Not All Credentials Are Equal: A Within-Subjects Comparison of Student Responses to Google Analytics And Hubspot Certifications in Marketing Education

Micro-credentials have become standard components of marketing curricula, yet educators typically select credentialing platforms based on employer recognition alone, without evidence about how students experience different platforms. This study provides, to our knowledge, the first within-subjects comparative evidence that credential platforms are not motivationally equivalent. In a quasi-experimental classroom study, undergraduate marketing students completed both a Google Analytics certification and a set of HubSpot certifications within the same semester. Results revealed consistent, statistically significant differences favoring HubSpot on attitude toward the certification and satisfaction with the certification experience, and, to a lesser degree, perceived professional readiness, with the attitude difference emerging as the strongest finding. As a secondary boundary-condition test, these differences held consistently across simulation-based and non-simulation-based instructional contexts, suggesting they were not contingent on that specific course design feature. These findings establish that credential platform selection is a pedagogically consequential curriculum decision, not merely an administrative one. Drawing on Self-Determination Theory, Signaling Theory, and Experiential Learning Theory, we develop a five-part framework for intentional credential integration, positioning student motivational outcomes as a primary selection criterion alongside industry recognition. Directions for future research on platform-specific motivational mechanisms are discussed.