BC Biermann, assistant professor of media studies and art at UMSL, points at a slide showing a graphic design project on an iPad. (Photo by August Jennewein)

As new social networking platforms are born and digital branding applications created, staying on top of the ever-growing scene is more important than ever to marketers and business professionals.

The University of Missouri–St. Louis has ramped up the social and digital media program offerings to meet theses needs. The St. Louis Business Journal highlighted UMSL’s efforts in an article online Monday.

The piece spotlights new courses created by Perry Drake, assistant teaching professor of marketing at UMSL, and BC Biermann, assistant professor of media studies and art at UMSL.

Perry Drake, assistant teaching professor of marketing at UMSL, has created new courses in social and digital media. (Photo by August Jennewein)

Drake has launched a new certificate program focusing on topics such a search engine marketing, web analytics, mobile marketing and digital media buying.

Consumers are changing the way they communicate with and research brands, and brands are changing the way they promote and engage with consumers, Drake said. Attention has been shifted from traditional media marketing to Internet, wireless devices and other digital platforms.

“It is imperative that universities begin to seriously change their marketing curriculums to reflect the evolution of marketing and business being driven by technology or they will be outdated and irrelevant,” he said.

Biermann joined UMSL in the fall of 2012 and teaches courses in augmented reality, mobile web applications and video projection mapping from UMSL at Grand Center.