CMA
Creative Marketing Alliance is a U.S. full-service marketing and association management firm serving 120+ trade/professional associations and enterprise clients across financial services, healthcare, lighting, and hospitality with creative, digital, PR, and event services.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1987
- HeadquartersPrinceton Junction, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What CMA does
Creative Marketing Alliance (CMA) is a U.S.-based, founder-owned full-service communications, marketing, and association management firm headquartered in East Windsor, New Jersey (Princeton Junction area). Founded in 1987 by Jeffrey Barnhart, who remains CEO, the company operates with 11-50 employees and serves both enterprise clients and trade/professional associations. CMA has built a 36-plus year track record, accumulating 400+ industry awards, 320+ brands created, and 280+ websites developed across its history.
The company's service portfolio spans web-based marketing, creative services, event planning, association management, digital marketing, public relations, web and mobile app development, and publications. Its core differentiation in the association segment is end-to-end management of member-based organizations, with the firm currently running 120+ association clients, supplemented by enterprise marketing work for recognizable brands such as Philips, Panasonic, 3M, Amerlux, First Bank, IMARK Group, and the Philadelphia Zoo. CMA employs a proprietary engagement framework branded as Marketecture™ to structure client delivery.
CMA's business model is a hybrid professional services and association management company (AMC) model. Revenue is generated through retained association management contracts (typically multi-year, scope-based fees for executive director, membership administration, event execution, and governance support) and project-based fees from enterprise clients for creative, digital, PR, and event work. The firm expanded digital capacity via the 2019 acquisition of Weblications and refreshed its market positioning with a June 2024 rebrand. The company is privately held by the founder with no disclosed external funding.
CMA firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- CMA
- Legal name
- CMA, Inc.
- Website
- https://cmasolutions.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1987
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Creative Marketing Alliance is a U.S. full-service marketing and association management firm serving 120+ trade/professional associations and enterprise clients across financial services, healthcare, lighting, and hospitality with creative, digital, PR, and event services.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
CMA industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Marketing and Communications Services
- NAICS
- Advertising Agencies (541810), Custom Computer Programming Services (541511)
- SIC
- Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Consent, Preference & Privacy Management (CMP) (BPAFAFAL)
Keywords
Where CMA is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Princeton Junction
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
CMA business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Association Management Services: Full-service association management including membership management, event planning, and administrative services for over 120 associations
- Marketing and Creative Services: Comprehensive marketing services including branding, digital marketing, web development, social media, public relations, advertising, and publications
- Financial Advisory for Associations: Cash management and financial strategy services for associations, generating non-dues revenue through interest income optimization
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom project-based pricing |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels7 records
CMA product offering
Product offeringCore offering
CMA is a full-service communications, marketing, and association management firm that delivers integrated marketing solutions to associations and commercial clients. Its core offerings span four capability pillars: Web-based Marketing, Creative Services, Event Planning, and Association Management, supplemented by Digital Marketing, Public Relations, Web and Mobile App Development, Publications, and the proprietary Marketecture™ strategic positioning process.
Product overview
CMA is a full-service communications, marketing, and association management firm offering integrated marketing solutions. The portfolio includes Web-based Marketing, Creative Services, Event Planning, and Association Management as core service areas, supported by Digital Marketing, Public Relations, Web and Mobile App Development, and Publications. The company utilizes its proprietary Marketecture™ discovery process to deliver strategic positioning analysis for clients across diverse industries including financial services, healthcare, associations, lighting, and professional services.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Web-based Marketing
Quantifiable outcome
- Association of Medical Media achieved 16.3% membership growth and added 127 individuals in one year following restructuring
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use CMA
Customer profileNamed customers15 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
CMA technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
CMA partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- GenslerminorCMA developed marketing materials for Amerlux products created in collaboration with Gensler, a global architecture, design and planning firm. Campaign centered on 'A Design Legacy' theme.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
CMA competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- SmithBucklin: The largest Association Management Company (AMC) in the United States, providing full-service association management, event, and marketing services to hundreds of member organizations. Directly comparable to CMA as a multi-vertical AMC offering both management and integrated marketing communications.
- Association Headquarters (AH): Mid-sized AMC providing full-service association management, event planning, and marketing services to professional and trade associations. Closely matches CMA's hybrid AMC-plus-marketing-agency model.
- Virtual Inc. AMC managing technology, standards, and professional associations with integrated marketing, events, and member services. Comparable in service breadth and mid-market association focus.
- Ewald Consulting: AMC and association consulting firm providing management, meetings, marketing, and government relations services to professional associations. Directly overlaps with CMA's association management and marketing capabilities.
- Management Solutions Plus (MSP): Association management company offering membership administration, meeting planning, marketing, and communications services for trade and professional associations of similar size to CMA.
- McKinley Advisors: Association consulting and management firm providing strategy, membership, marketing, and research services to non-profit and association clients. Comparable on the consulting and association growth services that CMA delivers to AMM and similar clients.
- Tecker International: Association consulting firm specializing in strategy, governance, and growth services for trade associations and non-profits. Comparable to CMA's strategic positioning work (e.g., AMM membership restructuring) though more consulting-led and less marketing-led.
- HighRoad Solutions: Association-focused marketing agency providing digital strategy, web development, creative, and content services to non-profits and associations. Closely overlaps with CMA's web/creative/event capabilities for association clients.
Broad incumbents
- Gusto (association/marketing context: Truist-sponsored agency comparison): Large full-service marketing and communications holding companies (e.g., IPG, Omnicom, WPP networks) compete for the same enterprise marketing RFPs that CMA targets (financial services, healthcare). They represent the scaled incumbents that CMA must differentiate against.
Emerging players
- Impexium: Association management software platform providing CRM, membership, event, and engagement tools to associations. Represents the technology-enabled threat to traditional AMC labor-based services, and a potential partner or competitor to CMA's managed service model.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
CMA social profiles
Digital presenceCMA financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
CMA leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
CMA funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
CMA M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about CMA
What does CMA do?
CMA is a full-service communications, marketing, and association management firm that delivers integrated marketing solutions to associations and commercial clients. Its core offerings span four capability pillars: Web-based Marketing, Creative Services, Event Planning, and Association Management, supplemented by Digital Marketing, Public Relations, Web and Mobile App Development, Publications, and the proprietary Marketecture™ strategic positioning process.
Is CMA a public or private company?
CMA is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was CMA founded?
CMA was founded in 1987. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is CMA based?
CMA is headquartered in Princeton Junction, United States, in the North America region.
How does CMA make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Association Management Services are the primary driver. The others are marketing and Creative Services and financial Advisory for Associations.
Who are CMA's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are SmithBucklin, Association Headquarters (AH), Virtual Inc., Ewald Consulting, Management Solutions Plus (MSP), McKinley Advisors, Tecker International and HighRoad Solutions. Gusto (association/marketing context: Truist-sponsored agency comparison) is listed as a broad incumbent. Impexium is listed as an emerging player.
Does CMA have an API?
No public API is recorded for CMA.
What industry is CMA in?
CMA's product category is Marketing and Communications Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAFAFAL, Consent, Preference & Privacy Management (CMP). Its NAICS code is 541810 and its SIC code is 7370.