There's a Taoist saying: "Be as careful at the end as at the beginning." These are wise words for digital-marketing companies right now. While we're not at the end of the migration of brand budgets to a mostly online presence, we are at an inflection point. Consider recent announcements of major partnerships for online and offline data and the flow of stories around big brands moving larger chunks of their budgets online. Here's where we need caution. As the budgets show up, so will advertising-technology companies that want a cut. Just as brands were cautious in picking their initial technology partners, they need to be equally as prudent in choosing their new ones or re-evaluating existing ones.
