The world of digital marketing in trouble: advertisers supplanted by technologists!

Digital is today the stake of all companies. Who says stake says strategy of survival by the growth but also stake of power in the organizations. Since the last decade, I have been watching the games of actors, of which I was part of Orange, directing the innovation communication of the operator and then at L’Oréal by creating the digital transformation position of Research and Innovation … and today by intervening in the innovation and digital transformation programs of my clients: Total, BNP Paribas, CNP Insurance, Caisse des Dépôts …

The digital function is problematic everywhere: a hybrid function that requires technical knowledge and uses while mastering the art of transformation

We see this function evolve from the IT department for which it is not a question of selling network architectures, hard, by soft skills towards the directions of the innovation or the HR if the stake is taken into account rather under the human angle and cultural change.

The trend in very large companies is to create the position of CDO, Chief Digital Officer, directly attached to the president or CEO. As a result, digital marketing is becoming a new field of ambition between CDOs, IT and marketing, just like the agency market that is reconfiguring itself.

The agencies have a good time, the need for technological expertise prevails. Thus Accenture Interactive shakes the giants of communication as “WPP”,” Omnicom” or “Publicis”. In an interview with Echos Arthur Sadoun said “Accenture is a competitor more real than Google or Facebook.”

Crédit Infographie Le Figaro

In 5 years Accenture, the American technology giant is one of the world leaders in digital marketing thanks to Accenture Interactive. Since 2012 it has increased from 0 to 6 billion euros of EC. This branch became the driving force of the group. As the analysis Pierre Nanterme CEO “Based on our technological expertise, we have expanded our offer to digital marketing and customer experience to become a key player with marketing managers.”

Next step ? the absorption of WPP or Publicis? pending the American giant takes care to target its recruitments to the advertising competitors (WPP, Omnicom, Publicis …) and reinforcement by additional purchases (still 1Billion declared) to strengthen the digital branch in marketing and communication expertise.