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by Geoffrey McDonald Bowllon May 22 |
What’s wrong with the AMI?
This post is the first in a series looking at the AMI. Click below to read the others:
- What's wrong with the AMI
- The Great AMI Debate: Round 2
- The Stark Reality of the AMI
- The AMI Bites Back
- Marketing the Marketers: the UK perspective
- Bowll bites back: Geoffrey responds to the AMI
You can read the full version of this in June Marketing, but here's something to whet your appetite:
Why is it that so few marketers are happy to call themselves that? Why isn't it felt to be sexy to be a marketer? I blame the peak body of marketing: the AMI. The Australian Marketing Institute. They have let us down as a career group and they need to do something about it. Or take marketing out of the title of the organisation and call us all something else.
Every time I go to an AMI function this is a topic I hear debated. The lack of leadership, the poor performance. You can see the die-hards who still go along when the topic is right, but their shoulders are hunched over. They shuffle out of the functions, uninspired, down at heel, thinking that was just one more example of why they should have studied accounting or law, where at least you get a career that's going somewhere and they care about the members of it.
- What kind of professional support is there in marketing land?
- Who’s helping marketers? Where’s the counselling, the
discounts on Mortgages, the discount fuel card? There’s a nice thought.
- How come our profession gets no lobbying?
- When was the last time you saw something positive about professional marketers on the news?
- Sick of being part of a profession that gets no appreciation?
- How come there’s no marketers on boards?
- What do you get from the AMI?
- What could they be doing for us? Is it them who should be?
- Is there another body, or should we set one up?
I have been a member of the Australian Marketing Institute for some three or four years and got bugger all for it. I'm also a member of half a dozen other organisations, from chambers of commerce to clubs to similar professional groups and I get more from every single one of them than I get from what is supposed to be the peak body of our profession. What's wrong with the AMI? What can we do to make it work for us?
I expect comments.
Related Articles
- Marketing the marketers: the UK perspective
- Bowll bites back: Geoffrey responds to the AMI
- The Stark Reality of the AMI
- The Great AMI Debate: Round 2
59 Comments
Marketing the marketers: the UK perspective
This post is the fifth in a series looking at the AMI. Click below to read the others: What's wrong with the AMI The Great AMI Debate: Round 2 The Stark Reality of the AMI The AMI Bites Back Marketing the Marketers: the UK perspective Bowll bites back: Geoffrey responds to the AMI An interesting debate has ...
Bowll bites back: Geoffrey responds to the AMI
This post is the sixth in a series looking at the AMI. Click below to read the others: What's wrong with the AMI The Great AMI Debate: Round 2 The Stark Reality of the AMI The AMI Bites Back Marketing the Marketers: the UK perspective Bowll Bites Back: Geoffrey responds to the AMI Over the last couple of ...
The Stark Reality of the AMI
This post is the third in a series looking at the AMI. Click below to read the others: ...
The Great AMI Debate: Round 2
This post is the second in a series looking at the AMI. Click below to read the others: What's wrong with the AMI The Great AMI Debate: Round 2 The Stark Reality of the AMI The AMI Bites Back Marketing the Marketers: the UK perspective Bowll bites back: Geoffrey responds to the AMI Roger James, chairman ...
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I feel that the AMI have not been on the ball enough and followed trends, especially the digital revolution. I guess it just feels a little slow and old school...
Great article, looking forward to reading the whole thing.
Why isn't our own professional association marketing us like CPA - and where is the industry voice? Not being heard I would suggest?
1) Jargon-laden.
2) If you trawl through the jargon to the meaning, it is basically marketing should take over the entire business - maybe with a little help from finance. hmmm... Not a message or attitude thats going to inspire non-marketers to want to trust and work with AMI / Marketing.
Maybe AMI could try an alternative mission such as
- increase understanding of what marketing is and how it adds (measurable) value to the company and to society
- encourage the (measurable) development of better marketing skills in the industry.
You raise a number of questions but no answers, I would suggest because there are too difficult to answer simply, hence the disatisfaction with the state of the marketing industry rather than just the industry body.
Id love to see an article on what should be done. In the meantime I will continue to pick the events that are relevant to me from a number of sources -- the AMI, Marketing Magazine, ADMA, Brandchannel etc.
Ive just written my views on the AMI on my blog themarketer.typepad.com . If anyone wants to join or start a marketing revolution - Im in!
Viva la marketing!!!!
So agree with the younger would-be member that people entering the profession should have special rates, and that volunteering for roles should get them a freebie. We need people to get involved at any level and a big change in management – as one guy said – a new constitution aimed at promoting the profession, would sure help.
