I don’t usually make New Year Resolutions, but for 2010 I’ve decide to conjure up a few resolutions to help me focus on my personal brand and not to get distracted.

And by the time you read this, I will almost surely have reneged on the first two. I hereby resolve…

1. to be kinder to those marketers and business people who just don’t get it. People are real, they have real feelings and always deserve respect (most of the time).

2. to be kinder to those laggards at the Australian Marketing Institute – this one is going to be hard.

3. to be kinder to Craig Wilson(@mediahunter) by making more of an effort to respond to his emails, document all our Inbound Marketing processes and contribute more to our corporate blogs.

4. to be kinder to my clients. I’m not actually cruel and I don’t ignore them, but I can always improve.

5. to be more creative with my blog content by producing and publishing more focused content on digital and marketing strategy. And start using my nice new Flip video.

6. to be ready to challenge all industry sacred cows.

7. to be more conversational by means of exchanging a few extra words.

8. to be more inquisitive of all things digital and marketing.

But occasionally, I’ll still throw a few snowballs from time to time…

What do you think?

I’ve just read a very interesting series of blog posts by Allen Mitchell, where he talks about how marketers have made a BIG error – a misperception – that pervades everything marketers do. And OMG he doesn’t hold back on marketing’s traditional belief systems.

But, what is this whopping great big marketing error?

Image from Ralph Buckley

Well, it’s our industry’s belief that marketing is a ‘stimulus-response’ activity where marketers send out various types of stimuli to consumers, whose attitudes and behaviours are then changed, to elicit certain desired responses. I think I have to agree.

Because on this, Allen thinks marketing is suffering from a bad case of schizophrenia.

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According to the Australian Marketing Institute’s latest Directors Report and Annual Accounts, it made a net operating loss of $176,072 for the year ending 30^th June 2009 compared to a surplus of $92,340 in the previous year.

It details an operating loss built on the back of a net increase in membership of 2.8%, a 15.7% net increase in Certified Practising Marketer’s (CPM) and a 9% increase in function revenue. The loss means that the Institutes cash reserve has now been reduced by nearly a third.

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This week the Australian Marketing Institute announced the 11 successful NSW councillors to represent their fellow NSW AMI members.

It is a shame that there isn’t any representives from NSW’s second largest city or the Hunter AMI Group.

Here are the NSW councillors for 2009/10:

• President: Paul Nicolaou AFAMI CPM
• Deputy president: to be advised
• Christopher Mooney AFAMI CPM (state director to National Board)
• Nicholas Ridis FAMI CPM
• Sean Grant AFAMI CPM
• Louise Nock AFAMI CPM
• Frank Cohen AFAMI CPM
• William Scully-Power AMAMI
• Alan Sarkissian FAMI CPM
• Martyn Riddle AMAMI CPM
• MaryJane Aviles AMAMI CPM
• Michael Locke AFAMI CPM

OMG! Is it true? The Australian Marketing Institute is actually having state elections in NSW, elections where members can actually vote for real candidates. Something I’ve been calling on for years.

I would like to encourage all AMI members in NSW to VOTE! It doesn’t matter if you agree with me or not, this is your chance to make a difference and have your say in the future direction of the Institute and the marketing profession.

Image by jrbrubaker

If you are going to vote do it quickly, your ballot paper has to be returned by post or in person to the nominated address, which must be received by 5pm on 28^th September 2009.

There are 9 candidates for 5 vacancies on the NSW State Council.

Here is my ‘How to Vote Card’ for change:

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