Marketing Association NZ

1. Business / Trading Name: New Zealand Marketing Association Incorporated (commonly known as the Marketing Association New Zealand or MA NZ). Formerly registered as New Zealand Direct Marketing Association Incorporated until a 2005 name change.

2. Company number: 217688.

3. NZBN: 9429042679004.

4. Entity type: Incorporated Society (not-for-profit membership association).

5. Business classification: Industry trade association for marketing and advertising services (registered as a non-profit professional body).

6. Industry Category: Marketing & Advertising – the MA is the only NZ industry body dedicated to the marketing profession.

7. Year founded: 1974 (the Marketing Association was formed in 1974).

8. Addresses: Registered Office – 69 St Georges Bay Road, Parnell, Auckland 1052, New Zealand. Postal – PO Box 137266, Parnell, Auckland 1151.

9. Website URL: marketing.org.nz (official website).

10. LinkedIn URL: linkedin.com/company/marketing-association/ (Marketing Association company page on LinkedIn).

11. Company Hub NZ URL: As an Incorporated Society there is no Company Hub listing

12. NZ Companies Office URL: https://app.businessregisters.govt.nz/sber-businesses/viewInstance/view.html?id=229a78e05307b6d8bf1b29667f00cb1776eb893ab2dfeec6

13. Social Media URLs: Facebook – facebook.com/MarketingAssocNZ; Instagram – instagram.com/marketingassociationnz (primary social handles). The MA also maintains an active LinkedIn presence (23k followers).

14. Ultimate Holding Company: None. The Marketing Association is a standalone incorporated society with no parent holding company (member-governed, not owned by any corporate group).

15. Key Shareholders: None (no share capital). Instead, the Association is supported by its members (over 7,500 member firms and professionals as of 2024). Major member companies include banks, insurers, retailers, telecoms, utilities, and government agencies (see item 21).

16. Leadership: John Miles – Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Kirsty Jamieson – Chief Operating Officer (COO). Keith Norris – Compliance Consultant (former CEO). Emma Watson – Chair of the National Board. Other senior team members include Debbie Curtz (Membership & Partnerships Manager) and Lone Tapp (Content Manager).

17. Staff: The Association is a mid-sized non-profit employer with roughly 11–50 employees (estimated). Staff are based primarily in Auckland and run the MA’s events, training, membership services and advocacy work.

18. Staff that have held previous government roles: No significant ex-government officials identified. MA leadership predominantly comes from private-sector marketing backgrounds (e.g. CEO John Miles’ career spans FMCG, advertising, and education, not public service). There is no public record of MA staff having held political office or senior government regulatory roles.

19. Past Employees: Keith Norris – former long-time CEO (led the Association through the 1990s–2000s). Sue McCarty – CEO from ~2009 to mid-2010s. Tony Mitchell – CEO 2017–2019 (later became Chair of the NZ Shareholders’ Association). Each played a notable role in the Association’s development and advocacy efforts.

20. Clients: Not applicable. As an industry association, the MA does not serve external “clients” in a commercial sense. Its constituency is its member organisations and marketing professionals. MA’s members include major corporations across finance, retail, telecommunications, utilities, media, and even government departments, which the Association supports via training, events, and lobbying on their behalf.

21. Industries/sectors represented: Broad multi-sector representation. MA’s membership spans virtually all sectors that engage in marketing – including banking and insurance, supermarkets and retail, telecommunications, energy/utilities, technology, media, and government agencies. This diversity reflects marketing’s role across the economy; the Association speaks for corporate marketers in all these industries.

22. Publicly Disclosed Engagements: The Marketing Association occasionally discloses its lobbying in submissions or industry forums (though NZ lacks a formal lobby register). For example, MA submitted to Parliament’s Justice Select Committee in 2024 on a Privacy Act amendment, recommending changes on behalf of marketers. It has also published op-eds in trade media about its advocacy (e.g. explaining how it met with MPs regarding data privacy legislation). However, detailed records of meetings with officials are not publicly released.

