Digital Strategy v Digital Marketing strategy

So what's the difference? After searching for digital strategy, jobs re digital strategy, roles of those with responsibility for digital strategy in fact pretty much anything I could find on digital strategy it seems that there's a word missing in almost all references to digital strategy - and that word is 'marketing'!

  Just about every instance of the term digital strategy refers in effect and actually to a marketing role. In all but one, after searching almost 100 job roles with digital strategist as their role and responsibility, the work was bound within standard marketing or worse standard comms roles. It's as if no-one has grasped the true nature of digital strategy. How can a marketing role/person who is in charge of digital strategy deliver a strategy that takes full cognisance of the role of digital technolgies in delivering corporate objectives.

  Perhaps I'm getting ahead of myself here. It's my understanding that a true digital strategy role would require someone taking into account all the relevant requirements of an organisation that are needed to be delivered in order to achieve an organisations objectives.
Inbound and outbound data. Hardware and software requirements. And other infrastructure needs that are well above and beyond those areas covered with traditional marketing and or comms roles. Unfortunately websites, online advertising, email marketing, social media channels have all led many marketing departments to feel they need to take hold of this phenomena and advertise for someone with digital experience, someone who could advise on digital marketing strategy. If the word marketing had been left in the phrase that would be fine - but its all but universally left out. Which means the organisations with 'digital strategists' in place actually have no such person. And 'if' the person appointed is less than 'highly skilled' at organisational strategy - then they've made a big mistake!

  Let's look at an example. A company is looking to increase it's marketing efforts within the digital arena. They recruit a digital strategist. The organisation has several databases within it's production, administration, sales, marketing, and management areas. They are not integrated in any way. The new appointment is quite entrepreneurial and suggest they should try to integrate all data. The IT department say it's nothing to do with marketing as do the production department. She realises that she could quickly make more enemies than friends and backs off as the chief exec also suggests that she should focus on her 'role' - marketing.

  Now some might argue that marketing could and should extend to top level management decision making right across the board in 'all' its strategic analysis and decision making. But unless this was made clear at the outset that she would be in charge of 'all' digital aspects within the organisation then the new recruit is likely to be on the back foot from day one. And would lack any sense of organisational support. And quite frankly could only do less than half a job.

  Even if it was clear that a wider digital role was required how many marketing people really understand all the IT work, or the digital opportunities within production departments, or actually how many digital marketing people actually understand coding environments, or the needs and opportunities re ISPs or indeed other third party digital partners. They may have taken some google advertising exam or updated their CV with knowledge of split variant testing, multi-channel ad campaigns and the like, have implemented valuable ecommerce sites which are proving to show an excellent ROI - but they aren't digital strategists! They're really good marketing people, and the two are different.

  What would I like to see? Digital strategists being elevated to the position they should truly hold. One at top board level where they are trusted and empowered to pull together all the opportunities that digital technologies can offer a company to help them in achieving their objectives. Anything less is ... Well perhaps this is unfair but it seems to me that anything less is simply internal marketing hype. And for what it's worth I think 'really' outstanding marketers would be up for the role.