The Word of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA) announced it has released its code of conduct and ethics to the word of mouth marketing community.

The WOMMA Code establishes guidelines and best practices so that honest marketers have a framework with which to plan and execute ethical word of mouth marketing campaigns.

"The voice of the consumer is what word of mouth marketing is all about. WOMMA protects the integrity of the industry and the trust of consumers by respecting consumers' rights to open, honest communications -- with marketers and with each other -- through a strong ethics code," says Andy Sernovitz, chief executive officer, WOMMA.

The WOMMA guidelines are the following:

• Consumer protection and respect are paramount
• The Honesty ROI: Honesty of Relationship, Opinion, and Identity
• Respect the rules of the venue
• Manage relationships with minors responsibly
• Promote honest downstream communications
• Protect privacy and permission

"By releasing the WOMMA Code, we're raising the bar for all marketers -- making it clear that respecting the consumer, transparency and honesty are the core values of this new field," says Dave Balter, chief executive officer, of BzzAgent, co-founder, WOMMA.

WOMMA claims that these guidelines are not final and revising the ethics will be a complex and ongoing process.