WOMMA Receives Non-profit Approval

WOMMA has received its acceptance from the IRS for 501(c)6 non-profit status.

Posted by WOMMA Editor at December 16, 2004 | Link

WOMMA Receives Non-profit Approval

WOMMA has received its 501(c)6 non-profit approval from the IRS today.

Posted by WOMMA Editor at December 16, 2004 | Link

Comment spam is not from WOMMA

Someone has posted the following comment to many blogs, attempting to discredit WOMMA. It isn't from WOMMA.

Name: Blog Ethics Email Address: promo@blogethics.org URL: http://www.blogethics.org Comments: Help stop evil word of mouth marketers by supporting the Blog Publishers Association.

This very sad exercise in comment spam simply reconfirms the need for word of mouth ethics. This is the kind of unethical behavior that this organization was formed to fight.

We have long maintained that 'seeding' has a corrosive effect on the integrity of the web, and this juvenile stunt is clear evidence of that. WOMMA's fundamental purpose is to fight against underhanded online marketing, including random, anonymous attacks and the practice of invading other web sites.

Not unlike those who took an early stand against spam, our proactiveness on word of mouth ethics has turned many of the worst offenders against us. While we're trying to stop these attackers, we expect them to use these tactics against us.

There will be much more of this -- and we expected it from the get go!

These types of stunts should not distract from efforts to create win-win ethics standards. If anything, they just reinforce the need.

Stay tuned: Wwe expect to release the first version of our "Word of Mouth Marketing Ethical Code of Conduct" in January. (You can sign up for the announcement list on this site.)

Posted by WOMMA Editor at December 6, 2004 | Link

WOMMA establishes anti-trust guidelines

WOMMA has adopted a formal anti-trust policy and meeting procedures, as is standard for trade associations. All members receive a copy of the policy upon joining.

To protect your company you should make sure that any association you join has done this.

Posted by WOMMA Editor at December 5, 2004 | Link

Call for Speakers and Topics

What's the most fascinating topic you can think of?

We're planning the next major WOMMA conference and a series of webinars. We want to know what you want to know.

Please reply to this email with suggestions for:

-> Fascinating speakers who you want to hear
-> Burning questions that you want answered
-> Issues that need to be discussed

Ask and you shall receive!

(All vendor pitches will be politely ignored. Instead, suggest a case study of a real campaign with a name-brand client.)

Posted by WOMMA Editor at December 2, 2004 | Link

Ethics and Standards Councils: Get Involved

The Ethics and Standards Councils are very active right now. You need to contact us ASAP if you want to get involved.

Ethics is in the deep revision stage on the Code of Conduct and Statement of Principles. Members are tackling complex issues that will permanently impact the perception of our industry. We plan to have at least a preliminary version released before the end of the year.

Standards has begun the terminology and definitions project. The first draft has been circulated -- and we need your input. As they say, "When you name something, you own it." The work we do here will frame discussion of WOM for years to come.

--> You need to have a seat at the table. These are vital issues.
--> Join WOMMA to get your voice heard and your views considered.
--> Email andy@womma.com to arrange for your participation.

Posted by WOMMA Editor at December 2, 2004 | Link