New industry body aims to raise marketers’ status in Japan

The business of marketing has become increasingly complicated and sophisticated in recent years. Yet the career development path for people in the sector remains unclear, especially in Japan, where the role does not have a long history.

The Marketer Career Association aims to improve this situation. It outlines its goals as being to define the value of marketing as a profession; to demonstrate the ability of marketing to move business; to support professional marketers’ career development; and to “market people’s marketing thinking”.

The outfit’s representative director, Shinichi Ono, said his experience working in recruitment in the sector has left him feeling that “there are many people who do not know the value of their own career”. Through the association, he hopes to open up opportunities for marketers that he has not had the benefit of in his career.

Six marketers with experience in Japan and internationally join Ono as directors. They include Toshihisa Aikawa of eplus; Masaru Akiyama of basic; Takeshi Suzuki of New Balance; Junya Tanaka of Infobahn; Tomonobu Tominaga of Ito-Yokado; and Ayumi Fujimoto of Plug and Play Japan.

In a panel discussion held at the launch of the association, Suzuki said he wanted to make “the marketer’s identity socially appreciated”.

Tominaga added that marketing is lonely work in which it can be challenging to get other stakeholders on-side. He said it had occurred to him in the past that an organisation offering support would make life easier and more enjoyable.

The association will offer free membership and conduct mentorship programmes, seminars and surveys.