Word of Mouth Marketing and Ethics

In early February, the Word of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA) released its “Word of Mouth Marketing Code of Ethics.” We at the National Institute on Media and the Family hope WOMMA's request for comment and revision has been made in good faith, because in its current form the ethics code falls far short of adequately protecting children from exploitation in word of mouth campaigns.

We have called on WOMMA to include parental notification as a strict requirement when targeting children aged 13 to 16 in word of mouth campaigns. At a minimum, parents should know their children are being recruited, trained, and used as word of mouth marketers for popular, trend-setting products and services.

We have made our case publicly, and we have been encouraged to see media interest in the issue.

Together we can stamp out buzzploitation.

Posted by NIMF Staff @ 9:15 AM

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