Digital Marketing Institute Fortifies U.S. Presence to Meet Surging Demand for Essential Skills Among Marketing Professionals

DALLAS, Oct. 10, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The Dublin-based Digital Marketing Institute (DMI), the global standard in digital marketing professional learning and certification, today announces the launch of its first U.S. office in Dallas, Texas. DMI's emerging U.S. presence addresses the industry's education gap for imperative marketing skills.

Demand for digital marketing skills is outpacing supply. In the U.S., McKinley's 2017 Marketing Hiring Trends report found that demand for digital marketing talent is 56 percent, with active supply at 24 percent. Also, according to Statista, an estimated 2.62 billion people will be using social media platforms in 2018, and that number is predicted to jump up to an astounding 3.02 billion users by 2021.

DMI already has built a strong foundation in the U.S. It counts 140 U.S. brands, agencies, universities and enterprises, such as IBM, Black & Decker, Microsoft, Straumann and PwC, as partners. DMI has been selling its digital marketing certified education offering in the U.S. for several years and projects a doubling of its U.S. membership base in five years by year-end 2019. This will add to its global number of 14,000 certified and 27,000 members. The Dallas office is currently home to seven employees out of a total of 92 worldwide.

"Digital marketing expertise is not just essential for every marketer, but every employee," said Ken Fitzpatrick, CEO of DMI. "As companies transform to a digital first world, marketing must reflect this evolution. CMOs and their teams need the digital skills to thrive as brands compete to win market share. Non-marketers must also have a greater understanding of how to communicate with clients and other stakeholders using digital means."

The digital marketing certification company also convened its Global Industry Advisory Council (GIAC) this September in New York to advise on and analyze current and future industry trends, such as data privacy and trust. The GIAC is composed of many of the world's leading market experts and will provide guidance for marketers globally and direction to DMI in continuing to align its learning and education certifications to the needs of the marketplace.

"As a global leader who works in the CPG industry and across most commerce sectors, having a strong connection to DMI provides material value to my work with customers and our system," said Barry Thomas, vice president, global shopper and channel, The Coca-Cola Company. "Moreover, the DMI GIAC is an incredibly strong network of digital commerce and market leaders, which I'm just proud to be a part of."

"Joining the GIAC was important as it is crucial in shaping what our future leaders need to learn and evolve in the digital marketing discipline," said Tom Kendall, Head of Digital Marketing (Europe) at IBM. "I also wanted to join the council to work with a trusted company and hear from my peers in the council in shaping how we can train an individual from a digital specialist to a digital marketing manager to a digital strategist to a digital leader."

As a result of the GIAC meeting, DMI compiled important insights about future of digital marketing. Here are some of the findings:

1)     A digital skills gap exists - Marketers are increasingly relying on digital platforms to execute campaigns and account for their work. Digital marketing skills are set to increase in importance coupled with the value of critical and strategic thinking. A skills gap costs the U.S economy a whopping $1.3 trillion every year and comes at a time when productivity growth is already down over historical periods.

2)    Mobile is the essential marketing channel - Although almost all channels are seen as important to marketers and are set to receive investment, however mastering mobile marketing is increasingly necessary to build an effective program. According to ComScore, 1.8 billion or more people use mobile devices globally, and 64 percent of Americans now own a smartphone. Also, 48 percent of Internet searches begin on mobile devices.

3)    AI and machine learning are top priorities for CMOs - Three in four organizations that implement AI and machine learning increase sales of new products and services by more than 10 percent according to Capgemini. Significant future investment in marketing will focus on artificial intelligence, machine learning, social customer service and emotional engagement.

About Digital Marketing Institute:
DMI is a global digital marketing professional learning and certification body with over 27,000 alumni members and partners in over 100 countries. Founded in Ireland with a US office in Dallas, it is backed by Spectrum Equity, a leading U.S. based growth equity firm. Customers include IBM, Black & Decker, Microsoft, PwC, University of Utah and University of Vermont. DMI's Global Industry Advisory Council, consisting of marketers from Coca-Coca, Facebook, Google, Hubspot, LinkedIn, IBM, IAB, WPP and more, provides input and to DMI's certification programs and industry trends.

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SOURCE Digital Marketing Institute