Most of the comment about the newly created post of director of digital engagement for the UK Government was about the salary level at £160,000 pounds, in the current salary/bonus level debate. What I think is far more significant is the fact they have created the post in the first place. If we replace the word government in the job description with commercial terms we get:

1. Develop a strategy and implementation plan for extending digital engagement across the customer and prospect base

2. Work with marketing and sales to embed digital engagement in the day to day working of the organisation.

3. Work with web teams to ensure that digital communications are making the most of hardware and software.

4. Ensure that digital engagement is always a leading part of all marketing strategies

5. Convene an expert group made up of the leading experts on digital engagement to provide advice to the board on digital engagement strategy.

This job is a big job with lots of power and expectation – “within six months the head of digital engagement will have developed a strategy, implemented a plan and be able to show concrete signs of momentum”. How many companies could claim to even have someone is a similar job yet alone someone with as much visibility, power and expectation?.

With Alterian’s recent work on digital engagement strategy and the engagement cycle we can see how digital engagement is going to drive the future of marketing. How do we get commercial boards to take this as seriously as the UK government does and not just see “digital marketing/engagement” as a bolt on to traditional marketing strategies?.

About Bob Barker

has written 26 post in this blog.

Alterian’s head of marketing, passionate about unlocking organisations digital marketing potential with technology and also unlocking individuals digital potential to help grow the companies social capital and their own.

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