Rich Murphy, CEO, President and Managing Director
At AAM's recent annual business meeting, I was joined by AAM Chairman Chris Black to share results from AAM’s director election as well as insights about the organization's performance in 2024 and key initiatives for the year ahead. This was my first annual business meeting as CEO, so I wanted to provide a recap of the meeting and some insights into how AAM is working to serve our clients and the industry.
As AAM and BPA came together over the past 18 months, our team collaborated to provide greater value to our members and advance the media and advertising industry. We aligned our standards, procedures and reporting to make the process more efficient for publishers while providing buyers with seamless access to a broader universe of verified data.
Those improvements included integrating AAM and BPA data into AAM’s Media Intelligence Center—the data destination that hundreds of media buyers regularly access to find trusted publisher information.
Our combined experience and knowledge also led to a renewed focus on developing new solutions, including AAM’s automated digital assurance initiative. This program helps get verified web and social media data into buyers’ hands more quickly with minimal effort from publishers. New data is automatically integrated into AAM’s database and publishers’ Brand View profiles every month. Nearly 70 new profiles were published this year, and 80% include cross-media data for web, social media, apps and newsletters.
While AAM has long been considered a print auditor, we’re applying our expertise across all advertising channels including web, social media, apps, podcasts, digital out-of-home, and most recently, retail media. AAM is an official certifier for several leading industry certification programs from groups including the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB), IAB Tech Lab, Trustworthy Accountability Group (TAG) and the Point of Care Marketing Association (POCMA). These programs certify companies for adhering to standards for media buying criteria including brand safety, anti-fraud, impression measurement, point of care media and more.
AAM is also focused on education about new initiatives and solutions in the industry. AAM’s Media Matters series features interviews with industry leaders on relevant topics including measurement, transparency and privacy. AAM Media Mavens highlights individuals who have positively impacted the industry throughout their careers.
A change in leadership is the perfect time to re-examine the organization, industry, and challenges and opportunities before us. We are in the process of conducting a 360° review of AAM by collecting feedback from clients, board members and industry leaders that will guide AAM’s initiatives in 2025 and beyond. AAM plans to invest in resources to identify, evaluate, and develop new products and services that meet and anticipate the needs of media buyers and sellers.
Part of AAM’s mission is forging industry partnerships. We’ll continue to collaborate with industry associations like the Association of National Advertisers (ANA), 4A’s, IAB, TAG, POCMA and the Media Rating Council (MRC) to advance the media ecosystem. Such collaboration is vital to ensure the media industry remains trustworthy, transparent, and accountable for buyers, sellers and consumers.
This is an exciting time to be part of the industry and to witness the innovative solutions AAM clients and our partners are developing. But with innovation also comes challenges. Third-party assurance can provide a way for companies committed to transparency and industry standards to stand apart from others. By working with our talented team, board of directors and client base comprising the best publishers, agencies, advertisers and tech companies in the industry, I’m confident that AAM will continue to evolve to meet the industry’s needs.