An Open Letter to Marketers in the Tampa Bay Area.
This is an open letter addressed to those established marketing professionals who have made Tampa Bay home while working tirelessly in a field that seemingly changes as fast as the weather does. This open letter is addressed to those young professionals who are part of the next, great generation of innovators through their marketing ingenuity. This is an open letter to the communicators, creators, supporters, doers and to anyone that has worked in a position where the end consumer is the most important aspect of the business.
The most critical thing we have to do as marketers is create customer value. Not only do we have to find the right channel and messaging, but we need to ensure we can stand by our words with our reciprocal actions and promises. While the AMA Tampa Bay does not have customers, we have members. Our members are afforded additional benefits that the general population does not receive. In order to retain and grow our membership, we need to do what every company in business should strive to do, create value.
It is with great excitement that we announce our refocused strategy to create such value. The AMA Tampa Bay is putting our members first and is making a commitment to improving the benefits each member receives by being part of an exclusive organization. We are forging forward and revamping our entire strategy with the sole focus on creating member value. We are making major changes to the way we operate and interact with marketers in the area to boost satisfaction with our organization, grow our collective marketing knowledge and prowess, and attract new members to help build a bigger network of some of the best marketing minds in the area.
AMA Tampa Bay is working tirelessly to become the premier source of marketing innovation, knowledge, and professional support in the Tampa Bay area. In addition to providing our members with the tools they need to grow professionally, our goal is to create a community of marketers. In order to do so, AMA Tampa Bay will need to provide access to timely and pertinent content and networking opportunities while using the top-tier marketing platforms in order to ‘practice what we preach.’
The first step in the process is transforming our website into a ‘digital hub.’ I am happy to say that we are not alone in our quest and were not alone with our vision. Through an RFP process, we were able to speak with many creative agencies in and around Tampa Bay to find the right partner to take this journey with us. After a lengthy vetting process, we were able to narrow down ten of the qualifying firms down to just one: Fry Hammond Barr.
Together, we are creating a web-accessible hub that will serve as a catalyst that will transform our organization, the way we do things and our organization’s culture. Our digital hub will include access to video, news feeds and blogs…both original and syndicated from the top marketing minds across the country. Increasing our content in a variety of formats will keep the site ‘fresh’ and up to date with current events in the marketing world.
We have an ambitious project scope that includes some very important features that will give our members a single platform to access limitless resources to help them grow professionally. We are taking small steps at first to ensure success, but plan on rolling out several robust features over the next year. These features all center on increasing member value.
Lastly, a change in our culture and the way we do things must start with a new look. This is includes crafting a brand new AMA Tampa Bay logo we hope to debut soon. Out with the old, in with the new.
This is just a small, first step toward building an organization that provides value well in excess of its membership dues. This is just a small, first step toward building the Bay area’s preeminent professional organization for marketers.
Stay tuned…you’re going to want to be part of this revolution.
About the Author
Josh Tahan
Josh is the Director of Digital Strategy for AMA Tampa Bay.
In his day job, he is an Associate Research Consultant with Study Hall Research, a brand and consumer research firm in Tampa. Prior to joining Study Hall, Josh held a Senior Marketing position and responsibilities for a healthcare franchise specializing in the treatment of sleep apnea and its accompanying conditions. In his capacity, Josh oversaw marketing, strategic development, and all research activities for this multi-facility outpatient treatment center.
Josh also brings considerable experience with food and food-related businesses and clients, franchisor relations, and marketing and research consulting for companies as large as $150 million in annual revenues.
He is also a seasoned speaker, with a wide range of speaking appearances and lectures under his belt.
Contact Josh at [email protected]