The Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) is undergoing a radical restructure, which will see national Chapters, such as MMA UK, superceded by regional Chapters. An Asia-Pacific Chapter launched two weeks ago, and the EMEA Chapter launches officially on 15 March. The UK has been granted an unelected Founding Member position on the EMEA Board, and this will be taken by Enpocket Europe MD David Barker, who was selected for the role by the UK Chapter.
I was Treasurer of MMA UK in 2006, but I think my selection also had something to do with the fact that at Enpocket, my remit is pan-European says Barker. I have a real passion for this, so Im looking forward to the role.
MMA Global Executive Director Laura Marriott told Mobile Marketing that the move to regional Chapters had been driven by the fact that brand, agency and operator members are increasingly looking for global guidelines and best practices, rather than national ones.
It does not negate the importance of regional or national initiatives, but we will be gloablising as much as possible going forward said Marriott. As an example, she cited the MMAs mobile advertising guidelines, which were initially developed in the US, but which have since been deployed in Hong Kong, China, Singapore, Turkey and Spain.
The MMA UK is the first European chapter to sign an agreement with MMA EMEA. The UK Board of Directors will continue to operate for this calendar year, but after that, said Marriott, governance and administration will be handled at an EMEA level.
National activities will still occur, and there will be leadership at a national level, but the formal governance structure will be at a regional level she said. She added that the UK Chapter had been extremely supportive of the move and that Barker had been instrumental in making it happen.
But while governance will pass to the EMEA Board, Barker said that it is likely that the UK Board will continue to exist for many years to come.
I would suggest that the UK board will continue as is, but that it will not have the legal status said Barker. Otherwise, how would things get done in the UK? If there is drive, enthusiasm and passion within the UK mobile marketing community, then there will be individuals wanting to join a board in the UK to drive things forward.
Barker added that as the current Interim Chairman of the UK Chapter, while a new Chairman is being elected, he is seeing a lot of interest from senior people in agencies and at mobile operators wanting to get involved.
The MMA is currently in the process of taking nominations for the EMEA Board of Directors, with Marriott describing the quality of candidates putting their name forward as outstanding. Marriott confirmed that outgoing MMA UK Chairman Nick Wiggin has not put his name forward for election to the EMEA Board.