ASSOCIATION AND
AWARENESS
PERCEPTION STUDY
Simplified Understanding
April 2014
Insights West: A Brief Introduction
Progressive, full-service market research company offering insights-driven
research solutions and interpretative analysis through leading-edge tools,
normative databases and senior level expertise.
Western focus – we eat,
breath, sleep and live the
west and know the market,
the brands and the
consumers
Senior level team – credibility
in the market, broad range
and depth of research
expertise and specific
experience
2
Insights West: A Brief Introduction (cont.)
Our own consumer panel: over
13,000 in BC and AB and growing
Strong Partnerships:
allows us to
conduct national
and international
studies easily
Technology
enabled: mobile
engaged panel
and expertise with
social media,
digital and online
Great value: lower
costs for very high
calibre work
Tools and
normative
databases: proven
approaches and
context for your
results
Size: small enough
to be nimble,
flexible and
innovative but big
enough to handle
large, complex
projects
Strong industry
expertise: across a
variety of sectors
3
Some of Our Tools
Brand Digital Insights
Brand reputation, ad
tracking and digital
reputation together in
one tool
Video Insights
Adds qualitative
insights to online
surveys through use of
video captured by
panellists
Creative Test Insights
Quantitative, reliable
measurement of
effectiveness of
creative against a
normative database
Employee Satisfaction
Insights
Straightforward and
insightful tool for
measuring employee
satisfaction against
regional and national
benchmarks
4
What People Say and Believe is Quite Amazing…
36%
God
58%
Angels
28%
53%
Heaven
30%
52%
19%
UFOs do exist
Ghosts
16%
Cure for Cancer has been found but is being withheld
16%
52%
48%
38%
21%
Satan
37%
John F. Kennedy assassination
10%
34%
Death of Princess Diana was an assassination
10%
29%
Human being has been cloned
8%
29%
9/11 US government conspiracy
8%
25%
Lottery is rigged 6%
Lunar landings were a hoax 6%
20%
10%
Dinosaurs never existed 3% 4%
Believe completely
Believe somewhat
Base: British Columbia Adults (n=867)
Q. How much do you, personally, believe or disbelieve each of the following conspiracy theories that some people believe?
5
Top 10 Findings
1) Awareness/Familiarity of IABC is low: only
half of business leaders are aware of IABC,
and familiarity is even lower.
6) That being said, 53% of marketing decisionmakers feel there is some value that IABC
brings.
2) However, other more well-known,
organizations (BCAMA,CPRS, SME,AIM, etc.)
also struggle with the same issues.
7) Decision-makers divided on value of
professional communicators overall, and the
value of the designation.
3) Overall ratings of IABC among those familiar
are about the same as other organizations
that struggle with low familiarity.
8) Although perceptions are tough to gauge,
IABC is seen to be professional, intelligent,
honest and in-touch, but also seen as
boring, exclusive, and not too inspiring.
4) Familiarity of the ABC designation among
marketing decision-makers is strikingly low48% never heard of, and a further 27% not
at all familiar.
9) When hiring, perception is that IABC
membership doesn’t matter.
5) Not surprising, value of designation seen as
low as well—only a third as high as
CMA/CPA/CGA.
10)All being said, marketing functions are seen
to be very important—websites, employee
communications, social media and
advertising are tops.
6
DETAILED FINDINGS
Simplified Understanding
Perception and
Familiarity
Simplified Understanding
The Vancouver Board of Trade has the highest
familiarity of the professional associations.
Professional Association Familiarity
Not Familiar
26%
6%
The Vancouver Board of Trade
34%
70%
4%
28%
6%
Your Local Chamber of Commerce
32%
68%
3%
28%
6%
Certified General Accountants of
British Columbia (CGA)
24%
68%
4%
30%
8%
Chartered Accountants of Canada
(CA)
22%
64%
5%
30%
8%
Chartered Professional Accountants
of Canada (CPA)
20%
62%
8%
8% The Canadian Bar Association (CBA) 16%
60%
6%
34%
Not very familiar
Never
Heard Of
Familiar
38%
14%
Certified Management Accountants
16%
of British Columbia (CMA)
38%
22%
Sales & Marketing Executives (SME)
Not at all familiar
6%
51%
20%
Very familiar
12%
43%
Somewhat familiar
Base: All respondents (n=200)
A1. How aware and familiar are you with each of the following professional organizations?
