Thanksgiving in the US is just around the corner and it is a perfect time to be grateful. And marketers and agencies have so much to be thankful for!
We are weathering the extended pandemic. The economy is essentially at full employment, and while that makes hiring difficult and inflation is on the rise, it also ensures that consumer spending will continue. New technologies make our lives easier and more productive daily. New platforms allow us to share our ideas and collaborate easier than ever before. We can work from anywhere.
Robin and I are incredibly thankful for the Mercer Island Group team, our clients and partners. And, as we approach Thanksgiving, the Mercer Island Group team wanted to share some appreciations and give back with some tips on how to make marketer and agency lives easier and more efficient.
We are thankful for the ANA, 4As and other marketing and advertising trade associations around the world.
These organizations work on our industry’s behalf to improve today and secure our future. We are incredibly thankful for the gracious and hard-working professionals in these organizations! These organizations – through hard-working and dedicated professionals and volunteers – have helped shape and express best practices in so many areas relating to our craft. Conferences, research, white papers, analysis and opportunities to connect and collaborate abound. And beyond the ANA and 4As there are many fine organizations around the globe like the APG and ISBA in the UK.
Go to ana.net to explore the advantages of membership and partnership
A few tips:
- Follow these fine organizations on their social platforms! You can access the ANA social feeds on their home page at www.ana.net and links to the 4As social presence are found at the bottom of the 4As homepage (www.aaaa.org).
- Consider joining these fine organizations and review their training and conference schedules. There is something for everyone.
Learn more about the fine work of the 4As at aaaa.org
We are thankful for marketing and agency strategists, researchers and experts.
Les Binet. Peter Field. Byron Sharp. Sarah Carter. Mark Pollard. Anne Handley. Julian Cole. Ed Cotton. And the list goes on and on. Strategists, researchers, analysts, and subject area experts that make us smarter every day.
If you know us, you know we preach strategy first. A requirement of our craft is to stay current, and you can’t go wrong by reading these experts’ books and following them on social media. Look them up and you’ll be glad you did.
A “must read”: How Not To Plan by Les Binet and Sarah Carter
We are thankful for peer networks like CMO Council and Agency Management Institute.
We often learn from the experiences of peers. The trade associations and their conferences help facilitate these connections. And there are also excellent peer-based networks for marketers and agency executives.
CMO Council is a good peer network for many senior marketers. The CMO Council’s 16,000+ members control over $1 trillion in aggregated annual marketing spending worldwide. The CMO Council and its strategic interest communities include more than 60,000 global executives in more than 110 countries covering multiple industries, segments and markets. Basic membership is restricted to marketers and requires an application process but it is free.
When it comes to agencies, Drew McClellen’s AMI is one of the most amazing communities in the small agency world. They host peer networks, outstanding conferences and training sessions. Drew’s newsletter and blog is a must-read and his podcast a must-listen. Small agencies everywhere should consider joining the AMI community.
You can find explore Agency Management Institute offerings at agencymanagementinstitute.com
Steve Boehler, founder, and partner at Mercer Island Group has led consulting teams on behalf of clients as diverse as Zillow Group, Microsoft, UScellular, Nintendo, Ulta Beauty, Stop & Shop, Qualcomm, Brooks Running, and numerous others. He founded MIG after serving as a division president in a Fortune 100 when he was only 32. Earlier in his career, Steve Boehler cut his teeth with a decade in Brand Management at Procter & Gamble, leading brands like Tide, Pringles, and Jif.
