IAB, ILAC to Merge on July 1

The Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) and the Internet Local Advertising & Commerce Association (ILAC) said at the IAB’s annual meeting in San Francisco that effective July 1 the two associations will merge.

The merger will “better advance their common mission of maximizing the use and effectiveness of advertising on the Internet, the organizations said.

“The interests of the industry are best served with one organization working to drive online marketing effectiveness on a national, international and local scale,” said Rich LeFurgy, IAB chairman and senior vice president advertising for the Buena Vista Internet Group.

Under the agreement, ILAC’s more than 50 members–representing broadcasters, newspapers, Yellow Pages publishers, independent local sites and other companies involved in local Internet services–will become full-standing IAB members, boosting IAB membership to more than 300 companies when the merger is completed.

In addition, a new IAB Local Advertising Committee will be formed for ILAC members to continue their work in promoting and facilitating advertising and commerce on local Web sites. The new committee will be chaired by Jim D’Arcangelo, an ILAC founder and board member and the President of NFO AD:IMPACT.

“The ILAC Board is enthusiastic about merging the ILAC into the IAB,” said D’Arcangelo. “The interests of local advertising on the Internet will be served more aggressively and effectively in working through IAB’s strong infrastructure of resources, industry leadership and international reach.”