23. Affiliations: Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) – MA is a founding member of the ASA, NZ’s industry self-regulatory body for advertising content. Global DMA – MA is part of the Global Data & Marketing Alliance, linking marketing associations worldwide. It is also affiliated with various marketing and advertising industry groups and upholds all relevant industry codes (direct marketing, email marketing, etc.) endorsed by these bodies.

24. Sponsorships / Collaborations: The Association is backed by several Principal Business Partners (sponsors) – currently including Westpac, Google, The Research Agency, Spark, and Goodman Fielder – which provide funding and collaborate on events and programs. MA often partners with media and corporates on initiatives (e.g. YouTube co-sponsors the annual NZ Marketing Award). The MA also collaborates with educational institutions and international experts to deliver training and certifications.

25. Events: The MA organises many flagship events and awards for the marketing community. Major annual events include the TVNZ-NZ Marketing Awards (recognising marketing excellence), the NZ Direct Marketing (NZDM) Awards, and regular professional development forums like “Brainy Breakfasts” seminars, Sunrise Sessions, Knowledge Bites webinars, and conferences such as Digital Day Out. These events draw marketers nationwide and reinforce MA’s industry leadership.

26. Political Donations: None disclosed. The Marketing Association itself does not appear in NZ Electoral Commission records as a donor to political parties, and as a non-profit industry body it generally avoids direct political donations. Its influence is exercised via advocacy and submissions rather than financial contributions to politicians (no public evidence of any donations as of the last decade).

27. Controversies: The Association has largely avoided major public scandals. However, critics have occasionally questioned its approaches to self-regulation and transparency. For instance, privacy advocates have expressed concern that the MA’s voluntary “Do Not Call/Do Not Mail” list lacks enforcement teeth (since non-member telemarketers can ignore it). The MA’s website and digital strategy drew some criticism from within the marketing community in the late 2000s (e.g. bloggers poked fun at the MA’s old website usability), but these were minor reputation blips. Overall, the MA has maintained a reasonably positive public profile, presenting itself as a professional authority for marketers.

28. Other information of note (Media and Public Profile): The Marketing Association is the de facto voice of NZ’s marketing industry. Its leaders are often quoted in marketing media (e.g. NZ Marketing Magazine, StopPress) rather than mainstream political news. The MA’s own channels highlight its advocacy quietly – e.g. blog posts by Keith Norris explaining pending laws. Public awareness of the MA is relatively low, except within business circles. It has a substantial online following for a B2B organisation (over 23,000 LinkedIn followers as of 2025). In 2024 the MA celebrated its 50th anniversary, using that milestone to promote the value of marketing to NZ’s economy. Its overall public messaging frames the Association as both champion of marketing’s interests and a promoter of “responsible” marketing practices (e.g. privacy principles), a dual positioning some critics view with skepticism.

29. Recipient of Wage Subsidy Scheme: Yes. The Marketing Association received the government’s COVID-19 wage subsidy in 2020.

Sources:

1. New Zealand Marketing Association Incorporated – Company Profile, BizDb (NZ Company Directory), https://www.bizdb.co.nz/company/9429042679004/ (registration date, NZBN, company number, entity type).

2. Submission to the Justice Select Committee on the Privacy Amendment Bill (About the Marketing Association), Marketing Association (marketing.org.nz), 2024 – PDF excerpt, https://marketing.org.nz/hubfs/Submission%20to%20the%20Justice%20Select%20Committee%202024.pdf (formed in 1974; industry body for marketing; membership size).

3. New Zealand Marketing Association Incorporated – Company Summary, BusinessCheck, https://www.businesscheck.co.nz/ltd/9429042679004/ (registered address and postal address).

4. Marketing Association LinkedIn Page (About section), LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/company/marketing-association/ (industry category as Advertising Services; organization type as Nonprofit; company size; follower count; mission statement quote).

