Content Marketing Forum is repositioning itself

One Association, Two New Paths

The Content Marketing Forum e. V. is setting the course for the future: At the end of the year, the association will cease operations in its current organizational form. Its core functions will be carried on by two independent organizations. This was decided by the members at an extraordinary general meeting.

According to the announcement, the restructuring creates space for two clearly defined and sustainable divisions: A new organization will continue the BCM Award family and further develop it in the D-A-CH region. At the same time, a nonprofit organization is being established that is dedicated to the social responsibility of corporate communications and the industry’s future challenges.

The BCM Awards Under a New Roof

«The BCM Awards are a well-established fixture in the German-speaking competition landscape. Under the new organizational umbrella, we can further develop them in a targeted manner and position them even more broadly in the market,» announced Martin Distl, previously the CMF’s Austria board member and, going forward, jointly in charge of the new BCM organization alongside Peter Matz, the former head of BCM.

For entrants, the transition will have no impact: «The BCM will continue as usual next year, albeit with a few new features. »We plan to expand the award’s presence in the three DACH countries,« Matz and Distl emphasize. »The submission period for the 2027 competition will begin again right at the start of the new year.”

First, however, the current competition year is coming to a close: The 2026 BCM Awards ceremony will take place in Hamburg on October 8, 2026.

Social Responsibility and Corporate Communications

The CMF’s work on content and sociopolitical issues will also continue and take on a new focus. To this end, Olaf Wolff, the current chairman of the Content Marketing Forum, is founding the nonprofit organization Wertbeitrag. As the association’s ideological successor, it will focus on the social dimension of corporate communications.

«Through their communications, companies shape public debates, societal perceptions, and trust in institutions,» explains Wolff. «With the projects of the new organization, we want to support them in fulfilling this responsibility in a conscious, credible, and effective manner.»

A New Structure for a Changing World of Communication

Since its founding as Forum Corporate Publishing in 1999, the Content Marketing Forum has accompanied the development of content-driven corporate communications and, according to its own statements, has played a decisive role in shaping it. During this time, marketing and communications have undergone fundamental changes. The association has therefore repeatedly adapted its bylaws, its thematic focus, and its offerings to meet new requirements.

Today, content marketing is firmly established in many areas of traditional marketing and corporate communications. The discipline has become broader, more diverse, and more hybrid. Individual projects and approaches can still be excellently evaluated and recognized in the BCM competitions. However, as an association’s sole point of reference for content, the term “content marketing” no longer possesses the same level of distinctiveness it once did.

This development is also a sign of success: content marketing has evolved from a distinct specialized discipline into an integral part of professional communication. The new structure reflects this change. With a separate organization for the BCM Awards and a nonprofit association for socially responsible corporate communications, the CMF’s two core areas of activity will be more clearly defined and developed in a more targeted manner in the future.

«This does not mark the end of the CMF’s work; rather, we are continuing its most important tasks within structures that are in step with the times,» says Wolff. «From a shared history, two organizations are emerging, each with its own distinct perspective and a clear mission for the future.»

According to its own statements, the Content Marketing Forum e. V. stands for «The Best of Content Marketing.» Since its founding in 1999, the association has been committed to the professionalization and further development of content-driven corporate communications in German-speaking countries. Companies, agencies, and service providers have found in the CMF a platform for professional exchange and a stage for showcasing outstanding achievements.

The BCM Awards comprise a family of awards consisting of the established umbrella competition «Best of Content & Marketing» (BCM) as well as the two competitions «Best of Influencer & Content Creators» (BICC) and «Best of Corporate Print» (BCP). Together, they recognize outstanding work in content-driven communication across the German-speaking world. As the only competitions of their kind, they state that their judging process consistently focuses on the quality of the content.