For WOM Wednesday #5, WOMMA hosted a teleconference on one of the most vital topics in word of mouth marketing: WOM ethics. The program featured Walter Carl of Northeastern University, Gary Spangler of DuPont, and Andy Sernovitz of WOMMA talking about the practical steps for doing ethical word of mouth marketing.

Starting off the teleconference with an overview of ethics in word of mouth, Andy reviewed the finer points of the WOMMA Code of Ethics. He also shared the philosophy of WOM, which emphasizes four main points:

* Honesty matters
* UR the UE
* Consumers come first
* They are your most valuable asset

Gary Spangler talked in detail about a major announcement DuPont made on April 18 stating that the company become the first Fortune 100 corporation to adopt the WOMMA Code of Ethics. Gary reiterated that in addition to DuPont's full endorsement, the company announced it will only engage word of mouth marketing services providers that adhere to the Code as well.

Walter spoke next on the details of his research study released on January. The study, which examined the nature of disclosure in organized word of mouth marketing programs, found that disclosure has practical business benefits and does not interrupt the natural flow of conversation.

Featured speakers:
Walter Carl, Professor, Northeastern University
Gary Spangler, eBusiness Manager, DuPont
Andy Sernovitz, CEO, Word of Mouth Marketing Association

Topics and URL's referenced during the call:
WOMMA Code of Ethics
Walter Carl's blog
DuPont Ethics Code announcement

Download handouts:
WOMMA's "Ethics in Word of Mouth Marketing" presentation (PDF download)
Download Walter Carl's "To Tell or Not to Tell" study

Register to sign up for upcoming WOM Wednesday Teleconferences:
http://www.womma.org/telecon.htm