Over six years ago, the American Marketing Association (AMA) established a program for certifying marketers entitled the Professional Certified Marketer (PCM) designation. I earned this designation in 2002, but have since gone inactive, due to limitations in how much my company and the University will reimburse for professional association dues. Recently, I was contacted by the leaders of a PCM group that is forming on LinkedIn.com
The rationale behind the PCM is that individuals who have dedicated their careers to marketing and have mastered an appropriate body of knowledge deserve recognition. Moreover, the public at large should benefit from a higher level of professionalism by those who dispense marketing advice. Certification supports the notion that there is a body of knowledge that should be mastered by those who practice marketing as a career. Certification may seem pretentious to some, but it is in line with other professions that have sought to raise the threshold for those who would practice in the profession.
For MBAs who are active in marketing roles, it is particularly interesting because just as AMA members must agree to abide by a code of ethics so must PCM holders (whether they are AMA members or not). A copy of the AMA code of ethics can be found here: http://www.marketingpower.com/content435.php An AMA member who violates this code of ethics can be expelled from the Association and any PCM holder can have their certification revoked. It is important to note that the marketing profession is attempting to police unethical practices within its ranks and raise the general level of professionalism of marketers.
With regard to the PCM exam and the marketing profession, a standard principles of marketing will be helpful for exam preparation. Anyone who has an appropriate Bachelor's degree and four years of documented experience or an appropriate Master's degree and two years of documented experience may sit for the PCM exam. The PCM exam is a 5 hour long, 240 question test that covers the following subject matter, which happens to parallel much of the material that we will be discussing in a standard principles of marketing course:
1. Legal, Ethical and Professional Issues in Marketing
1.1 Comply with appropriate regulations, laws and guidelines affecting marketing
1.2 Adhere to applicable ethical codes
1.3 Engage in ongoing professional development to advance competence and practice
2. Relationship, Information and Resource Management
2.1 Set priorities, allocate organizational resources and establish information channels linking departments, disciplines, and/or branch offices regarding marketplace, consumers, and competitors
2.2 Establish and manage internal and external relationships with appropriate/relevant stakeholders to support/facilitate marketing efforts
3. Assessment and Planning of the Strategic Marketing Process
3.1 Conduct environmental analyses by identifying industry trends, analyzing competitors, assessing own organization and researching the customer in order to evaluate a marketing situation and guide strategy development/selection.
3.2 Conduct market research to collect data related to environmental scans, demand forecasts, market segmentation, new product testing, etc. to guide/support marketing strategy development/selection
3.3 Develop a market-product focus by setting marketing objectives (based on marketing and product), segmenting the market, identifying target segment(s), and positioning the product, good, or service
4. Use of the Marketing Mix
4.1 Develop strategies to introduce a new product to a market based on product characteristics, market information and corporate objectives
4.2 Identify appropriate direct marketing promotional strategies (personal selling, advertising, sales promotion, publicity, etc.) to achieve marketing goals
4.3 Develop appropriate retail/wholesale "place" strategies (channel of distribution, store location, etc.) to achieve marketing objectives.
4.4 Develop appropriate pricing strategies (actual price, sale price, MSRP, etc.) by analyzing demand, cost and profit relationships to realize pricing/profitability goals and marketing objectives.
5. Marketing Evaluation
5.1 Monitor and evaluate effectiveness of marketing process(es), programs and outcomes
I recommend the PCM designation for those who are active in marketing, because it is gaining ground as a credential that filters those who have prepared for general marketing management roles from those who have not. Moreover, the designation is not difficult to attain for those who practice marketing and have done well in a rigorous principles of marketing course. For more information on the Professional Certified Marketer (PCM) exam, visit the link below in the references.
Reference
http://www.marketingpower.com/content591.php
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