Family Group: WOMMA Guidelines Don't Go Far Enough
A proposed word-of-mouth marketing ethics code draws criticism regarding protection of minors.
A proposed word-of-mouth marketing ethics code draws criticism regarding protection of minors.
The National Institute on Media and the Family (NIMF) called on the Word of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA) to revise its code to better protect minors. Specifically, it wants WOMMA to require parental consent before 13-16 year olds participate in viral marketing campaigns.
WOMMA’s proposed code of ethics, put forth earlier this week, call for marketers to avoid including children under 13 in campaigns and to comply with all applicable laws dealing with minors and marketing.
NIMF says its expression of concern comes amidst its ongoing investigation into questionable Internet marketing tactics, what it calls “buzzploitation.” The organization says some campaigns expose kids to age-inappropriate language and sexual images. It also fears that setting up children-oriented discussion forums around campaigns opens up opportunities for sexual predators.
“WOMMA is leaving parents in the dark. Parents need to know what their children are seeing and doing online,” said David Walsh, the institute’s president and founder. “One way to make sure children notify their parents of their involvement in online promotions is to require parental consent. Otherwise, WOMMA provides a safe harbor for marketers who seek to exploit children.”
Noting the code of ethics is a work in progress, WOMMA CEO Andy Sernovitz said the draft was issued specifically to elicit public comments like those from NIMF. Sernovitz expressed disappointment in the institute’s public statement, however, saying WOMMA had contacted the group in December to ask for help with the code, but it never responded.
“That being said, we are in complete agreement that the need to protect minors is a critical issue,” said Sernovitz. “And we look forward to working with leading educational, consumer, and children’s advocate organizations in making sure that the bar is set properly high.”
More about:
Lucy helps organizations leverage knowledge for in... View Tech Talk
TVSquared is the global leader in cross-platform T... View Tech Talk
Grata is a B2B search engine for discovering small... View Tech Talk
Streaming has become a staple of US media-viewing ... Download Now
Data is the lifeblood of so many companies today. ... Download Now
This report documents the findings of a Fireside c... Download Now
Customers decide fast, influenced by only 2.5 touc... Download Now
Streaming has become a staple of US media-viewing habits. Streaming video, however, still comes with a variety of pesky frustrations that viewers are ...
View resourceData is the lifeblood of so many companies today. You need more of it, all of which at higher quality, and all the meanwhile being compliant with data...
View resourceThis report documents the findings of a Fireside chat held by ClickZ in the first quarter of 2022. It provides expert insight on how companies can ret...
View resourceCustomers decide fast, influenced by only 2.5 touchpoints – globally! Make sure your brand shines in those critical moments. Read More...
View resourceMarketers today need to thoughtfully select visuals that align with their content, boost SEO performance and drive ROI Read More...
View articleHow the sunglasses giant created subconscious brand recall value with music festival-goers through the power of strategic partnerships and experientia...
View articleIn life, as much as on LinkedIn (or Facebook, Twitter, etc.) people and brands who blabber on about themselves become annoying and best avoided, soone...
View articleBuilding trust in your brand is hard enough. Now take a situation where your audience is so cynical of your product offering some of them even call fo...
View articleThere is room for better lead capturing as ABM evolves in a cookieless world Read More...
View articleTop-of-mind action points that will be valuable to challenger brand marketing for the rest of 2021 and 2022 Read More...
View articleOmnichannel marketing presents an opportunity to marketers but requires better use of data Read More...
View articleThe dark horse your business needs to outperform competition and win at search Read More...
View article