FEDMA - Federation of European Direct and Interactive marketing
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European Certification

 

 

 

A European initiative supported by the European Commission
 
FEDMA’s education project started as part of a LEONARDO project, co-funded by the European Commission in partnership with universities and training institutes, FEDMA, and national Direct Marketing Associations around Europe. The project developed a framework for the “European certification” of courses in direct marketing and related disciplines, under which courses could be judged on the basis of their content, the standard of teaching, their responsiveness to the needs of industry and their European outlook.
The project aimed –
 
  • To help courses be more responsive to the concerns of the industry, i.e. raise standards according to industry needs.
  • To increase the reputation of direct and interactive marketing within the faculty of marketing and communications.
  • To increase the number of qualified direct and interactive marketers.
  • To improve the international dimension of direct and interactive marketing training and education.

The first courses were certified in 2001, and the project was so successful that FEDMA decided to keep it going when the EU project finished.

 
 
 
Project Objectives

Raising Standards by Constant Self Improvement
The main objective of the project is to help training institutes and universities improve their programmes and make them more responsive to the concerns of our industry. Institutes are certified as much for a philosophy of constant self-improvement and constructive collaboration, as for specific course content. It is FEDMA’s role as a trade association to encourage the raising of standards to the satisfaction of an industry facing constant changes, and to accredit and promote courses that meet these standards. The positive assessment of courses so far has already proved an excellent added international value to the institutes, students and the industry as a whole.
 

Responding to the Needs of Industry
The lists of competencies and skills integrate the different elements of the value chain, and combine traditional and new media. The competencies and skills listed are those deemed to be necessary from a practitioner’s point of view for new entrants to the direct marketing profession, senior professionals from another business discipline (such as product manager, advertising manager, head of marketing department), or for professionals with senior positions willing to complement their offline marketing skills with online ones.

Over the last decade our industry has gone through a process of change management during which companies went from being PRODUCT focused to become first CUSTOMER-ORIENTED, and then CUSTOMER-LED. This has changed the needs of companies in terms of the skills they require of their employees. Companies now need marketers with e-skills, be it in e-marketing, e-business or database marketing & CRM. With the project on the certification of training and education, FEDMA is responding to these needs.


The European Dimension
All courses are required to provide their students with a European focus in their studies, by the use of foreign case studies, foreign literature and by inviting foreign lecturers to provide input into the teaching.
 
 
The Principle of Subsidiarity
While all courses have to adhere to the core competencies, on a local level every course will have its own focus, based on the peculiarities of the local market and the interests and specialisations of the institution and its lecturers. In defining the “essential core competencies” we focus on the indispensables on which every reasonable and knowledgeable practitioner would agree. That still leaves many areas up to the individual institutions.
 
 
 
Benefits to Universities / Institutes
If you teach DM at a training institute or university, you should consider applying for European certification for your course, programme or module. A positively assessed course will bring you a number of benefits –
 
  • Recognition that your course is of a high quality, has an international outlook and corresponds to the needs of the European DM industry.
  • Feedback from the assessment procedure will help you to further raise the standard of your course.
  • You will belong to a network of European institutes and experts in direct and interactive marketing training and education.
  • Certified institutes can promote their course to students more easily.
  • The opportunity to promote your course through FEDMA - on our website, in publicity material and in our communications to the press and our members.
  • Free access to FEDMA information and publications, such as our Legal Fact Pack, information on European Preference Services and our newsletters, all of which can be passed on to your students.
 
For more information on the benefits of getting your course(s) certified, contact FEDMA at info@fedma.org, or on +32 2 779 42 68.
 
 
 
Benefits to Students
By taking a FEDMA-certified course, you have a guarantee that your course is of the highest standard and will provide you with the skills and knowledge the industry needs in its graduates. Your European Diploma or Certificate will provide you with an international dimension to your education. Access to FEDMA information and material (FEDMA Legal Fact Ppack etc). Click here for more information.
 
Full details of the courses which have been certified can be found here
 
 
 
Benefits to Industry
  • Increased reputation of direct and interactive marketing within the disciplines of marketing and communication.
  • The project delivers highly qualified practitioners with a good understanding of the European direct and interactive marketing industry.
 
 
 
The Project in Practice
 
FEDMA’s Pan-European Education and Assessment Committee (PEEAC)
Courses applying for certification are assessed and accredited by the Pan-European Education and Assessment Committee (PEEAC). The Committee consists of experts from both industry and education. PEEAC meets regularly to discuss how best to develop the application procedure, such as by amending existing lists of core competencies, and developing new qualifications in response to the new and changing needs in the industry.

PEEAC's members are: Marcel Avargues (ERA), Jolan Babarczi (DMSZ), Mihai Calciu (University of Lille/ IEMD), Jesus Cervantes (PDM), Marie-Claude Louyot (EDF), Joost van Nispen (ICEMD), Kelly Page (Cardiff Business School) Hanny Philipse (Philipse) and Klaus Wilsberg (SVI)


 
The Core Competencies
Based on the needs of industry, PEEAC has developed the following sets of core competencies. Courses wishing to be certified must cover these points in their courses. –
 
Courses must also clearly demonstrate a European dimension to their courses, and show they have a philosophy of constant self-improvement. More information on this is available in the application forms.


 
Diploma or Certificate?
 
There are two skill sets: one for a CERTIFICATE and one for a DIPLOMA. The difference between a Diploma and a Certificate is NOT necessarily one of "more or less advanced", but rather reflects the number of hours taught and the methodology used. A Certificate requires a minimum of 130 hours teaching; a Diploma a minimum of 400 hours. A Diploma will deal with the course content in greater depth and cover more case studies than a Certificate, and students will be expected to spend more time on group work and written and oral exams.
 
 
 
Application procedure
To read PEEAC's application procedure, please download the following document:
Procedure 2008


Application forms
Form for NEW applicants – Word version
Form for RENEWALS – Word version
Form for a FEDMA “Seal of Excellence” – Word version