ANA Teams with AAM to Help Marketers Tackle Key Digital Advertising Issues
Strategic Agreement Provides ANA Members Access
To AAM Resources and Digital Expertise
HOLLYWOOD, Fla. (March 3, 2016) — The Association of National Advertisers (ANA) has formed a strategic agreement with the Alliance for Audited Media (AAM) designed to help ANA members deal with a wide range of complex and controversial issues associated with digital advertising.
Those elements are costing advertisers billions of dollars annually and include digital ad fraud, malware, piracy and ads that can go unseen or blocked from ever being served, the ANA and the AAM said.
“Advances in digital technology have sparked a significant increase in online advertising spending and created a complex and opaque media landscape,” said Bob Liodice, ANA president and CEO. “In recent years, the AAM has significantly enhanced its digital expertise and we’re very pleased that with this new pact our members can take full advantage of the valuable tools the AAM has to offer.”
Under terms of the agreement, AAM will provide ANA and its members with a range of services that includes:
- Independent digital consulting and perspective on emerging trends and issues, such as contributing to ANA strategic projects, research, committees, and industry conferences
- Full access to AAM’s Media Intelligence Center, an online database of audited cross-media information relied upon by thousands of media planners and buyers
- AAM-authored white papers, best-practice guidelines and marketer case studies
- Contributions to ANA training and education initiatives
- Optional digital assessment and review services for ANA member companies
Tom Drouillard, AAM’s CEO, president and managing director, noted, “AAM – then known as the Audit Bureau of Circulations – was founded by the ANA in 1914 to combat fraud in traditional media. We’re delighted to further solidify our strong bond with the ANA to bring greater trust and confidence to digital advertising.”
The organizations made today’s announcement at the ANA’s “Masters of Media” conference, where AAM board chairwoman Christina Meringolo, vice president of integrated marketing solutions at Bayer Consumer Care, discussed ways marketers can confront today’s key digital advertising issues to ensure they operate in a more transparent and brand safe environment.
“Unfortunately, today’s online ad environment leaves many marketers suspicious and mistrustful, but it doesn’t have to be that way,” Meringolo said. “All sides of the industry have to do more – communicate more, be more transparent, be more informed and demand more of our vendors and partners.”
AAM works closely with groups like the Media Rating Council, Trustworthy Accountability Group, Interactive Advertising Bureau and Mobile Marketing Association to contribute its expertise to evolving industry standards, ad measurement guidelines and programs that promote transparency and trust among media buyers and sellers.
To support the ANA agreement, AAM also introduced a new white paper series, “2016 Guide to Media Transparency,” that provides perspective and advice from leading marketers, publishers and agencies. Recommendations include:
- Know your media partners and where ad dollars are being spent
- Work with premium publishers where possible and avoid those that purchase website traffic from third parties
- Demand transparency in programmatic transactions
- Support industry measurement and audit standards, including using only certified ad tech platforms
- Improve communications and openness between marketers, agencies and vendors
- Be educated and informed about today’s key issues.
About the ANA
The mission of the ANA (Association of National Advertisers) is to drive growth for marketing professionals, brands and businesses, the industry, and humanity. The ANA serves the marketing needs of 20,000 brands by leveraging the 12-point ANA Growth Agenda, which has been endorsed by the Global CMO Growth Council. The ANA’s membership consists of U.S. and international companies, including client-side marketers, nonprofits, fundraisers, and marketing solutions providers (data science and technology companies, ad agencies, publishers, media companies, suppliers, and vendors). The ANA creates Marketing Growth Champions by serving, educating, and advocating for more than 50,000 industry members that collectively invest more than $400 billion in marketing and advertising annually.
About the Alliance for Audited Media
The Alliance for Audited Media is a nonprofit industry body founded by the Association of National Advertisers to ensure media transparency and trust. AAM provides independent verification and information services for thousands of leading publishers, advertisers, ad agencies and ad tech platforms to facilitate the planning, buying, selling and delivery of traditional and digital media. The organization is also one of the industry’s most experienced providers of technology certification audits to standards established by the Media Rating Council, Trustworthy Accountability Group, Interactive Advertising Bureau and Mobile Marketing Association. Visit AAM’s website to learn more.
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Media Contacts
ANA
John Wolfe
Director of Communications
Office: 212.455.8011
Cell: 914.659.8663
Email: jwolfe@ana.net
AAM
Rachael Battista
Manager of Communications
224.366.6365
Email: Rachael.battista@auditedmedia.com