WOMMA, ignoring Big Macs?

Well, they finally did it. The Word of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA) adopted an ethics toolkit this past week. The toolkit provides guidance, and in some cases, even templates, for companies and marketers to use, depending on the communication and the medium. WOMMA guidelines cover word-of-mouth campaigns and the blogosphere along with providing an assessment kit.

After a summer brouhaha over an intern’s disparaging blog response to Jeff Jarvis' Dell Hell, Dell Computers was the first company that issued a statement in which they pledge to abide by the association’s guidelines, stating that they are, well, committed to online transparency and that their employees and vendors better be, too.

Not only was Dell’s situation a public relations snafu, but Wal-Mart underwent a similar flogging. I suspect McDonald’s tripped up, too, but that hasn’t been as widely discussed. I think if WOMMA is going to jump in and put Edelman’s on probation, they may as well address other companies who have skirted the fringe.

According to WOMMA, if a company is employing a fictional character, then disclosure is unnecessary. The problem is, if you’re paying someone to act like a customer—and they’re really not one—then the person and the company can always claim that the exercise was the opinion of a “fictional customer.” I don’t like this loophole. Online, it’s just too hard to tell who’s real and who’s not. Don’t forget YouTube’s Lonely Girl (aka paid actress).

One thing I do think WOMMA is correct in promoting is the requirement for corporations to encourage their vendors to adopt an ethics program. That type of peer B2B policy may just actually work to the point that it has an effect. The policy states:

You can do your part to end stealth marketing practices by educating your vendors, and by requiring them to honor the WOMMA Ethics Code in their own operations.

I’d actually like to see the PRSA explore avenues in which PR practitioners could encourage those within their sphere of influence to adhere to—or at least inquire about--an ethics philosophy. And that’s not fiction!

Question of the Week: Who is within your sphere of influence that you could encourage to act ethically?

PS Check out Mohawk Paper’s CSR policies—they’re great!

About Mohawk Fine Paper

Mohawk Environmental Papers

Mohawk's Commitment to Wind Power

Mohawk Press Release in Trade Publication

Mohawk Makes EPA Green Power List

Press Release on Mohawk