One of the hottest topics at industry events of late has been the great divide between the C-suite and digital marketers. At the recent SES San Jose conference, OgilvyOne CEO Brian Fetherstonhaugh reportedly gave the startling statistic that the average CEO spends 1.8 percent of their time on search.

As a result of that finding, Rebecca Lieb of Econsultancy says search marketers have to explain and, essentially, up-sell what search marketing is and prove that it has ROI. She calls the situation “ironic” since SEM is very measurable and actionable.

So, how can this barrier be broken down? Lieb believes there has to be a complete generational shift in management. Marketers need to continue to show the value digital marketing can bring with search specifically, and how it can enhance other media channels instead of replacing it.

There are some companies that are embracing digital marketing, but the majority of traditional marketers are still not accepting it. As technology advances, we can only hope that the C-suite comes on board and sees the value in digital marketing before they fall too far behind.