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Membership & Status Report (cont'd)

Issues

During Bruce's visit in October 1997, Mr. Cheong made reference to several important issues facing the world wide discipline of marketing and its structure by the year 2000.

The first issue was the formation of a World Marketing Federation (WMF), an international body empowered with the responsibility of coordinating and governing the marketing profession. This Federation is being put forward by the Asia Pacific Marketing Federation and its equivalent bodies in Europe and the AMA in the United States. These organizations met in Hong Kong at the end of May 1997 to discuss the procedures and time line in making this idea a reality.

Mr. Cheong's next comment, that "the American Marketing Association (AMA) was claiming to speak for and represent Canada in this process," was both disheartening and distressful. Canada is once again being left out of a very important process and missing its opportunity to provide input and influence during the preliminary stages of development. Mr. Cheong, as I am sure are many of his colleagues, was unaware Canada has its own Institute and it is a professional body unlike the AMA. This mis-informed belief is as much Canada's responsibility for not actively pursuing the relationship building at the Institute level in support of its members. This leads to the next issue.

Upon hearing Canada had an Institute Mr. Cheong encouraged Bruce, and another member of the Institute, preferably the President, to attend two up-coming conferences in the Asia region where the world wide initiative is being developed and put forward.

The first conference, Asia Pacific Marketing is hosted by the Indonesian Marketing Association in Bali Indonesia, November 21-22, 1997. Along with the extensive itinerary, further planning and discussion of the WMF will occur.

The second conference is in Tokyo Japan, April 13 and 14, 1998. This conference, called Marketing 2001: Toward Creation and Innovation also marks the 40th anniversary of the Japan Marketing Association (JMA). The JMA was responsible for laying the foundation of the APMF. Once again the Canadian Institute's welcome and congratulatory message in the conference's advertising and promotion is conspicuous by its absence along side the European and American messages.

Unless there is a real sense of urgency and interest shown by Canada and its Marketing Institute there is a very good chance Canadian marketing professionals will be lumped in with the Americans. They will in turn loose their own individual credibility and respect within the global market, impacting on Canada's trade surplus and economic growth.

As an Association, the Canadian Institute of marketing needs to be represented. Given Bruce's work in the region and the strength of his relationships in the marketing area it is proposed the canadian Institute send both Bruce and the President, James Jarrett of the Institute to represent Canada's and its members' interests at these conferences.

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