Technology plays an essential role in digital media and marketing; added to that is the emergence of big data that is making robust analytics an important piece of the marketing pie to measure campaign effectiveness. CMOs are craving thought leadership to guide them through this new marketing paradigm and Gartner is filling that need with their latest Magic Quadrant for Global Digital Marketing Agencies.
Gartner is an information technology research consultancy perhaps best known for publishing its “Magic Quadrant,” a graphical representation of the leading technology providers in a given segment. So, it may be a sign of the times that the research group is expanding from hardware and software providers to service providers. Software-as-a-Service is another tech trend that, I think, will soon move from being a trend to being mainstream; perhaps, soon all business-related tools and products will move to becoming services.
For me, this particular Magic Quadrant on global digital marketing agencies is a fascinating study of where marketing is headed. The future digital marketing agency may be one that offers ideation, management consulting, and product development, in addition to traditional creative services. All of these things–creative, technology, and marketing–should be integrated together to provide the unique experience users want and will remember.
For a quick summary, below are the agencies that Gartner has included in their Magic Quadrant as Leaders, Challengers, Visionaries, and Niche Players.
Cloud and social technologies have made things more visible, open, and accessible in both the business and personal life. Everything is now more connected, and the same could be said of digital marketing agencies. Campaigns need to make a connection and be connected to the consumer. And this can be achieved by providing a unique and engaging user experience which is powered by application development, strategic services, web design, and others.
I’m still trying to understanding these new models and the new direction digital is taking marketing in, so my thoughts may not be fully formed. But, I think this area is undergoing some exciting changes. Some people get these changes and are implementing them to create new experiences; others may just be jumping on the bandwagon to not be left behind without really understanding what they’re doing or how to best do it. Those who do will be the ones to survive and thrive in the digital era. There’s a generation of digital natives that will soon be taking the helm of business and those with the right vision will drive our digital experiences.
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