The Association for Data-Driven Marketing and Advertising (ADMA) has officially dropped the velvet rope. For the first time in its near 60-year history, the peak body has opened its membership to individuals.
This new tier aims to equip marketers for a year destined to be defined by regulatory and many sorts of upheaval.
ADMA unveiled the initiative at a briefing in its Barangaroo offices this week. The move allows fractionals, freelancers, contractors, and marketers at non-member organisations to access the regulatory ecosystem previously exclusive to major corporates.
Andrea Martens, CEO of ADMA, frames the launch as a direct response to the escalating pressure on the profession. She told the briefing that the industry has reached a point where access to support can no longer depend on who signs your paycheck.
“The expectations on marketers is continuing to rise,” Martens said. “We need our industry to be confident, to be able to thrive. We need everyone in the industry to be confident in their capabilities and the skills that they have.”
Andrea Martens, ADMA CEO
Fighting the ‘Sea of Slop’
That need for confidence stems from a landscape riddled with uncertainty. With the second tranche of Privacy Act reforms looming and generative AI reshaping workflows, the risk of falling into marketing hot water has never been higher.
David Morgan, ADMA Chair, offered a candid assessment of this threat. He described a ‘sea of slop’ where the volume of AI-generated content risks overwhelming professional standards.
“There is a ‘sea of slop’ coming at us,” Morgan warned. “Professional people and professional organisations need to step up. They need to demonstrate through good behaviour and good role modelling.” Meaning it’s time to behave well, or get regulated hard.
Morgan argues that marketers must now armour-plate themselves against ethical slips. He suggests the industry can no longer afford to ‘wait and see’ on regulation.
ADMA Chair David Morgan says the industry can no longer afford to ‘wait and see’ on regulation
Beyond the Sydney bubble
ADMA also designed the shift to respond to demand from marketers who feel isolated from the industry’s Sydney-centric core. Anthony Toovey, ADMA’s Head of Growth, revealed that the appetite for connection spans the country, and it’s not just from regional centres.
“As we were doing market research, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Adelaide were crying out for this,” Toovey said. “Even Melbourne were putting their hands up and saying, ‘Yes, we really want to connect now as an industry.’” It’s about community.
Toovey noted that genuine anxiety drives this demand. He cited recent ADMA research showing that 48% of marketers already worry about the oversaturation of AI generation, while 41% fear a lack of originality.
Anthony Toovey, ADMA’s Head of Growth acknowledged that the appetite for connection spans the country
A question of survival
Martens believes this anxiety is well-founded. She argues that in 2026, compliance has moved beyond the legal department to sit with every person who touches a keyboard. The new membership, she suggests, acts as a safeguard for brand survival.
“Anyone who is a marketer has responsibility for both brand and consumer trust,” Martens says. “And ultimately, when you breach consumer trust, you destroy your brands. That is a fundamental principle, irrespective of what training you’ve had or what tools you’re using.”
The toolkit
So what does the individual get for their money? ADMA has priced the tier aggressively at $495 (incl. GST). They claim the figure packs in over $3,100 of value.
A virtual ticket to the ADMA Global Forum, the body’s flagship thought-leadership event, headlines the package. But the real meat lies in the compliance training. Members gain access to the Data Pass course.
This provides a foundational certification in responsible marketing and unlocks a LinkedIn Credly badge, which signals to employers that the marketer knows the rules of the road.
Beyond that, the membership includes four regulatory short courses updated quarterly. These cover the heavy hitters of compliance: electronic communications, telemarketing, misleading conduct, and the ever-evolving Privacy Act.
As the organisation enters its sixth decade, the focus has clearly shifted from protecting the industry to equipping the individuals who actually run it.