Ive made some great friends through AMI events, and some fantastic contacts that I hadn’t been exposed too (and that is saying something as I am from Perth). The AMI in Perth also seem to be catering to the new marketers too, as their young marketing group Emerging Marketers have some great well attended events, and from my understanding the AMI does have discounted student and recent graduate rates.
There is no doubt room for improvement, but that comes from people getting involved and showing their support (through membership). I am sure the AMI would love to run a national advertising campaign to build the awareness and profile of the profession, and could if it was a regulatory requirement that you had to be a member of your professional body (i.e. accountants). Come on guys, it is you that need to step up.
Bridget; you suggest that AMI should encourage the [measurable] development of better marketing skills in the industry. As we all know, measuring the effectiveness of marketing efforts is an on-going issue for all of us, however, AMI has for some years now been carrying out ground breaking work on the establishment of a meaningful set of marketing metrics in order to achieve exactly what you are asking for. I understand we will all hear good news from AMI on this within the next few months.
Sarah-freddo; sorry you didn't get involved with the AMI Bright Sparks programme, even if you would have had to pay a membership fee. I've worked as a mentor with Bright Sparks for the past two years, and must say I sometimes think I get as much or more out of my involvement as do the mentees [hate that term!] with whom I work. It's a great programme, but you must remember, it runs on a fine line budget as with all AMI programmes.
I look forward to reading Geoff's article in June, particularly with regard to the suggested actions or ways forward it is promising to reveal.
Fn. To Geoff; for heaven sake drop the use of your middle name; it demonstrates nothing but affectation as well as being very un-Australian!
Even though youve done well keeping up with technology. I see you havent tried to use the AMIs new "Feedback Forum," please go to the Forum and see how many entries there are - zero, nothing. Now ask yourself why? Well, Ive tried three times to post a comment, but the brown shirts wouldnt post my simple questions, subversive questions like "why hasnt the NSW State Council posted any news this month?" Its called CENSORSHIP! Yes it is up to US to utilize this stuff, but after three attempts - why continue. I do like how you blame the members! over to you.
If you were hesitant about becoming an AMI member due to cost I don't know why you would want to affiliate yourself with a volunteer committee within the AMI. Perhaps you could try joining another young marketing initiative or even start your own? I'm sure there are many like-minded individuals in a similar situation that are keen. I am also a member of the PRIA young practitioner's VIC committee and again it is a requirement that we are members of the organisation that we are operating within.
As an AMI student member, I paid $66 for a three year membership which I perceive as good value. I received an e-mail yesterday with the VIC event line up for the coming months and if I get the time to attend some of the events, would get pretty good value-for-money from my membership, including receiving Professional Marketing mag, the option of bunging it on the resume (having second thoughts about this now ;) ) and potential further training and development discounts.
I am now a member of MAANZ too and as a student find that there are a lot of useful resources on the website.
An opportunity to see what AMI is doing, next week:
AMI - Web 2.0 Seminar
SUMAC @ DOCKLANDS
Thursday 5 June
6.00 - 8.30pm
Create strategic online marketing campaigns using Web 2.0 and online social networking to build your brand.
Can someone make sure they record it and make it available. Im in Sydney that day : )
I’m a member of the AMI and also a member of AICD and AIM. I must say I get more value from the AMI; however I still find the other organisations very useful. Not all events are relevant to me, however the ones I do attend are more often than not worthwhile. I’m particularly impressed by the advanced courses like “Marketing and Finance” and “Strategic Marketing Leadership” that help equip marketers for senior roles. More so I find the membership services of real benefit such as the information resources, which I use often in my business activities. While there is always room for improvement, I’m happy to support all my professionals bodies.
I waited for the full article – where have you been for the last 20 years? Yuk, your approach is gross, women are offended by your portrayal of them as merely playthings. If my dad put my photo on a page with the outdated views of the writer I would be very embarrassed ... and so angry.
I’ve attended two very good AMI events as guest of a member and couldn’t help noticing the participation of young women taking notes, asking questions and networking really well. Ive also now checked out the AMI website, are you really a researcher? There are many benefits not listed in your article and I will probably become a member, because if you are typical they certainly could do with some new members.
And do your readers agree with your comments?
The opportunity to build knowledge and networks has been transformed with the availability of twitter, groups on facebook, Sphinn........ Perhaps this is my personal learning style, but the value I have derived from twitter for instance far outweighs the benefit I gained from AMI. I hope that this has/will changed.
