If you know me, you might think this is a funny question. After all, I’m a big proponent of digital marketing in its many and evolving forms, an advocate of the importance of engaging readers and consumers, and a believer in the collaborative power that can be unlocked through social media.

But here’s the thing: a couple of weeks ago a publishing friend mentioned that she’d noticed a major publisher hiring for both a  digital marketing manager *and* a marketing manager. Okay, I get it–you recruit for a digital marketing manager for print & eBook products as a short-hand that tells candidates you want someone who is able to integrate digital outreach (web, social, search, email, blogs, video, etc.) into the marketing mix. But then why hire a “standard” marketing manager? Just to buy print ads to make authors happy? To hire digital agencies to do the interactive piece?

Frankly every publicist and marketing manager in publishing should be getting fluent with digital tools if they aren’t already, but when a company hires for a plain-old vanilla marketing manager and a digital marketing manager–what are they saying? Only some people “get” digital? Only some products need digital marketing? We’re not sure about this digital fad? As part of our diversity program, we need to offer jobs to people who are afraid of technology?

You tell me.