WFA welcomes 19 new corporate members in 2020

WFA has strengthened its global membership with 19 new corporate members in the last 12 months, further boosting the level of expertise that members can access through peer-to-peer meetings and the share of global advertising spend that it represents.

The new members come from a broad range of categories including finance, telecoms, retail, pharma, fitness & wellbeing, and renewable energy. They include WFA’s first corporate member from Africa, the First Bank of Nigeria, a reflection of the huge economic potential and recent high rates GDP growth in many sub-Saharan countries.

The full list of new members is: Bank of America, Barilla, Boehringer Ingelheim, Constellation Brands, CVS Health, Dell, First Bank of Nigeria, Galderma, Huawei, Lindt & Sprüngli, Levi Strauss & Co, Luxottica Group, Ørsted, Peloton, Perfetti van Melle, Swarovski, TEVA Pharma and Walmart. 

The rise to 125 corporate members, or +12% net membership growth in 2020, tops a solid year for WFA, which has continued to provide practical advice and support to members by boosting its remote knowledge offering of content, remote meetings and webinars, while at the same time continuing to advocate for more sustainable and responsible practices in the marketing industry, in a year hugely challenged by the coronavirus pandemic.

During 2020 WFA launched major initiatives around diversity & inclusion and data ethics, helped negotiate new practices for dealing with harmful content by the major digital platforms via GARM, launched a new cross-media measurement proposal for testing in the UK and US as well as promoting a new value-based focus for marketing procurement via its Project Spring initiative.

2020 also saw the release one of WFA’s largest studies to date, Marketer of the Future, to understand the current and future challenges today’s marketers face, and the launch of the Asian Marketing Leaders Program course for marketing talent in Asia.

“The fact that so many high-profile brands have chosen to join our network in this most unexpected of years is testament to the unique value of being part of WFA’s global network, particularly during uncertain times. In a year characterised by enormous challenges for people and businesses alike, WFA provided a port in a storm and a global gateway, demonstrating the power of multinational co-operation by connecting brands in a time of remoteness via research, peer to peer support and bespoke insight,” said Stephan Loerke, WFA CEO.

Should you want to learn more about WFA membership, please reach out at membership@wfanet.org