Affiliate Marketing Association

What Affiliate Marketing Association does

The Affiliate Marketing Association (特定非営利活動法人アフィリエイトマーケティング協会) is a Japanese Specified Non-Profit Corporation (NPO) founded in June 2003 and certified by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government in September 2005. It serves as the primary self-regulatory and promotional body for Japan's affiliate marketing industry, convening affiliate publishers, Affiliate Service Providers (ASPs) such as A8.net, afb, ACCESSTRADE, ValueCommerce, Rentracks, and Felmat, and e-commerce advertisers. The association operates from its headquarters in Minato-ku, Tokyo, and is governed by nine directors and one auditor under Chairman Maruo Kyosuke (丸尾恭介), who has led the organization since December 2014.

Its core offerings are the annual Affiliate Conference, which has been held since 2003 (24 editions, most recently in May 2025 as the first in-person event since 2019 with 180 attendees), the annual "Affiliate Program Awareness Survey" conducted since 2005 with thousands of responses, and a multi-tiered membership program. Membership tiers include a free WEB Individual tier, a WEB Corporate tier at ¥30,000/year, a full Individual Regular tier at ¥50,000/year, and a full Corporate Regular tier at ¥100,000 enrollment plus ¥120,000/year, with reduced fees for mid-fiscal-year enrollment. The association also publishes compliance guidance, notably on the 2023 stealth marketing (ステマ) regulations under the Premiums and Representations Act, in coordination with the Consumer Affairs Agency and JASK (Japan Affiliate Service Association).

The association's revenue is derived from membership fees and event-related income such as conference sponsorships, with no disclosed external funding or venture capital backing. Its geographic footprint is domestic-only (Japan), with no signals of international expansion. Distribution runs through its website (affiliate-marketing.jp), the annual conference, press releases picked up by major Japanese business media, and an official Facebook community. The association's role as a quasi-official liaison to government regulators and a 22-year brand is its central source of institutional leverage, and it does not sell commercial technology products.

Name

Affiliate Marketing Association

Legal name

特定非営利活動法人 アフィリエイターкетвучник Маркетинг协会

Website

https://affiliate-marketing.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Affiliate Marketing Association is a Japanese NPO founded in 2003 that serves as the primary industry body for affiliate marketing in Japan, convening affiliate publishers, ASPs, and advertisers through an annual conference, longitudinal market surveys, and tiered membership programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industry Association Services

NAICS

Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services (5418), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Affiliate & Partner Marketing (Performance Partnerships) (BPAFACAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Partner, Channel & Vendor Conferences (MPAGAGAL)

Keywords

• Affiliate marketing research
• Industry self-regulation
• Market research surveys
• Annual industry conferences
• Membership association services

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: The association operates as an NPO funded primarily through membership fees. Four tiers: WEB Individual (free), WEB Corporate (¥30,000 enrollment + ¥30,000 annual), Individual Regular (¥50,000 enrollment + ¥50,000 annual), Corporate Regular (¥100,000 enrollment + ¥120,000 annual). Reduced rates apply for enrollment between October 1 and March 31.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Affiliate Marketing Association is a Japanese Specific Non-Profit Corporation that operates as the central industry body for affiliate marketing in Japan. It conducts annual market research surveys on affiliate programs, hosts the annual Affiliate Conference (now in its 24th edition), runs a four-tier membership program for individuals and corporations, and publishes self-regulatory compliance guidelines including the 2023 stealth marketing regulations guidance co-developed with JASK. It also serves as the recognized liaison between the industry and government bodies such as the Consumer Affairs Agency and the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.

Product overview

The Affiliate Marketing Association (AMA) is a non-profit organization (NPO) that serves as Japan's primary industry body for affiliate marketing. The organization offers a portfolio of services centered on its annual Affiliate Conference (now in its 24th edition), annual Market Research Surveys tracking industry trends since 2005, a tiered Membership Program providing access to resources and networking, and compliance guidance addressing regulatory requirements such as the 2023 stealth marketing regulations. The association connects affiliate publishers, ASPs (Affiliate Service Providers), and merchants through events, research, and advocacy initiatives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Annual Affiliate Conference
• Affiliate Program Awareness Survey
• Membership Program
• Compliance Guidelines on Stealth Marketing Regulations
• Member Portal and Online Resources

Quantifiable outcome

• Association has conducted 20 annual surveys since 2005, providing longitudinal market data on Japan's affiliate industry
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• JASK (日本アフリカリエイト・サービス協会)coreOthers · 1 June 2003The association works closely with JASK (Japan Affiliate Service Association) on industry self-regulation, guidelines, and consumer protection. JASK co-endorsed the stealth marketing (ステマ) guidelines published in 2023. JASK also co-endorses the association's annual conferences.
• Consumer Affairs Agency of Japan (消費者庁)coreOthersThe association liaises with the Consumer Affairs Agency (消費者庁) on affiliate advertising compliance. Consumer Affairs Agency officials have spoken at the association's annual conferences (2022–2025) on topics including the 2023 stealth marketing regulations and the 景品表示法 (Premiums and Representations Act).
• GMO TECH Co., Ltd. (GMO TECH株式会社)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGMO TECH's executive中原卓馬 (Nakahara Takuma) has been a recurring speaker at the association's conferences (19th–24th editions, 2020–2025), providing SEO and affiliate strategy insights. The speaker has also provided AI writing prompts as conference benefits.
• ConoHa WING (レンタルサーバー)minorOthersConoHa WING provided a discount coupon for conference participants at the 24th conference in 2025. Participants who registered using the coupon received AI writing prompts from GMO TECH as an additional benefit.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Japan Affiliate Service Association (JASK): The Japanese affiliate service industry association focused on self-regulation and consumer protection. JASK co-endorses AMA's conferences and jointly publishes compliance guidance, making it the closest direct peer in affiliate-specific industry governance.
• Japan Interactive Advertising Association (JIAA): Japan's primary interactive advertising industry association. JIAA is a comparable industry body covering digital advertising in Japan, with overlapping membership of advertisers, agencies, and ad-tech firms that intersect with affiliate marketing.
• IAB Japan: The Japanese chapter of the Interactive Advertising Bureau, focused on digital advertising standards, research, and policy. Comparable as a membership-based industry body producing market research and hosting events for Japan's digital ad ecosystem.
• Performance Marketing Association (PMA UK): UK-based trade association for the performance marketing industry, covering affiliate, search, and lead-generation channels. Comparable as an industry body promoting standards, research, and events for performance marketing practitioners.

Others

• A8.net (Fan Communications): Japan's largest affiliate network and a corporate member of AMA. Relevant peer given its centrality to the Japanese affiliate ecosystem that AMA serves and the relationship between major ASPs and the industry body.
• ValueCommerce: One of Japan's largest affiliate networks and a corporate member of AMA. Listed as a peer because it is both an industry participant and a key stakeholder that the association serves, illustrating the boundary between association and platform ecosystem.

Broad incumbents

• IAB Europe: The European-level trade association for digital marketing and advertising. Comparable in mission as a standards-setting and research-producing industry body, though operating at a regional rather than national level.
• Affiliate Summit: A leading global affiliate marketing conference and media business. Comparable as an industry-convener for affiliate marketers, but operates commercially at a much larger global scale rather than as a domestic NPO.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/npo.ama

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Affiliate Marketing Association