LMA, LMIA and IMA - you got that?

by Tanya Henderson, Advertising & Membership Relations Director, LMA

Since we’ve changed our name to Local Media Association, it’s been a very positive experience for the association. We know the name change brings with it the opening of new doors and opportunities. For
instance, the 2012 Innovation Mission has some amazing tour stops including Google and AT&T Interactive which arguably may have been harder to confirm as Suburban Newspapers of America.

However, there has been some visible “head scratching” to me in e-mails from our members about the three acronyms we use that are all very close in nature. I thought I would take this opportunity to update everyone on the differences in these names. Here is a short glossary:

LMA (Local Media Association)
This is the association’s new name, changed from Suburban Newspapers of America in January 2012. The association’s top priority remains newspaper companies and their digital entities. Our mission is to lead our members to “innovate. educate. inspire” by presenting new industry programming and learning for the continued advancement and transformation into full fledged media companies.

LMIA (Local Media Innovation Alliance)
This is a separate paid membership/subscription that was developed by the Local Media Association Foundation in 2011 as the next step in Innovation learning. The purpose of the Alliance is to put innovation of the fast track by identifying and exhaustively researching current and emerging practices that are believed to be sustainable and well worth considering for local media companies.

The LMIA provides monthly reports on these practices which include an executive summary, case studies and key takeaways. In many cases the reports also outline and profile the vendors which relate to the initiative being reviewed. The subjects of each of these monthly reports, along with the report author, are featured in related webinars for LMIA members. These webinars are excellent tools to help expand on the lessons contained in the report and to enable real time dialogue and Q&A on the various topics.

Report topics to date have included: The Local Digital Ad Agency, Daily Deals, Mobile Strategies, Using Free Open Source Software and SOLOMO. The monthly reports and webinars are included in the membership fee. For more information regarding LMIA – please visit the “Foundation” tab on our web site at www.localmedia.org.

IMA (Interactive Media Alliance)
This popular fee-based alliance has been in place for several years and allows companies to benefit from additional webinars on a number of subjects specifically relating to online and digital programming. Companies can have up to 5 people join this alliance for only $229 and take advantage of monthly webinars in addition to the free member webinars. This pricing equates to only $19 a webinar or less than $4 per person! More information can be found on our web site under the “About Us” tab.