ICC Adopts New Consolidated Code of Advertising and Marketing Communications Practice
Tuesday, 06 June 2006
The Commission on Marketing and Advertising of the International Chamber of Commerce today adopted the new Consolidated ICC Code of Advertising and Marketing Communications Practice, which contains within it a chapter on direct marketing.
The new Code was drawn up by a task force on code revision, on which Charles Prescott, DMA’s vice president of international business development, served. The Code, whose approval is expected, will be submitted to the executive board of the ICC on June 15.
“This is the first major consolidated revision of the Code of Advertising Practices since the Code was started in 1937,” Prescott said. “This revision draws into one document various codes of practice developed over the years, including direct marketing, sales promotion, marketing communications and telemarketing. The US DMA’s Code is in many respects much more detailed and inclusive than the ICC Code, and in complete accord with it. The Code is a concise handbook of ethical conduct in all aspects of marketing and advertising. Every marketer should have this Code and the DMA’s green book on their desk.”
The Code does not yet cover product placement, a new subject of intense interest in the marketing community, and one which Europe has regulated in the past and is reviewing again.
The Commission on Marketing and Advertising agreed to undertake two new projects in support of the Code:
First, it is organizing a public outreach and promotion of the new Code. Prescott remarked that the Code would be presented at the annual meeting of the Global Symposium of the International Federation of Direct Marketing Federation’s at DMA06 in San Francisco.
Second, the Commission’s Task Force on Self-regulation will develop a guidance paper on developing self-regulatory, and enforcement and complaint programs that will accompany the Code. This is being done in response to the request of many national committee members of the ICC who seek guidance in establishing codes and self-regulatory programs. The DMA’s senior vice president, ethics and consumer affairs is participating in this task force.
During its meeting, the Commission members held a lively discussion on self-regulation with John Bell, head of unit strategy and analysis, and Maria Iglesia Gomez, principal administrator, both of the Directorate General for Health and Consumer Protection of the European Commission, around the general topic of food advertising. The role of advertising in the obesity epidemic is a currently a topic of great interest in Brussels, with calls for strict regulation of food advertising.