1. The 2012
Digital IQ
INDEX
Insight into the learning needs of sales
and marketing professionals
• skill levels
• degrees of confidence around
digital marketing
• preferred modes of learning
• key areas of interest for future
development

2. 2 DIGITAL IQ INDEX 2012
Objective:
Provide stakeholders in the Australian marketing community
with insight into the learning needs of sales and marketing
professionals; specifically sharing insights on skill levels,
degrees of confidence around digital marketing, preferred
modes of learning and key areas of interest for future
development.
Initially, the Digital IQ Index
will focus on the gaps
between current digital marketing
responsibilities and existing digital
marketing skill levels. Over time,
the focus will shift to adoption of
emerging digital skill sets (eg. data
analytics, content marketing, video,
etc) and various modalities and
methodologies of learning (eg. mobile
learning, gamification, beyond the
marketing department, etc).
Digital Chameleon seeks to provide
marketers with benchmarks around
digital marketing education that
will empower them to make more
informed decisions around hiring,
mentoring and team development.
It will provide sales and marketing
leaders with a basis for measuring
digital marketing skills acquisition
that is now a requisite for a fully
functioning, highly effective and
competitive sales and marketing
team.
Methodology:
Participants from brand and media organisations participated
in the Digital Chameleon Learning Needs Assessment from
June through September 2012. A total of 350 respondents
are represented in the 2012 Digital Index and represent a
range of brand, agency and media businesses (including print
and broadcast) working with Digital Chameleon during that
period. Respondents hailed from News South Wales, Victoria,
Queensland and South Australia.
70%HAD NO PRIOR
DIGITAL EXPERIENCE
DID YOU KNOW:
According to Minding Your Digital
Business (McKinsey Global
Survey, May 2012), 43% of senior
marketing leaders say it is difficult
to recruit digital talent.
Like it or not, if
employers want
and expect THEIR
TEAMS TO POSSESS
DIGITAL SKILLS,
THEY’LL HAVE TO
take responsibility for
this education themselves

3. 3 DIGITAL IQ INDEX 2012
Executive
Summary:
Professional development in the sales and marketing arena
has long been challenged by the absence of objective
evaluation of results.
Traditional ‘training programs’ have, for the most part, failed to capture
initiative-based progress and discrete outcomes. The advent of digital
marketing channels has exacerbated this situation. New channels,
technologies and consumer behaviours are emerging at such a rapid rate that
traditional sales and marketing leaders are scrambling to keep pace with their
own marketplaces. The first Digital Chameleon IQ Index has uncovered the
following three key dynamics shaping digital marketing learning in Australia.
In summary, the 2012 Digital Chameleon Digital IQ Index confirms what
most sales and marketing leaders already suspect—that their teams are
far from adequately equipped to confront the challenges and opportunities
represented by digital marketing. With that said, these same teams are eager
and open to the right kind of digital learning programs. Those leaders who
acknowledge their digital skills gaps-- and put in place initiatives to close
them-- will reap the rewards of teams armed with the digital skills ready to
compete in their marketplaces.
THE DIGITAL SKILLS GAP IS REAL AND IT IS SIGNIFICANT.
Only 30% of respondents indicated they had prior digital experience, putting the onus on their current
employer to fill the gap—this despite most are responsible for implementing digital solutions AND
managing digital budgets. This disconnect exposes the reality that many sales and marketing pros are
effectively working without a safety net when it comes to digital goals and organisation resources.
A MAJORITY OF SALES AND MARKETING PROFESSIONALS ARE LESS THAN COMFORTABLE
ENGAGING IN FUNDAMENTAL DIGITAL SKILLS AND CONCEPTS.
The most familiar topic for most respondents was digital advertising, but even in this category, less
than a majority said they were comfortable with what they knew about the topic. In all other digital
skill sets, respondents were far less confident of their ability to engage successfully. Until sales and
marketing professionals achieve a high confidence level around digital, their organisations will be at a
significant disadvantage vis a vis more digitally savvy competitors.
SALES AND MARKETING PROFESSIONALS ARE HUNGRY FOR DIGITAL MARKETING
LEARNING—BUT THERE ARE CHALLENGES.
Respondents overwhelmingly indicated a desire for more digital learning. With this said, two barriers
remain: time and truly engaging learning opportunities. A large majority have said lack of time is a
serious barrier to learning and that the learning they do prefer should be interactive and permit the
learner to engage with the content. One path to confronting both these challenges is suggested by the
fact that over 40% of respondents indicated a prior exposure to elearning, an instructional modality
that speaks to both the time poor challenge and the need for true interactivity.
1
2
3

