Marketing Associations

Marketing Associations

Earning a degree in marketing does not mean that your marketing education has ended. In fact, your education is just beginning. Once you join the workforce, you will need to keep up to date on the latest marketing trends and newest marketing concepts. Marketing is constantly changing and evolving. But, you don't have to go back to college in order to stay current with the latest marketing news. There are many marketing associations that will help keep you up to date. These associations are filled with members who hold a variety of marketing positions across a wide spectrum of industries. They are a great learning resource and a great place to network with fellow marketing professionals.

American Marketing Association

The American Marketing Association (AMA) is one of the largest marketing associations in the country. Since the early 1900's, its members have included marketing professionals, marketing professors, and marketing researchers. One of its primary goals is connecting members so that they can to share marketing knowledge. Perhaps you are tackling a marketing problem and need some insight from fellow professionals outside of your company. This is a place to seek assistance. The AMA also helps keep members up to speed on some of the newest trends. It produces many journals, including the Journal of Marketing, which has been published for more than 70 years. Magazines like Marketing News, Marketing Management, and Marketing Research are used by managers and executives to help plan marketing strategies. The AMA also holds conferences throughout the year on hot- button issues. You must become a member to access the material on its their Web site, and holds regional chapter events and maintains a job board where you can post your resume and search for jobs.

Direct Marketing Association

The Direct Marketing Association (DMA) was established in 1917. Unlike the American Marketing Association, which covers a broad spectrum of marketing techniques, the DMA focuses mainly on direct marketing. The DMA has great educational tools: seminars, training, webinars, databases, and a terrific library filled with case studies, benchmark analysis, and more. As a member, you can complete the Search Engine Marketing certification or the DMA Certified Marketing Professional Program. These are great learning tools and a nice addition to your resume. The DMA also holds many conferences throughout the year. Networking is another reason many people choose to join the DMA. You can meet fellow marketers at regional or local chapter meetings, or you can take advantage of DMA's career center by posting your resume or searching for jobs. For more information on membership, see DMA's Web site: www.the-dma.org.

Business Marketing Association

The Business Marketing Association (BMA) has been helping marketing professionals for over 80 years. Unlike other associations, the BMA is geared specifically to business-to-business (B2B) marketing. Consumer marketing and business-to-business marketing follow different trends and use different methods to get out their respective marketing messages out. As a member, you will have access to BMA's webinars, podcasts, and articles. There is also a career center where you can post your resume for recruiters and employers to review. Business- to- business marketing continues to grow and is expected to reach over $85 billion a year. For B2B professionals, the BMA is a great resource to keep up with the latest news.

Promotional Marketing Association

The Promotional Marketing Association (PMA) was established in 1911. It is dedicated to working with marketing professionals in the areas of shopper, digital, entertainment, promotional, and experimental marketing. Its members work all over the world in a variety of companies, advertising agencies, and universities. Members have access to boot camps, workshops, seminars, and webinars. The PMA also maintains a job database where you can search for jobs or post your resume.