Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the basic concept of the WOMMA Ethics Code?
It’s all about the Honesty ROI. Ethical word of mouth marketers always strive for transparency and honesty in all communications with consumers, with advocates, and with those people who advocates speak to on behalf of a product.
* Honesty of Relationship – you say who you’re speaking for
* Honesty of Opinion – you say what you truly believe; you never shill
* Honesty of Identity – you say who you are; you never falsify your identity
2. Who is WOMMA?
WOMMA is the official trade association for the word of mouth marketing industry. Its members are committed to building a prosperous word of mouth marketing profession based on best practices, effective standards, and ethical leadership. It was founded in 2004 by a handful of marketing and research firms including Burson-Marsteller, BzzAgent, BuzzMetrics, DEI Worldwide, Edelman, Intelliseek, NOP World, and Rowland Communications, along with noted brands such as Friendster, Intuit, and SC Johnson. Today, the association has 50 corporate members and more that 1,500 active participants in its programs. It will hold its first conference March 29-30 in Chicago. More information about WOMMA is available at http://www.womma.org.
3. Why did WOMMA publish this code?
WOMMA members stepped up to form this code because it's the right thing to do. We don't have all the answers yet -- but we know that it is time to start the discussion. One of the fundamental reasons for the creation of WOMMA, in fact, was to help create a highly trusted environment between consumers and marketers.
It is essential for this industry to draw a line in the sand and make it clear that ethics are vital to our future. We also felt a need to delineate clearly those practices that are absolutely unacceptable, to help marketers understand what they should not be supporting -- and to help the public separate the good guys from the bad guys.
4. Why now?
Word of mouth marketing is growing rapidly, aided in no small measure by the explosion of consumer publishing technologies such as blogs. Marketers are rushing to test word of mouth marketing, without much experience or many resources to turn to for guidance. At the same time, there is heightened scrutiny and sensitivity over even the most consumer-accepted approaches to pursuing word of mouth.
We learned a strong lesson from the email marketing industry. The honest companies were never able to get organized and agree on a core set of principles, and they are paying the price. The most ethical and honorable use of email is lumped in with the worst spam. We're stepping up to make sure that the worst actors do not drag down the honorable leaders.
This document is intended to lead, not follow, the industry in thinking proactively about the host of issues, concerns, and opportunities that may emerge as word of mouth marketing develops.
5. Why aren't there specific rules about what people say?
We work with real people, and the honest opinions that they form on their own. There is a fundamental complexity here -- if you respect consumers and value their genuine opinions, than you can't tell them what to say. We don't script consumers; we ask them to share their opinions. Similarly, we can't control the second- and third-generation conversations, what friends tell friends. But we can instruct them well about ethics, encourage them to be honest and open in all downstream conversations, and create a culture of ethical communications.
Some principles are absolute, however, such as our recognition that the consumer is fundamentally in control in this new environment and that marketers cannot lie or deceive.
6. Is this document final?
No, it's only the first step in a complicated process of building ethics into the fundamentals of what we do. It is a document about where we stand today -- a new industry facing new issues, looking for answers to questions that are just being asked for the first time.
This is a living document which we expect to evolve with the flow of new technologies and techniques. There will be many revisions and improvements, based on feedback from consumers, marketers, and other stakeholders.
7. Who is invited to participate in the revision of this code?
We’re in the business of listening and are asking for feedback. Consumer groups, marketers, and all other interested parties are stakeholders in this process and are welcome to participate. If you've got a problem with any part of this early code: Don’t criticize -- contribute.
8. What is the comment process?
The Word of Mouth Marketing Association will host a formal annual review process that will be announced at the beginning of November each year and conclude in February of the immediate following year.
9. Who worked on the document?
Dozens of individuals at WOMMA member companies were the primary contributors to this draft. WOMMA regularly emails more than 1,100 people who have expressed interest, soliciting their feedback and inviting them to participate in the discussion. WOMMA membership is open to all interested companies. We have had significant legal review and due diligence. We consulted with academic experts and professional analysts. We have had extensive conversations with our peers at the other major marketing associations.
This wide-open participation shall continue, as part of our commitment to openness and transparency.
10. What is the scope of this code?
The WOMMA Code is specific to the practice of word of mouth marketing.
We are not attempting to address all issues in the broad topic of marketing ethics. Many of our issues overlap with similar ethical concerns in the areas of blogging, advertising, public relations, journalism, and online marketing. We agree that these are important issues, and we plan to work with leading organizations in those fields on areas of common concern.
11. We’re not imposing this on anyone else.
We believe that the values in this code should guide our behavior. WOMMA members have agreed to abide by them.
WOMMA is not a government regulator or enforcement agency. We have no power to impose this code on others.
We do hope that honest companies will step up and do the right thing. We hope you will follow the example of our member companies and join us (literally, as WOMMA members), or in spirit by adopting the principles in this code.
12. How bad is the word of mouth ethics problem?
There isn't a crisis, but there is an increasing number of issues and incidents that are raising consumer fears, and it's going to get worse.
There are definitely bad-willed marketers out there who are running deceptive and dishonest marketing programs. We hope that awareness of these ethical issues will drive them out of business.
Most of the problem is ignorance -- most marketers have never had guidance as to what the issues are, so they often engage in practices that they wouldn't consider if they had a code like this. Few marketers have deep, sustained experience in this space, especially online. For example, blogs are very new, and some brands simply don't understand that they carry with them huge expectations about proper behavior and ethics.
This Code starts the process of education that is essential to building a word of mouth marketing profession on a sound ethical foundation.
13. Will this Code solve all WOM ethics problems?
No, this is just a start. Marketing (online and offline) is getting increasingly more complex, and new technologies and techniques are unfolding every day. This is an important first step in maintaining an environment of trust between consumers and marketers. We expect the issue of WOM ethics to be an ongoing one that will challenge and engage our industry for years to come. That said, we do believe there is great benefit in proactively addressing some of the most obvious and commonly agreed-upon issues.
14. What are the "easy" issues?
Marketers need be truthful and transparent. Consumers come first.
These are fundamental principles.
Some will argue there are delicate shades of gray, but we think it's critical to put a strong stake in the ground, especially as the entire advertising industry is embarking upon a self-critical debate about accountability.
15. What is the biggest criticism you expect from this document?
That it does too little.
16. What is the second biggest criticism you expect from this document?
That it does too much.
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