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agencies and consultants have been rendered redundant. However this clearly isn’t the case. Marketing agencies and consultants are here to stay I dare say there’re more relevant now than ever before and it’s because of the following reasons: Rapid barely describes the rate at which the digital environment is changing Maybe more appropriate terms would be head-spinning, mind-blowing, speed of sound changes. To keep up with these changes would mean businesses would have to be solely involved in ICT. This as we know describes the minority of businesses. Because the core business of marketing agencies is greatly involved in communications, they represent an invaluable role of advising marketing departments on how to exploit the latest technologies and best practices. Core marketing principles still remain This applies also, of course, to core marketing communication principles. Just because a very powerful tool has been presented to you it’s really of little use if you can’t use it properly. This applies equally to digital marketing communications. The core principles of understanding target market needs and tailoring communications to suit these needs is necessary both online and offline. Not all business owners have a background in marketing and so they would need the expertise of a second party to help them fully exploit the digital space. Now more than ever there is a heightened appreciation for the marketing role in organizations Since the advent of digital marketing and its increased popularity over the years, organizations have come to have a new found respect for the role of marketing and its integral role in growing business. It’s because of this new found respect that organizations will be more open to agencies and consultants pitching business especially for those who’ve kept themselves updated. Will the real marketers please stand up? Granted, the information available online is copious covering all manner of subjects and fields. This has given an advantage to many employers and employees to have a deeper understanding of the field of marketing. However, does this necessarily mean that everyone is a truly qualified marketer? I believe not. It’s akin to imagining that a person can be a doctor by reading Google articles on medicine. The fact that more people are more aware of marketing and marketing communications means that those who’ve truly qualified in this field are even more aware, keeping themselves relevant and updated in order to be competitive. This is the case with marketing agencies and consultants. Offline communications are still relevant Though shrunken in size especially in more developed markets, offline communications still play a big role in creating awareness, reminding and differentiating products today. For the marketing agencies that have been around for at least 15 years, offline marketing communication solutions are likely to still make up 32 MAL 11/16 ISSUE