A marketing revolution is transforming today's advertising agencies, as highlighted in a recent Wall Street Journal article. The piece focused on the diminishment of marketing's creative aspects and the ascendence of the science of marketing. As one agency executive shared, “Whether we like it or not, the ‘Mad Men’ era is receding in our rearview mirror while we drive at full speed into the age of the ‘Math Men and Women.’”[1]
While this shift occurs in agencies, associations are
experiencing similar changes that demand new strategies and approaches. And the
pace of change is accelerating. The article shared that the emerging roles in
marketing will focus on expertise in digital marketing and data analytics. It noted
that today, “the hot hires instead crunch numbers, run experiments, and use
algorithms to analyze data and predict what kind of message will resonate,
where it should appear, and even when someone is most likely to click ‘buy.’”[2]
The research findings in the latest Association Outlook Report support these trends. Respondents told us that their goals in 2025
are to increase operations effectiveness and marketing efforts through
technology innovations. Some of the changes they noted include adding data
visualization and dashboards to improve marketing campaign reporting and doing
member and customer engagement scoring.
Additionally, the research highlighted the emerging use of AI
technology. Almost two-thirds (63 percent) of respondents either use AI
technology, plan to use it in the coming year, or will explore implementing it.[3]
Some of the proposed uses of AI include supporting marketing, creating content,
delivering more personalized member experiences, and automating responses to
inquiries and support requests.
What does this ongoing marketing revolution mean for your
marketing efforts? How will you need to change and adapt to remain relevant and
effective?
Here are some areas that associations will need to evaluate
going forward.
Staffing and
Expertise: Building a Skilled Team
The first area to address will be staffing and expertise. Associations
will increasingly need staff with abilities in digital marketing, data
analytics, and AI. Traditional roles focused on creativity and general
marketing strategy may diminish. New staff will need to be added with
specialized skills. The new hires may require higher compensation because of
more competition, as the private sector will also seek to fill these roles. Associations
will also want to invest in training and professional development to ensure
existing teams are equipped with more technology-focused skills.
Partnering for
Success: Using External Experts
A second strategy will be leveraging outside experts: Associations
may need to rely more heavily on consultants, agencies, and technology
providers. This approach could allow them to access specialized knowledge
without hiring full-time staff to accomplish some advanced technology and
marketing functions. Associations might want to explore flexible, hybrid collaboration
models with these external partners to implement digital marketing, data
analytics, and enhanced reporting. At the same time, internal teams could focus
more attention on strengthening member engagement and content development.
Harnessing Data:
Personalization and Microtargeting
Additionally, association marketing must evolve beyond
traditional segmentation and personas to focus on personalization and microtargeting
driven by data analytics for prospect and engagement scoring. This analysis can
identify the prospects to join, which members are likely to lapse, and what
products and services are most relevant and engaging. The good news is that
data will strengthen marketing effectiveness through testing, analyzing, and
optimizing, empowering the association's responsiveness to market feedback and
changes.
Budgeting for
Innovation: Investing in the Future
No one wants to hear this, but budgets may need to
substantially increase to keep up with these marketing and technology shifts. Marketing
that relied on inexpensive email sends kept costs low. However, to maintain
growth in this new era, the strategy must be upgraded with media spending for
digital advertising and the accompanying data analytics tools to optimize
campaign results. Planning for AMS enhancements and data integration tools will
also be required.
Continually adapting to changes and innovations in marketing
has been and will remain constant. For example, as early as the 1920s,
marketing pioneer Claude Hopkins wrote in his book Scientific Advertising
that in the past, “advertising was then a gamble – a speculation of the rashest
sort. One man’s guess on the proper course was as likely to be as good as
another's.” In contrast, he asserted
that “the time has come when advertising has in some hands reached the status
of a science.”
Today, the science of marketing will continue reshaping how
associations connect with their audiences, transforming the skills, tools, and
strategies they require to succeed. By embracing this revolution—through
strategic hiring, external partnerships, data analytics, and smart
budgeting—associations can stay ahead of the curve.
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