MCA assists credit professionals in the assessment of risk associated with selling ad pages to advertising agencies and direct accounts. Its primary purpose is to monitor the payment habits of agencies and direct bills that place ads in its members' magazines. Early every year, creative directors, copywriters and art directors at America's advertising agencies are invited to submit their work for consideration as the best magazine advertising campaign of the previous year. Twenty-five finalists are selected from among the entries by a judging panel of top creative directors. In addition to the Grand Prize, awards are given for Best at Meeting Campaign Objectives, Best Headline and Copy, Best Design and Graphics and Best New Work by a New Team.
Custom publishing is an increasingly important marketing and communications tool.
Its combined membership represents more than 400 advertisers, advertising agencies, research firms, media companies, educational institutions and international organizations. The principal mission of the ARF is to improve the practice of advertising, marketing and media research in pursuit of more effective marketing and advertising communications. It is a management-oriented organization, offering its members the broadest feasible depth of information regarding the operation of advertising agencies, encompassing management, media, print and broadcast production, secondary research on advertising and marketing, international advertising and much more. ABM has a staff of specialists in government affairs, marketing, communications, promotion and finance. Active ABM member committees regularly assess developments in the industry and formulate the association's positions on key issues.