Who owns the front door? Making the case for marketing-led web strategy

After 20 years of decentralization, Penn State embarked on a five-year strategy to create a next-generation digital experience across its campuses. The critical first step? Establishing that the university's web presence is fundamentally a marketing asset requiring institutional infrastructure thinking — not an IT project requiring technical deployment. In this session, Penn State shares how they built the business case for marketing-led web strategy, navigated the political and operational realities of institutional change, and successfully moved beyond pilots into institution-wide implementation. The paradox at the heart of their success: achieving consistency by respecting autonomy, and enabling centralization by meeting Penn State's culture and business conditions where they actually are. Learn why platform selection matters far less than governance and adoption strategy, how composable architecture became the technical enabler for a marketing-driven vision, and why treating your website like any other capital program is the key to long-term success.