OWM

What OWM does

OWM (Organisation Werbungtreibende im Markenverband) is a registered non-profit industry association (eingetragener Verein) founded in 1995 and headquartered at Unter den Linden 42 in Berlin, Germany. The association represents the collective interests of 110+ advertising companies (brand advertisers) in Germany vis-à-vis media owners, agencies, policymakers, and research bodies, with members collectively responsible for more than €12 billion in advertising investments. It is affiliated with the Markenverband (German Brands Association) and represented on the World Federation of Advertisers (WFA) Executive Board, positioning it as the primary unified voice for advertisers in the German marketing communications ecosystem.

OWM's service portfolio is membership-delivered rather than technology-product-based. Core offerings include annual market intelligence publications (the OWM Trend-Barometer advertiser sentiment survey and themed studies covering Agentic AI in Marketing, Retail Media, Third Party Cookies, Blockchain, and AI in Advertising), industry standards and codes of conduct (Retail Media, Media Agency Pitches), standardized contract templates for media agency relationships, flagship events (OWM Summit in Berlin and OWM Connect Day hosted by members such as Danone), member-only webinars, and a password-protected member dashboard. Research output is co-produced with strategic partners including Accenture Song, BVDW, and OMG. No proprietary technology platform, SaaS product, or API is offered.

The revenue model is recurring membership dues paid by 110+ enterprise member companies, including Procter & Gamble, Henkel, Beiersdorf, Coca-Cola, Nestlé, L'Oréal, Unilever, Mars, McDonald's, Deutsche Telekom, BMW, Ferrero, Allianz, Danone, Deutsche Bank, Reckitt, Vodafone, Sparkasse, AB InBev, Arla, Bayer, and others. Specific membership fee levels are not publicly disclosed. Operating geographies are limited to Germany, though OWM participates in WFA global initiatives. Governance is exercised by a member-elected board chaired by Maike Abel (since May 2025), with Kristina Bulle as Deputy Chairwoman, Daniel Jäger as Treasurer, and Susanne Kunz as Managing Director since March 2021.

Name

OWM

Legal name

Organisation Werbungtreibende im Markenverband e.V.

Website

https://owm.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

OWM is a German non-profit industry association founded in 1995, representing 110+ major brand advertisers collectively responsible for over €12 billion in ad investments, delivering advocacy, market research, standards, and networking events to its members.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: OWM generates revenue through annual membership fees from its 110+ member companies. Members include major advertisers such as Procter & Gamble, Henkel, Beiersdorf, Coca-Cola, Nestlé, and others who pay dues for access to collective representation, industry research, events, and networking.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

OWM is a German industry association that represents the interests of 110+ advertising companies (brand advertisers) operating in Germany. It provides collective advocacy to media, agencies, policymakers, and research bodies, along with market intelligence (Trend-Barometer, studies), standards (Code of Conduct), contract templates, networking events (OWM Summit, Connect Day, Webinars), and a member dashboard — all delivered to member companies through annual membership.

Product overview

The Organisation Werbungtreibende im Markenverband (OWM) is a German advertising association serving as the unified voice of companies that advertise. Rather than offering a commercial technology product, OWM provides a portfolio of membership services including industry research (OWM Trend-Barometer, Studies), standards and guidelines (OWM Code of Conduct), contract templates, events (OWM Summit, OWM Connect Day, Webinars), and a member dashboard. The organization focuses on advocacy for advertising interests, market transparency, effectiveness measurement, and addressing regulatory and technological challenges facing advertisers in Germany.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• OWM Trend-Barometer Annual survey-based forecast of advertiser sentiment regarding business development and advertising market conditions, providing members with outlook data for planning purposes.
• OWM Studies (Studies & Research Publications) Published research reports covering topics including Agentic AI in Marketing, AI in Advertising, Retail Media, Third Party Cookies, Blockchain Technology, Online Advertising in the Post-Cookie Era, and Engagement Measurement.
• OWM Code of Conduct Guidelines and best practices for ethical advertising, including specific codes for Retail Media and Media Agency Pitches, providing frameworks for transparent and fair advertising practices.
• Contract Templates (Vertragsvorlagen) Standardized contract templates for media agency relationships, helping members establish fair and transparent contractual arrangements.
• OWM Summit Annual flagship conference bringing together leading executives from business and media in Berlin, featuring industry insights, networking, and discussions on the future of marketing.
• OWM Connect Day Annual networking event bringing together decision-makers and experts from the marketing and media industry for exchange, learning, and collaboration, hosted at member company locations.
• Member Dashboard Password-protected online portal providing members with access to exclusive resources, communications, and member-only content and tools.

