The Direct Marketing Association is keeping its initials but changing its name to reflect the evolution in the marketing and advertising industries.

DMA announced Thursday the group would now be known as the Data & Marketing Association. The association said the announcement ushered in a year-long brand relaunch that will culminate in its annual conference in October 2017, when the group will celebrate its 100th anniversary.

"This is a fascinating time for the advertising and marketing industry, as the ability to leverage the power and insights of data has become ubiquitous to companies large and small," DMA CEO Tom Benton said.

"These steps reaffirm that DMA represents the entire marketing ecosystem of brand marketers, agencies, media companies, data companies and tech companies and is uniquely positioned to protect marketers' ability to responsibly access, exchange and refine data to improve lives and to grow the U.S. economy," he added.

DMA worked with branding agency OgilvyOne Worldwide to develop the new name and brand. http://bit.ly/2dP4ABa

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