Direct and data techniques the most crucial for clients

Customer insight, data analysis, direct marketing and email marketing are four of the five most important skills a marketer needs, according to new research which reveals the days of the so-called “generalist marketer” are drawing to a close.
According to ‘The Marketing Team Structures Report 2017’, marketing departments are now resourcing and restructuring to cope with the technological challenges of the future as more and more firms ditch separate digital teams.
The report – backed by Technology for Marketing, the Institute of Direct & Digital Marketing (IDM) and Pure360 – reveals as well as classic DM techniques, there is a diverse range of skills which are also important to marketing in 2017.
However, it is perhaps not too surprising to find that across all sectors ‘marketing strategy’ is viewed as the most important asset. After all, without a strategy, what are you left with?
Interestingly, nearly all disciplines traditionally handled by agencies – including creative, copywriting, graphic design, and PR – are much more likely to be handled in-house these days.
And out of all those surveyed, a third (33%) of marketing teams expect to become more specialist in 2017, with just 3% becoming more generalist in their expertise.
However, just over one in ten (12%) of marketers said they exclusively ‘own’ the marketing technology they increasingly rely on, instead having to rely on partnerships with IT and external technology teams to get results.
IDM managing director Jane Cave said: “This report highlights the changing relationship between marketing and IT that will perhaps herald the most significant developments in digital marketing and skills going forward. It seems to me that great digital marketing often emerges from the crossover points between different skill sets. The merger of marketer insights and technologist skills will provide significant advantages to any business.”