective event, because what works for one may not work for another. The key thing is that every event should be in line with your goals and that you are committed to doing it in the best way possible.
