IMMAP takes LOA from AdBoard

The Advertising Board of the Philippines (AdBoard) is ending the year with another headache as the Internet and Mobile Marketing Association (IMMAP) files for an indefinite leave of absence.The IMMAP filled the LOA last 27 November, around the same time when the industry body elected its incoming board of directors for 2014.The LOA will take effect on 1 January 2014 together with an expected continuity transfer plan from the AdBoard.An official document secured by Marketing reveals that a worsening membership crisis prompted the industry body to exit from what “was the recognized central authority on the Philippine advertising industry.”Four out of the 10 member associations of the AdBoard filed indefinite leave of absences since late 2012 to focus on their own expertise.The Philippine Association of National Advertisers (PANA) took the lead in November last year, followed by the 4As and the Advertising Suppliers Association (ASAP) within months. Just last week, the Media Specialists Association of the Philippines (MSAP) also followed suit.Now down to just five members, the IMMAP, which joined the association in 2008, asks whether the AdBoard can continue now that its biggest members have pulled out.“In light of the matter, our association must re-evaluate our involvement with the AdBoard. Without strategic members, without the collective support of advertisers and ad agencies, it is difficult for IMMAP to imagine AdBoard’s capability to continue to serve its purpose,” IMMAP’s statement read.The remaining member associations of the AdBoard are:Marketing Opinion Research SocietyUnited Print Media GroupCinema Advertising AssociationOutdoor Advertising Association of the PhilippinesIndependent Blocktimers Association of the PhilippinesFive years ago, the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkasters ng Pilipinas (KBP) resigned from the AdBoard due to disputes regarding the number of TV commercials allowed per hour for rivals networks ABS-CBN and GMA.