The repositioning aimms to signals the organisation's foundational commitment to advancing marketers' ability to create value by uniting CMOs worldwide to shape the future of marketing, brands and business. MM encompasses all parts of the marketing ecosystem at the governance level, including brand marketers, media, adtech, martech, agencies and consultants, all working together, in support of CMOs, says the NPO.

This shift intends to clarify what MMA stands for: an alliance of action-oriented leaders driving measurable enterprise impact through proven models, frameworks and insights, adds the NPO.

"This marks an exciting next step for MMA in South Africa, one that reflects the ambition, collaboration and innovation already happening across our region. Our renaming to the Marketing + Media Alliance isn't just a name change, it signals a stronger commitment to empower CMOs and senior marketers in Africa to lead with purpose and proof," says Sarah Utemaker, Regional Director for MMA SSA and South Africa. 

"Our local industry has the ambition, the talent and the market relevance to shape global marketing’s future and through this alliance, we are bringing that potential to life," adds Utemaker.

The MMA rebrand is built around the CMO voice. Its board, which includes marketing leaders from some of the world's most influential brands, aims to shape each aspect of its new direction, says the NPO.

The rebrand and repositioning, thus aims to capture what senior marketers have been seeking: validated tools, collaborative problem-solving and a space where marketing's enterprise impact is proven, not just discussed, adds the NPO.

"MMA is for CMOs, directed by CMOs, but supported by the whole marketing industry," says Greg Stuart, CEO, MMA Global. "We are committed to adding new knowledge to address CMOs' and marketing's greatest unanswered questions and unlock its biggest opportunities. Our members aren't just talking about change, they're driving it."

Stuart adds, "This new positioning makes it clear that we are an alliance for leaders who push marketing to deliver proven, enterprise-level impact. We believe that if a marketer were to implement all that MMA's Think Tanks and Labs have discovered, their company could raise its market valuation. We're proving that marketing can and does matter."

To lead this new era of growth, MMA South Africa appoints Fionna Ronnie, Executive Head Customer and Loyalty at The Foschini Group as Chairperson, a strategic move aiming to guide the organisation across South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa. With more than 18 years of experience in digital transformation, customer strategy and brand innovation, Fionna's appointment aims to reflect MMA's intent to shape the region's marketing agenda through collaboration, creativity and purpose, says the NPO.

"Being appointed as Chairperson of the Marketing + Media Alliance South Africa is both an honour and a call to lead with intent. Our industry is evolving at unprecedented speed, and this moment demands leaders who can bridge creativity with commerce, and technology with humanity. The goal is to shape a marketing landscape that is dynamic, data-driven and deeply human, empowering South Africa to lead on the global stage," says Ronnie.

To support this vision, MMA South Afric also announces a new Leadership Council, including Beyers van der Merwe, Chief Marketing Officer at PEP, Sagren Pather, Executive Head: Marketing, Wealth and Investment at Standard Bank South Africa, Luisa Mazinter, Chief Growth Officer at Mesh.trade, Vincent Maher, CEO of BroadBrand, and Bruno Bertrand, Digital Commerce and Marketing Director Esteé Lauder Companies, who, along with the MMA SA Board, work closely with Fionna with the aim to expand the alliance's presence and impact in the region, says the NPO.

Regional Growth and 2026 Focus

With growth across Sub-Saharan Africa in view, MMA South Africa establishes a Regional Executive Committee to guide expansion into key markets across the region, maintaining a strong local focus within global frameworks, says the NPO.

As part of the local rollout, two key initiatives will launch in 2026:

  • AI Leadership Coalition (ALC) — South Africa: Focused on organisational AI-readiness and personalised marketing applications under MMA's ALTT Think Tank.
  • Retail Media Taskforce — South Africa: Exploring how agentic AI and retail data are reshaping the future of search, performance marketing and omnichannel brand experiences under the DATT Think Tank.

New Mission and Purpose

With the mission to advance marketers' ability to create value, the non-profit Marketing + Media Alliance (MMA) aims to develop revolutionary and award-winning models, frameworks, thought-leadership and initiatives — many spanning several years and millions of dollars — to help CMOs confidently tackle their biggest challenges. All MMA Labs experiments and explorations aim to provide proprietary and powerful insights and models, says the NPO.

"This rebranding is simply catching up to who MMA has already become," adds Stuart.

Founded in 2003 as the Mobile Marketing Association, the organisation expanded its mission to broader marketing transformation in 2018 and formally changed its legal name to MMA Global, Inc. in 2022, says the NPO.

This announcement aims to cement that evolution. The repositioning includes a new purpose and mission, a complete brand message house, a naming hierarchy, a new logo and brand guidelines. MMA thanks Lafayette American and CEO Toby Barlow for their support of MMA, concludes the NPO.

For more information, visit www.mmaglobal.com. You can also follow MMA Global on Facebook, LinkedIn, X, or on Instagram.

*Image courtesy of contributor