Communication has gone digital. Digital has gone social. Social is mobile. Mobile is everything.
When considering the changing landscape of media delivery channels -- and the integration and convergence of these channels – one must wonder:
• Will the term “digital marketing” eventually go away?
• Will the idea of “social” fade so that everything has some kind of social element?
• Will the phrase “mobile marketing” become obsolete?
• Will it no longer matter on what screen users view information? (See David Windhausen’s great post on responsive design here)
• Will digital/mobile/social become synonymous with “marketing communications” in general?
It seems like they should. And in some industries, it seems they already have.
But in the world of pharma, they are still very separate. Separated by budget, separated by projects, separated by departments and by headcount and mindset, and often separated by agencies.
But really? Shouldn’t we worry a lot less about the channel. Shouldn’t we listen less to the hype, and more to the customer? Where are THEY seeking information? What do THEY need in terms of support?
Ask them what questions they have … as opposed to telling them what we think are the answers.
Flip the model on its head.
Marketing is marketing. Advertising is advertising. Communication is communication.
And a customer is a customer.