Our Code of Practice offers guidance to brand organisations, media agencies, platforms and auditors/advisors on how we as an industry can work collaboratively to deliver more trusting and transparent relationships:
Brands, Marketers & Advertisers (Organisation)
Provide absolute clarity of fiduciary and compliance expectations
Use credible, non-conflicted and suitably qualified advisors to ensure contracts include appropriate terms and conditions to protect company interests
Be respectful of an agency’s policies, procedures and Intellectual Property Rights (IPR)
Respect the agency’s right to be profitable and agree on levels for the company’s assignments
Ensure internal stakeholders understand and comply with contractual terms and responsibilities
Implement robust agency governance and compliance procedures
Insist on separate agreements for principal media
Avoid reverse auctioning agency hourly rates and payment terms
Do not demand rebates or benefits beyond fair share
Media Agencies, Subsidiaries & Holding Companies (Agency)
Disclose all income derived from media and technology sellers
Commit to full disclosure of all income and expenditure related directly or indirectly to company expenditures and activities
Permit full horizontal and vertical audit rights to professionally accredited and non-conflicted advisors
Fully disclose all principal media recommendations in plans and subsequent buys
Offer full transparency of trading desk costs and revenues
Identify all media bought from an entity where the agency has an interest
Directors must not be permitted to have a financial interest in any sellers
Refuse income for ‘services’ from sellers
Refuse to trade on ratchet based volume incentive schemes
Compliance & Performance Auditors (Advisor)
Agree to full disclosure of performance processes and methodologies
Offer data-pool opt-outs for trading offers made under pitch conditions
All individuals involved in compliance auditing must be bound by a recognised professional code of conduct, e.g. ACCA
Enforce and comply with strict standards on data protocols and confidentiality
Media/Platform owners, Technology vendors (Seller)
Support adoption of the Code of Practice by disavowing non-transparent trading practices intended to reward agencies at the expense of the companies they ultimately serve
Disclose total rebates paid in cash and inventory