It’s the time of year when everyone makes predictions about the 12 months ahead, isn’t it?
Well here’s one from me: 2013 will see the end of ‘digital communications’.
At least I hope it will.
Of course, I don’t mean we’ll all decide to stop creating and visiting websites, blogging, using social media and online publications. Or that the Internet will finally implode and we’ll have to dig out those fax machines from the back of the cupboard.
I mean the end of ‘digital communications’ – the buzz phrase we’ve been unable to escape for the last three years.
It’s surely time simply to revert to ‘communications’.
To be clear, I’m certainly not arguing that all communications should only be online now, making the ‘digital’ tag redundant. There’s still a vital role for many other kinds – including good, old fashioned talking to people face-to-face, of all things.
What I’m saying is it should now be second nature to think broadly and engage audiences seamlessly across all appropriate channels, online and offline.
In fact, continuing to distinguish ‘digital’ communications is damaging: it perpetuates the idea of a silo discipline, making intelligent integration across channels much less likely.
RIP ‘digital.’
PS – Yes we do still have ‘digital communications’ listed as a service on our website. When clients stop looking for it, then it can disappear.
What do you think? Do you agree it’s counter-productive to differentiate ‘digital comms’, or does it need to live on as a separate activity?
