Ukubeyinje declares digital vs. traditional Ad debate obsolete
By Felicia Nwosu
Oti Ukubeyinje, a Consumer Data Lead at Diageo, Africa, has emphatically declared the long-standing debate between “digital” and “traditional” advertising obsolete. He argues that the overwhelming surge in digital ad spending, projected to reach $800 billion globally by 2025, is a direct result of advertising following consumer attention, not an indication to digital’s inherent superiority.
Stating this in his LinkedIn, he also challenged the conventional narrative, adding that the future is not about digital advertising, but about advertising in a digitally infused world, while challenging the industry to rethink its approach.
“The explosive growth in digital ad spending isn’t necessarily a testament to digital’s inherent effectiveness, but rather a natural migration of ad dollars following consumer attention,”
Ukubeyinje points to the stark reality of consumer behavior: Americans now dedicate over seven hours daily to digital media, compared to a mere three hours with traditional channels.
He asserted that this shift, is the primary driver behind the 13% annual growth in digital ad investment reported by eMarketer, alongside the 5% decline in traditional advertising.
“When eMarketer reports digital ad spend growing at 13% annually while traditional declines by 5%, we’re simply witnessing advertising’s natural response to audience behavior.”
Furthermore, the seasoned data lead highlighted the increasing integration of digital technology into traditionally non-digital channels, noting that connected TV ad spending has surged to $25 billion in 2024, a 27% increase.
According to him, digital out-of-home (DOOH) advertising is projected to comprise 45% of all out-of-home spending by 2025, and digital audio advertising has doubled in the past three years. He argued that this integration, renders the distinction between “digital” and “traditional” increasingly meaningless.
“What we call ‘digital advertising’ has increasingly absorbed traditionally non-digital channels. The distinction is becoming meaningless, what traditional channel hasn’t digital technology permeated? The decline of print media, with ad revenue plummeting from $49 billion in 2006 to under $8 billion today, serves as a stark example of this shift.”
According to Ukubeyinje, these funds have largely been redistributed to search and digital content platforms.
“As a digital advertising advocate, I’m excited by these transformations. But let’s be honest about what’s driving them: it’s not just that digital performs better (though it often does), but that digital is where the audiences have gone. The medium follows the audience, and advertising follows both.”
The tech guru argued that the focus should shift from categorizing advertising as “digital” or “traditional” to evaluating its effectiveness in reaching and engaging consumers where they are.
“What matters isn’t whether advertising is ‘digital’ or ‘traditional,’ but whether it effectively reaches and resonates with consumers where they are. The future isn’t digital advertising, it is just advertising in an increasingly digital world.”
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