This Q&A with Alain Heureux, President IAB Europe and IAB Belgium, on the future of digital marketing features in the book "Understanding Digital Marketing":

Q. Where do you think DIGITAL MARKETING is heading over the next 2-3 years?

A. Digital will take centre stage in any strategic media strategy, and will top €25 billion in terms of European advertising expenditure. It will be the medium through which consumers engage with brands, deliver brand impact and communicate their purchase intentions.

Q. Which components of "digital" (ie: search, affiliate, display, etc.) do you believe will be more widely used in say three years time?

A. We'll see much more targeted marketing emerge: marketing that combines and consolidates search, display and content; delivered through social network platforms and information sites on PCs, portable and mobile devices.

Q. Which components of "digital" (ie: search, affiliate, display, etc.) do you believe will be LESS widely used in say three years time?

A. I think, unfortunately, due to the global spam epidemic, that e-mail marketing has difficult times ahead.

Q. What are the main challenges and opportunities you think these developments will hold for the digital marketer?

A. Changing current marketing habits, and canging existing measurement currencies and metrics while simultaneously improving efficiency, and becoming more effective, accountable and results driven.

Q. Are there any other trends in the digital space that you think marketers need to be aware of?

A. Mobile marketing and mobile in-game marketing.

Q. If you could give one piece of advice to someone whose about to embark on their digital marketing adventure, what would it be?

A. Think outside the box. Remember that defining successful marketing strategies in the digital space is about much more than cutting and pasting content from traditional media and marketing collateral.

Q. Do you think the disruptive nature of digital technology will eventually sound the death knell of traditional advertising as we know it? When?

A. I think traditional media will become more and more digital or at least develop a digital element. The trend will make cross-media strategies that are tailored to both the needs of the market and the objectives of the advertiser much more common.

Q. Why do you think traditional full service advertising agencies are struggling to make the transition to digital? What are the obstacles, and how are they overcoming them?

A. Lack of know-how, and of best practice and expertise. Their business models are not yet adapted to digital marketing and media. As long as traditional marketing metrics and currencies prevail it will be very difficult for these agencies to fully integrate digital practices into their cross-media campaigns.