Categories: Articles

Canadian Marketing Association Meetings And Reasons

For some reason I always thought that joining an association that is in my field was… well, kind of pointless. Why would anybody want to be a part of an organization that is comprised of competitors or peers? It was also like the old bit: “I wouldn’t want to be a member of any club that would have someone like me as a member.”
After one year of being directly involved with three industry-related associations: IAB Canada (Interactive Advertising Bureau), CMA (Canadian Marketing Association) and NABS (National Advertising Benevolent Society), my feelings have changed radically.
I guess I should have heeded the advice of my own keynote, “The Art Of Networking.” Being part of my industry’s key associations is a critical component in helping to ensure that the integrity of the industry continues, I build a network of allies and grow my industry (and business) in ways that were not previously on my radar.
Next week I’ll be spending two days in Toronto as part of the CMA’s (Canadian Marketing Association) eMarketing Council and then on the committee to help organize the CMA’s annual Digital Marketing Conference. I take these postings very seriously as the outcome truly defines how Canadians define or will define certain aspects of their marketing strategy.
If ever given an opportunity to get involved (hey, why wait for an invitation? Go out and offer your services!), I can’t say enough great things about it. Being part of the CMA also puts me in Toronto at least once a month so I further the value of the trip by making appointments with clients, colleagues, friends and family.
I used to be myopic when it came to understanding the value of joining these types of organizations. Thanks to the CMA and some pushing from a colleague (Thanks Howard), I’m beginning to grow, learn and help in an area I had been neglecting (upon reflection) for so many years.
So get involved in your industry. Make sure that the quality by which you govern your own business is maintained throughout, and that you build a valuable chain of contacts and peers who are also looking to help, add value and grow.

Mitch Joel

Mitch Joel lives at the intersection of technology, business transformation and consumer culture. He is the Executive Director of Next Era Institute, a strategic intelligence platform helping leaders understand the forces reshaping business, technology, culture and society. The Institute identifies which shifts matter, explores their wider significance and translates them into strategic direction and momentum. Mitch is also a globally recognized keynote speaker. He has delivered thousands of presentations across both B2B and B2C industries to organizations including Google, Walmart, LEGO, Shopify, Microsoft, Procter & Gamble and Unilever. Strategy Magazine has called him “one of North America’s leading visionaries.” Mitch built his career by working directly inside the waves of change that reshaped modern business. He founded and built a digital marketing agency that worked with some of the world’s largest brands and was later acquired by WPP, where he served as President of a firm operating in 25 countries with almost 3,000 employees. Mitch is the bestselling author of Six Pixels of Separation and CTRL ALT Delete, and the host of Thinking With Mitch Joel, one of the longest-running business podcasts in the world. His writing and commentary appear in outlets including Harvard Business Review, Fast Company and Inc. Magazine. He is a member of Dr. Marshall Goldsmith’s 100 Coaches and was named to the Thinkers50 Radar. Mitch also hosts Groove – The No Treble Podcast, documenting the oral history of electric bass players. Mitch is also Co-Founder of ThinkersOne, a platform that enables companies to bring personalized thought leadership from world-class experts into meetings, events and off-sites in focused 15-minute bursts.