Scandal Rocks SEMPO, Expert Suggests Board Members Should Resign
In a scathing article by one of search engine marketing's most respected and knowledgeable experts, Mike Grehan, the future of SEMPO is called into question. Not only does Mike criticize the lack of achievements thus far, but he also makes some serious allegations about the ethics of the board of directors.

In particular...

"SEMPO has approved a $1,500 per week stipend to Ms Coll. This amounts to a salary of $78,000, to fund a part time effort from someone who already has a full time job running a SEM business. Some might ask whether this attractive salary such could have been used to bring on board an executive experienced in building trade associations."

Barbara Coll, who is a great person if you ever get to meet her, may well be involved in a terrible lack of judgment. She has always professed that the SEMPO board are all volunteers and that they are doing this without any payment. However, if Mike's remarks are true, $78,000 a year in salary in addition to her own income, is at best a serious lack of common sense.

Mike doesn't stop there with his comments...

There appears at this stage to be no appointment of a board member for the UK. This, despite the fact that the UK is the second largest market outside the US.

SEMPO has suggested that the UK may like to form its own committee and hand it over to them. But there has been no mention of a position on the board for the chair of that committee as is the case with the European set up. So, why is the UK so second-rate to this organisation that we have to take a lead from Italy? I have no problems with Italians, but they are a much smaller market than the UK.

When the appointment of an Italian board member to represent Europe was made, I did question why the UK wasn't the natural choice. Being an English ex-pat, I can honestly say that the UK should be the first focus for any European expansion of SEMPO.

The article continues with some pointed questions about the purpose of SEMPO...

If, as has been promoted, SEMPO is purely a marketing organisation, then why do I not see those marketing messages in conventional offline publications? I see a great presence from SEMPO at SES but little advertising and promotion in other industry sectors.

Shouldn't the SEMPO presence be much larger at an offline direct marketing show, or in joint venture with other organisations such as the American Association of Advertising Agencies or The Chartered Institute of Marketing?

It could be very easy to condemn SEMPO without coming up with any better ideas for it's structure, but Mike has a suggestion for an alternative SEMPO...

Here's a "finger in the air" figure, but let's take a guess at the average size of a search marketing firm and about 80% will be "one man band" or "micro-firm" perhaps? So why don't we concentrate on a body which recognises individuals as opposed to firms? Individuals who are accredited in some way so that they can run their own small practice, or use that qualification as a major factor to be considered when applying for a job with a larger firm. Maybe we need to think about the development of qualified people in the industry and not just the further development and recognition of organisations.

Mike appears to be of the strong opinion that the board are simply serving their own agenda and by appointing board members and paying salaries, without the vote of the members, they are not truly looking after the best interests of the membership.

Mike calls for the resignation of the board...

I have a suggestion that I'd like to put to the entire board: Why don't you honourably take the plaudits for your excellent work in forming a steering group (which you have been) to gain the first wave of membership, and then resign your positions?

That way, the membership will get the opportunity it certainly deserves, to decide who should be responsible for taking the association (that it pays for) to the next phase of development and direction with a democratic vote.

SEMPO is set to celebrate it's first birthday next week at the SES show in San Jose. If this scandal escalates, it may be a bumpy ride for the young organization. As always, we'll invite a SEMPO representative to tell their side of the story.
Andy Beal | permalink | +marktd |