ANA, 4As, and IAB to Establish Cross-Industry AI Leadership Council and Advance Shared Priorities Across Retail Media, Measurement, and Talent

Marketing's Leading Trade Organizations to Bring the Industry Together for Its First Leadership Summit in October

NEW YORK - July 20, 2026 -- The Association of National Advertisers (ANA), the 4As, and the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) will create a cross-industry body to lead on AI governance and adoption. This was the most significant commitment to come out of a meeting in Cannes, France, where leaders from all three organizations sat down with a delegation of CMOs from top brands and other industry leaders.

The first time in nearly a decade that all three associations were at the same table, they agreed on where the industry needs collective leadership, and they committed to working together to deliver it. AI was the clear top priority, alongside commerce/retail media and talent. The following day, the leaders of the ANA, 4As, and IAB appeared together on the LIONS stage for the first time in nearly ten years, signaling a renewed commitment to industry-wide collaboration.

The three priorities:

1. AI. The group will formally stand up a cross-industry body for AI leadership and governance. This was the central outcome of the morning and the area where the three associations see the most urgent need to move together.
2. Commerce/Retail media. A push to establish shared definitions and standards across the industry, so buyers and sellers are working from the same playbook.
3. Talent. A shared system for assessing and developing the industry's workforce, built to serve the whole ecosystem rather than any one part of it.

Between now and October, the ANA, 4As, and IAB will define the scope and priorities of these workstreams and convene a broader group of marketers and stakeholders at the inaugural Industry Leadership Summit at the ANA Masters of Marketing Conference. Following the ANA Masters of Marketing Conference, this collaboration intends to re-convene at future events in 2027, including the IAB's Annual Leadership Meeting in February and the 4As Decisions conferences.

Building on a track record of joint action
These three organizations have come together before, on viewability and on creating TAG, when the problems were bigger than any one player could solve. This effort does the same thing at a larger scale. It re-establishes a foundational system for industry-wide collaboration, the kind of focused, structured work it takes to actually move the industry forward.

"For the first time in nearly a decade, these three distinguished associations are aligning and partnering on common challenges and opportunities. Now our job is to demonstrate coordinated leadership to build businesses and generate industry growth," said Bob Liodice, CEO, ANA.

"This industry has always made its greatest progress when leaders come together around challenges that are too significant for any one organization to solve alone," said Nick Primola, Group Executive Vice President of the ANA and leader of the Global CMO Growth Council. "What happened last week was the beginning of a renewed model for collective leadership and a commitment to build practical solutions for the issues shaping the future of marketing."

"We are in a new era of marketing and value creation for brands. Clients and agencies need direction and guidance, in AI adoption, making sense of the complex media landscape, measuring business value, and talent remains critical. We look forward to joining forces with the ANA and IAB to provide the best answers which create lasting value," said Justin Thomas-Copeland, CEO, 4As.

"At a time defined by rapid change, the strongest response is collective action. Alone, we adapt; together, we transform. IAB is proud to join hands with ANA and the 4A's to collaborate on some of the most pressing opportunities and challenges facing the marketing ecosystem. We look forward to driving tangible outputs that will allow us all to meet the moment with purpose," said David Cohen, CEO, IAB.

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About the ANA

The Association of National Advertisers (ANA) is the definitive voice of the marketing industry. Since 1910, we have set and advanced the agenda for marketing transformation, connecting over 1,600 member companies to an influential global network, insights and resources that drive growth. Our members represent 20,000 brands and $400 billion in annual marketing investment. Through industry-leading research, the CMO Growth Council, and our proprietary Growth Agenda and Practices, the ANA empowers marketers to shape the future of marketing and create lasting impact for their organizations and the industry.

About the IAB
The Interactive Advertising Bureau empowers the media and marketing industries to thrive in the digital economy. Its membership comprises more than 700 leading media companies, brands, agencies, and the technology firms responsible for selling, delivering, and optimizing digital ad marketing campaigns. The trade group fields critical research on interactive advertising, while also educating brands, agencies, and the wider business community on the importance of digital marketing. In affiliation with the IAB Tech Lab, IAB develops technical standards and solutions. IAB is committed to professional development and elevating the knowledge, skills, expertise, and collaboration of the workforce across the industry. Through the work of its public policy office in Washington, D.C., the trade association advocates for its members and promotes the value of the interactive advertising industry to legislators and policymakers. Founded in 1996, IAB is headquartered in New York City.

About the 4As
The 4As was established in 1917 to promote, advance, and defend the interests of our member agencies, employees and the advertising and marketing industries overall. We empower and equip our members to confidently navigate the ever-changing ecosystem of the agency world. We ensure they remain relevant, are positioned to compete, and have the resources to thrive and grow. With a focus on advocacy, talent and creating impact, the organization serves 600+ member agencies across 1,200 offices, which help direct more than 85% of total U.S. advertising spend. The 4As includes the 4As Benefits division, which insures more than 160,000 employees; the government relations team, who advocate for policies to support the industry; the 4As Foundation, which advocates for and connects rising talent to the marketing industry by fostering a culture of curiosity, creativity and craft to fuel a more equitable future for the industry; and 4As Health, a subsidiary dedicated to advancing accurate, credible and accessible health information.