9
Just over half of business leaders in BC are aware
of IABC. However, relatively few are familiar with
what the association does.
Professional Association Familiarity (cont.)
Not Familiar
Never
Heard Of
20%
BC Chapter of the American
Marketing Association (BCAMA)
6%
18%
46%
40%
22%
Young Presidents’ Organization
(YPO)
5%
18%
42%
40%
25%
Canadian Public Relations
Society(CPRS)
7% 16%
44%
39%
24%
International Association of Business
Communicators (IABC)
5% 15%
46%
39%
24%
Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO)
3% 11%
50%
26%
Association of Integrated
Marketers (AIM)
2% 10%
48%
27%
Canadian Business for Social
Responsibility (CBSR)
2%8%
46%
Board of Change
1%6%
61%
36%
42%
47%
34%
Not very familiar
Familiar
22%
Not at all familiar
Very familiar
Somewhat familiar
Base: All respondents (n=200)
A1. How aware and familiar are you with each of the following professional organizations?
10
Almost one quarter of those familiar with IABC give the
association a good overall rating. However, there is a
higher percentage of those familiar who are unable to
provide an overall rating.
Overall Perception of Professional Association
Certified General Accountants of
British Columbia (CGA)
The Vancouver Board of Trade
14%
10%
Your Local Chamber of Commerce
10%
The Canadian Bar Association (CBA)
47%
30%
62%
47%
21%
65%**
31%
73%**
35%
72%
22%
48%
37%
57%
30%
31%
58%
30%*
41%
59%
38%
35%**
23%
16%
12%
6%
Top-3-Box
10%
11%
Chartered Accountants of Canada
(CA)
Chartered Professional Accountants
of Canada (CPA)
Don’t
Know
20%
16%
18%
14%
19%
12%
10%
Certified Management Accountants
8%
10%
of British Columbia (CMA)
Canadian Public Relations
11%
Society(CPRS) 5%
International Association of Business
12%
Communicators (IABC) 5% 5%
15%
12%
14%
43%
37%
17%
33%
22%*
10 – Excellent
9
46%
(Excluding
Don’t Know)
8
*Small base size, interpret with caution; **Very small base size, interpret with extreme caution.
Base: All respondents familiar with brand (n=varies)
A2. How would you rate each of these professional associations overall on a scale of 1 to 10 where 1 is poor, and 10 is excellent?
11
Though only about a quarter of those familiar give IABC
a good rating overall, IABC received similar ratings to
other communication associations such as the CPRS,
BCAMA and AIM.
Overall Perception of Professional Association (cont.)
Young Presidents’ Organization
4%
(YPO)
9%
Sales & Marketing Executives (SME) 3% 5%
BC Chapter of the American
4% 7%
Marketing Association (BCAMA)
Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO) 2%5%
11%
16%
10%
Don’t
Know
Top-3-Box
24%*
43%
51%**
24%*
31%
39%**
36%
37%
21%*
(Excluding
Don’t Know)
12%
19%*
48%
44%**
Board of Change 5% 3% 10%
18%**
59%
37%**
46%
16%*
58%
20%**
Association of Integrated Marketers
4%2% 5% 11%*
(AIM)
Canadian Business for Social
Responsibility (CBSR) 3%2%5% 10%*
10 – Excellent
9
8
*Small base size, interpret with caution; **Very small base size, interpret with extreme caution.
Base: All respondents familiar with brand (n=varies)
A2. How would you rate each of these professional associations overall on a scale of 1 to 10 where 1 is poor, and 10 is excellent?
12
There is relatively lower membership with IABC.
Membership in Professional Associations
Your Local Chamber of Commerce
20%
The Vancouver Board of Trade
Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada
(CPA)
8%
4%
Chartered Accountants of Canada (CA)
2%
Canadian Public Relations Society(CPRS)
2%
Certified General Accountants of British
Columbia (CGA)
BC Chapter of the American Marketing
Association (BCAMA)
International Association of Business
Communicators (IABC)
2%
2%
1%
Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO)
<1%
Board of Change
<1%
70%
None
Yes
Base: All respondents (n=200)
A3. Are you currently a paying member of any of the following associations?
13
And relatively few have participated in an event
put on by IABC.
