The ANA (Association of National Advertisers) is acquiring another leading trade group, the Word of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA).

Founded in 2004, WOMMA is the leader in ethical word of mouth marketing practices through its education, professional development, networking opportunities, and knowledge sharing with top industry marketers, all areas of keen interest to ANA members.  WOMMA’s membership is made up of the most innovative companies committed to progressing the word of mouth marketing industry through advocacy, education, and ethics.

“This is an important day for the ANA,” said ANA CEO Bob Liodice.  “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.  It’s a great boon for our members and a significant step in our evolution as a national trade organization dedicated to serving all facets of the marketing community.”

The move marks the latest step in the ANA’s evolution and long-term growth plans and follows similar acquisitions made in 2014 and 2015.  Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

In December 2014, the ANA acquired the Business Marketing Association, which was founded in 1922. Five months earlier, the ANA acquired the Brand Activation Association, which was founded in 1911 and was previously known as the Promotion Marketing Association.  Both the BMA and the BAA have since become divisions of the ANA.  In addition, in 2015, the Advertising Educational Foundation joined the ANA as its educational arm and is now known as the ANA Educational Foundation.

Liodice said the WOMMA agreement will enhance the ANA’s already robust benefits portfolio through additional professional development opportunities, webinars, conferences, local events, and an awards program dedicated to word of mouth marketing.

“All of us at WOMMA are thrilled to join the ranks of the ANA,” said Spike Jones, chair of the WOMMA Board and VP of strategy at Spredfast. “We’re extremely proud of what we’ve accomplished for the word of mouth industry in the research, ethics and influencer/advocacy spaces, and now the next evolution of WOMMA begins. Becoming a division of the ANA allows us to take full advantage of the resources, diverse member base and thought-leadership the ANA has carefully cultivated.”