ADMA opens individual membership in shift toward credential-led future

The Association for Data-Driven Marketing and Advertising (ADMA) has opened its membership to individual marketers for the first time in its 60-year history, marking a strategic shift that positions the organisation more directly alongside established professional bodies such as the Australian Marketing Institute (AMI).

Previously available only through corporate membership, ADMA’s new Individual Membership offering is priced at $495 a year and is designed to give marketers direct access to ADMA’s training, regulatory expertise and professional ecosystem.

The move reflects how ADMA sees the marketing profession evolving, with data, privacy, AI and compliance now core to day-to-day practice rather than specialist concerns.

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“Marketing is entering a phase where trust matters more, data underpins every decision, and AI is everywhere,” said David Morgan, chair of ADMA. “This isn’t just changing how brands engage with their customers, it’s reshaping the profession itself. Marketers are now stewards of responsibility as much as creativity.”

Central to the Individual Membership model is credentialing. Members complete ADMA’s Data Pass course to demonstrate privacy and data compliance capability, earning a LinkedIn Credly badge, before progressing through four regulatory short courses covering electronic communications, telemarketing, misleading and deceptive conduct and upcoming Privacy Act changes. Completion of the pathway leads to an ADMA Trust Mark.

Andrea Martens, CEO of ADMA, said the organisation wants to equip marketers at every career stage with practical skills for a data-driven environment.

“In today’s quickly evolving business environment, it will help to equip marketers with the tools, skills and confidence they need to succeed in this fast-moving, data-driven world,” Martens said.

The launch effectively broadens ADMA’s remit beyond being a peak body for organisations into becoming a professional development and credentialing platform for individuals, a space traditionally dominated by AMI.

While ADMA is not positioning the move as competitive, the overlap is notable. AMI has long focused on individual membership, professional accreditation and career development, whereas ADMA has historically concentrated on corporate standards, advocacy and regulatory frameworks.

For marketers, the emergence of multiple credential pathways reflects a profession under pressure to demonstrate rigour, ethics and measurable capability, particularly as privacy regulation tightens and AI becomes embedded in marketing workflows.

Individual Membership also includes virtual access to ADMA Global Forum, member-only webinars and networking events, education discounts and access to AI, regulatory and marketing resources.

ADMA said the package delivers more than $3,000 in value annually.