Named customers18 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Accenture SongcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOWM partners with Accenture Song for joint research studies on marketing technology trends. In March 2026, they released the study 'Agentic AI in Marketing - Moving Fast, Staying in Control' examining generative AI and autonomous AI agents in marketing.
• BVDW (Bundesverband Digitale Wirtschaft)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOWM collaborates with BVDW on joint studies and initiatives including the 'Online-Werbung in der Post-Cookie-Ära' study and positions on digital advertising standards, brand safety, and market transparency.
• OMG (Organisation Media-Agenturen im GWA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOWM works with OMG on transparency in media business, agency compensation guidelines, and media pitch standards. Jointly developed Code of Conduct for agency pitches.
• WFA (World Federation of Advertisers)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOWM is affiliated with WFA and its Managing Director Joachim Schütz served on the WFA Executive Board. OWM participates in WFA global initiatives and conferences.
• GWA (Gesamtverband Werbeagenturen)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOWM collaborates with GWA on transparency recommendations in media business and agency relationship guidelines.
• DanoneminorOthersDanone hosted the OWM Connect Day 2026 in Frankfurt, providing venue and leadership for the event focused on marketing and media industry exchange.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• IAB Europe: European-level industry body for digital advertising and marketing. An adjacent peer operating at pan-European scope on issues like post-cookie, brand safety, and ad transparency — themes that overlap directly with OWM's advocacy agenda in Germany.
• International Advertising Association (IAA): Global industry body spanning advertisers, agencies, and media across marketing communications. IAA's broader multi-stakeholder scope contrasts with OWM's pure advertiser focus, making it an incumbent peer operating at larger global scale.
• 4A's (American Association of Advertising Agencies): U.S. trade association for advertising agencies. A peer industry-association model operating at the agency side of the market; useful for understanding how OWM's advertiser-side mandate compares and complements agency-side associations globally.

Direct peers

• World Federation of Advertisers (WFA): Global trade body representing the interests of marketers/advertisers worldwide. OWM is formally affiliated with and sits on the Executive Board of WFA, making it the closest possible peer — a sister advertiser association at a larger geographic scope.
• Association of National Advertisers (ANA): U.S. national trade association for brand advertisers, providing advocacy, research, and member services to Fortune 500 marketers. ANA is the de facto counterpart of OWM in the U.S., serving very similar functions for enterprise brand advertisers.
• ISBA (Incorporated Society of British Advertisers): UK trade body representing British advertisers, providing policy advocacy, industry research, and standards. Closely comparable to OWM in mandate, member base (large national advertisers), and operational structure.

Regional players

• Bundesverband Digitale Wirtschaft (BVDW): German association for the digital economy. OWM has a core partnership with BVDW on post-cookie studies and digital standards; while BVDW is broader (digital companies) and OWM is advertiser-focused, they directly compete on overlapping digital-policy mandates in Germany.

Others

• Gesamtverband Werbeagenturen (GWA): German advertising agency association. OWM collaborates with GWA on transparency recommendations and agency guidelines; GWA is a sister association serving the agency side of the same German market OWM's advertiser members buy into.
• Organisation Media-Agenturen im GWA (OMG): German media-agency association within GWA. OWM co-developed a Code of Conduct for agency pitches and works with OMG on media transparency — directly comparable as an industry-association counterpart on the agency side of OWM's advertiser members.
• Markenverband: German Brands Association, the parent affiliate under which OWM operates ('Organisation Werbungtreibende im Markenverband'). OWM shares governance, compliance, and data-protection functions with Markenverband, making it an institutional peer and host.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@owmorganisationwerbungtrei6830
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/owm-organisation-werbungtreibende-im-markenverband
• Xx.com/werbetreibende

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about OWM