Andrea Mitchell, online media specialist and MD of digiVOX, comments, “With the rapid growth of digital marketing, the industry simply can't keep up with the skills required. Our aim is to ensure that the industry is well represented, by providing all the skills necessary to efficiently enable sound representation by online sales representatives, as well as online media planners.”
According to digiVOX, it has become common place for print or radio rep's to now include online advertising sales in their portfolio. However, the principles are very different. Digital marketing is more complex, requiring various skills and understanding of digital marketing. Majority of media planners rely heavily on publishers to advise on what will work best when it comes to digital advertising. However, there are many other factors that need to be taken into consideration, and thereby allowing independent strategy and planning.
“What we hope to achieve, is a marrying of these skills, on both the digital media planning front, as well as on the sales side. Without the necessary skills, a traditional media planner cannot be expected to include online in the mix as if it was any other medium. Nor can a print rep be expected to sell digital like any other medium,” comments Mitchell.
With over six million South Africans actively accessing the internet via PC, and with South Africa ranked sixth in the global top ten for mobile internet usage and expected to break the 10 million user mark this year, marketers can no longer afford to ignore the opportunities offered by digital marketing.
The first in a series of training workshops covers the art of digital media planning, and will be held in Cape Town on 15 October 2009.
For more information, go to www.thestartingline.co.za.
