Digital developments make almost half of the UK’s marketers feel uneasy

London was hailed as the champion of European tech developments during London Technology Week in June, on track for an £18bn economy boost in 2015.

As such, the rise of tech is merging with more traditional sectors such as finance to create new markets like fintech. Further demonstration of the growth comes as Captify, an adtech startup, secured an £8m funding round to support product expansion.

And with advertising in mind, Adobe’s latest study has said that UK marketers are questioning the transformation their industry is experiencing due to digital changes.

Indeed, 49 per cent said they feel challenged and 48 per cent is worried about how to adapt to the evolution of the marketplace, while a further 40 per cent fear that they don’t have the correct skills as their job requirements change.

The study also found that marketers are also concerned about the abilities of the companies, as 51 per cent said they feel their employers may be unequipped to keep up with developments. Biggest reasons for the concern were due to a lack of resources and training in new skills at 41 per cent and 30 per cent respectively.

Some marketers are looking forward to the change though as 47 per cent feel optimistic, while 58 per cent believe that using new technologies are key to the roles.

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With a rise in wearables and the Internet of Things, 70 per cent of marketers have noticed that connected devices have actively made them adapt their marketing strategies over the past year.

Of course, George Osbourne outlined plans for the Internet of Things during the Budget in March, when a £740m fund was allocated to cities of the future.

u2028At the time, he said: “We’ll invest in what is known as the Internet of Things. This is the next stage of the information revolution, connecting up everything from urban transport to medical devices to household appliances.”

Specifically, using data and insights for marketing activities and developing mobile skills have been highlighted as important role changes, according to Adobe’s findings.

“It’s becoming increasingly tough for marketers to stay relevant when technology is literally changing the face of the industry,” said John Watton, EMEA marketing director at Adobe.

“Despite some concerns around ability to keep up, on the whole UK marketers are positive about the opportunities presented by new technologies. When the tools and technologies are changing so quickly, skills will always be hard to develop in a short space of time. To succeed marketers need to be brave, experiment, collaborate with departments across their organisations and continue to trust in their marketing instincts.”

By Zen Terrelonge

Image: Shutterstock

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