Founded in 1910, the Association of National Advertisers is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. Originally known as the Association of National Advertising Managers, the organization began in Detroit with representatives from 45 different companies. Their purpose was "to advance the knowledge of advertising as far as may be possible, to an exact science, so that members could expend their advertising appropriations more intelligently and effectively."

During the year, I will be writing a series of articles on major events shaping advertising and marketing during these 100 years.

Over the course of history, countless events have contributed to the marketing industry's evolution. Some were based on new technologies, others on the actions of the ANA and other like-minded organizations. Here are 10 events from the last century that have effectively transformed the marketing landscape.

The premise behind the ANA's creation was to help advertisers be more precise in their function. Details were murky regarding print advertising's reach and effectiveness, and the ANA sought to find an answer for members' needs to standardize circulation auditing procedures and definitions. The group took a major step toward fulfilling its mission in 1914 when it created the Audit Bureau of Circulations. To this day, the ABC is the primary electronic database of audited circulation, verified readership, subscriber demographics and online-activity data.

Source: AdAge.com