SAMRA Lays Out Membership Diversity Drive

The South African Marketing Research Association (SAMRA) has launched an initiative to attract a wide range of newcomers to the industry.

The new 'SAMRA Membership Diversity' scheme has been designed to embrace all market and social research areas, and draw new members from all racial groups. Membership benefits include the opportunity to network with industry colleagues countrywide and internationally.

'We want to make SAMRA and the benefits the association offers, attractive to newcomers to the industry,' explains Chairperson Salomé Barnard. 'While the market research industry boasts a significant number of younger people across all racial groups, SAMRA would like increasingly to play an empowering role to equip younger members for more senior positions and to position marketing research as a rewarding career option.'

Some of SAMRA's initiatives to boost diversity include skills development, assistance to market research freelancers, a bursary scheme, and special interest groups (SIGs).

The SIGs will provide a forum for SAMRA members and other research freelancers/small businesses to network and discuss ideas, trends in the industry, and peoples' views and experiences. SAMRA says a group for qualitative research experts will be among them.

'Through this diversity drive, SAMRA hopes to attract more younger members across cultural divides so that its growing membership can be a true reflection of the professionalism of and marketing research excellence in the industry,' adds Barnard.

Web site: www.samra.co.za .

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.