American Marketing Association Codes
Members of the American Marketing Association are committed to ethical professional conduct. They have joined together in subscribing to this Code of Ethics embracing the following topics:
Marketers must accept responsibility for the consequences of their activities and make every effort to ensure that their decisions, recommendations and actions function to identify, serve and satisfy all relevant publics: customers, organizations and society.
Marketers' Professional Conduct must be guided by:
Marketers shall uphold and advance the integrity, honor and dignity of the marketing profession by:
Participants in the marketing exchange process should be able to expect that
It is understood that the above would include, but is not limited to, the following responsibilities of the marketer:
In the area of product development and management:
disclosure of all substantial risks associated with product or service usage; | |
identification of any product component substitution that might materially change the product or impact on the buyer's purchase decision; | |
identification of extra cost-added features. |
In the area of promotions:
avoidance of false and misleading advertising; | |
rejection of high-pressure manipulations, or misleading sales tactics; | |
avoidance of sales promotions that use deception or manipulation. |
In the area of distribution:
not manipulating the availability of a product for the purpose of exploitation; | |
not using coercion in the marketing channel; | |
not exerting undue influence over the reseller's choice to handle a product. |
In the area of pricing:
not engaging in price fixing; | |
not practicing predatory pricing; | |
disclosing the full price associated with any purchase. |
In the area of marketing research:
prohibiting selling or fundraising under the guise of conducting research; | |
maintaining research integrity by avoiding misrepresentation and omission of pertinent research data; | |
treating outside clients and suppliers fairly. |
Marketers should be aware of how their behavior may influence or impact the behavior of others in organizational relationships. They should not demand, encourage or apply coercion to obtain unethical behavior in their relationships with others, such as employees, suppliers, or customers.
Any AMA member found to be in violation of any provision of this Code of Ethics may have his or her Association membership suspended or revoked.