Qualifications
- A strong desire to increase diverse inclusion in local AAF chapter and in the marketing/media industries
- Friendly, approachable and inviting. Must like sourcing and meeting new people
- Courageous, able to have “uncomfortable” conversations and receive/discuss criticism with grace
- An active professional in the advertising, design, marketing/media industry (related industries could include art, communications, advocacy, etc.).
Duties
Aggregate database of known and unknown marketing and media professionals and groups from various backgrounds in your city.
Use your existing connections from different backgrounds:
- Who has the chapter already worked with in some way, shape or form?
- Who is already a member of your chapter that can be a resource?
- Who have you already recognized/awarded in the past?
- Who are you affiliated with outside of AAF personally or professionally?
Have personal conversations with the contacts gathered above:
Be upfront about your intentions:
- Goal is to increase inclusion in the marketing/media industries in an authentic way by increasing exposure and offering benefits to qualified people and groups you are not currently engaging.
Be prepared to give something before or at the same time as asking for something:
- Make sure that all ideas are mutually beneficial, not just for the new connection but also for anyone they connect you to.
- Determine current club benefits/connections/opportunities that are most valuable to those outside of membership
- Determine how can you reframe current offerings to appeal to the needs/wants/culture of groups outside of current membership
Create ongoing agreements:
- How can your offering/collab be made on a regular basis or long-term?
- Set goals for how many people can/will be affected by this partnership. These may start as projections that can be adjusted in the future.
- Ensure that you are participating as much as the new partner. Don’t just invite them to come to your events or join your membership, do the same in return.
- If you say you’re going to “support” your partner, make sure it is in a measurable way(s) and make good on your offer. Ex. if you say that you will invite your “membership” to your partner’s event, ensure that a large group attends, not just one or two people. The level of your participation speaks volumes!
- Look at your current programs/benefits/offerings and examine how inviting and accessible they are for new participants.
- Are they at expensive restaurants or in a monolithic part of town? Hold affordable events at accessible locations
- Are there ways that new attendants are intentionally introduced AND engaged with by existing membership during the event?
- Run your plans by the new connections that you’ve made or plan events with your partner from the beginning so that all perspectives are shared and needs met upfront.
Create or assist in the creation of a strategic plan for implementing the above objectives
Plan to include at minimum:
- What will be done and when
- Who the partnership is with and a profile of them/their organization
- Budget
- Goals: attendance, money raised, communication reach, etc.
- Longer term plans/ideas for how communication or collaboration will be sustainable after initiation
Remain in consistent communication with your Mosaic Chairs
Communicate with District at least quarterly to report on progress and gain feedback.