This is what I would like to see from a marketing body
1. Clear and Leading representation of the Marketing Profession in Australia
2. A knowledge Hub
3. Open and lively debate and the opportunity to share information, opinions and build new concepts to transform the organisation
4. Smaller focused communities eg Web 2.0 marketing, Marketing Strategy, Locality...........
5. Access to Subject Matter Experts - for instance a weekly evening Live Chat with leading marketing experts
6. An opportunity to build the personal brands of leading marketing experts in the Australian market
7. Charity Opportunities for Marketing Professionals
8. Mentoring and buddy Program
9. And of course the occasional social events
Geoffrey, I agree with 'The Marketer ..........." What's next?"
I was especially interested to read your comments about Twitter. It seems that more and more professional discourse is taking place in 'other places' these days and many traditional organisations are at a loss. They're still delivering the same services, but people are finding them elsewhere it seems.
As far as what's next, watch this space. The AMI are taking the opportunity to offer their response to Geoffrey's article. This one looks like it's got legs ...
Til then though, I read Jonathan Salem Baskins recent article in AdAge with interest - Theres no good answer for what to call marketers - seems that others out there are struggling with what to call marketers too.
Jonathan doesn't really have an answer, but what is everyone calling themselves?
Marketer? CMO? Chief Drone In Charge of Getting Things Done?
Be interested to hear your suggestions for what marketers should be calling themselves.
As a former CPM I simply found that the credential, let alone the AMI body itself, held little sway in amoung marketers. How then can it possibly generate esteem outside the profession?
So, is this the basis of a movement then?
My other grievance is the cost. I think our membership fee is OK, however, as a CPM running my own business, it costs literally thousands to collect enough continuing education points. What about sponsorship of events? Surely we can offer better rates through sponsorship - look at the medical profession.
The breakfast seminars have been fantastic and a great networking opportunity.
The AMI may have room for improvement - but then, so do most organisations. As an AMI member, I value my membership somewhat more than Geoffrey does.
Geoffrey writes "Every time I go to an AMI function this is a topic I hear debated. The lack of leadership, the poor performance." Sorry Geoffrey, that's not been my experience.
Then ... "You can see the die-hards who still go along when the topic is right, but their shoulders are hunched over. They shuffle out of the functions, uninspired, down at heel, thinking that was just one more example of why they should have studied accounting or law." ... sheesh them accountants sure do come out of those ICA conferences with a real spring in their step, high fives all round ... lets party on dudes!
"Why isn't it felt to be sexy to be a marketer?" ... ohhh puuuhlease!!!. Geoffrey, Marketing is a profession … not some narcissistic self indulgence. Boy, those accountants. lawyers, engineers and scientist do feel damn sexy when they clock on.
Geoffrey, maybe you should look at improving your own shortcomings, because just maybe to other professions, you might be giving an unfavourable impression of what marketers are on about.
Anyway I'll get on my bike and push off ... damn that thoughtless AMI for not handing out fuel discount vouchers!
The lawyers and accountants get more respect for their advise in our organisations but anyone and everyone has an opinion about the outputs from the marketing department.
Maybe the reason were not taken seriously is because anyone that has ever taken a marketing subject or even a subject that is remotely associated to marketing has infiltrated our industry.
Do a simple google search on marketing consultants in your city and youll see a range of different professions dabbling in marketing. These are typically IT companies, Accountants, Web designers, Journalists etc all claiming to offer cutting edge marketing solutions based on the insight gained from one or two lectures at university (if at all).
How about we recognise true marketers as marketers rather than a anything remotely associated with the topic?
Im very disappointed with the attitude of Mr James and the statements he made, specifically.
1) Mr James did not concede that there was any merit in any of the myriad of suggestions made.
2) Mr James concedes numerically that after a decade trying, the AMI has only achieved a 10% market penetration rate with memberships. He doesnt state this of course. If my Marketing Manager achieved the same results he / she would be working elsewhere.
3) An ISO standard for Brand Valuation ! - Give me a break.
4) "Unparalled tools being developed by the AMI to measure marketing performance". We dont need these tools Mr James. We already have them, theyre called customers and P & Ls.
5) Of the 3,400 members in 1999. How many of those people are still members?
Finally, its a simple rule Mr James. Ignore your customers / constiuents / members at the peril of the AMI, you can either embrace change and implement it, or the members of the AMI will find someone that will.
I was a member for 4 years and then my membership lasped (because it was paid for by my previous employer) the only thing I missed was my weekly BandT mag (a fun read for ad industry gossip!!).
They provide no value and for a marketing organisation I think they are actually incredibilly poor marketers. Knowone at the AMI thought to contact me and try and retain my memership (cusotmer retention 101) and I wonder what the brand recognition of the AMI would be outside of marketing circles. The fact is we are being outmarketed by the accontants (CPAs), I see there ads on TV I have a basic understanding of what CPA means and believe its of value although I dont get invovled with accounts, the only one I even know does my tax!!
