Tribune’s newly formed interactive marketing consultancy called 435 Digital Services is yet another indication of the gaping void that exists in the marketplace for qualified digital marketing expertise to serve small to mid-sized businesses (SMB). It’s more validation that digital marketing means business – real business.
The Tribune folks aren’t alone in their observations that there’s a market out there just waiting to be served. Gannett and Meredith have seen the light, too. This is really good news for anyone providing consultative digital marketing services (and products).
PricewaterhouseCoopers is predicting that online will surge ahead of newspapers as the second-largest advertising medium, behind television, in 2010. Digital marketing spending in the U.S. is expected to account for 26% of all entertainment and media spending in 2014, up from 19% in 2009. You don’t need a crystal ball to know where this is all headed. Like I said, digital marketing means business – real business.
Remember, though, that while budgets will continue to shift to digital, we can’t forget that marketing isn’t about being either traditional or digital. Consumer behavior today requires an integrated, convergent marketing approach.
People and organizations that value and understand the power of convergence aren’t steeped in the black and white of doing one or the other; traditional or digital. To really create value for clients, we need to consider the integration of different strategies, tactics, and channels to address unique business problems.
So, my Marketect friends, get your integrated marketing butts in gear and work those network(s), hit the bricks, and connect with the multitude of SMBs (and lots of large companies, too) out there looking for advice and consultation – before Tribune, Gannett, and Meredith beat you too it.
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