Marketing agencies will disappear in 10 years, study says

Aspiring marketers envision a new landscape, with independent social media and digital marketing agencies withering and with a greater focus on content marketing.

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A new study predicts that social media and digital marketing agencies or service providers will disappear within 10 years, and reactions range from indifference to shock, and from cheering to jeering.

Overall, people deem the projection accurate.

The study, conducted by European business school Mediaschool Group, surveyed 2,000 marketing students throughout Europe in March and April. According to the study, 70 percent of respondents believe that in 10 years marketing will focus on content marketing and “PR thinking”—a focus on building brand recognition and image, and on inspiring customer trust. Further, 80 percent anticipate the demise of stand-alone social media services firms and digital marketing agencies.

Other notable findings of the study include:

Our team unanimously agreed that stand-alone social media and digital marketing agencies probably will vanish within 10 years. We believe so strongly in integrated and multi-channel marketing that we tend to think stand-alone social media shops are inadequate today.

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