PCC Meeting Notes
April 29 - 30, 2015
AMA Update
Four main strategies are being pursued by the new AMA:
1. Service Leadership – AMA will strive to be of service: to our chapters, to our members, to the marketing community. The AMA is making some good progress against this strategy. AMA Board member an academic expert on service leadership, Valarie Zeithaml, has been working with AMA staff on identifying and filling the AMA’s service leadership gaps.
2. New AMA Intellectual Agenda – Understand the Design Target’s needs; address the pain points. AMA is gathering learnings from recent ethnographic research. The intellectual agenda will filter through the entire organization integrating all channels of content delivery. There will be one editorial calendar. One element includes trying to connect academics and practitioners better – many academics want their research to have more practical application in the field.
3. Offline/Online Fusion (aka AMA Marketplace)
4. One AMA – Includes having a united voice and identity and using that power to elevate the esteem of the marketing profession.
AMA Marketplace – Nancy Costopulos
· This will be a personalized, playful and connected digital marketplace of knowledge that rewards engagement, contributions and interaction in all forums to attract new customers, improve retention and leverage the AMA network.
· Components of the AMA Marketplace include:
o AMA’s intellectual agenda will be showcased here.
o Articles/tools/media will be recommended to users based on their preferences.
o Users can seek help from one another for projects.
o This will allow more virtual interaction following in-person AMA conferences.
o Gamification will be focused around advancing learning and professional development.
o This is different from AMA Connect, which was a peer to peer social media platform.
o Chapter networks will be factored into here. An invite-only roundtable will be held Saturday morning at Leadership Summit to get input from key chapter leaders about how to make this community most valuable and relevant to professional chapters.
· Project Timeline:
o The early concepts are being shared with councils now, and then aim is to integrate feedback and complete the full concept development by June 30.
o There will be releases of different elements of this over a range of time instead of saving everything for one big launch.
· PCC Feedback:
o The name “AMA Marketplace” may not be ideal to describe what this is.
o Chapters want their basic needs and requests for more integrated member data to be filled first before the AMA pursues something more elaborate.
o There needs to be ways to better showcase all the content and events being created by the chapters.
One AMA Identity Initiative – Nancy Costopulos
· Having a common, unified identity is very important for the AMA to be able to communicate its value and intellectual agenda.
· The goal is to have a unified look and identity, allowing flexibility within frameworks. This could also include more unified websites. The intent is that this isn’t costly to chapters.
· Project Plan & Timeline:
o May/June – Develop brand value proposition and define AMA brand voice.
o June/July – Define AMA Brand unification project and process. Create a chapter advisory committee w the PCC and create chapter “show of support” for the process.
o July/August – Select external resource to develop identity.
o October/November – Develop brand identify framework/branding guidelines and work with PCC to develop communications plan for chapters.
o Spring 2016 – Align philanthropic cause.
o Ongoing – Technology support for chapters (data integration, branded website, digital content sharing).
· PCC Feedback:
o The timeline as presented might be a little too short.
o It will be important that this is approached in the right way because chapters have a lot of time and money investing in their local brands. Let chapters know that they are on this journey with the AMA – get them excited about the transformation.
o This can distract chapters from other more important activities, so the timing of communications is important. Let chapters know about this soon before any more begin embarking on their own rebranding efforts.
o Doing a brand audit of different chapters could be helpful to understand the local brand voice and resources that will be needed for this initiative.
Next Steps (Nancy Costopulos, Carol Arnold, Megan Backes, All PCC)
· By May 30, the PCC will help to identify chapter leaders to serve on a chapter advisory task force to represent the chapter viewpoint as this initiative progresses.
· By summer PCC meeting, Nancy, Carol, Megan and chapter advisory task force will outline obstacles that exist to building chapter buy-in and compliance for a common AMA identity and identify timing for communicating initiative details with chapters.
One AMA Philanthropic Initiative – Megan Backes
· An internal AMA staff task force has developed a project proposal to share with a chapter task force who will help mold and test this. The proposal involves AMA Foundation working with multiple chapters to identify local non-profits who works with businesses in distressed communities. AMAF would develop basic marketing curriculum that could be presented to local businesses, and the non-profit could have a marketing toolkit to share with businesses in the future. Either the chapter or national could present this curriculum.
· PCC Feedback:
o The AMA has two ways they approach this initiative – it is difficult to combine both:
1. As a fully collaborative effort with chapter. The chapter helps fully design the initiative, so the initial proposal isn’t really necessary.
2. As a directive where chapters are asked for their buy-in and help testing it out.
o The current proposal seems more like a directive than collaborative, particularly the timeline. Using concentric circles for the timeline would show more flexibility in collaboration.
o What’s in it for the chapter with this proposal? They currently undertake community relations projects because someone has a passion for a particular local initiative. There needs to be a lot of national messaging showing how marketing makes a positive difference – this would be the payoff for chapter leaders with this particular proposal.
o While the class is good because it allows the AMA to reach multiple businesses all at once, it will probably be too difficult for chapter leaders to deploy this training themselves, so a small business expert should get involved in developing and presenting this curriculum.
o Suggested focusing on helping local non-profits with marketing instead of working directly with local businesses. Members enjoy providing marketing services to non-profits and have experience doing this already.
o Suggested pick one national organization with lots of local branches and provide them with marketing services across the country. Could partner with the US Chamber of Commerce on this initiative, as they could help us better connect with local chambers. We could even develop a toolkit to help chapters better partner with local Chambers.
o Is there an opportunity to get collegiate chapters and students involved in this initiative?
Next Steps (Megan Backes)
· By May 15, Megan will share PCC feedback on the One Philanthropic Initiative proposal with AMA Support Center task force.
