Nov 1, 2006 12:00 PM, BY KATHLEEN M. JOYCE

Much has been made in the business press in recent weeks about the paucity of good candidates to answer the boom in jobs tied to online marketing. The Wall Street Journal has called it “the revenge of the nerds,” citing escalating salaries — up as much as 50% since 2005 for some job categories — for specialists who can execute effective Web-based advertising. The turnaround in status is sweetened by the memory that these folks were typically the first to get blown out of the tailpipe when the Internet juggernaut hit the skids back in 2001. ▪ “New media” analysts (as in Jupiter, Forrester and even Nielsen) are getting widely quoted on statistics that demonstrate ever-larger budgets for online marketing channels, and shrinking allocations for broadcast TV, radio, newspaper and, yes, magazines. Marketers are looking to quadruple their spending in online media over the next two years, these analysts say, but they warn us that there just isn't enough digital talent around to make it all happen. ▪ Oh, really? The ability to design a quirky banner or develop some fun Flash graphics is pretty much a given for the average high school senior these days, and more of them graduate each year. If a company as large and established as Yahoo is finding its growth inhibited because there aren't enough Flash designers out there (as Wenda Harris Millard, the company's chief sales officer, has suggested in recent interviews) perhaps a recruiting station at the mall is in order? ▪ Pardon my skepticism (and, Wenda, please pardon my using you as a proponent of a widely held concern), but for all our coverage of interactivity, virtual networking and digital experience — including, in this issue, Part 2 of Betsy Spethmann's feature on social branding — I just don't buy it. I don't believe marketing happens in bits and bytes. Rather, it happens through human understanding. And that is where the real talent shortage resides. Too many brand execs tend to focus on the tools and tactics they can deploy against their objectives (including digital media, which are just another set of tools). The higher order of talent, more rare by definition, is seeing how those tactics can be interwoven to identify and answer human wants — and then deliver as needed. ▪ Yes, that ability is rare, but we are fortunate to have this month examples from dozens of talented teams of brand and agency partners. Starting on page 26, you'll find the 2006 Campaign of the Year, this year's Pro award winners and international Globe award recipients. Yup, most of these top-caliber campaigns have digital aspects to “how” they executed. But it's the “why” and “when” and “how much” that earns them our appreciation.

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