AMA Job Support Group

The inaugural meeting of the AMA Pittsburgh Job Hunting Support Group will take place on Tuesday, March 3rd at 8AM. The event will be held at Big Dog Coffee at 2717 Sarah Street in the South Side. On-site parking is available. The event will focus on brainstorming and ideas for the new group. If you are interested in attending, please RSVP to Mike at mkaulakis@aol.com by Monday, March 1st.

Hope to see you there to help this new group hit the ground running.

Networking Event on Thursday

Join your marketing peers for an AMA Pittsburgh happy hour event this Thursday, February 19th. The event starts at 5:30 PM and will be held at Backstage Bar - Theater Square Downtown Pittsburgh (655 Penn Ave.). Come meet your fellow members for drinks and networking opportunities. If you are not a current member, this is an excellent opportunity to learn more about AMA Pittsburgh in an informal environment.

There is no need to register for this event and there is no cost other than what you wish to drink. See you there.

Chart of the Week

This week's chart comes from Marketing Sherpa. Sherpa surveyed and found that the most effective tools are the hardest to measure. In looking at this chart, I must say I am a bit confused. How do you know it is effective if you don't measure it? I'd love to hear your opinions. Feel free to comment.


Join the discussion on the AMA Pittsburgh blog by submitting your comments or topics.

Marketing Masters Tomorrow

Feb 12 Luncheon: Marketing Masters Panel
at the Doubletree Hotel
Featuring Grand Marketer of the Year winner Carnegie Mellon University and finalists Event Committee Pittsburgh, F.A.C.T, and Verizon. Panelists from each organization will present their winning campaigns and answer questions from the audience.

• Marilyn Kail, Assistant VP Marketing Communications – Representing: GRAND Marketer of the Year Winner Carnegie Mellon University for “Randy Pausch and the Last Lecture”
• Richard Schonbachler, Group Mananger - Representing: Verizon, winner of the Technology category for “FIOS Campaign”
• Steve Wayhart, President, Brandmill - Representing: F.A.C.T (Friends Against Counterproductive Taxation) winner in Sports/Entertainment/Hospitality the category for “StopDrinkTax.com”
• Bill Flanagan - Executive Vice President, Allegheny Conference on community development - Representing: Event Committee Pittsburgh, 1st runner-up - in the Non Profit category for “Pittsburgh, Imagine What You Can Do Here”

Register Online Now

Feb 19 Happy Hour: Cabaret at Theater Square Backstage Bar
Join fellow marketers of the Pittsburgh Chapter of the American Marketing Association for networking, free food and a cash bar. We'll be there from 5:30 p.m. until 7:30 p.m.
You do not need to register, this event is free! (655 Penn Ave.)

The Hidden Job Market

Today's post comes from Neal Griebling of Future Design Studio. Neal's topic is word of mouth referrals and the importance of networking. His advice is directly related to career searches, but can the theory can be applied to any business building activity.

Neal Griebling:

It’s a commonly accepted fact: 80 percent of the jobs in the United States are never advertised. This phenomenon is what is known as The Hidden Job Market. How do you penetrate that market?

Informational interviewing combined with mastering the art and science of work-of-mouth referral (WOMR) networking. These two strategies are absolutely necessary in finding work in a recessionary economy. Today let’s look at why you should adopt these strategies.

The current recession is impacting the entire economy. Many companies today are simply not hiring; actually, they are laying off workers. They are retrenching and not taking job applications.

Yet business leaders have problems and issues they must grapple with if they are to survive and prosper. There will always be a need for people who can solve problems, design new products, cut costs, and increase efficiencies within a company. Business leaders do not want meet job seekers; they may, under the right circumstances, consent to informational interviews with people who are referred to them by people they know and trust. And this is where you must employ your word-of-mouth referral networking strategy to create openings for yourself.

Be a part of the AMA Pittsburgh blog by submitting your topics or comments. Did you see the spread in Friday's Pittsburgh Business Times? What were your thoughts?

Barriers to Social Media

This week's chart comes from Marketing Sherpa. This space is often utilized to report on digital marketing trends. This chart fits right in with the barriers cited as reasons not to adopt social media. Lack of knowledge is right at the top.


AMA Pittsburgh can be a resource as you seek to gain knowledge with a variety of resources. Join the discussion on the AMA Pittsburgh blog by submitting your comments or topics.

Upcoming AMA Events

AMA Pittsburgh has an ambitious winter/spring calendar planned. Information on any event is available on the AMA Pittsburgh website. Here is a look at some of the events planned:

Feb. 12th - First Annual Marketing Masters Series - Features speakers from the AMA Pittsburgh Marketer of the Year awards, including Grand Marketer of the Year, Carnegie Mellon.

Look for a happy hour announcement for Feb. as well.

April 9th - Green Marketing Summit - A half day program chocked full of information on green marketing.

May 7th - Lou DePaoli of the Pittsburgh Pirates - Mr. DePaoli will present "Big League Marketing in Challenging Times"

Keep an eye out for additional Marketing Mixer events as well. We will report them in this space as soon as details become available.