AICPA launches national campaign championing the CPA profession

A national advertising and social media campaign will highlight CPA Trust, an AICPA initiative announced Tuesday that is focused on deepening recognition of the accounting profession’s full range and value.

“This campaign reinforces that the CPA is more than a license — it’s a source of clarity and confidence that helps businesses and individuals make smarter, safer decisions,” Sue Coffey, CPA, CGMA, the AICPA’s CEO–Public Accounting, said in a news release. “The public’s trust in CPAs is strong. Now we want to expand understanding of everything CPAs do, to show how CPAs keep the economy moving by partnering to solve problems, create opportunity, and move from uncertainty to action.”

The campaign was developed in collaboration with state CPA societies to put the profession front and center by sharpening public understanding of what CPAs do in order to build demand for CPA expertise among business leaders, families, and individuals.

CPA Trust, according to the news release, underscores that trust is not a message or marketing claim, but something built into CPA licensing, ethical obligations, professional oversight, and expertise. For licensed CPAs, the initiative is a signal that the profession is investing in itself, showcasing its value, and inviting members to take part in the story.

The main components of the campaign include:

• National cable advertising: A flagship commercial appearing on Squawk Box, Fox & Friends, and Morning Joe in June will kick off the campaign and introduce the central message, “CPA: Where Trust Meets Expertise,” to a broad audience. The ads will showcase how every decision begins with trust and how CPAs serve as trusted partners for what matters most. The ad also can be found on the campaign website, TrustedCPA.org.
• Major cable news network partnership: A media partnership will extend the campaign’s reach with business leaders.
• Digital and paid social: Targeted digital and social media will meet audiences where they get their news and highlight real stories of CPA impact.

“This campaign will tell the story of our profession, its impact, and why the CPA is the most trusted business adviser,” Mark Koziel, CPA, CGMA, president and CEO of the AICPA, said in the release. “CPAs do more so that others can do more. Most Americans don’t know how much depends on that work. This campaign will change that.”

— To comment on this article or to suggest an idea for another article, contact Bryan Strickland at Bryan.Strickland@aicpa-cima.com.