Closing the Digital Divide

I read Jenny Williams' summary of AdTech Sydney today and absolutely agree with this takeaway: "There were alot of industry folks (as in digital industry) who participated either in person or virtually but while we are a growing group, I still wonder sometimes if we are just talking to ourselves...  The mission for next year is to get the traditionalists there." 

That's as true now as it's been every year at AdTech, and going back to when I was involved in organising the event when it was called iMAT.  I've been working in the digital media industry for 15 years and find that an insular, "we are the chosen people" attitude still prevails, and will keep the industry from reaching its potential.

Knowledge sharing and education is the way to move the industry forward.  The shrouds of mystery surrounding digital/online/interactive (and what those terms even mean, are they different, and how so?) have to come off, along with the belief that "ours is so special, complicated, and different from every other "heritage medium" (who came up with that one?) that has come before." 

The irony is that it's the web that has made it increasingly difficult to protect and hide information, yet we continue to try and mystify it and keep it just out of reach of the vast majority who actually have the power to grow the industry.  I'm talking about "heritage/traditional/mainstream" media salespeople, agencies and, most importantly, clients. 

How do we get more clients on board - not just to "test the water" with a few dollars - but with understanding, realistic goals, and long-term commitment?  Fifteen years into the web, this is still our biggest issue.

Of course there are a number of advertisers (in select vertical categories) who get it and spend healthy portions of their budgets on digital media.  But how often we talk to advertisers about digital media education and the response is, "Oh, our agency takes care of all that."  How can any marketers today bury their heads in the sand and not want to understand more about a medium that's changing the way they do business (or at least should be), as well as changing the media habits of their consumers?  And let's be clear - consumers are light-years ahead of most marketers (and media companies) when it comes to using digital media (i.e. the web).  They've already left the building and are in the process of turning the lights off, while advertisers are still ruminating about how they might re-use their latest TVC in a pre-roll, and how cheap can they buy it.

I know many in digital sales and agency land spend a large portion of their time explaining online advertising basics to various stakeholders, which takes them away from doing their real jobs.  I also know that there are vast numbers of people in media sales and agencies who are confused and needlessly intimidated by the mysteries of "digital/online/interactive." 

Over the last four years, a majority of my time has been spent with just those people - many who don't know what an ad impression or a CPC is.  Some who begin a training session by throwing down their pen and pad with a look that says, "Why am I wasting my time here?"  Others who are keen, and understand that knowledge and new skills in online will enhance their careers and employability; some who just want one more thing to sell and make commission on; and others who sit quietly all day, and then remark that they'll now look at web sites with a new pair of eyes, they'll now click on things they wouldn't have before, they'll understand the paid from the free listings on Google, they might subscribe to a blog, they will no longer dread clients' "digital" questions, and (hold on ...) they might even try online banking.  

It's this new-found comfort with, and excitement about, something that's (up until now) been cloaked in silly acronyms and mystery that will give advertising people the confidence they need to get out there and discuss, educate, and sell the medium en masse.  Only knowledge sharing and education that includes practical how-to's will get us to that tipping point.