MA(SA) upgrades marketing designations, launches masterclasses, workshops

This recalibration of the only South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) recognised marketing designations includes:

• The establishment of a Professional Designation Board, comprising some of SA’s leading marketing executives and academics, to serve as a sub-committee of the MA(SA) Board and the ultimate governing structure for professional designations in the marketing industry.

• More rigorously defined criteria and quality assurance standards for each level of the designations process.

• New Continuing Professional Development (CPD) requirements for designated professionals to maintain and retain their designations as practising professional marketers.

• The launch of a series of masterclasses and seminars to enable designated marketers to achieve the new CPD minimum requirements, and provide marketers generally with best practice, cutting-edge thinking, and tools for future fitness.

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MA(SA) CEO Greg Garden notes that “in an industry where skills and proven experience are both difficult to validate and at a premium, it is essential that employers have a proven and trustworthy benchmark against which to validate potential marketing hires – particularly at a senior level – and to facilitate the career development of current staff. The Chartered Marketer SA and associated designations provide exactly that: a rigorously applied industry standard, registered and endorsed by the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA), and directed and quality assured by a body of the country’s top practitioners and academics, that gives employers assurance regarding the credentials of their current and prospective marketing talent. Our local designations have long conformed with international best practice, but had reached a point where revitalisation and improved alignment to transforming industry requirements was essential.”

Over recent months MA(SA) thus embarked on a project to re-align its designations with evolving marketing practice and stakeholder requirements, and to assume full internal responsibility for the quality and control of the designations. It also motivated to SAQA for the creation of a designation that will help facilitate the progression of entry level marketing professionals to the Marketing Practitioner and Chartered Marketer designations.

Having met those requirements, it is pleased to announce the availability of an entry-level Marketing Co-ordinator (SA) designation. It is now possible for marketing professionals at all levels in the industry to be professionally designated based on defined criteria and industry endorsed standards at each level, thereby enhancing their professional recognition and validation in the marketing profession.

Anyone who aspires to obtain a marketing designation will start the process by attending an orientation workshop. This will inform and prepare all candidates, regardless of their current level of expertise, to complete a Portfolio of Qualifications and/or Experience (PQE). In addition to the expertise of fully accredited assessors and mentors (all current CM(SA)s), MA(SA) has also engaged with the Institute of People Development (IPD) as Recognition for Prior Learning (RPL) specialists to help guide this process. Once the orientation workshop has been attended, an assigned mentor will assist candidates to guide them in the compilation of their PQE, and should this submission meet the required criteria and standards, they will be awarded either the Marketing Practitioner or Marketing Coordinator designation. At this stage those candidates who however meet the defined criteria for Chartered Marketer (SA) will then be recommended to the Professional Designations Board to progress to the Preparatory Workshop for the CM(SA) Board Exam. Once this has been completed, they will progress to write the CM(SA) Board Exam. CM(SA) designations are only awarded on the successful completion of the Board Exam.

For existing Chartered Marketers and Marketing Practitioners, MA(SA) has completely overhauled the CPD requirements that enable them to keep their designations current. A critical component of the new criteria is mentorship, putting a leadership and transformation requirement on CM(SA)’s to use their expertise and experience to accelerate skills development and knowledge transfer within an economically vital sector industry. In addition, MA(SA) will stage a series of Masterclasses and seminars, facilitated by practitioner and academic gurus, and presenting current and future fitness oriented best practice. Whilst these sessions will assist designated professionals to meet their CPD requirements, they will be open to the market at large to encourage interest in the professional designations and contribute to the transfer of knowledge and expertise within the marketing industry.

Full details of the marketing professional designations process and all the new criteria and tools available to current and prospective designated marketers can be viewed on the MA(SA) website.

MA(SA) invites all marketers to participate in the professionalisation of their industry. Contact Enrico du Plessis: MA(SA) Professional Designations Project Leader at az.oc.asgnitekram@snoitangised, or Greg Garden: CEO MA(SA) at az.oc.asgnitekram@ofni.

CPD masterclass and workshop series

The series of quarterly marketing masterclasses and workshops will offer support to the CMSA and MPSA designations. These programmes are however open to all marketers as a contribution to the sharing of knowledge and expertise in topics of crucial importance to anyone in a marketing role in South Africa. Designated marketers will qualify for CPD points through attendance of these programmes, and it is anticipated that opening attendance to all interested professionals will also encourage application for admission to the highly regarded and South Africa’s only recognised marketing designations.

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The first of the series of masterclasses and workshops will focus on The Brand Custodian of the Future, and takes place in Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Durban on the following dates:

• Johannesburg: 28 February 2017: CM(SA) Masterclass (07h00 to 12h00) and MP(SA) Workshop (12h30 to 16h00)

• Cape Town: 1 March 2017: CM(SA) Masterclass (07h00 to 12h00) and MP(SA) Workshop (12h30 to 16h00)

• Durban: 2 March 2017: CM(SA) Masterclass (07h00 to 12h00) and MP(SA) Workshop (12h30 to 16h00)

In each of these events a masterclass leader, being a recognised subject matter expert in this domain, will be supported by a group of top practitioners to deliver a deep-dive into an area of strategic importance to marketers. The Brand Custodian of the Future will be led by Dr Ludi Koekemoer, a doyen of marketing education in SA, and lately director of the MBA programme at Monash South Africa, supported by a panel of top marketers. The programme will focus on elements such as:

1. A journey of self-discovery
   
2. Knowledge and skills that you must have
   
3. Key performance factors to be future-fit
   
4. Trends and innovations that will impact on marketers.

For venues and registration go to www.marketingsa.co.za.

Future masterclasses will focus on Marketing Leadership (May 2017), Customer Management (August 2017), Digital Marketing (November 2017), Marketing Communications (February 2018), Marketing Metrics (May 2018), Marketing Strategy (August 2018), and The Future of Marketing (November 2018).

To enrol for the first masterclass or workshop (or the series) go to the Event Registration and complete the enrolment form.

For more information, contact Enrico du Plessis: MA(SA) Professional Designations Project Leader on 082 443 9060 or az.oc.asgnitekram@snoitangised.