A guy I know was recruited as Head Chef for a top cafe in Bells Beach - who claimed that he'd done all the advertising and marketing as well, "you know, all the rosters and stuff". I bit my tongue so hard it bled.
And if I have one more person *explain* an ad to me because they've watched the Gruen Transfer I might just cry and tear up my qualifications.
Is Gruen (with the gorgeous Wil Anderson) deliberately undermining the marketing and advertising community? Why are they giving away secrets? Why did I pay $1200 for my subject in Marketing Planning and Strategy at uni and they watch and learn on Free To Air TV?
I want to be seen as a serious and credible professional.
Could Seek please separate the job classification between Sales and Marketing? Even that would help clarify that there is a difference between the two professions, and make my Christmas lunches less irritating with my Uncle.
Is The Gruen Transfer stealing your job? Probably not. Do 'entrepreneurial' people always claim attributes on their CV they don't neccessarily possess? Definitely.
But this does hit at a more pertinent point. If the head chef at a top cafe in Bells Beach can claim he's produced marketing collateral when he's actually drawing up timetables, then my question is how come the empoyer believes him?
The answer could be that marketers have such a poorly defined role in society that nobody really knows what they do. So marketing master chefs like your friend from Bells Beach qualify as a marketer by virtue of the fact that nobody really understands what marketers do.
So if the Gruen Transfer is really giving away trade secrets, is it helping at all to define what marketers do among the general TV viewing public?
I look at friends who either are CPA and CA's or in the process (it takes three dedicated years to actually become a real member) and think why are those memberships so much more distinguished? I mean a CPA on you resume will instantly add an extra 25% or more to a dorky accountants pay. They actually force the accountants to learn new things, new ways to counts. Hold huge conferences that bore the crap out of people, but are necessary for members to attend.
If i walk into a job interview and tell my potential employer that I am a member of the AMI, will they even batter an eye lid?
I definitely see what you are saying - but I think your mate is probably one of those people that claim to be an expert on everything (much like my engineers here - what's to know about marketing? It's just selling stuff isn't it??). But the one thing I think the Gruen Transfer will do is up the standard amongst marketers - kind of like a media watch for marketers, which I think is long overdue.
And discussing the strategies with the audience (e.g four man beer commercial, white sterile beauty ads) actually shows the general public that there is a method to the madness - we're not always unethical, money grubbing long lunching bludgers!
It's also great to help marketers in regional areas (like me) put the names that I see in B&T to faces!
I remember a wise women said to me once that you can tell people how to do it but it doesnt mean they will necessarily do it right. You can tell your Chef how to set up a decent advertisement but it doesnt necessarily mean they will lay it out right, use the right medium, use the right font and so on. (that's the difference between a real marketer and those that think they are!)
The whole industry is misunderstood and I think Gruen goes a long way to presenting a professional image that advertising folk just don't have in the wider community.
If anyone wants to read more, I wrote about it at my blog, http://adnotes-tony.blogspot.com/
The problem I have with trade secrets being televised is that they are not detailed enough.
The way the secrets and theories are spoken about make them sound basic and easy to apply (even to a roster?!).
I want Gruen to show market research, focus groups, nitty gritty qualitative and quantitative analysis, researchers making inferences then re-testing... and so on and so forth.
The main issue with this is that there are x thousand kids thinking about careers at the moment, and many are now going to be thinking about doing a degree/similar in advertising or marketing. Which is great by the way, but will they get through all of those core business units (that at the time you dont understand why you are doing them)? I didn't even get to have an independent thought in anything assessable until my final semester. There is going to be an influx of applicants for these degrees based on misinformed 18 year olds who just won't understand the entire process. By not showing the un-sexy, nitty-gritty to the public and just the executions, Gruen is misleading the public into thinking that it is simple and anyone can do it. Some lazy watchers may even think that the whole process could be done in a half hour segment.
Perhaps to reduce the drop out rates, universities will have to make applicants fully aware of the course syllabus and run seminars on advertising and marketing.
I've tried to convince some people that ads aren't just breasts, a tag and a gag - theres a real science to it (Scientific Advertising!), but since Gruen I am finding it a harder argument to win.
I was lucky enough to have Bronwyn Higgs (frequent Marketing Mag writer) as a lecturer who said to me "It's not all chinese take out, drugs and alcohol and then *poof* theres your ad."
These stereotypes come from somewhere.
Feel free to join!!!
Thanks