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When we began work on the first edition of “eMarketing” back in 2007, I
certainly did not anticipate that we’d be publishing a 4th edition four years
later. Witnessing the growth and maturation of the digital marketing industry
over the last twelve years has been incredible, but it is the last four years that
have demonstrated the most change.
No longer is digital seen as just another channel. I believe that viewing it this
way has many dangers. Digital is too pervasive in our lives to be called a mere
channel. Television is a channel, but you don’t carry a TV around in your pocket.
Digital, and in particular its exploding mobile elements, has been pulled into
every facet of our lives. It is as relevant to a developing nation as it is to the
‘first world’, and can have an empowering impact whether you are a business
executive or you live in a rural area. The Internet is now everywhere, and for
marketers it has become a non-negotiable part of the marketing mix.
Quirk has also evolved tremendously during this time. We have expanded
to over 150 people and our clients have grown to include some of the most
valuable brands in the world. In turn, the structure of our agency has changed
to meet the needs of our clients within this digital landscape. Traditionally,
our business was made up of tactical teams: search engine optimisation
(SEO), pay per click (PPC), creative, engineering, email marketing, etc. At one
point we had about 15 different teams within the organisation. Over time, this
structure became less effective than we would have liked. Even with fantastic
communication within the business, having so many separate teams meant
we were siloed. It became increasingly obvious that the various elements of
digital marketing work hand in hand, not just benefiting each other through
coordination, but actually relying on each other for success. |
