Marketing Matters
Results You Can Count On The incoming chairman of the Association of Promotional & Marketing Consultants (APMC), David O’Leary, outlines the important role the association plays in marketing and the opportunities that lie ahead for its members.
T
he APMC represents the interests of promotional marketing agencies in Ireland. developed standalone modules reflecting legal code
to see excellent returns in Europe again.
doesn’t really do justice to the wide range of skills available from our members. I suppose that
Mind you, the title of our organisation
and local market differences. This reflects a similar approach taken by sister organisations in Australia
We also keep a very close eye on the changes in legal code that impact marketing campaigns.
won’t come as too much of a surprise. After all, the nature of marketing has changed, and is
and New Zealand. Courses are competitively priced and follow a distance learning approach. This
Gaming and lotteries legislation is the current hot topic and one that requires careful planning
changing, at a remarkable pace. Our members have responded to those changes by providing a widening range of services to our clients. APMC
is augmented by a series of classroom seminars delivered by international and local experts. We will shortly take in our third intake of students. If this
to ensure a campaign is legally compliant. Our members have access to the latest case law. We provide regular updates to our members through
members are among the foremost providers of digital marketing solutions and shopper marketing
type of education programme doesn’t appeal to you, then keep an eye out for one of our seminars.
our membership of EACA and our legal advisors in Ireland. Our new website helps in this process.
innovation whilst continuing to provide an everwidening range of ATL and BTL services. The APMC is changing too. We have developed
We’re probably best known for our Annual Star Awards which is a showcase for the best work being done in Ireland. This work was recognised
I’m delighted to take up the role of chairperson this year. It’s a great time to be working in marketing communications. Consumer behaviour is
a new education programme with our UK-based sister organisation, the IPM. We’ve licensed its education programmes and, at the same time,
internationally last year in Europe where Ireland led the way winning 12 EACA awards. Not a bad haul! The standard remains high this year and we expect
changing fast and I don’t see any sign of it slowing down any time soon. Do you? Is 2012 the year of the mobile? RedC predicts that smartphone ownership will accelerate to 71% by the end of this year with some studies showing penetration growing close to 90% by the end of 2013. NFC is coming down the line fast with the rollout of retail terminals, handsets and mobile wallet apps. Rumours are rife about Facebook’s plans for a mobile OS. The latest iOS6 release from Apple will feature Passbook which will open up new ways of doing loyalty and mobile payments. Windows 8 launches shortly with a new App store allied to a host of new mobile, tablet and PC devices. The advent of these sorts of platforms will provide brands, and their agencies, with new ways of influencing the consumer on the pathway to purchase. It will spawn new ways of delivering ad messages, special offers and tailored content. It has the potential to fundamentally step change the measurability of marketing spend as we have never seen before. APMC members get these shifts in behaviour. The DNA of our member agencies has always been about running campaigns that have a measurable impact on a client’s sales. In a challenging business environment, our thought process always comes back to measurable results. David O’Leary is chairperson of the APMC and a founder of eightytwenty4D, which is part of the Havas group. In association with APMC.
22 | IMJ JUNE 2012
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