Episode 27: Marketing Association – Building Brilliant Marketers

Описание: What does it take to build brilliant marketers in a world of AI, shrinking budgets, and relentless change? This week on Can The Marketing Podcast, Ben from Human Digital and Steph from Q Marketing sit down with John Miles, CEO of the New Zealand Marketing Association, to unpack how the MA is evolving the profession and shaping the next generation of marketing leaders. From FMCG to academia to leading a 52-year-old institution, John shares the strategy, hustle and heart behind it all.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

From Direct Mail to Digital Leadership
The surprising origins of the Marketing Association and how it transformed from the NZ Direct Mail Association into today’s professional body for marketers.

Helping Marketers Be Brilliant
The simple but powerful mission driving the MA and what it really means in practice for members across every stage of their careers.

Turning Crisis into Innovation
How COVID forced a complete rethink of events and education, leading to online programs and partnerships with global marketing heavyweights like Mark Ritson.

Bridging the Gap Between Study and Industry
Inside the Top Talent Marketing School and how it gives high-performing students real-world exposure and industry access before they graduate.

Advanced Marketing Leadership: Not for the Faint-Hearted
What it takes to qualify for AML, why EQ matters as much as experience, and how speed mentoring with top CMOs builds future leaders.

Emerging Marketers on the Rise
The thinking behind the new Emerging Marketer Accelerator and how it supports marketers with two to five years’ experience to step up faster.

AI, Creativity and the Return to Fundamentals
Why John believes the four Ps still matter, why critical thinking is the real AI advantage, and why creativity is entering a new renaissance.

Bonus Nuggets

The MA has been around for 52 years and now runs around 80 events annually.

Membership spans 500 to 600 companies and thousands of individual marketers across NZ.

The organisation has expanded well beyond Auckland into Queenstown, Dunedin, Christchurch, Wellington, Tauranga and Hamilton.

Over 500 student members are now part of the MA community.

The MA golf day raises tens of thousands of dollars for melanoma charities.

Getting 30 plus CMOs in one room, on time, might be John’s greatest annual achievement.

Why Listen?

If you care about the future of marketing in New Zealand, this episode is a must-listen. Whether you are an emerging marketer finding your footing, a CMO shaping strategy, or a business leader investing in capability, this conversation reveals how community, education and leadership development are strengthening the profession from the inside out. It is equal parts strategy, inspiration and practical insight.

Chapters

00:00 – Welcome & Weekend Recap
Laneway, Super Bowl ads and a lively take on celebrity overload.

12:53 – Meet John Miles
From FMCG and breweries to academia and leading the MA.

18:24 – The Origins of the Marketing Association
From Direct Mail roots to a national professional body.

21:07 – What the MA Actually Does
Membership, learning, networking and the “help marketers be brilliant” mission.

23:56 – Top Talent Marketing School
Connecting top university students with real businesses.

31:29 – Advanced Marketing Leadership (AML)
Selection criteria, speed mentoring and building senior capability.

33:47 – 80 Events a Year
How the MA fuels community across the country.

42:38 – The Future of Marketing
AI efficiency, critical thinking, ROI pressure and the renaissance of creativity.

46:47 – Final Thoughts
Why giving back strengthens the entire marketing ecosystem.