The Direct Marketing Association apparently has big plans for its councils. However, it’s anyone’s guess what they are.
DMA President John Greco on Monday sent a buzzword-laden, vague letter to members saying the organization is changing the names of the council operating committees to advisory committees and that it would appoint chairs — or co-chairs where appropriate — to serve one-year terms beginning Nov. 1.
“Each DMA special-interest council will restructure its current operating committee (OpCom) as a new advisory committee (AC),” the letter said.
The DMA appointing council chairs is a dramatic change in policy. Until now, members have voted them in.
“Why are we doing this? We want to develop a more strategic thought-leadership process within each council. Advisory committees from each special-interest segment will advise DMA staff on key issues and questions that are current in that special-interest sector,” Greco’s letter said.
“With this kind of ‘Counsel from the Councils’ our expectation is that we’ll raise the level of dialogue on substantive issues that connect each council to the overall direct marketing process — for the benefit of all.”
Greco reportedly delivered similar information on a conference call.
Besides leaving many extremely confused, the announcement also gave some members the impression that the DMA plans to clean house of current council leadership.
However, Sue Geramian, senior vice president of communications for the DMA, said drastic council-leadership changes aren’t necessarily in the works. She said the DMA will assess each council’s needs on a case-by-case basis.
“The chairs will be appointed by the DMA as appropriate,” she said. “If it’s the same person, so be it. If it’s someone different, that’ll be what’s best for the council.”
Currently, the councils serve a variety of purposes, such as advising the DMA on the type of content that should be included in conferences and who should be invited to speak at them. For the council’s all-volunteer participants, the lure is the ability to network and the cache that comes with the affiliation. Some council participants are reportedly none too happy with what they perceive as an attempt by the DMA to centralize control over them.
Also, as is usually the case with trade groups, the DMA’s councils are vendor heavy. As a result, some are speculating that among Greco’s goals is to get more marketers participating on them.
Database marketing consultant and former business-to-business council chairwoman Bernice Grossman said at first, she was shocked by the DMA’s announcement, but has since decided to take a wait-and-see attitude.
“I think we ought to give them a chance,” she said. “Let’s see what they come up with.”
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