Digital Marketing is the latest area where IT companies have an eye on.
Digital Marketing continues to attract new players. Particularly 2016, an increasing number of non-media companies have positioned themselves in and entered the sector with strategic acquisitions.
IT companies realize more and more that a pure ‘data-push’ is not enough to attract and hold customer. An integral approach where CMOs on the one end focus on reading consumers behavior and defining consumer insights, and where CIOs on the other hand focus on data, defining algorithm and finding patterns. Where ‘creative’ focus on consumers and ‘consultancies’ focus on clients. The gap needs to be closed, to be successful companies need to be able to read data and to read between the lines.
Digital marketing has seen a high level of M&A deal activity as companies and investors scramble to acquire digital capabilities. Since most companies lack significant expertise and experience working in digital marketing, they rather BUY instead of BUILD. Faster and more efficient.
Illustration of this trend: IBMs purchase of Aperto, eBay purchase Cargigi and more recent, Cognizant purchase Mirabeau and Accenture purchase Karmarama.