Mission Statement

What it is

THE INTERNATIONAL ADVERTISING ASSOCIATION

A Global and Grass Roots Partnership Among Successful Brand Builders

The International Advertising Association has grown from a tripartite organization (advertisers, agencies, media) into a one-of-a-kind strategic partnership which champions the common interests of all enterprises involved in the branding process. The IAA has become a brand champion because all aspects of responsible commercial communications which contribute to a brands’ reputation need the freedom to flourish without unwarranted restrictions.

Now, the IAA draws its members on a local, regional or global scale from enterprises and individuals who are committed to brand building, and value commercial communications as vital to the success of their business.

advertisers
advertising agencies
media companies
corporate communications
marketing research companies
package/label design studios
sales promotion
public relations
interactive marketers and agencies
direct marketers

Its Mission

The International Advertising Association is the one global organization committed to fight unwarranted regulation on behalf of all enterprises engaged in responsible commercial communications and to act as an advocate for freedom of choice across all consumer and business markets. This requires a rigorous and continuing program:

to champion freedom of choice for consumers around the world;
to insulate current marketing investments from restrictions, which would reduce a company’s freedom to allocate sufficient funds necessary to make commercial communication’s cost effective;
to insure brand builders’ have the freedom to invest in new product categories as they develop in the future.

Such restrictions could create economic hardship by:

depriving individuals of useful information.
inhibiting competition among companies;
eliminating jobs in a variety of industries;
reducing the absolute size of investment in marketing communications.

The IAA actions take an added significance when advertising revenues are factored in as the financial source of an independent, pluralistic, affordable media with competing channels of information which ensures that individuals have choices, the kinetic energy of a free market society.

Its Goals

The common interest which unites the IAA’s separate constituencies is: all are active participants in the process of turning companies/products/services into successful and socially responsible brands.

From the mission statement, the following goals have been set for each of the IAA’s constituencies:

For Corporate Members

(open to all enterprises involved in the branding)

to attack barriers to free commercial communications and independent media where they exist, and defend the freedoms already in place.
to champion the economic and social value of commercial communications among thought-leaders and the public.
to raise the professional standards and promulgate the latest processes among communications’ practitioners.
to attract and develop outstanding young talent for the industry from countries around the world.

For Chapters (15 or more members) and Individual members

(open to communications practitioners and academics)

to provide the focus for development of IAA (15 or more members) and Chapters’ strategic positioning;
to set the foundation on which Chapters can build programs and events;
to develop all aspects of the Forum, which will provide ongoing education and networking opportunities for individual members.

Summary

The IAA is the sum of its members’ character and expertise. They are brand builders who aim to succeed. Their collective action will shape the IAA’s reputation, with its aim of being widely acclaimed as the champion for the freedom of responsible commercial communication, while its members are admired for their professional insights, innovation and leadership.

FAQ

How is the IAA different from other Associations?

The International Advertising Association was founded in 1938 in support of responsible marketing communications. Over time, the IAA has become the advocate for advertiser and consumer free choice. No other Association is as inclusive of all the disciplines involved in brand building, nor has an organization which is global in scale, yet has grass roots representation in 95 countries.

The IAA is uniquely positioned to intercept emerging cross-border trends before they become obvious, and to provide marketing communications professionals with an international, multi-industry forum for the global exchange of knowledge, best practices, professional development, intelligence, experience and ideas.

What Is The IAA Role Today?

Simultaneously, the IAA works for the freedom of enterprises to compete through brand building and it fights for consumer choice made possible by responsible commercial speech which informs, inspires and empowers individuals to raise their sights and reach for the products and services that will improve their life. The branding process is a microcosm of democracy. Individuals vote with their purchase decisions. When brands please people, brands prosper. When they don’t, consumers will buy a competitors’ brand. Over time, individuals’ freedom to choose helps shape a society’s sense of identity.

What Are Its Priorities?

Today, the International Advertising Association believes brand building communications is a force which can contribute meaning and values which are both necessary and useful to societies and to individuals as they choose how to live their lives and shape their social and economic relationships.

On behalf of its members, the IAA is dedicated to:

championing the freedom to advertise responsibly without unwarranted restrictions in the overall market, or by specific product category;
fighting for consumers’ freedom to exercise their right to choose in a free market society;
continuously developing and implementing programs designed to raise standards through leading edge professional development for the marketing communications community of the future.
providing an effective worldwide network for the exchange of local market knowledge, professional skill-set innovations and best practices in brand building through a variety of communication platforms, which include a world-class Website.