Marketing students gain insights into AI‑powered advertising at Meta Ads simulation workshop

The University of Westminster recently hosted a Meta Ads simulation workshop as part of its Digital Marketing Management MSc course's Social Media and Content Marketing module. The session gave students the chance to become marketers, providing them with hands-on experience of the strategic and analytical aspects of paid social media advertising.

Held on 5 March, the workshop was run by Clark Boyd, CEO of Novela, a company that transforms marketing education through Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered simulations.

Students were introduced to social media advertising through the Novela Meta Ads simulation and took on the role of marketers for Aura Cosmetics, where they designed and optimised a Meta advertising campaign within a set budget and timeframe.

By working through the simulation, students were able to run their campaign by applying theoretical concepts such as audience targeting, advertising auctions, creative strategy and campaign performance measurement in a practical environment. The session emphasised data-driven decision-making, experimentation and the importance of strategic alignment in digital advertising, as well as highlighting how AI tools are increasingly being integrated into marketing decision-making.

Boyd said: "The students were sharp, curious and not afraid to challenge the AI's recommendations. That's exactly the skill set employers are looking for right now. The energy in the room was brilliant. Students debated budget allocation, challenged each other's targeting choices and used the AI as a sparring partner rather than an answer machine. AI is changing marketing faster than most curricula can keep up. What Westminster is doing, putting students in realistic AI-powered scenarios and letting them learn by doing, is exactly how you stay ahead of that."

Yufei Song, Digital Marketing Management MSc student, added: "The simulation made the process of running paid social media ads feel much more real. It helped us apply what we learn in class by making decisions, analysing results and adjusting our strategy like a real marketer."

Preparing students for career readiness is a key ambition of the University's Zone29 career and enterprise support offering.

The workshop directly contributes to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 4: Quality Education and 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth. Since 2019, the University of Westminster has used the SDGs holistically to frame strategic decisions to help students and colleagues fulfil their potential and contribute to a more sustainable, equitable and healthier society.

Learn more about Marketing courses at the University of Westminster.

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