Is traditional marketing dead?

I was just recently asked to comment on all the latest "experts" who claim that traditional marketing is dead.

Traditional marketing is not dead. Marketing is more vibrant and important than ever.

Marketing tactics, however, are changing rapidly.

New tools are being developed all the time to communicate messages and reach the people you want to reach—primarily through technological advances but often through new twists on old concepts. The challenge is not to throw away all the previous tools and switch to the new ones. (This is where the “traditional marketing is dead” argument comes from). The challenge is to identify *all* the viable tools available *for your customers*, determine which of those tools your customers prefer, and integrate those tools into a comprehensive marketing plan. Traditional marketers, however, have to learn the new tools and tactics and many of them would rather say that marketing is dead rather than adapt, change, and learn something new.

Perhaps it is the traditional *marketer* who refuses to learn new ways to address the same, "traditional" challenges who should be put on the endangered species list.

Dave