The IAB is active in providing education and training that shares best practices and improves efficiency of the industry. Specific training courses will be used to help achieve this goal, as well as proving an effective mechanism for promoting the association itself.
Training has been identified as a direct and important method of helping to increase investment, by helping to build knowledge amongst marketing professionals and develop best practices amongst practitioners. Increased knowledge amongst of marketing professionals in Singapore and Southeast Asia will help to overcome some of the major barriers that currently impede increased spending on interactive advertising.
Training courses will focus on developing skills that are currently missing in Singapore. While there are currently a number of sources of training available, the role for the IAB will be to cater specifically to the digital space and develop training that meets the diverse needs of marketers and practitioners.
Globally, the various IAB organisations promote a number of training programmes. These are provided either directly by the IAB or in partnership with approved external training organisations. Training courses are generally aimed at enhancing skills of practitioners, as well as building knowledge in the digital marketing community.
The range of training varies considerably amongst the various IABs, with some associations able to support a wider range of events than others:
| Professional Development |
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| Advertiser Training |
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| University Programmes |
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| IAB Certification |
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Training events are generally available to both IAB members and non-members.
PLANNED IAB TRAINING FRAMEWORK AND INITIATIVES IN SINGAPORE
The IAB in Singapore plans to stage a number of training courses both by itself and in partnership with other associations and organisations. Training will be targeted to fill gaps in the market and be sufficiently differentiated to attract participation from advertisers, agencies, advertisers and publishers.
Training curricula will be aligned with the needs and goals of the target attendees, and will provide a forum for practitioners to interact with their peers. Training courses will co-exist with more informal events that are planned by the organisation.
Training courses will be designed to deliver a particular curriculum that has been reviewed and approved by the IAB, and are intended to deliver a comprehensive, independent and authoritative overview of a particular topic. IAB training will draw, wherever possible, on any research and insights the association has from its membership. The association will also seek access to resources that have been developed by IABs elsewhere.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR PRACTITIONERS
IAB training for practitioners is designed to help enhance skills and educate those already working in the interactive advertising industry. The IAB in Singapore will work (in collaboration with any suitable digital training companies) to provide a selection of interactive marketing courses. The aim of this will be to provide traditional media professionals who have an interest in digital marketing or current practitioners looking to develop new skills with courses that suit them.
The IAB aims to build courses into a professional development programme (potentially leading to certification) consisting of a series of modules. These courses should cover the range of IAB best practice advice and provide publishing, marketing, and agency professionals with the knowledge they need to employ interactive advertising effectively.
The IAB aims to to work in collaboration with training companies, other industry associations, government and other partners.
ONLINE TRAINING
Training will be made available through recorded sessions available on-demand. These will extend the reach of the IAB’s training programmes in Singapore and throughout the region. Online training will feature industry experts and IAB members speaking on one or more of the subjects outlined above.
ADVERTISER TRAINING
A specific focus will be placed on providing education for advertisers and brand managers, to help them integrate digital into their marketing plans. Global initiatives include an ‘Interactive Boot Camp’ for senior marketers. This programme teaches senior marketers and their teams about the most effective ways to use interactive media.
The course provides an overview of the digital media landscape, as well as a number of expert modules on interactive platforms and technologies. The content is customisable to meet specific audience interests and is delivered by a panel of experts (often IAB members and staff). These experts present an overview of the most relevant interactive media trends, discuss relevant case studies and draw on market research data that the IAB has gathered.
Advertiser training will be angled specifically towards the needs and interests of marketers, with further refinement to target the specific needs of different levels of seniority. The creation of a programme that focuses on encouraging advertisers to invest more heavily in digital will make a significant impact in achieving the IAB’s goal.
UNIVERSITY PROGRAMMES
University programmes are another area where the IAB will aim to be involved to provide its expertise to helping develop digital marketing professionals of the future.
Specific opportunities that exist include:
Guest lecturing
Teachers may include IAB company members who may teach alongside university staff specialising in advertising and communication. This will be focused on business schools and post-graduate marketing courses and target students wishing to work in the interactive sector.
Thematic Workshops
These are events in which an IAB member runs a short workshop on a particular theme. The IAB member may also choose to invite non-members such as key advertising clients to ensure students receive a wider perspective on a particular topic.
Joint IAB/university diploma
Joint educational course with a Singapore university. A series of seminars focused on the specialisation of digital marketing and advertising professionals. The IAB diploma course may last a number of weeks (depending on the subject), and deliver series of academic lessons. Upon completion of the course, participants would receive a diploma certified by the IAB and the university.
CERTIFICATION
The IAB will investigate a certification scheme either alone or in partnership with an academic institution. Elsewhere in the world, the IAB operates digital advertising certification, and the association seeks to position itself as a standard-setter in digital marketing education.
This initiative is likely to be held over until the IAB has developed a comprehensive range of training courses, or has found an appropriate training partner that can supply the range of training needed.