This post is the third in a series looking at the AMI. Click below to read the others:

1. What's wrong with the AMI
2. The Great AMI Debate: Round 2
3. The Stark Reality of the AMI
4. The AMI Bites Back
5. Marketing the Marketers: the UK perspective
6. Bowll bites back: Geoffrey responds to the AMI

This time, Geoffrey Bowll is "puffing the right muffins"! There are lots of reasons why the AMI as a professional body fails to deliver the recognition and the benefits its members crave, as pointed out in the June 2008 Marketing Magazine and in the comments from marketers to Geoffrey's earlier post.

However the reasons are more linked to the marketing profession itself not just the association that represents it – the AMI. WE are all responsible for the state our profession is in, from educational institutions, through to advertising agencies and marketing consultancies, industry publishers and as individuals.

"… lies, damned lies, and statistics."

I am not sure that the survey of 'one' 50 year old by Mr. Bowll or his own perception is adequate enough a sample to conclude "… so few marketers are happy to call themselves that. Why isn’t it felt to be sexy to be a marketer?"

After three years as an independent SME marketing consultant and over 15 years of being in the profession, completing well over 100 marketing projects, both at corporate and SME levels, my perception is quite different. Having spoken with over 600 SME business owners and hundreds of young people both in the profession and those that know absolutely nothing about it, I conclude that the majority are very proud to say I am "in marketing, advertising, design, etc".

They do not hide and are not 'self loathing' about their chosen career path. Young people not in the profession as well as SME business owners across the board still have a perception of marketing, and advertising as a glamorous industry, much more so than it actually is. As discussed on numerous occasions, many an agency and media outlet is staffed with 'pretty young things' to a greater degree than any other industry with the exception of fashion.

The problem lies in the fact that very few of the "general business population" actually understand what a marketer does and what all of the different marketing disciplines are under the term "marketing". Let’s start educating them!

Common Language is uncommon

The lack of a common marketing language and of course the resulting metrics is the single biggest reason I believe marketing is in trouble. Can you imagine if this was the case with a profession like engineering or medicine? Blood pressure measured differently by different doctors? Hmmm. The Marketing Metrics project by the AMI is taking longer to complete than the pyramids, but you can find the latest report on the AMI website here.

In the meantime, if MarketingProfs, the most useful marketing resource I have found online, can provide their readers and members with useful Templates and How -To-Guides, I see no reason why the AMI could not provide the same and at least encourage its members to stick to guidelines, if not regulate them. Is it any wonder that we are behind other professions? Let’s not pontificate any further.

What can marketers do today?

We can all keep it simple and remember why we are all in this business – to assist our clients (or employers) in selling their products and services. Maybe re-reading the 1927 classic Scientific Advertising by Claude Hopkins can help more of our colleagues realise how little has changed and bring back the passion for results, making our profession more accountable and respectable. Yes, I know, now I am focusing my attention on advertising – only one of the sub-categories of the marketing mix, yet in reality marketing has become synonymous with promotion (advertising, PR and sales). The reason for this is two-fold:

1. promotion is, in most cases, the only element of the marketing mix that marketers truly control; and
2. 80 percent of the marketer’s budget (time and money) is spent on promotion or more correctly in today’s world – communication.

Why is the 'marketing universe' limited to big brands and why does the membership drive of the AMI seem to be limited to the top tier corporations?

We need to promote out profession like professionals, instead of being 'a shoemaker with no shoes', we need to get more funding and increase and diversify the membership ten-fold. Currently, the SME market is completely ignored by the AMI, which is where, together with the graduate segment, the growth in membership has to come from. You don’t see the accounting profession’s member base being limited to the top tier corporations!

SME's marketing needs are ignored by the publishing industry and the professional association

If I was on Marketing magazine’s marketing team or that of the AMI, I would be aiming to grow circulation/membership by hammering home Peter Drucker’s prophetic view to the Australian SME market that "business has only two functions - marketing and innovation." I would be directing this message at the 70,000+ buyers of My Business and Dynamic Small Business Magazines and the thousands of members of numerous SME networking organisations around the country. However, to do this the SME content component would have to increase substantially and this massive market segment will have to be placed on top of the agenda not in the 'too hard basket' where it currently resides. Honestly, it is not that hard or expensive … yes, I have a few ideas as I am sure many others who are passionate about improving the status quo do too!

