When New Things Become the Norm

Here's a flash from Marketing Week's blog:

'Digital marketing' to become just 'marketing' in 2013

Wed, 9 Jan 2013 | By Lara O'Reilly

Digital is set to lose its prefix and just be referred to as “marketing” this year as all marketers’ output will become “inherently digital” over the coming months, Forrester predicts.

The research company forecasts that digital budgets will become 20 per cent of the total, accounting for about $50bn (£31bn) worldwide.

I predicted something like this a while ago based on an "ancient" precedent.  In the 1950s, many advertising agencies had departments of television ... because the medium was so new and radically different that they thought it required an organizational slot.  Of course, over time, television became another tool in the marketing toolbox ... and the departments of television disappeared.

Now we're seeing the same thing happen with "digital marketing" as the world of digital matures.  I think this is a good thing.  It causes marketers to focus on the fundamentals (branding, positioning, targeting) rather than technique.