Even if you’re a member of the American Marketing Association, you may not have read all the fine print on their application form. The application includes a Code of Ethics, beneath which is a place for the applicant to sign and date the form. The first bullet point of the Code of Ethics fascinates me:
“Marketers must first do no harm.”
To who or what? And in whose eyes? Are marketers who work on cigarette, liquor, and gambling accounts automatically barred from entry into the AMA? What about political marketers? What about marketers who work on children’s products? Hell, there are people out there who think any form of marketing whatsoever does harm to the culture in general, which would make the notion of an AMA a little problematic. There are already more than enough people who feel that “marketing ethics” is an oxymoron.
Also on the form: “Any AMA member found to be in vioilation of the Code of Ethics may have his or her Association membership suspended or revoked.”
I’d love to know of any actual instances in which this has happened. A Google search for “AMA membership suspended” turned up zero results, while “AMA membership revoked” returned four results: three having to do with physicians, one about radio controlled aircraft, and none about marketing. So I contacted the AMA. Their response is pending.
Maybe the NRA is right: It’s not about passing new laws, it’s about enforcing the ones already on the books!
Takeaway for marketers: Do no harm.
