The Institute of Digital Marketing New Zealand - IDNZ

Is Digital Marketing still in demand in 2026?

Absolutely. But the industry has changed.

Businesses are now hiring people skilled in:
✅ AI Marketing
✅ SEO & Search Strategy
✅ UX & Customer Experience
✅ Paid Advertising
✅ Content & Social Media
✅ Automation & Analytics

Some Digital Marketing roles in NZ & Australia are now paying well into 6 figures.

Read the full report: https://lnkd.in/g5wy_wvB

The future belongs to marketers who can combine strategy, technology, and customer psychology to drive real business growth.

The opportunity in 2026 is massive for those willing to adapt. 🚀

Most marketers are still making decisions based on outdated assumptions.

Not data.
Not reality.
Not how people behave in 2026.

Here’s what the latest New Zealand digital marketing data is showing:

• Attention is dropping across platforms
• Engagement is harder to earn
• Paid ads cost more — with tighter returns
• Consumers are more selective than ever

Yet most brands are still:

→ Posting more
→ Spending more
→ Getting less

That’s not a budget problem.
That’s a strategy problem.

Because the game has changed:

👉 Creative drives performance
👉 Experience drives retention
👉 Speed beats perfection

If your strategy hasn’t evolved with the data…

You’re not competing.
You’re contributing to the noise.

Read the full breakdown:
https://lnkd.in/g3F6TmHQ

Sora just got ❌ shut down‼️

And just like that — a $1B Disney deal is gone.

Let that sink in.

OpenAI didn’t just kill a product…

They walked away from an entire category.

But why?

Because AI 🎦 video wasn’t just opportunity, it became:

→ A legal minefield (IP + deepfakes)

→ A content moderation nightmare

→ A flood of low-quality “AI slop”

But here’s the part most marketers are missing 👇

This wasn’t random.

OpenAI is shifting focus toward higher-value areas like enterprise AI and coding.

▶️ Translation?

👉 If a product doesn’t justify the resources… it gets cut.

Even at the highest level.

So ask yourself:

Why are you building your entire content strategy on ONE platform?

This is exactly why we created:

Top 5 Sora App Alternatives in 2026 (Free & Best AI Video Tools)

Because the future isn’t “Find the best tool”

It’s build a system that survives when tools disappear.

At the Institute of Digital Marketing New Zealand, we’re seeing it clearly

✅ The winners in 2026 aren’t tool-dependent.

✅ They’re ecosystem-driven.

Read the breakdown: https://www.id.ac.nz/blog/top-5-sora-app-alternatives-in-2026-best-amp-free-

🚀 The future of marketing is here, and it's happening faster than most marketers expect.

We just released our 2025 State of AI in Marketing Report, and the findings will surprise you:

📊 $47 BILLION — That's the current size of the AI marketing market

⚠️ 95% of AI pilots are FAILING to deliver measurable ROI

🎯 75.8% of marketers say AI expertise is their biggest skills gap

The data is clear:

AI isn't optional anymore. It's the new baseline for competitive marketing.

But.....here's what most marketers get wrong...
Read the full report to discover the 6 strategic recommendations for 2026 that separate winners from the rest → https://lnkd.in/gBguW6hn

Whether you're already using AI or just getting started, this report gives you the framework you need to compete in 2026.

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Everyone is posting
Everyone is copying
No one is standing out

Comment below on why you think most businesses are not standing out in today's market.

🎖one answer will be picked for a 30min business marketing strategy call.

Kickstart your day with a challenge! 🧩

Got a spare minute? Try the IDNZ Digital Marketing Crossword and sharpen your skills while having fun. We’ve designed these puzzles for marketers of all levels, whether you’re a beginner or ready for expert mode!

➡️ Take the challenge now: https://lnkd.in/gJZq3fyA

🚨 The average website has a bounce rate of 37% and an SEO click-through rate of just 13%. (Source: HubSpot State of Marketing Report, 2023)

That means nearly 4 in 10 visitors leave without engaging. And 87% of people scroll past your link without clicking.

Let that sink in.

You're doing all that work, SEO, content, keywords, and still losing most people at the front door.

Here’s why it’s happening:

❌ Slow loading times

❌ Generic content

❌ Confusing UX

❌ No clear value above the fold.

What’s the fix?

✅ Design for humans, not just search engines

✅ Say something different, not just better

✅ Show value instantly – in the headline, subheadline, and CTA

✅ Make it feel effortless to take the next step

💡 Great SEO gets traffic. Great UX gets conversions. You need both to win. If your site isn’t built to convert, you're just fuelling the bounce.

Learn what works: https://lnkd.in/gt_WgekY

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🔍 When AI gets it wrong, the customer 𝙋𝘼𝙔𝙎 the price literally.

Delta’s latest move to let AI determine what it thinks you’ll pay for a flight raises serious questions — not just about privacy, but about customer experience.

At IDNZ, we teach our students that successful digital marketing and CX starts with understanding personas, context, and trust.

AI-driven dynamic pricing might seem smart on paper, but it often misreads intent. Business travellers, loyal customers, and last-minute bookers — all may be treated unfairly if the algorithm sees them as nothing more than a data profile.

💡 When personalisation crosses into price discrimination, you’re not building brand loyalty — you’re eroding it.

AI is powerful, but without ethical and customer-centric frameworks behind it, 𝙞𝙩 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙨 𝙖 𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙠, not a solution.

👉 Learn how to lead the future of marketing with integrity and strategy: www.id.ac.nz

🚀 The Ultimate UX Glossary for 2025 and Beyond

🔗 Read the full guide https://lnkd.in/gZRVdjjM

If you’re working in design, development, marketing, or product, this is for you.
The language of UX is evolving fast, and if you're not speaking it fluently in 2025, you're already behind. That’s why we created the most up-to-date UX glossary out there:

👉 Packed with modern terms, AI-integrated concepts, and human-centred design principles
👉 Designed for real-world clarity—no fluff, no jargon
👉 Created to help teams align, communicate, and build better experiences

Whether you're onboarding new talent, working with developers, or just levelling up your UX knowledge, this glossary is your go-to reference.

📚 Bookmark it. Share it with your team. Refer to it when you're stuck.
Because good UX isn't just about tools—it's about understanding people.