During the last year or so, the burgeoning word-of-mouth, viral-
and buzz-marketing industries have coalesced to the point of
launching trade associations to represent, promote and police the
sectors.
While the Word of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA)
claims more than 100 members, including Burson-Marsteller,
Edelman and Rowland Communications, the Viral
& Buzz Marketing Association (VMBA) says it has about 90
members, including, also Burson-Marsteller and Crispin
Porter & Bogusky as well as many overseas companies.
But a row has broken out between the two entities, which are
jostling for position regarding the WOMMA-proposed code of conduct
released in February to address head-on myriad ethics issues in
word-of-mouth marketing.
"One of the biggest issues facing the industry is ethics," says
Brian Clark, VMBA president. "I have concerns about WOMMA's ethics
document because it tries to do a 'one guideline fits all.' A lot
of what they're talking about is specific to a kind of consumer
evangelism model."
VMBA, which has established its own manifesto, has voiced a
number of specific gripes, including:
- The absence of real measures to protect minors from
exploitation by marketers. - The narrow and non-inclusive definition of what constitutes
viral, buzz and word- of-mouth marketing.
A key issue has been WOMMA's proposal that states: "We stand
against the inclusion of children under the age of 13 in any word
of mouth marketing program."
According to Clark, "Their guidelines say they have to have
parental consent if they're under 13, that's a pretty low bar to
set. If you're recruiting children as evangelists, it should be
16."
He adds: "There are some troubling areas that the industry needs
to self-regulate, but will likely require outside people to set
limits."
Some visitors to the WOMMA commentary site agree, with the
National Institute on Media and the Family
specifically asking WOMMA to revise its Code and to require
parental notification of consent when engaging children aged 13 to
16 in word-of-mouth campaigns.
The aim, says WOMMA, was to establish guidelines to help with
planning and executing word-of-mouth campaigns. "It's a tool for
ethical marketers to understand where the lines are drawn and how
to do the right thing," states the Web site while admitting the
guidelines still are a work in progress.
"The environment is changing rapidly, the rules are unclear and
ethical practices are still being defined," it adds.
Contacts: Brian Clark, 407.657.8990, http://www.vbma.net; Andy Sernovitz,
312.335.0035, http://www.womma.org
Womma's 'Code Of Ethics' Summary:
- Consumer protection and respect are paramount
- The honesty ROI: honesty of Relationship, Opinion and
Identity - We respect the rules of the venue
- We manage relationships with minors responsibly
- We protect honest downstream communication
- We protect privacy and permission
An Excerpt Of The VBMA Manifesto:
--We strive to:
a) Identify only those people who will be interested in a
particular marketing message,
b) Deliver the message to them in a way that makes it an
enjoyable or valuable experience,
c) Provide it in a manner that encourages them to share it with
others.
-- Our goal is to foster genuine enthusiasm about brands, and
brand communications, which can be spread through networks in a way
that is enjoyed, appreciated and/or valued.