The Association of National Advertisers says it is buying trade group Word of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA).
ANA bought the Business Marketing Association and the Brand Activation Association in 2014, then followed that up with the Advertising Educational Association in 2015.
Currently, ANA represents over 1,000 companies spending more than $400 billion on marketing and advertising.
WOMMA was formed in 2004 to represent social marketing, like sponsored reviews and recommendations or generating buzz about a product or service in social media. Its code of ethics says that members must disclose their relationship with products and if they are being compensated.
“This is an important day for the ANA,” said ANA CEO Bob Liodice of the most recent acquisition. “Just as our previous acquisitions allowed us to increase member services in disciplines where we found ourselves wanting, this opportunity allows us to focus more on word of mouth marketing and social media than we’ve been able to do in the past."
Related: Marketers Building In-House Programmatic, Says ANA Study
