Board Member Spotlight: Jon Anderson
Former president of AMA Atlanta, Jon Anderson enjoys the organization so much that he is our longest-tenured board member. Next time you see him, ask just how long that is – he always pretends not to remember when the subject comes up at board meetings!
Board position: Treasurer
Company: Principal, Andersen Law Firm
Why do you love AMA? I have been an active member of AMA for more years now than I can remember, and have served on the Board for almost the same number of years. Other than the year in which I was president of the Atlanta Chapter, which was enjoyable but a lot of work, every year has been fun, educational and full of nice memories. I have made countless friends and many of these friends have become clients of my law firm. And since my field of practice is centered on advertising, marketing and promotional law, the seminars, SIG events and luncheon speakers have been a great resource to keep me current on the issues facing my clients. It has been a wonderful bang for the buck.
What do you think the marketing landscape will look like in 2020? Predicting the future is always an iffy proposition, but there are some things I feel certain of. The basic human needs will still be the same, and appeal to common human emotions will still be effective. The biggest changes will come in the manner in which marketing information and offers are distributed. Technology changes and innovating thinking will create a variety of new products to enable consumers and B-to-B purchasers to be better informed than ever about available options. Marketers also will know even more about their customers than they do today and will be able to customize products for these customers. Plus, I am sure good marketers will convince me that I really need products that do not even exist today, just like the iPhone which did not exist yesterday. I also think that the government will play an increasing role in establishing rules, guidelines and standards for marketing messages. For those in the foods category, the obesity lobby will not go away until the government begins to get active in the field. Whether we like it or not, the pressure for government intervention is relentless, and marketers will have to deal with it.
What advice do you have for someone entering the marketing field? Get a good education, probably in the liberal arts area. Be sure that you are someone who likes people. Seek employment with reputable companies. Know your product inside and out. Learn, learn and then learn some more, but don’t necessarily get too caught up in the publications of the marketing guru of the moment. Do not be afraid to try something new, and if it fails, learn from it and move on. Be persistent. Trust your instincts. And join the AMA and get active in your local chapter.
Connect with Jon on LinkedIn.
It’s really nice to see Jon highlighted and to have him tell his AMA story. If there is anyone who has been so supportive of AMA/Atlanta over many years it’s Jon Andersen!