Digital Marketing Skills for Future-Ready Managers: Evaluating Customer Preferences and Managerial Competency Gaps

Abstract 

The rapid growth of digital technologies has transformed the marketing landscape, making digital marketing skills essential for managers. This study aims to examine the major digital marketing activities popular among customers and to assess the challenges and opportunities associated with digital marketing adoption. A descriptive research design was employed, using convenience sampling to select respondents. Data were collected from 60 customers and 226 future-ready managers, including MBA students, budding managers, individuals preparing for managerial roles, management trainers, and high-potential employees identified for leadership positions. Both primary and secondary data sources were used, with questionnaires serving as the primary instrument, and journals, books, company websites, and online sources providing secondary data. Statistical tools applied for analysis included percentage analysis, Spearman’s rank correlation and Kruskal Walli’s test. Findings reveal that 30% of the respondents were MBA students. Further content marketing is the most popular digital marketing activity among customers, followed by influencer marketing, search engine optimization, social media marketing, mobile marketing, and email marketing. Statistical analysis indicates that quality content marketing positively influences customer purchase decisions (p = 0.03), highlighting the strategic importance of high-quality digital content in driving consumer engagement and purchase behavior. Furthermore, there is a significant relationship between future-ready managers and the challenges they face in adopting digital marketing, indicating that skill gaps, rapid technological changes, and difficulty measuring ROI directly affect managerial readiness and effectiveness.The findings underscore the critical need for managers to acquire digital marketing competencies to enhance decision-making, improve organizational performance, and maintain competitiveness in the digital economy. The study contributes both theoretically and practically by providing insights into the digital marketing practices favored by customers and the skill gaps among future managers. By addressing these gaps, organizations can prepare managers to lead effectively in a technology-driven business environment, ensuring sustainable growth and enhanced customer engagement. 

Keywords: Digital marketing, future-ready managers, content marketing, managerial skills, descriptive study, customer engagement.