Is Your Company Prepared for Marketing in the Digital World
Digital and social media are profoundly changing| the way we engage with media, colleagues, family members, loved ones and friends, as well as the way we do business. In order to maintain a competitive edge, strategy, marketingn and advertising executives need to accept these changes, create alignment for all senior executives, and drive transformation into their businesses.
Even as marketing and advertising agencies reinvent themselves, the reality is that the majority of the managers struggle to learn cutting-edge skills and abilities. More than two-thirds of the managers surveyed by Alterian last year admitted that they are “digitally handicapped” in measuring social media conversations and discussions and influences on their brands, products, compamies. The quick changes paactically are fueling a growing demand for training and education in this sphere.
According to “Digital economy rankings 2010: Beyond e-readiness,” a report from the Economist Intelligence Unit, “The US has gained ground, while Asian countries are actually on the rise, and Nordic nations continue to rule.” Inconsistent response among US executives has definitely brought forth a “new digital divide” between businesses truly committed to a digital strategy and those still struggling to figure it out. Ad agencies are hunting for digital talent to bridge this divide. However, among Bloomberg BusinessWeek’s top 20 business schools, only six offer a social media marketing executive course. MBA and undergraduate programs are starting to dip their feet into the digital waters.
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To fill the void, US executives should go beyond the confines of traditional marketing and embrace training as a strategic priority.