AFA-AWARD merger is a good thing, but MFA stubborness is a lost opportunity
So what to make of the rumblings from Australia’s various industry bodies last week?
First comes the news that the Advertising Federation of Australia, the Account Planning Group and AWARD are set to merge.
For many that will come as no great surprise. Indeed, like many people, I’d assumed that the APG – which exists to promote good planning – was already a part of the AFA – certainly it already receives secretariat support.
And until a year or two ago, AWARD lives in the same building as the AFA. (It also seems that in tough years, the AFA occasionally helped out when AWARD lost money.)
But after a short period of life on its own two feet, it appears that AWARD – Australia’s biggest creative awards body – is back under the umbrella, but perhaps on the AFA’s terms this time. It makes sense – the AFA has already proved that it can organise major awards though the successful reinvigoration of the Effies effectiveness awards. Although nobody has tackled the question, once the two organisations are together, you’d expect to see some financial savings being made.
So good, so logical.
But here’s the bit that doesn’t make sense to me. The Media Federation of Australia has rejected the overtures. And I understand there were a lot of overtures
That’s the bit that seems stupid.
Bringing the AFA, which represents ad agencies, and MFA, which predominantly looks after media agencies, together would create one organisation that would be a great deal more influential that the two separate entities.
Yet, it looks like the MFA is going to miss out on the chance to influence the foundation of this new organisation. It seems short sighted. particularly when the under-siege industry should be talking to the government with one voice.
The interests of the two bodies are so closely aligned. Effectively both are in a supplier relationship to advertisers. Both face the same regulatory and financial issues. It’s a little ridiculous that there were two bodies in the first place.
It would certainly have been a sensible counterbalance to the clientside organisation, the Australian Association of National Advertisers.
Arguably, the organisation still effectively controls the Advertising Standards Bureau through its chairmanship by former AANA leader Ian Alwill. It seems slightly incongrous that agency representatives don’t get a turn in that role. But why would they, when neither body is particularly powerful on its own?
For now though, the enlarged AFA (or whatever it calls itself) and MFA are going their own separate ways.
It’s a lost opportunity.
Tim Burrowes
Linkedin
Tim, the full merger story is here: http://www.campaignbrief.com/2.....y-sup.html
It seems to be a lost opportunity for the MFA, but not really. You’ll find they will be represented on the new board as most of the big media players are owned by the agencies. But I suspect they will join officially with a year or two.
As to AWARD, it’s only a positive, in fact the deputy chair of the organisation will always be reserved for the AWARD chairman. It’s certainly not under the AFA’s terms (as in controlled by them). The AFA, APG and AWARD will still remain separate entities.
Here’s what AWARD chairman Richard Maddocks, ECD of Clemenger BBDO, Sydney sent to Australia’s top creative directors recently, which received positive feedback:
Over the past few months AWARD has been conducting discussions with the AFA and APG about the possibility of forming a new organisation.
These discussions have escalated to a point where we see such significant benefits to AWARD and our members that we feel the idea is worthy of taking to our membership.
This would not be merely a merger between the AWARD, The AFA and The APG, but the vision is to create a body that includes, represents and champions all parts of our diverse industry.
For AWARD, it’s about having the creative side of our business brought to the forefront of this organisation as opposed to a faction on the side.
We have long been frustrated by the inability of AWARD to create new activities and events mainly due to resourcing.
This is our opportunity to do that.
The AWARD Committee would continue as it does in its current role and our current activities would continue.
The AWARD brand will continue. AWARD School, the AWARD Awards and AWARD Hall of Fame would all continue.
The Award Chairman would sit on the board of the new organisation (yet to be named) as well.
It’s the possibility of galvanising the industry and using the bulk of the new organisation to move ahead and do more, both for our members and for the benefit of the industry as a whole that is most attractive to us.
The benefits, neatly summarised and bullet-pointed are:
•Greater administration resource
•Larger membership department
•New resource for delivery of creative member services
•All existing services protected by constitution
•Economies of scale delivering more
•Board representation with an AWARD Committee member always as Deputy Chair
•Creativity and Production at the heart of the major industry association
AWARD’s future guaranteed.
In the coming weeks we will be calling an Extraordinary General Meeting and asking our members to vote on the forming of this organisation.
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Beyond what its member bodies do, I wonder if the new body (whatever it’s called) will set up an Uber Awards that cuts across all disciplines???
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Creatives aren’t going to like less gongs being handed out. After all, that’s what’s all about, right guys!
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Tim,
The MFA supports the notion of a strong voice to protect and to promote the broader communications industry and we have offered our resources to sit on any committees or working groups moving forwards. We believe in a collaborative approach towards regulatory issues and the future lobbying of Canberra too. In fact, we have also offered to put forward nominees to sit on the new national board being formed. We declined to disband the MFA and collapse our P&L into the new collective body, that was all. We offer our full cooperation and support on all issues and do not see this as a hurdle or barrier to future success.
We have voted to retain our P&L to continue the programs and initiatives that are specific to the Media Industry and this should have no bearing whatsoever on the success of collaboration on the goals of protection and promotion at a broader collective level. I would go one step further by saying we embrace our inclusion on these important goals.
Gary Hardwick
President, MFA
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When “the deputy chair of the organisation will always be reserved for the AWARD chairman”, why would anyone want to join something that is not a meritocracy?
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Maybe there is more than one Deputy Chairman?
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