How to solve the digital marketing talent gap | Tested Digital Expert Ltd 2015

1. HOW TO SOLVE THE
DIGITAL MARKETING
TALENT GAP
Tested Digital Expert Ltd

2. Background:
 The Online Marketing Institute
revealed that almost 750 global ad
agencies face a serious lack of
digital marketing skills. They claim
there is a large talent gap between
the skills that team members
should possess and digital skills
they currently have. Did you know
over 90% of companies
interviewed, felt they lacked digital
skills? Can academia overcome
this gap?

3. Research:
 The report consisted of several key findings. The majority (71%) of large
companies who took part believed their digital marketing team was strong
in some areas, but weak in others. Furthermore, 15% of firms felt their
team’s digital marketing skills were average whereas only 8% felt they were
strong across all digital areas. Although most companies felt there was
indefinitely room for improvement, only 22% on companies had a level-
setting programme for improving skills. As a result the negative effects of
the gap in these organisations are inevitable. Although three quarters of
brand managers said having digital marketing skills were essential when
hiring, 30% had difficulty distinguishing between candidates with the right
skills and those without. In addition, only 10% used tests to measure digital
marketer’s existing knowledge and skills. Thus meaning there is a large
proportion of marketers who do not possess sufficient levels of digital skills
to increase their firm’s competitiveness (profitability) against rivals. Working
in digital marketing requires a vast amount of knowledge in various areas,
such as; data, IT, corporate marketing, sales, PR and much more.

4. The Problem:
 One reason for this gap could be due to
organisations still using traditional hierarchal
structures, where each division is separated into
departments without much collaboration. “Hybrid”
marketers are essentially the future of marketing as
a whole, as they are tech-savvy in addition to being
skilled in various regions, thus reducing the number
of employees in organisations. Moreover,
Universities have also been scrutinised for not
regularly updating their marketing programmes,
leading to a shortage of digital skills.

5. The Solution:
 However, one solution comes from digital
agencies, who are proactively seeking to close
the digital gap through offering training
initiatives to marketers and graduates. Digital
Annexe, The Knowledge Engineers and
techUK are just a few of the companies
offering digital training programmes in order to
increase marketing effectiveness, add
business value and boost employee
productivity.

6. The Solution:
 Moreover research has illustrated that the UK
will need an extra 745 000 digitally skilled
employees within the next 3 years in order to
keep up with the digital world. Therefore the
UK government is reacting by pushing
advanced technology based GCSE’s, such as
app coding integrated into education in 2015.

7. The Solution:
 In addition, Capgemini estimates that over 4.4
million IT jobs will be created by Big Data in
2015, however only a third will be filled so the
need for such talent is now more imperative
than ever.

8. The Solution:
 UK University course leaders are also trying to address
the talent gap in this rapidly changing market by
launching new MSc’s in Digital Marketing at Universities
such as the University of Aberdeen and the University of
Chester. The primary aim of this new skills based course
is to prepare current students for their demanding jobs
through teaching digital marketing strategies, research
methods, analytics tools and much more. This response
from an academic perspective ensures marketing post-
graduates have the relevant knowledge and skill set
required in establishing a successful career in digital
marketing.

9. The Solution:
 Furthermore, Marketo – a leader in digital marketing
software, is also supporting academia’s role in closing
the talent gap by collaborating with Universities on
digital marketing degree courses. Conversely, one
problem in teaching a subject such as Marketing is that
it is constantly changing and developing with the
innovation of technology. Therefore creating an
adaptable and agile marketing syllabus is fundamental
for these Universities, in order to form a well prepared
marketing workforce for the years to come.

10. Conclusion:
 Overall, this talent gap has been described as “a war for
talent” as technology based organisations are facing an
acute shortage of the minority of “hybrid” digital
marketers. However, this industry is making steady
progress to ensure the next generation of marketers are
well equipped through the aid of academia. Universities
as well as digital agencies are now trying to bridge the
ever increasing gap, but will it be enough?
 Note: This article is the first of an ongoing series related
to the Digital Marketing Talent Gap.

11. Our Aim:
 At TDE, we aim to provide you with
insightful information on the latest digital
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12. References:
 http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising-
branding/there-digital-talent-gap-154709
 http://www.zdnet.com/article/marketo-
launches-research-institute-can-it-close-the-
digital-marketing-talent-gap/
 http://www.onlinemarketinginstitute.org/blog/20
13/11/digital-marketing-skills-infographic/