Ethics Toolkit from WOMMA

Much can and should be said frequently about the importance of ethical marketing practices. An underpinning of any successful Integrated Marketing Program or component, is the code of ethics, principles and practices a marketer follows from development to implementation to inspection and results. While often either assumed, discussed at the 30,000 foot level or left to our own integral sense of right and wrong, there is an entire toolkit available from the Word of Mouth Marketing Association available to help any marketer.
Whether you need guidance on fundamental principles or a code of conduct, WOMMA is there to help with an actionable Living Ethics Program. One particularly intriguing resource is an actual ethics assessment tool of twenty questions which can be used internally with marketing staff or with agencies and subcontractors you engage at the initiation of a word of mouth campaign. The questions help you uncover any ethical concerns or issues and avoid potential negative impacts with your audience or to your brand.
The questions cover a broad gamut from the honesty ROI aspects of relationship, opinion and identity to the importance of training ethical expectations with all personnel involved in a campaign and corrective actions plans for recovery in the event of a breach. It's also suggested that written answers be provided by agencies and sub contractors which can protect you in the event of an unpleasant experience downstream.
While the WOMMA assessment tool is new and will certainly evolve over time, it is an excellent starting point for those marketers who may not have strong company/agency guidelines already in place. It can give you a leg up on an developing a morally sound campaign and let you sleep well at night knowing you've done the right thing step by step for your consumer.
Here's the link: http://www.womma.org/ethics/ethicstoolkit.pdf