Young Professional Initiative – Megan Backes
· All recent student graduates will be offered 1 complimentary year of young professional membership where local and national dues are waived. Those who take advantage of the offer can then renew their young professional membership at the regular rate for two additional years.
· Very few student members are retained as young professional members, so this should only increase engagement instead of cutting into potential dues revenue.
· Project Timeline:
o May/June – graduates sent offer.
o December/January – graduates sent offer.
· PCC Feedback:
o This is a real win for the AMA in order to help retain student members as professionals.
o Try to send out the invitations to students a little before they graduate. This should boost the uptake of this offer.
o It would be helpful to track those who take advantage of the offer differently from other young professionals on the chapter Member Roster.
Next Steps (Megan Backes)
· By June 30, Megan will look into the possibility of uniquely identifying complimentary young professionals on the Member Roster.
Membership
Collegiate Connection – Angela Brutsche
· Did a lot this year to encourage chapters to reach out to one another and collaborate.
· Angela hosted a Collegiate Engagement Virtual Roundtable Call that had great discussion. Angela recommends doing this again next year or holding a Collegiate Relations meet-up at Summit.
· Angels is putting the finishing touches on a Collegiate Relations Toolkit to help professional chapters launch or refine their collegiate relations program.
· A way to strengthen the Collegiate Relations section of the CEA would be to ask if they held at least one collegiate relations program and award points for this.
· Angela recommends that Faculty Advisors be listed on AMA.org if possible.
Next Steps (All PCC, Angela Brutsche)
· By May 15, Angela will send the Collegiate Relations Toolkit to the PCC for input.
Member Retention – Robin Tooms
· Robin developed emails containing info from Board in a Box, first-touch-fast and other sources for the PCC Membership Team to send to chapter membership chairs. This is a concerted amount of effort for the team, but it is difficult to say if it is working. There hasn’t been much feedback from chapters.
· Robin recommends continuing these emails again next year to help us better determine if this is having a positive effect.
· It will be interesting to see the data that comes out of the Member Retention Pilot Program now that one year of first-touch-fast activities are coming to a close.
Next Steps (All PCC, Robin Tooms, Megan Backes)
· By May 15, PCC will give Robin feedback on conversations with membership chairs on if they feel more supported and informed on member retention.
· By May 30, Robin and Megan will look at year-end survey draft to determine if any additional questions should be asked to help us gauge the success of the PCC’s member retention efforts.
· By May 15, Robin will share emails with Megan for reposting content on CR and highlighting on LinkedIn.
Succession Planning – Linda Mansur
· Linda developed a Succession Planning Toolkit and held a Virtual Roundtable Call on Succession Planning.
· The PCC Membership Team sent out specific feedback about succession planning to chapter leaders. There hasn’t been much feedback from chapters.
· The number of incoming President-Elects attending Leadership Summit increased substantially from the year before, which is a good sign.
Next Steps (All PCC, Linda Mansur)
· By May 15, PCC will give Linda feedback on conversations with incoming chapter presidents on if they feel more supported and informed about succession planning.
LinkedIn – Will Krieger
· Up to 425 chapter leaders have joined the private group.
· The conversations spiked in February when the group first launched. It will be interesting to see if there is another spike following Summit. The reality is that there will always be ebs and flows in engagement with this group.
· Incoming Presidents and President-Elect can be reminded of this group in the final succession planning email sent by the PCC Membership Team.
Next Steps (Will Krieger, Linda Mansur)
· By May 10, Will will create copy about joining LinkedIn for Linda to incorporate into the next Succession Planning email.
General Chapter Support and Mentoring – Kim Verros
· Because each PCC Rep has fewer chapters this year, they are trying to have a deeper mentoring relationship with each chapter.
· PCC Reps sent instructions on how to find info on the Chapter Resources site to their chapters.
· PCC Reps offered to attend chapter board meetings virtually. The chapters that took advantage of this seemed to appreciate it.
Mentoring Struggling Chapters – Pat Malone
· Pat created a Challenged Chapters document that outlines the PCC’s history mentoring these chapters.
· Created a dashboard that helps Reps better track progress of chapters and determine early if additional support is needed.
· Chapter Operating Standards in the COG:
o We might want to reconsider these standards and determine if more stringent or additional requirements are needed.
o Once chapters dip below these standards, it becomes so difficult and time consuming to get them back to success.
o How can we better inform chapters of these criteria? Maybe the PCC Reps should include this in their welcome calls with chapters.
· Now need to determine if tools should be created to help mentor chapters.
· Megan proposes stronger new chapter development requirements and more robust assessment of potential chapters to help insure that new chapters are poised to be successful.
Next Steps (Megan Backes, Will Krieger)
· By May 15, Megan will incorporate programming into monthly reporting requirements.
· By May 15, Megan will email PCC for final feedback on edits to new chapter development requirements.
· By June 30, Will and Megan will create a chapter email communication calendar.
· By July 30, Megan will add monthly retention and programming reporting to 2015-16 Chapter Health Report.
· By summer PCC Meeting, Megan will look into how to add PCC reps to lists of all chapter leaders.
Specific Chapter Health – PCC Membership Team
· Central Illinois – PCC Recommends Closure.
· Inland Empire – Pat recommends that she continues to work with them and give set timelines to meet very concrete criteria to avoid closure, and the PCC agrees with this plan.
· Madison – They were struggling to find leaders for a while, and their membership dropped during this time, but they seem to be getting back on track though.
· New Orleans – Angela was able to inspire a board member to take on the Presidency next year and commit to trying to turn things around. They are sending 2 people to Leadership Summit.
· New York Capital Region – They are finally back on track with financial reporting.
· Silicon Valley – Robin worked with them through a lot of turmoil. They basically have an entirely new board.