BMA/ANA FAQs

The ANA (Association of National Advertisers) and the Business Marketing Association (BMA) have announced that their boards of directors unanimously approved plans for BMA to become a division of ANA as of November 30, 2014. The combination reflects the long-term strategies of both organizations to extend business-to-business marketing capabilities and intellectual brand-building capital through increased scale, focused resources, and broadened leadership.

For ANA members, the integration of the BMA provides exposure to the extensive resources of the BMA, including its deep industry knowledge, industry-leading research, extensive chapters system, awards program, and preeminent global conference.

What is the ANA?
The ANA (Association of National Advertisers) provides leadership that advances marketing excellence and shapes the future of the industry. Founded in 1910, ANA's membership includes more than 635 B-to-C and B-to-B companies with 10,000 brands that collectively spend over $250 billion in marketing and advertising. The ANA pursues “collaborative mastery” that advances the interests of marketers and promotes and protects the well-being of the marketing community. For more information, visit www.ana.net.

Who leads the ANA?
Bob Liodice is the president and chief executive officer of the ANA, a position he has had since 2003. He previously served as executive vice president, responsible for member relations and business development with a primary focus on strengthening relationships with ANA member companies and broadening the membership base.  He joined the ANA as senior vice president in 1995.

Prior to the ANA, Bob was vice president of global marketing and sales for Grupo Televisa, a major worldwide broadcaster.  Previous experience includes more than 15 years in marketing and financial management at Kraft General Foods, including having served as category marketing manager for the Jell-O and Bakers brands.

He is a member of the boards of directors of The Advertising Council, Advertising Research Foundation, Advertising Self-Regulatory Council, Partnership for Drug-Free Kids, Advertising Educational Foundation, Advertising Week and the World Federation of Advertisers.  

What Resources does the ANA bring to the table?
The ANA team consists of nine executives who lead the 100-plus ANA staff across a variety of businesses, with capabilities that include:

Membership
Conferences and Committees
Governmental Affairs
Marketing Knowledge Center
Training
Marketing and Communications
IT
Finance

Will the BMA retain its focus and brand as a division of the ANA?
Yes, the BMA brand is strong within the business marketing community and the ANA intends to keep the BMA brand and purpose – to enrich the lives of B-to-B marketers everywhere by providing a forum to connect them so they can learn about new trends and network with peers and exchange ideas.

What are the benefits for BMA members as the BMA becomes a division of the ANA?
This union will allow us to grow our community and dramatically scale our operations. The ANA membership currently includes 160  B-to-B marketer member companies representing 12,000 marketers. This gives the BMA a huge opportunity to extend our business marketing network. In addition, the BMA would benefit from the established infrastructure, resources and intellectual capital that the ANA can provide. Members will continue to have access to webinars, research and educational programs, and we’ll strengthen those offerings. In addition, new resources, including a quarterly magazine on B-to-B marketing, will launch in January.

What is the timeline for the transition to be complete?
The BMA board of directors has approved the agreement and during the week of October 20, qualified BMA members received information about an upcoming meeting to consider and approve the transaction. The BMA is asking members to approve the motion to join the ANA in advance of the meeting as well. Currently, the transaction with the ANA is scheduled to close December 1, 2014.  We are working with the ANA to create a plan for transitioning into a division of their organization, which we expect to complete by December 31, 2014.

Will the BMA global board continue to exist?
Yes. The existing BMA board will become an advisory board to the ANA’s board of directors. One of our client-side members will also serve on the ANA board of directors. The BMA board will continue to act in the best interest of the business marketing community that we serve.

Will the BMA still have chapters?
Absolutely! The chapters have always been the heart and soul of the BMA community. Not only will the ANA continue the chapter structure, they will support them with additional resources, content and technology that, until now, BMA hasn’t had the resources to do at the level that the board had always hoped. The ANA even amended its by-laws to recognize chapters for the first time and is looking to the BMA to help them gain more local access. That’s a big nod to the successful BMA chapter model.

How do B-to-B members of the ANA members become BMA members?
B-to-B members of the ANA will automatically become members of the BMA.

What happens to the BMA corporate memberships?
The BMA will still offer our corporate membership. One change that you might notice is, because B-to-B members of the ANA automatically become members of the BMA, those companies won’t need to have memberships in both associations.

What happens to the membership dues structure and pricing?
The BMA will continue to offer individual, corporate and young professional memberships. Current members of the BMA automatically will become members of the BMA Division and also will become associate members of the ANA. It’s important to note that, while the ANA’s current membership structure only includes client-side marketers, the ANA sees the value of adding agencies and vendors to the mix. The ANA welcomes all members of the BMA as full or associate members.

Will the BMA continue to have its B2 awards program?
Yes, we’ll continue to recognize the best-of-the best in B-to-B marketing and it’s never too early to get started on your entries (hint, hint).

Will the BMA still hold its annual conference?
Yes, the BMA will continue to have its annual global conference and plans are underway for another great event in Chicago. Mark your calendars for May 27-29 and we hope to see you there.

How does the ANA benefit from having the BMA become a division of their association?
About a quarter of the ANA’s 635 member companies focus on the B-to-B side of the business. The ANA wants to strengthen the value it provides to that community. They will encourage their existing B-to-B  members to participate in our chapter, regional and global events and meetings. In addition, their members will have access to all of our educational content and to our established network.

What will be the impact on companies who sponsor the BMA?
Our existing sponsorship models will remain in place. Sponsors will also have the opportunity to make additional investments that will include events that the ANA offers.

Will the BMA continue to expand chapters internationally?
Yes, the BMA has heard from B-to-B marketers around the world who want to connect and learn from the best and brightest, just like their peers do in the United States. We will continue to support the global business marketing community and chapters in these areas where it makes sense.