American Marketing Association (AMA)

American Marketing Association (AMA) is a United States-based nonprofit professional association serving marketing practitioners, educators, researchers, and students. Founded in 1937 and headquartered in Chicago, it supports the development and exchange of marketing knowledge through scholarly journals, professional learning, certifications, events, chapters, and guidance on marketing concepts and ethics.

The AMA is an organization, rather than a marketing technique, regulatory agency, or government standards body. Its definitions, research publications, educational resources, and professional guidance influence discussion of Marketing Management, Marketing Research, Marketing Strategy, and related disciplines, but its professional recommendations do not by themselves establish legal or regulatory requirements.

History and development

The AMA was established in 1937 through the merger of the American Marketing Society and the National Association of Marketing Teachers. Its predecessor organizations brought together marketing professionals and academic researchers. An account preserved in Federal Trade Commission proceedings records the merger and the association's nonprofit status.

Its intellectual and professional activities have included the development of marketing concepts, support for academic publication, and conferences where practitioners and scholars exchange research and experience. The Journal of Marketing began publication in 1936, preceding the formation of the association in its present form.

The AMA's historical role is particularly associated with formalizing marketing terminology and supporting interaction between academic and business communities. The association notes that Neil Borden presented the concept of the marketing mix in a 1953 AMA presidential address.

Mission and professional role

The AMA presents itself as a community for marketing professionals and academics. It connects people working in research, education, management, commercial marketing, and other areas of the discipline. Its activities include access to research, professional development, networking, educational events, and institutional resources.

The association is relevant to several audiences:

• Marketing practitioners use educational and professional resources to maintain skills and interpret changing methods.
• Marketing leaders may use research and professional guidance to inform strategy, organization design, and performance measurement.
• Researchers and educators participate in scholarly publication and academic exchanges.
• Students and early-career professionals may access collegiate chapters, learning opportunities, and professional networks.

These are different forms of participation. Membership, certification, journal authorship, and involvement in a local chapter should not be treated as interchangeable qualifications.

AMA definitions of marketing

A prominent function of the AMA is publishing and reviewing definitions of core marketing concepts. Its published definition of marketing describes activities, institutions, and processes involving the creation, communication, delivery, and exchange of offerings that provide value to several groups, including customers and society.

The AMA also maintains definitions of marketing research and other terms such as branding and distribution. The association states that a panel of marketing scholars periodically reviews its marketing and research definitions. These statements are useful reference points for a shared professional vocabulary, although organizations may adopt more specific operational definitions for their business models or regulatory settings.

Marketing as a discipline

The AMA's broad conception of marketing encompasses more than advertising or short-term promotion. It includes customer understanding, value propositions, products and services, distribution, pricing, communication, and exchange. This scope overlaps with Market Segmentation, Brand Management, Customer Experience Management (CEM), and Product Management.

Marketing research

The AMA describes marketing research as a function connecting consumers, customers, and the public with marketers through information. Research helps identify problems and opportunities, evaluate actions, monitor performance, and improve marketing understanding.

The definition establishes a professional concept; it is not itself a complete research methodology. Actual studies require explicit sampling, research design, ethical safeguards, measurement, and interpretation.

Publications and research

The AMA publishes or supports peer-reviewed academic journals that examine marketing theories, methods, managerial decisions, international activity, and public-policy implications. Its journal portfolio includes the following publications.

Journal	General subject area
Journal of Marketing	Marketing knowledge, theory, and problems relevant to managers, scholars, and other stakeholders
Journal of Marketing Research	Marketing research methods, empirical analysis, and findings
Journal of Public Policy & Marketing	Interactions between marketing, regulation, social concerns, and public policy
Journal of International Marketing	Marketing across national and international settings
Journal of Interactive Marketing	Interactive and technology-mediated marketing activity

Peer review is intended to improve the quality and credibility of research, but publication does not mean every finding is universally applicable or beyond challenge. Readers should consider study populations, research methods, dates, conflicts of interest, and how findings transfer to their own organizational context.

The AMA's journal policies address research transparency, disclosure, and appropriate methods. In October 2026, its published editorial policies describe expectations for sufficient methodological information to support replication or extension of findings.

