ABOUT - ETHICS AND STANDARDS

NMS Ethics and Standards

Effective engagement is all about transparency and adding value to the community.

In 2004, New Media Strategies was the first to call publicly for Standards in Word of Mouth Marketing.  Working with the leading experts in marketing ethics and law, New Media Strategies crafted our Ethics & Standards. 

At New Media Strategies, we make certain that clear instructions regarding policies and practices are communicated to the company as a whole, with the expectation of strict adherence throughout the ranks.  We regularly review and audit our internal policies and campaign protocols to confirm that we live up to our own rigorous standards and maintain our compliance with the FTC’s truth-in-advertising rules.

And, on a personal level, each and every one of our team members walks the walk that we talk.  NMS works with our employees to effectively and genuinely leverage personal interests, community memberships and platform mastery to help foster the conversation between our clients and online users.

Why?  Simple.  Because it is the right thing to do and has the added benefit of enhancing our client engagements.

• Honest and Accurate Information

  In order to best serve our clients and consumers, any and all campaigns must deliver information that is honest and accurate. The cornerstone of Word of Mouth Marketing is trust. Consumers need to know that marketing messages are grounded in facts about services and products, and are not intentionally based on rumor, innuendo or patent falsehoods. That’s the only way we, as marketers, can effectively support and promote our clients’ brands, and preserve and enhance their reputations with customers. We need to be able to stand behind the products we promote, and doing so depends on ensuring that our marketing messages are honest, accurate and trustworthy.

• Respect , Transparency and Community

  On the Internet, as in life, we are part of a larger community. As marketers, it’s crucial that we deliver knowledge to that community, while respecting its culture, and adding value and information where people seek it out. Doing so isn’t just good etiquette; it is responsible and ethical business. Respecting online communities means delivering messages that are timely and relevant. As the American Marketing Association notes in its Ethical Norms and Values for Marketers, we need to “avoid using coercion with all stakeholders.” Our role as professional marketers is, then, to create and implement campaigns that are welcomed and embraced by online community members.  In order to do so, we believe it is important for Word of Mouth marketers to be transparent in the disclosure of their identity and relationship as marketers.  And it’s incumbent upon us to sustain a community’s vibrancy and integrity by being sensitive to issues of campaign frequency, message authenticity, and consumer feedback.

• Privacy

  Privacy is a top concern for individuals and consumers both online and offline, and it should be so for marketers as well. As marketers, we must respect the privacy and the anonymity of each and every individual online. We do not, and will not, ever seek out or collect Personal Identifiable Information (PII) in the course of our marketing efforts without explicit consent from consumers or campaign participants. In those circumstances when consent is solicited, consumers/participants will be given the opportunity to opt out of providing their Personal Identifiable Information in the event that (i) it will be used for a reason other than that for which it was originally gathered; (ii) it will be utilized for future marketing endeavors; or (iii) it will be shared with third parties. 

• Zero Tolerance for Marketing With Minors

  We stand firm against the practice of using minors as marketers and/or as part of a distribution force in online and offline marketing campaigns. NMS is, and will be, steadfast in our refusal to recruit them as marketing agents in campaigns. Because of minors’ often-greater vulnerability to adult coercion, we believe it is irresponsible and unethical to actively entice minors into marketing products/services or to solicit their participation in viral programs designed to leverage and exploit their friendships and their interactions with peers. 

• Responsibility and Accountability

  We take great care to ensure the high quality and effectiveness of our marketing efforts for clients. As a result, we only employ marketing and communications professionals, research specialists, and brand and online experts. All of our employees are compensated fairly with salaries and healthcare benefits.