Does the term “digital marketing” ultimately hurt the marketing industry at large?

Earlier today I watched a video in which BBDO CEO Andrew Robertson discussed the importance of digital marketing, and how he was attempting to ensure that everyone in the massive organization that he oversees is thinking about digital.

Robertson states:

Everything has a digital component to it…Everyone is having to learn about the ways in which digital can enhance the quality of the programs we create…it is not optional

If digital is a component of all efforts, and everyone is required to possess digital marketing skills; what then is a digital marketer?

Ultimately, aren’t we all just marketers with a variety of tools at our disposal?

Unfortunately this is not a new conversation and there is no easy answer. That said, I am not sure that large ad agencies are working fast enough to help solve this conundrum.

Some agencies have begun to take a more integrated approach in organizing their workforce, but is it enough?

We still see campaigns that begin telling a story that leverages out of home tactics, with little, to no digital follow up. In my opinion, such campaigns are incomplete; and no matter however creative the “creative” is, the campaign will ultimately fail-as more and more consumers have come to expect that the next chapter of the story will occur online.

So what is the answer?

Let’s look at the pro’s and cons to moving toward a model where we are all simply play the role of marketer;

Pros

• Easier to ensure that strategy is central to all marketing efforts, as the strategic vision would come from one “nerve center”
• All marketers would be held accountable for attaining a base knowledge of all channels

Cons

• Difficult to decide who is going to focus on what areas of execution, of a campaign
• Many marketers are still not savvy when it comes to digital, and if they were forced to manage any piece of the digital portion of the campaign, things could get messy

There are obvious benefits to each way of thinking. Ultimately, I do not think we are ready to switch to a model where all marketers are responsible for all media types. That being said, what will happen in 5 years, when recent college graduates will have digital media in their DNA? Will we then be ready for the type of change that I am proposing?

I would love to hear some thought from you.

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