4. 4 DIGITAL IQ INDEX 2012
Q1. Personal responsibility
for digital media/marketing activities: (347 responses)
Q2. Carries a budget for
digital media/marketing activities: (346 responses)
Q3. Experience in digital
prior to current
employment (346 responses)
58%42%YES NO
56%44%YES NO
70%
30%
NO
YES
Q4. Please share your level of familiarity
with the following topics: (344 responses)
Online campaign measurement
Not familiar 23%
Barely familiar 25%
Somewhat familiar 29%
Familiar 19%
Very familiar 4%
Competitors online
Not familiar 14%
Barely familiar 24%
Somewhat familiar 34%
Familiar 22%
Very familiar 6%
Social media marketing
Not familiar 11%
Barely familiar 23%
Somewhat familiar 34%
Familiar 28%
Very familiar 4%
Online audience measurement
Not familiar 23%
Barely familiar 32%
Somewhat familiar 26%
Familiar 17%
Very familiar 2%
Search marketing
Not familiar 17%
Barely familiar 30%
Somewhat familiar 28%
Familiar 19%
Very familiar 6%
Mobile marketing
Not familiar 18%
Barely familiar 34%
Somewhat familiar 29%
Familiar 16%
Very familiar 3%
Display (online) advertising
Not familiar 9%
Barely familiar 13%
Somewhat familiar 26%
Familiar 40%
Very familiar 12%
Online media planning
Not familiar 20%
Barely familiar 30%
Somewhat familiar 25%
Familiar 20%
Very familiar 5%
28%
THE DIGITAL
SKILLS-TO-JOB
RESPONSIBILITY GAP
DID YOU KNOW:
On average, across eight key
categories of digital marketing
capability, only 28% of the
respondents crossed the threshold
of necessary working expertise
(familiar or very familiar
with category).
The average skills
levels across key
digital marketing
disciplines ARE
SIMPLY NOT
ADEQUATE TO
THE COMPETITIVE
CHALLENGES posed
in today’s fast-evolving
marketplaces

5. 5 DIGITAL IQ INDEX 2012
Learn by
doing 42%
Learn by doing and
listening 16%
Learn by doing,
listening and
reading 19%
Learn by doing
and reading 10%
Learn by listening
6%
Learn by reading
6%
Learn by listening
and reading 1%
Q5. Please state your learning preferences
(how you most like to learn new things)(343 responses)
Q6. Any previous experience with eLearning? (343 responses)
Q7. Biggest barrier to learning (349 responses)
Q8. Comfort level with current digital marketing skills:
(305 responses)
72%LESS THAN
COMFORTABLE WITH
THEIR CURRENT
DIGITAL SKILLS
LEVEL
DID YOU KNOW:
87% prefer to learn by doing,
either in combination with other
types of learning or by doing alone.
This preference indicates higher
engagement and more productive
outcomes with interactive versus
static learning modes.
The biggest
investment employers
will have to make
IN SECURING THEIR
TEAM’S DIGITAL
EXPERTISE WON’T
BE MONEY
—it will be time
Not comfortable 22%
A little comfortable 25%
Somewhat comfortable 35%
Comfortable 13%
Very comfortable 5%
41%59%YES NO
Lack of time 70% Lack of money
10%
Don’t know where to source learning 20%

6. 6 DIGITAL IQ INDEX 2012
Q9. Digital marketing will be more important,
stay the same or increase in importance
over the next 12 months: (342 responses)
Q10. How useful would a digital marketing
learning program be to you?: (342 responses)
92%WOULD FIND A
DIGITAL MARKETING
LEARNING PROGRAM
USEFUL
DID YOU KNOW:
Sales and marketing professionals
see the writing on the wall. 83%
believe digital marketing will only
grow in importance over the next
twelve months.
If employers fail to
meet their staff’s
hunger for digital
marketing education,
THEY MAY PAY THE
PRICE IN SUB-PAR
PRODUCTIVITY,
lower retention rates and
increased recruitment
costs
1%
LESS IMPORTANT
16%
STAY THE SAME
83%
MORE IMPORTANT
Very useful 71%
Useful 21%
Somewhat useful 6%
A little useful 1%
Not useful 1%
About Digital Chameleon
Digital Chameleon helps clients mainstream digital knowledge and
capabilities across their business. It is the only digital media and
marketing learning company to combine modular self-paced eLearning
with customized, practitioner-led face to face workshops. Digital
Chameleon works with companies worldwide to integrate digital into the
DNA of their businesses via a unique scalable, tailored, metrics-driven
approach to digital learning. Digital Chameleon’s learning solutions have
been endorsed by the Media Federation of Australia and the Asia Digital
Marketing Association.
To learn more about Digital Chameleon,
please visit us at: www.digitalchameleon.net
61 2 9997 4417