Again this year, the Association of National Advertisers has acquired yet another marketing association.

Last week, it was announced that the Business Marketing Association (BMA) would become a division of ANA by late next month. While this past May, ANA acquired the Brand Activation Association in an effort to increase ANA members’ exposure and access to resources on promotion marketing, experiential and relationship marketing, and shopper marketing.

“In trying to be a full-service association for our members, we’re always looking to see how we can add to our portfolio, especially in the content area,” Bob Liodice, president and CEO of ANA, told The New York Times in May. “Like any company, there are two ways: Build your own, or acquire.”

The latest acquisition of BMA is intended to increase the abilities of members of both associations to expand their business-to-business marketing efforts as well as increasing b-to-b thought leadership.

“The BMA/ANA enterprise will be very dynamic, with expansion potential at the national and local level,” Liodice said in a statement. “The purpose of the business combination is to bring substantial attention and focus to the b-to-b marketing community and expand the dedicated resources available to the practicing b-to-b marketing ecosystem.”

With more than 2,500 members and 17 chapters, BMA touts itself as the largest association dedicated to b-to-b marketing.  Before the acquisition, about a quarter of ANA’s more than 630 member companies were made up of b-to-b member companies.

“Through the BMA integration, ANA will be able to enhance its programs and the insights we deliver to our members,” Liodice said. This includes access to BMA’s industry knowledge and research as well as its awards program and global conference.  BMA members, meanwhile, will gain access to the wider network of ANA’s community, which represents more than 10,000 brands and $250 billion of marketing spend.

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