Social media platforms, mobile marketing, big data and analytics are all absorbing talent at a rapid rate say senior executives, corporate recruiters and marketing academics. However, reports the IMM Journal of Strategic Marketing in its August-September 2015 issue, it’s important to remember that digital skills at a technical and functional level are only part of the equation.

Marketing industry professionals still require a strategic perspective that enables them to compare media types, decide on the best channels to communicate the message to the target audience, and allocate spend accordingly.

Another industry issue under the spotlight in the latest edition of the magazine is whether marketers and researchers must accept that the Living Standard Measure (LSM) parameters currently used in South Africa are no longer adequate or relevant when it comes to defining target markets and compiling research groups. Instead, the industry should identify ways to define target market segments in a more holistic manner that encompasses variables such as age, gender, race, income, geographic location, personality traits, lifestyle choices, mind-set and attitudes.

Other features include a focus on Capitec Bank and how its customer-centricity and brand innovation has helped it move from being an upstart to a major player, the relevance – or otherwise – of professional pitch consultants, and the supply chain challenges faced by the increasing number of South African companies moving into the rest of the continent.

The IMM Journal of Strategic Marketing is published five times a year by South Africa’s premier academic marketing organisation, the Institute of Marketing Management (IMM). Available in print and digital format, it is read and referred to by professional marketers, IMM alumni, marketing students, and other professionals working in marketing-related fields.

Copies are distributed via a targeted mailing list and the print edition is on sale at selected CNA and Exclusive Books outlets countrywide, or via subscription.

For more information on Strategic Marketing magazine, email [email protected].