Education and professional development

The association offers professional education through learning programs, conferences, and credentials. Its Professional Certified Marketer (PCM) program is intended to recognize demonstrated marketing knowledge in designated areas. The AMA distinguishes certificates obtained through specific courses from professional certifications involving an assessment and ongoing recertification obligations.

As described by the AMA in 2026, PCM areas include digital marketing, content marketing, and marketing management. Certification holders are subject to a renewal process, and individual program requirements should be checked against current AMA materials rather than inferred from a general description.

The association also offers educational events and professional communities. For an employer, the value of participation depends on the relevance of the curriculum, instructor expertise, evidence quality, learning transfer, and how the acquired skills will be applied.

Professional ethics and conduct

The AMA publishes a Statement of Ethics that articulates expectations for ethical marketing. It identifies honesty, responsibility, equity, transparency, and citizenship as guiding values and emphasizes avoidance of harm, integrity, and consideration of stakeholder interests.

The statement addresses truthfulness, fair treatment, privacy, environmental and social responsibilities, and accountability for marketing decisions. The AMA distinguishes this aspirational professional statement from the conduct rules applied to participation in its own community. It explicitly notes that it does not have the resources to adjudicate every potential ethical violation throughout the marketing profession.

Professional ethics guidance can inform organizational policies, but it does not replace applicable privacy, advertising, consumer-protection, competition, employment, or other laws. Employers must determine the legal obligations relevant to their jurisdictions and activities.

Chapters and professional community

The AMA participates in networks of local professional chapters and collegiate organizations. These groups provide opportunities for networking, professional development, events, and participation in marketing activities. The structure and availability of specific chapters may change over time; interested individuals should consult the association's current directory.

Chapters and communities can support knowledge exchange between academics and practitioners, although local programming and member experience vary. An association membership does not establish that an individual or company follows every AMA recommendation or that its marketing performance has been independently validated.

Relationship to marketing and business disciplines

The AMA's material is relevant to a wide range of marketing and management subjects, but the association itself should not be confused with the disciplines it studies.

Subject	Relationship to the AMA
Marketing management	The AMA publishes professional guidance and research relevant to planning, organizing, directing, and evaluating marketing work
Marketing research	The AMA maintains definitions and publishes academic studies on research methods and findings
Marketing strategy	AMA scholarship and learning resources discuss segmentation, positioning, differentiation, and value creation
Marketing ethics	The AMA issues a professional statement of ethical norms and values
Marketing education	The AMA offers learning resources, certifications, conferences, and academic networks
Marketing operations	AMA resources can inform professional practice, but the AMA does not operate a company's marketing processes

Use of AMA resources in organizations

A business may use AMA resources to define marketing terminology, identify relevant research, inform learning programs, compare professional practices, or assess ethical questions. The usefulness of any particular source should be evaluated according to its purpose.

For example, an executive reviewing a proposed new marketing attribution model might examine peer-reviewed research through an AMA journal. This could help frame assumptions and limitations, but the company would still need to test the model using its own customer data and decision requirements. Similarly, a marketing department might use AMA's professional learning programs while independently measuring whether staff capabilities improve.

For CIOs and technology leaders, AMA research can provide context for customer analytics, marketing technology, data governance, digital channels, and the organizational consequences of AI adoption. However, technology procurement, security architecture, and enterprise risk decisions still require appropriate specialist expertise and evidence.

Limitations and interpretation

The AMA is a professional association and publisher, not a statutory regulator. Its definitions and ethics statements should be distinguished from legally binding rules. Its published research varies in topic, method, evidence strength, and applicability. Commercial offerings, memberships, and credentials should be evaluated using their current program terms and the requirements of the individual or organization.

A professional reference should therefore distinguish association policy, academic findings, practitioner commentary, and independent evidence rather than presenting them as one kind of authority.

See also

• Marketing Management
• Marketing Research
• Marketing Strategy
• Marketing Ethics
• Brand Management
• Marketing Operations
• Market Segmentation
• Customer Experience Management (CEM)