Tomorrow’s Jobs: Some Lost to Automation; Humans Remain in Digital Marketing

Ad Agency in Los Angeles

While close to half of the jobs of today could be replaced by some form of automation within the next decade, a recent article in AdvertisingAge concludes digital advertising requires too much in the way of human insight and interaction to be at risk anytime soon.

Below is a look at how the average ad agency will be affected by the increase in automation, broken down by different roles with a typical firm.

Project Managers: Potentially the most secure position within an advertising agency, thanks to their close and regular interaction with clients. Clients understandably feel more at ease when dealing with an actual person who can assure them that they are working towards the same goal.

Designers: The burgeoning field of template design along with websites that can design themselves presents a threat to web designers and production artists.

Developers: Web developers face a real danger from software companies who create design features which can bypass the development phase and proceed right to a live platform.

Quality Assurance: Sadly, this position has already nearly vanished. The overall functionality and user-friendliness of a website looks to become fully automated in the near-future.

Technology Managers: These positions, much like project managers, are relatively safe from the forward march of technology. Firms which specialize in digital marketing are on sound footing, although these individuals will be required to continually refine their skills to successfully deliver the high-quality services their firms have access to.

Advertising will not be immune to the rise of automation in the coming decades. What makes advertising different, however, is the need within the market to create and maintain client relationships, provide creative insights, and offer quality customer service. These will require a human touch for the foreseeable future.