Professional Association Event Participation
Your Local Chamber of
Commerce
The Canadian Bar
Association (CBA)
2%
Certified Management
Accountants of British
Columbia (CMA)
2%
6%
Entrepreneurs’
Organization (EO)
2%
5%
International
Association of Business
Communicators (IABC)
2%
4%
Sales & Marketing
Executives (SME)
2%
4%
Board of Change
2%
2%
Young Presidents’
Organization (YPO)
2%
2%
None
30%
The Vancouver Board of
Trade
Certified General
Accountants of British
Columbia (CGA)
Chartered Professional
Accountants of Canada
(CPA)
Chartered Accountants
of Canada (CA)
BC Chapter of the
American Marketing
Association (BCAMA)
Association of
Integrated Marketers
(AIM)
Canadian Public
Relations Society(CPRS)
26%
47%
Yes
Base: All respondents (n=200)
A4. In the past two years, have you participated in any events (conferences, speeches, luncheons, educational or networking events etc.) put
on by any of the following associations?
14
Designation Perception
and Familiarity
(Among Marketing Decision Makers)
Simplified Understanding
Just over half of marketing decisions makers are
aware of the ABC designation. However, less than
one in ten are familiar with it.
Professional Designation Familiarity
Not Familiar
15% 5%
CA – Charted Accountant
16% 4% CGA – Certified General Accountant
19%
24%
30%
50%
45%
44%
85%
–
40%
83%
2%
6%
CPA – Charted Professional
Accountant
9%
LL.B. – Bachelor of Laws degree
15%
CMA – Certified Management
Accountant
27%
28%
APR – Accredited in Public Relations
5% 10%
40%
27%
ABC – Accredited Business
Communicator
4%7%
48%
5%
46%
49%
Not very familiar
Never
Heard Of
Familiar
Professional Certified Marketer TM
Not at all familiar
32%
38%
Very familiar
79%
71%
60%
2%
4%
9%
Somewhat familiar
Base: Marketing Decision Makers (n=162)
B1. How aware and familiar are you with each of the following professional designations?
16
There is less value placed on having an ABC
designation than for accounting or law.
Value of Professional Designations
Don’t
Know
36%
CA – Charted Accountant
22%
39%
LL.B. – Bachelor of Laws degree
16%
18%
16%
CGA – Certified General Accountant
31%
20%
22%
CPA – Charted Professional
Accountant
31%
21%
19%
CMA – Certified Management
Accountant
24%
APR – Accredited in Public Relations 6% 4% 11%
23%
19%
21%
73%
8%
73%
7%
71%
66%
6%
7%
10%
21%
ABC – Accredited Business
Communicator 7% 7% 5% 19%
21%
Professional Certified Marketer TM 3%10% 5% 18%
10 – Very valuable
74%
23%
9
8
Base: Marketing Decision Makers (n=162)
B2. How would you rate the value of each of these designations overall?
17
Over half of decision makers believe it would be
valuable to have an association like IABC.
IABC Importance and Value
Value of IABC
Very valuable
Importance of Professional Communicators
Very important
19%
14%
Valuable
53%
Somewhat valuable
Not very valuable
34%
9%
Important
34%
Somewhat important
20%
Not very important
19%
Not Valuable
16%
Not at all valuable
Not applicable
Not Important
31%
Not at all important
7%
32%
Base: Marketing Decision Makers (n=162)
B4. Thinking generally, how valuable do you think it is for professional
communicators to have an association like the International Association of
Business Communicators (IABC) that they can belong to?
Not applicable
12%
35%
Base: Marketing Decision Makers (n=162)
B3. Thinking about professional communicators in general, how
important are they to your organization?
18
Hiring decision makers are split on whether a
professional designation is valuable for a
candidate to have.
Hiring Professional Communicators
Not Valuable
Not very valuable
Don’t
Know
Valuable
40%
24%
Hiring a contractor to work
for your organization
13%
43%
17%
40%
22%
Hiring a firm to work as a
subcontractor
11%
42%
19%
41%
25%
Hiring someone for your
organization
14%
41%
18%
Not at all valuable
Very valuable
Somewhat valuable
Base: Marketing Decision Makers (n=162)
B4. Please think about when you hire for individuals that are communicators – whether for an employee from your organization, a contractor or
a firm you are hiring that has team members that will be acting as communicators in the work they do for you. How much value do you place
on a candidate/firm having the professional designation for communicators – Accredited Business Communicator (ABC)
19
Few have placed an ad with IABC due to low
awareness and a lack of need.
