Introducing ADMA’s Capability Compass

With the rapid rate of change we continually experience in the marketing industry, it comes at no surprise that there is a currently a skills gap in our profession. Fortunately, there is no denying that marketers are passionate and curious individuals with a drive for excellence and continuous learning. So having a tool that helps marketers identify skills gaps in their teams will mean marketers around the country will soon be rolling up their sleeves and getting ready to seek out the solutions needed to fill those gaps in their skill sets. Together with renowned marketing academic Mark Ritson and industry CMO’s, ADMA have created the Capability Compass – a pioneering marketing skills assessment tool which identifies developmental opportunities for marketers within larger teams.

Bridging the gap

The Capability Compass launches as new research reveals huge gaps in the knowledge of Australian marketers, with just 32% recently surveyed by ADMA able to name the four P’s of Marketing and a mere 16% across how to calculate ROAS (Return on Advertising Spend).

"The skills gaps uncovered in the research are nothing short of alarming and demand immediate action. I’m not surprised—I've been saying this for years. Experience and confidence alone won't cut it; marketers need proper training. While some areas of marketing are evolving and require new skills, the fundamentals remain constant and should be the bedrock of every strategy. Right now, we're not even getting the basics right. The ADMA Capability Compass will arm leaders with the data needed to pinpoint skills gaps in their teams, enabling us to build better marketers”. – Mark Ritson, Marketing expert and Founder of the Marketing Week Mini MBA

Mark’s insights together with industry CMOs, have been instrumental in creating a comprehensive skills assessment tool focused on the functional skills of marketers. The ADMA Capability Compass covers 13 key marketing capabilities and 65 underlying skills across 3 distinct phases: strategy, execution, and analysis.

The Capability Compass explained

The new ADMA Capability Compass is an extensive marketing skills assessment tool that has been built for industry, by industry. It provides a 360-degree view of marketing capabilities and skills as well as actionable dashboards or maps and a training pathway, at both a team and an individual level.

It starts with the leader signing up, adding their team, and selecting their strategic priorities based on their organisational goals. Each team member is then sent an email to complete the survey. Once completed, each team member receives their personalised report outlining their strengths and opportunities for development with recommendations on how to improve in the highlighted areas.

When all team members have completed their surveys, the leader receives a comprehensive set of maps highlighting their teams’ overall capabilities, empowering them to make informed decisions about team learning and development. This has also been explained in this short video.

“The Capability Compass isn't just a tool; it's a powerhouse for any business that wants to ensure their marketing teams are more strategic and impactful. It gives leaders the power to set their priorities and then gives them a deep dive into their team’s competencies and gaps, ensuring they’re comfortable that their teams understand not only the basics but are equally equipped to tackle the relentless changes in marketing. This is a major leap forward in marketing training and development, empowering marketing leaders and their teams to take charge of their own destiny." – Andrea Martens, ADMA Chief Executive Officer

How to start your journey

The good news is that the Capability Compass is accessible to everyone, so even if you’re not an ADMA member, your team can still benefit from this pioneering tool. For non-members, to express your interest in completing the ADMA Capability Compass simply fill out this form and a member of the ADMA team will be in touch with next steps.

For ADMA members, the Capability Compass is included as a member benefit. Team limits are aligned to membership levels so to find out more, please contact your ADMA membership manager for details or to register, click here.

As the marketing landscape continues to shift and evolve, and your organisational goals expand, it is critically important to ensure your team’s learning and skills keep pace. Understanding where strengths lie helps you deploy people in areas where they can have a significant impact. Then knowing where their opportunities for development are helps you better plan for the future. So what are you waiting for? Start your journey today and let the ADMA Capability Compass point you confidently in the right direction.