Honing Your Marketing Skills

I have served on no less than ten board of directors marketing committees for not-for-profit organizations, having chaired at least half of them.  While I really enjoy helping build marketing capacity for those organizations, there is a more selfish motive too. I am constantly exposed to a variety of marketing challenges and issues outside of my brand strategy consultancy and I have the opportunity to solve them with other marketing professionals who are also generous enough to contribute their time and talents. 

Some organizations use the committees to create and execute their marketing plans while other organizations bring specific issues to the committees to solve, often through brainstorming, which is always energizing and fun. Some organizations expect donated graphic arts and copywriting services among other marketing services. One organization, The Advertising Council of Rochester, has strategic roundtables through which marketing professionals focus for a half day on one not-for-profit organization's specific marketing issue. We ideate ways to solve the issue with maximum impact at minimum cost. The sessions generate dozens of ideas which are then culled down to the most promising ones.

As a marketing professional, I highly recommend that you volunteer your time on a not-for-profit organization's marketing committee.  You will feel good about the difference that you are making, you will have a chance to network with peers and you will keep your marketing skills finely honed, especially in the context of low cost, high impact marketing activities and approaches.

My participation on these committees adds to the experience I gain in working with so many different clients in different industries. It is one of the most rewarding things I do.