5. Keith Norris: How To Make An Impact, NZ Herald, 10 June 2008 (premium content key points), https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/keith-norris-how-to-make-an-impact/7MJRTWGHCX5HZXJQ2H3TSM4574/ (Keith Norris honoured; noted as former CEO of the Marketing Association).

6. Marketing Association Launches Global First, Scoop News, 20 Feb 2009, https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0902/S00368.htm (Sue McCarty quoted as New Zealand Marketing Association Chief Executive in 2009).

7. Marketing Association appoints John Miles new CEO, NZ Herald, 9 Sep 2019, https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/marketing-association-appoints-john-miles-new-ceo/D7GL7R7XT2ZVI3AKHTRPJS7744/ (announcement that John Miles takes over as CEO, succeeding Tony Mitchell who served 2.5 years).

8. “We are a member organisation of the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA)…”, Marketing Association Privacy Bill Submission (2024), marketing.org.nz – PDF excerpt (MA’s affiliation with ASA and commitment to ASA codes).

9. Do Not Call Register: Everything You Need to Know (New Zealand section), ContactSpace Blog, 2019, https://www.contactspace.com/blog/do-not-call-register (explains NZ’s do-not-call list is run by the Marketing Association; only MA members honor it).

10. Leadership Team – About Us, Marketing Association (marketing.org.nz), 2025, https://marketing.org.nz/about-us (profiles of John Miles – CEO, and Keith Norris – Compliance Consultant).

11. MA Submission on Privacy Amendment Bill – Key Recommendations, Marketing Association Resource Hub, 6 Nov 2024, https://marketing.org.nz/resource-hub/regulatory-privacy/big-news-…select-committee-approves-privacy-amendment-bill (Keith Norris outlines MA’s four recommendations for Privacy Bill; seeks exemptions for charities, small businesses, and one-off data use).

12. Justice Committee Meeting – MA’s Input on Privacy Bill, NZ Marketing Magazine, 16 Dec 2024, https://nzmarketingmag.co.nz/our-strong-voice-on-law-changes/ (describes how the Marketing Association met with the Justice Select Committee to advocate for marketers during law changes, e.g. Privacy Act amendments).

13. Principal Business Partners (Sponsors) – Marketing Association Home, Marketing Association (marketing.org.nz), 2025, https://marketing.org.nz/ (lists MA’s Principal Business Partners such as Westpac, Google, The Research Agency, Spark, Goodman Fielder).

14. TVNZ partnership – “TVNZ Joins NZ Marketing Association’s Advanced Marketing Leadership Programme”, MA Latest News (marketing.org.nz), 2023, https://marketing.org.nz/ (example of collaboration with TVNZ on leadership program).

15. “Including the TVNZ NZ Marketing Awards, NZDM Awards, Brainy Breakfasts…”, About Us – Marketing Association, 2025, https://marketing.org.nz/about-us (MA events and awards listed).

16. OIA Response – COVID-19 Wage Subsidy Recipients (excerpt), FYI.govt.nz (Official Information Act request), 2020, https://fyi.org.nz/request/22586/response/85418/attach/3/OIAD%202952%20Attachment%201.csv.txt (shows “NZ Marketing Assn Inc” received $2,196 under wage subsidy).

17. Global Data & Marketing Alliance – New Zealand, GDMA (globaldma.com), 2021, https://globaldma.com/association/new-zealand/ (affiliation listing for NZ Marketing Association; notes purpose, member base, and principal partners Loyalty NZ & Qrious).

18. Sheldon Nesdale, “10 Reasons Why the Marketing Association of New Zealand’s Website Sucks” (comments section), MarketingFirst.co.nz (blog), 7 Sep 2009, https://www.marketingfirst.co.nz/2009/09/10-reasons-why-the-marketing-association-of-new-zealands-website-sucks/ (discussion where commenters debate MA’s website and member dues, illustrating minor criticism from marketing community).

Spot anything in this entry that is wrong? Please either leave a comment at the end or email, in confidence: bryce@democracyproject.nz