The Communications Council has a number of special interest groups which manage issues and develop initiatives to address emerging opportunities and challenges in the marketing communications industry.
The committees are driven by a common goal, to raise the profile of agency value through best practice standards and principles. How they do this varies, depending on the needs of the member group they represent. Committees bring together like-minded people who are passionate about the industry, prepared to exchange experiences and committed to making change for good.
Finance
The Finance Forum operates out of Sydney where Finance Directors/Managers drawn from the states’ 70-plus member agencies meet on a quarterly basis. The meetings encourage open exchange of sometimes sensitive or confidential information. Discussion points typically cover the salary and cost & income surveys, remuneration models, agency-client and employee contracts, pitching documentation and procurement issues.
Broadcast Production
As broadcast specialists deal with talent issues, changing production house models, changing codes, this group- like the Finance Forum share experiences and discuss shared issues.
Digital
The increasingly complex media landscape is dominated by digital. Agencies with digital expertise across project management, IA, design, are represented on the committee. Projects have included release of a legal guide for digital media, training for agencies on legal implications in social media, development of digital pitching guidelines and representation to government on cyber-safety.
Healthcare
Consisting of leading healthcare marketing communications agencies, the Committee runs a program of self regulatory and mandatory code training for agency staff in addition to education for healthcare marketers. Publications include pitching guidelines for healthcare marketers and healthcare salary survey. The group also works in partnership with healthcare regulatory bodies and carries a vote on the therapeutic goods administration code council.
Multicultural
Celebrating cultural diversity in communications, the multicultural group aims to identify market growth opportunities and future trends and establish best practice principles for the development of culturally relevant advertising. The group works with other industry partners including federal government organisation, the Community Relations Commission, to market the value of commercial creativity.
Gender Diversity
The Gender Diversity Group is a committee focused on addressing the gender imbalance in management in the marketing communications industry. It was founded to raise awareness with and influence the industry’s decision makers on the value of nurturing and retaining a gender balanced workforce in light of the emonstrable commercial success of gender diverse organisations Its focus is in providing practical tools to assist organisation’s management in securing a gender balanced workforce.
Public Relations Council
The Public Relations Council represents the consumer PR specialty within the marketing communications industry. It is focused on championing earned media, representing the interests of the consumer public relations agencies to other specialties within the marketing communications industry, as well as clients and the wider business community, providing a unified voice on issues facing the consumer public relations speciality and developing specific training, advice and best practice projects of relevance to PR professionals.
State Committees
Committees operate nationally to bring members together to address relevant state based issues. These committees work with representatives from State and Local Government organisations to raise the profile and value of marketing communications as part of a broader objective to protect marketing freedoms.
We have the following committees.
Youngbloods
The Youngbloods is dedicated to providing young people under 30 with an opportunity to meet and network with other young people in advertising and to have a voice on future directions.
APMA Ignite
APMA Ignite exists to foster fresh, young thinking in a string of marketing industries by providing opportunities for under 30s to learn, share, socialise and grow. Ignite is a hub for advice, advocacy and a motivator of change for people working in a range of Australian marketing industries.
Originally launched in 2009 as the APMA Young Stars, the committee held a range of successful educational and social events in Sydney for several years. In 2012 APMA Young Stars evolved into APMA Ignite. Led by a brand new committee of under 30s APMA Ignite will aim to ignite new ideas and create new connections.
Would you like to know more about our activities or join one of the Committees? Contact Genevieve@communicationscouncil.org.au.