SME marketing advice is simplified to the point where it loses much of its usefulness and big brand marketing is over complicated

Expensive research and proliferation of marketing jargon only confuses both clients and marketing practitioners. Every advertising agency and marketing consultant has their own 'proprietary' way of doing things and of course comes up with fancy lingo to differentiate 'their way' from all others. And yes WE are ALL guilty of this to some degree.

In this June’s Marketing magazine the sales and marketing director for Ansell Condoms (not an SME but a top tier corporation!), Mathew Groskorth hits the nail on the head: "… I still get a little bamboozled by statistics …The real proof is in the sales." The same wisdom was expressed by Claude Hopkins saying this over 80 years ago: "The only purpose of advertising is sales." If Groskorth’s experience is representative of the confusion that exists in the market place, (and my personal experience and constant discussion of the marketers' struggle for respect at board level certainly support this view) then we have much bigger fish to fry than Mr. Bowll's issue with the AMI not providing member discounts on insurance and mortgage rates.

A few months ago, the Marketing magazine had this note from the editorial staff: "If you are involved with an SME or have some budget maketing tips to share with our monthly column 'On A Shoestring' please contact Marketing." It seems that the whole art and science of marketing has been reduced to 'tips'! Marketing is marketing – why aren't more marketing professionals crying out loudly or quietly? Small Business Marketing is no different to marketing for big brands or professional services or business-to-business companies.

The marketing principles do not change, but as the budgets become tiny, they make you think outside the square. What does change between industries, and business types are the specific marketing tactics that are used to achieve business objectives. Marketing is about SATISFYING WANTS. Marketing is about understanding human psychology and behaviour.

I am happy to see the SME section of Marketing magazine growing and the focus shifting away from 'tips'. Well done Marketing mag and SME contributors like Brett Lowe and Danielle Lima - keep up the good work! [Ed: wow, thanks Gene! We didn't even pay you to say this :-) so cheers for the recognition]

Until marketing professionals develop a common language and appropriate metrics, we will struggle to attain the respect we seek, we will struggle to educate our clients (in fact we will keep confusing them) we will struggle to deliver optimal results and we will propagate the perception of the 'untrustworthy ad man' that hides behind jargon to impress clients or avoid giving straight answers. Check out Huh Corp - it is not only a great parody of what our industry is turning into but should serve as a wake up call to us all, before the bean counters really take over!

There are a multitude of ways each of us (agencies, consultants, academics) can differentiate our services, our ideas and methodologies without having to do it through 'making up new names' for the processes we follow to achieve results for our clients. Let’s start speaking in plain English and stop hiding behind jargon! No more Brand Pillars, Brand Wheels, Brand Triangles and a thousand variations of the USP! Isn’t that the advice many of us are giving the financial, legal and IT industries – ditch the jargon?

Let’s all start practicing what we preach and begin the change by changing ourselves!

3 Comments

StarkReality

• Wrote on 20 Jun, at 05:16PM

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PS:
Last week I spoke at length to Mark Crowe, AMI CEO and just a few hours ago I met with Roger James, Chairman of the AMI to discuss all of the different issues raised by the original article and my own response. I came to the meeting with 11 key suggestions or areas that as a member of the AMI, I felt needed attention. I am excited to report that 8 of my points were already being addressed (exciting times ahead!) and 3 will be discussed by the board at the next meeting.

I feel very confident and comfortable with the direction being pursued by the AMI and also understand the challenges the organization has faced to date. Can these objectives be achieved faster; can the issues be overcome sooner? Absolutely, but WE all need to get involved! I am glad I did.

The outcome I’d like to see in 2014 is one where every business uses the services of a professional marketer just like they do today with accountants and lawyers. Let’s make this a reality.

noisy johnny

• Wrote on 21 Jun, at 02:37AM

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Good one Gene. More should follow your example.

The Marketer

• Wrote on 21 Jun, at 07:33PM

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Gene, a few years ago I spoke at length to Mark Crowe, I came to the meeting with some key suggestion and I was excited to come away with so many promises.

He didnt deliver any!!!

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