Digital over Print in 2012

If you don't get on board and understand the dynamics of where the puck is going ( The great ones Wayne Gretzky's greatest attribute ) then you will stagnate and brands opportunities will pass you by. I have been very critical over several years of the digital paths that several retailers have gone. They have spent the last 5 years focusing most of their efforts to position themselves for the digital future and have built a strong foundation for the future.

My concern was their abandoning of retail marketing that got them to where they were. Now the path of the future is evident as Digital advertising surpassed Print in 2011.

Digital will win this battle in the long run, but its still going to take a balance of positioning in Marketing, and Advertising. I continue to see that $'s are being spent out of control, unknown within the knowledge base of the brand marketer sitting at the desk guiding their brand through their annual plan.

Workloads and lack of passion have crippled brand managers from fighting the media spend battle with media managers and the agencies.

Its time for Customer teams, Brand/Marketing teams and Retailers/Buyers to demand full disclosure for their brand/categories in regards to media buys. Allowing collective $'s go into an undisclosed chamber of horrors, and not fixed in an ongoing accountability process is a thing of the past. Waiting for announcements that digital or reach is better here or there is behind the times for the aggressive media buyer. Allowing $'s to go where relationship outweighs accountability needs to be policed.

Accountability will be the buzz word for the future of marketing. Get you house in order and watch you brand drive to the top in 2012!!