Confirms Value of IAB Certification Programs, Which Have Already Attracted Over 7,500 Participants From More Than 40 Countries
NEW YORK, NY (November 2, 2015) — The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) announced today that the IAB Digital Media Sales and Digital Ad Ops Certification Programs have been granted accreditation by the globally recognized American National Standards Institute (ANSI)—a first for any personnel certification in the digital advertising industry. The ANSI accreditation process, based on international benchmarks, increases the integrity, confidence, and mobility of certified professionals, and represents the highest standard in personnel certification.
“ANSI commends IAB for achieving accreditation and demonstrating the quality of its certification program,” said Lane Hallenbeck, Vice President, Accreditation Services, ANSI. “This honor distinguishes the IAB programs in the U.S. credentialing marketplace, where less than 10 percent of certification programs can claim accreditation by a third party. It also signifies the IAB program’s credibility, legitimacy, and commitment to improve.”
“This demonstrates that IAB certification is a credential of the highest caliber,” said Michael Theodore, Senior Vice President, Learning and Development, IAB, and General Manager, IAB Education Foundation. “The IAB certification programs were launched to elevate the perception of our industry, accelerate the growth of companies and individuals in digital advertising, and curate a body of knowledge for its players. This achievement validates the expertise and skill set of those who have achieved the credential.”
Established in 2012, IAB certification programs have secured the participation from over 300 companies, representing publishers, agencies, and ad technology vendors. Many of these companies—including AOL, Bloomberg, CBS Interactive, Collective, Condé Nast, Discovery Communications, NBCUniversal, Time Inc., Time Warner Cable Media, and Tremor Video—have pledged to have all eligible digital sellers across their organizations become IAB certified. In just over three years, the programs have attracted 7,500 professionals from over 40 countries. This past quarter saw a 72 percent increase in applications in comparison to the same time last year.
Since the launch of ANSI’s Personnel Certification Accreditation Program in 2003, the Institute has accredited 175 personnel certification programs offered by 56 organizations across a range of industry sectors involving more than 5 million workers. ANSI’s personnel certification accreditation program was the first such program in the United States to fulfill the requirements of ISO/IEC 17011, which represents the global benchmark for accreditation body practice. Accordingly, ANSI’s accreditation program is recognized as a world leader in personnel credentialing. It further enables credentialing organizations to demonstrate to the profession it represents, and to the general public its certification holders serve, that their program has met the stringent standards set by the credentialing community.
This news was released at the IAB Ad Operations Summit in New York City. For more information on IAB Certification, please visit iab.com/topics/certification.
About the IAB
The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) empowers the media and marketing industries to thrive in the digital economy. It is comprised of more than 650 leading media and technology companies that are responsible for selling, delivering, and optimizing digital advertising or marketing campaigns. Together, they account for 86 percent of online advertising in the United States. Working with its member companies, the IAB develops technical standards and best practices and fields critical research on interactive advertising, while also educating brands, agencies, and the wider business community on the importance of digital marketing. The organization is committed to professional development and elevating the knowledge, skills, expertise, and diversity of the workforce across the industry. Through the work of its public policy office in Washington, D.C., the IAB advocates for its members and promotes the value of the interactive advertising industry to legislators and policymakers. Founded in 1996, the IAB is headquartered in New York City and has a West Coast office in San Francisco.
About ANSI
The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) is a private non-profit organization whose mission is to enhance U.S. global competitiveness and the American quality of life by promoting, facilitating, and safeguarding the integrity of the voluntary standardization and conformity assessment system. Its membership is comprised of businesses, professional societies and trade associations, standards developers, government agencies, and consumer and labor organizations. The Institute represents the diverse interests of more than 125,000 companies and organizations and 3.5 million professionals worldwide.
The Institute is the official U.S. representative to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and, via the U.S. National Committee, the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), and is a U.S. representative to the International Accreditation Forum (IAF).
IAB Media Contact
Laura Goldberg
347.683.1859
[email protected]
