Digital is doomed as an ad industry specialisation
Digital won’t last. It’s already on its last legs as an advertising industry specialisation and about time too. Coming from an agency professional with a 15-year grounding in digital communication this sounds like a betrayal. It’s not. International trends indicate that digital is becoming part of the mainstream communication mix. Separation of digital formats as a distinct campaign element still happens, but this increasingly identifies the digital component as an afterthought rather than an integral part of a wider concept. Agencies that ‘get it’ realise that digital is an infrastructure, not a medium. A growing number of agencies appreciate that it’s just not best practice to hive off digital. Leading brands have reached the same conclusion. It’s therefore a safe bet that within a few years the digital label will become irrelevant. Major campaigns will all contain digital components. There will be no need to set the specialisation apart. It will be as ludicrous...