IABC Importance and Value
Placed Ad with IABC
Yes
1%
No
99%
“I needed to find a place where
communications people specifically look
for jobs. I needed to make sure the right
target audience saw my posting.”
“I was looking to fill a "Communications
Manager" position.”
Reason for not Placing Ad with IABC
Base: Marketing Decision Makers (n=162)
B5. Have you ever placed an ad with the IABC for a communications/marketing job posting?
B5b. Why did you not place an ad with the IABC for a job posting? Please write your response in the box below.
20
Among those familiar with IABC, intelligent,
professional and honest are the top attributes
associated with IABC.
Attributes Associated with IABC
Intelligent
70%
Professional
69%
Honest
17% 12%
66%
24%
9%
21%
5%
38%
Foolish
31%
Unprofessional
34%
Dishonest
In touch
62%
10% 12%
38%
Friendly
61%
14% 7%
40%
Intimidating
Efficient
60%
10% 9%
40%
Inefficient
Down to earth
60%
10% 9%
40%
Arrogant
Open
59%
14% 10%
41%
Secretive
Fresh
58%
10% 10%
41%
Stagnant
Out of touch
Inspiring
52%
7% 7%
48%
Uninspiring
Compassionate
52%
7% 7%
48%
Uncaring
Inclusive
52%
7% 10%
48%
Exclusive
Exciting
40%
Somewhat
9% 12%
Strongly
Strongly
60%
Boring
Somewhat
Base: Familiar with IABC (n=58)*
*Small base size, interpret with caution.
B6. Below are a series of contrasting attributes that could be used to describe an organization. For each of the attributes, please choose a dot
closer towards the word that you believe best describes IABC. The closer the dot is to the word, the more you believe it describes IABC.
21
Currently, many decision makers do not find it
important to hire communications professionals
that are members of IABC.
IABC/Accreditation Importance and Value
Value of IABC
Very important
Somewhat
important
Not very important
Importance of Professional Communicators
2%
Definitely
12%
Important
16%
Probably
14%
37%
Probably not
20%
27%
Not Important
58%
Not at all important
Not sure
38%
27%
Base: Marketing Decision Makers (n=162)
B7. All things considered, how important is it for you to hire
communications professionals that are members of the IABC?
Definitely not
Not sure
7%
Part of
Decision
Process
49%
No Part of
Decision
Process
34%
18%
Base: Marketing Decision Makers (n=162)
B8. When choosing between two communications candidates of
similar experience, would professional certification/accreditation play
a role in your final decision?
22
Nearly a quarter of decision makers say they
would be more likely to hire a candidate that is ISO
certified in communications.
ISO Certification
Not sure
27%
Less likely
to hire
4%
More likely
to hire
22%
Just as
likely to
hire
48%
Base: Marketing Decision Makers (n=162)
B9. If a communications professional was ISO certified in communications, would you be more likely, just as likely, or less likely to hire them over a
professional who was not ISO certified in communications?
23
A strong website is deemed to be the most important
marketing communications activity within a company,
followed by strong employee communications.
Importance of Marketing Communications
Don’t
Know
10%
20%
20%
25%
17%
6% 12%
4%5%16%
25%
21%
25%
29%
28%
41%
3
2
32%
Social media
18%
Advertising
18%
16%
16% 11%
15%
12%
74%
2%
59%
4%
48%
15%
2%
43%
2%
16% 11% 16%
43%
4%
12% 13%
4% 15%
Email marketing
17%
13% 12%
42%
2%
Issues management
18%
11% 12%
41%
4%
Stakeholder relations
16% 10% 14%
40%
10%
Media relations
16% 8% 14%
38%
4%
Brochures/printed materials
13% 10% 12%
35%
1%
Press releases
14% 8% 12%
34%
4%
24%
5%
16%
10% 4% 17%
6% 3%
Employee communications
46%
Corporate communications
3%
6%
Website
22%
5% 18%
23%
31%
7%
20%
32%
Not at all important – 1
Hiring communications professionals
8%6% 8%
7%
22%
10 – Very important
9
8
Base: All respondents (n=200)
A5. On a 5 point scale where 5 means “very important” and 1 means “not important at all,” how would you rate the importance of the following
marketing communications activities within your company?
24
Top Implications/Recommendations
1) xxx
2) xxx
3) xxx
4) xxx
5) xxx
6) xxx
7) xxx
25