It makes sense in some ways - degrees are typically only signalling mechanisms, and a lot of learning is done on the job. I'm doing engineering and even though that's a vocational degree I'm pretty sure I'll do at least as much on-the-job learning, as I did in uni.
I think for a lot of firms they're not necessarily interested in a genius (in my opinion there's not many graduate jobs out there that actually require you to be that smart tbh), but someone who has the potential to learn, along with the soft skills to settle into the corporate world well. In that respect 'academic success' isn't really as big a factor as you'd think. At the very least, those soft skills / competancies are just as relevant for many jobs. Anecdotally, I've been fortunate enough to get on a graduate scheme and although the employer is one of the top 3 in my field, the job offer they've given me is only conditional on me passing my degree (i.e. a third and upwards), because they're much more interested in company 'fit' and I guess, have a lot more faith in their application system than many other companies.
Having said that, I think you'd have to be terribly naive to read that article and to not still aim for a 2.1 and above. It's pretty competitive out there at times, and really, everything helps - whether it be a 1st in your degree, having connections, or being less selective in your job applications