Friday, February 19, 2010

Is Digital the New Traditional?

Well here it goes – my first blog post for Arketi. A recent OMMA article highlighting a survey on the shift from traditional to digital spend has got me interested. The survey’s findings are truly not that surprising, but it’s the meaning behind them that got me thinking. For instance:



Survey: 46% of companies plan to increase marketing budgets in 2010


My thoughts: While many expected marketing spends to increase following the large budget cuts in 2009; I wonder about the 54% who do not plan to increase. Is this because their companies weren’t affected by the economic downturn (not likely), that they still haven’t rebounded (perhaps) or that they don’t see the value in marketing (problem)? If the answer is that marketing isn’t valued, those marketers need to find a way to get a seat at the executive table. We, as marketing and communication practitioners, must constantly remind key stakeholders that it is marketing that will help ensure a company’s brand is relevant to its customers.



Survey: 28% of marketers are shifting some of their marketing budgets from traditional to digital


My thoughts: Often a more cost-effective approach to reaching customers, digital marketing provides the opportunity to reuse assets in multiple areas. For instance, investing dollars in a YouTube channel means that a company is beginning to use video. These videos can be cross-used in many ways – from social media releases, to calls-to-action on a website, to becoming viral through distribution on Twitter. Whether companies spend a lot or a little on digital channels, the key is that they get their feet wet. Try video, try dynamic emails, try social media. Wherever your customers are, that is a great place to begin.



To read OMMA’s recent article and see more survey findings, click here: http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=122018