Is All Marketing Digital Marketing Now? The Great Debate

The relationship between traditional marketing and digital marketing has shifted from a state of coexistence to one of near-total integration. In the current economic landscape, many professionals question whether a distinction between these two terms still serves a practical purpose. Statistics for 2025 indicate that digital channels now account for approximately 72.7% of all global advertising investments. As total advertising spend is projected to reach $1.17 trillion, the dominance of online platforms suggests that the core of modern commerce is fundamentally rooted in the digital sphere.

The Quantitative Shift Toward Digital Dominance

The financial data regarding global advertising provides a clear picture of how digital tactics have overtaken the industry. According to Statista, digital ad spend is expected to exceed $790 billion by the end of 2024. This trajectory continues upward, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) estimated between 13.9% and 17.6% through 2026. These figures represent more than just a change in budget allocation. They indicate a fundamental change in where businesses find their customers.

Consumer behavior data supports this financial migration. Research from SEO.com shows that 97% of users now check a business’s online footprint before they decide to visit a physical location. Furthermore, search engines drive 93% of all website traffic. When nearly every consumer interaction begins with a search query or a social media impression, the argument that digital marketing is a specialized sub-sector becomes difficult to maintain. It has instead become the primary framework through which all other marketing activities are organized.

The Digitization of Traditional Channels

One reason for the blurring lines between general marketing and digital marketing is the transformation of traditional media into digital formats. Television, billboards, and radio have undergone significant technical overhauls that allow them to function more like internet-based platforms.

Connected TV and Programmatic Video

Linear television, which involves broadcasting content via satellite or cable on a fixed schedule, is being replaced by Connected TV (CTV). CTV allows advertisers to use the same data-driven targeting methods found in social media ads on a large television screen. According to PwC, CTV in-stream video advertising is expected to grow by over 17% in 2024 alone. Because these ads are served through internet-connected devices, they allow for precise measurement of viewability and engagement. This means that a "television ad" is now technically a piece of digital content, further complicating the old definitions.

Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH) Advertising

Billboards and physical signage are also moving into the digital realm. Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH) advertising uses screens in public spaces that can change content in real-time based on weather, time of day, or local events. These systems often integrate with mobile data to track how many people pass by a sign and whether those individuals later visit a website or store. When a physical billboard uses programmatic technology to buy and display ads, it functions as a digital asset despite its physical location.

Why the Distinction is Disappearing in Strategy

In previous decades, a company might have a "marketing department" and a separate "digital team." This structure is becoming obsolete because every marketing objective now requires a digital component to be effective. A brand cannot launch a print campaign without considering how it will drive traffic to a landing page or social media profile.

The Omnichannel Requirement

Modern consumers do not experience brands in silos. They may see a product on a social media feed, read a review on a blog, and then purchase the item in a physical store. This is often referred to as an omnichannel experience. Forbes notes that helping brands navigate this reality is a primary focus for communication firms in 2025. If a business fails to provide a consistent message across app, mobile browser, and in-store interactions, they risk losing the customer. Because every touchpoint is either digital or digitally influenced, marketing digital marketing has essentially become a single unified discipline.

Data as the Universal Language

The shift is also driven by the availability of data. Jenny Bullis, CEO of Dentsu’s media practice, states that there is no longer a medium that cannot use data for targeting or measurement. In the past, traditional marketing relied on estimates like "circulation" or "estimated reach." Today, even direct mail can be tracked using unique QR codes or personalized URLs. When every channel uses the same metrics—such as conversion rates, click-through rates, and customer acquisition costs—the technical differences between "online" and "offline" become secondary to the data they produce.

The Persistence of Physical Interaction

Despite the overwhelming growth of digital channels, a portion of the market remains outside the digital-only sphere. Approximately 27% of global advertising spend still goes toward non-digital media. This includes local newspapers, radio spots, and traditional direct mail.

Demographic and Regional Variances

Not all populations engage with digital media at the same rate. Older demographics in specific regions may still prioritize physical newspapers or local radio. In certain rural markets, traditional channels have seen a resurgence. For instance, reports indicate that rural advertising expenditures in some regions have outpaced urban growth due to localized economic conditions. In these cases, marketing involves a heavy reliance on physical presence and face-to-face interaction that digital tools cannot fully replicate.

The Tangibility Factor

There is also a psychological component to physical marketing. A physical magazine or a high-quality mailer provides a tactile experience that pixels cannot provide. Nielsen studies have indicated that some consumers find print advertisements more trustworthy than online banners, which can sometimes be associated with "ad fatigue" or security concerns. For luxury brands or high-end services, the permanence of a physical ad can convey a sense of prestige that helps a brand stand out in a crowded digital environment.

The Role of AI in Unifying Marketing Functions

Artificial intelligence is acting as a catalyst for the final merger of digital and general marketing. By 2025, AI is expected to handle a vast majority of customer interactions. This technology does not distinguish between a "digital" lead and a "traditional" one; it processes all data points into a single customer profile.

AI-driven analytics allow marketers to predict customer behavior across all channels. For example, if a customer sees a physical billboard (tracked via mobile geolocation) and then receives a targeted email, AI can determine the exact contribution of each channel to the final sale. This level of integration makes it impossible to separate the two fields. A marketing strategy in 2025 is an ecosystem of interconnected tools where the internet is the underlying infrastructure for everything.

The Reality of Integrated Communication

If marketing is the act of communicating value to a customer, then the medium of that communication is increasingly irrelevant compared to the effectiveness of the message. The debate over whether "marketing" and "digital marketing" are the same often misses the point that the customer does not care about the distinction.

A consumer does not think, "I am now engaging with a digital marketing tactic" when they click a link in a social media bio. They simply interact with a brand. Therefore, a successful professional must be proficient in both broad communication principles and the specific technical tools required to execute them online.

Businesses that continue to treat digital marketing as a separate department often suffer from fragmented messaging and inefficient data usage. The most effective organizations have moved toward a model where every marketer is expected to understand SEO, data analytics, and social platforms, while also mastering the traditional skills of copywriting and brand positioning.

The evidence suggests that the "digital" prefix is becoming redundant. As 5.24 billion people use social media and the average person spends over two hours a day on these platforms, the internet is simply where life and commerce happen. When the vast majority of the population is reachable through digital devices, and even physical billboards are bought and sold through automated digital auctions, the distinction between the two has largely dissolved. While physical interactions will always have a place in the human experience, the strategy and execution of those interactions are now firmly governed by digital principles.