APMA to join Comms Council

David Lo.

The Communications Council is poised to rubber stamp the Australasian Promotional Marketing Association's (APMA) bid to join its ranks in a move which should take effect before the end of the month.

The APMA Executive Committee has voted unanimiusly to join the main advertising body whose board will formally ratify the move within two weeks, Communications Council chief executive Daniel Lessong told AdNews.

"It's exciting times for us and for them," Lessong said.

"This shows the Communications Council model is working."

APMA chairman David Lo said the merger is the "last piece of the puzzle" following 12 months of soul searching by the organisation to redefine its place in the marketing and advertising industry.

"In the last decade, segments of our industry, like experiential and obviously digital maintain big profiles, yet we've been around longer than any of them and few people understand what we (the promotional marketing sector) actually do," Lo said.

"We represent a major part of the marketing mix and brand health."

Last week APMA releaseed a 'new positioning statement' that wrote of its members as "Leaders in getting people to act...using tactical marketing techniques to change behaviour, build brands and deliver results".

The Communicatons Council was formed last year as an amalgin of the Advertising Federation of Australia, AWARD and the Account Planning Group (APG).

APMA's membership will be similar to the APG's which has retained its independence as a "college' organisation within the council.

The situation is a "best of both worlds" scenario, according to Lo.

"We will be able to keep our hard-fought identity and continue to keep doing what we do but within a much bigger infrastructure alongside powerful and important agencies."

SYDNEY: The Communications Council is poised to rubber stamp the Australasian Promotional Marketing Association's (APMA) bid to join its ranks in a move which should take effect before the end of the month.

The APMA executive committee has voted unanimously to join the main advertising body whose board will formally ratify the move within two weeks, Communications Council chief executive Daniel Lessong told AdNews.

"It's exciting times for us and for them," Lessong said.

"This shows the Communications Council model is working."

APMA chairman David Lo said the merger is the "last piece of the puzzle" following 12 months of soul searching by the organisation to redefine its place in the marketing and advertising industry.

"In the last decade, segments of our industry, like experiential and obviously digital maintain big profiles, yet we've been around longer than any of them and few people understand what we [the promotional marketing sector] actually do," Lo said.

"We represent a major part of the marketing mix and brand health."

Last week APMA releaseed a 'new positioning statement' that wrote of its members as "leaders in getting people to act...using tactical marketing techniques to change behaviour, build brands and deliver results".

The Communicatons Council was formed last year as an amalgin of the Advertising Federation of Australia, AWARD and the Account Planning Group (APG).

APMA's membership will be similar to the APG's which has retained its independence as a "college" organisation within the council.

The situation is a "best of both worlds" scenario, according to Lo.

"We will be able to keep our hard-fought identity and continue to keep doing what we do but within a much bigger infrastructure alongside powerful and important agencies."

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