DMA's Best Practices for Online Advertising Networks and Affiliate Marketing

[mandy]

The Direct Marketing Association's Internet Marketing Advisory Board has released a set of best practices for online affiliate programs and advertisers:

Online marketers using advertising and affiliate networks should:
1. Obtain assurances that the online advertising and affiliate network is in full compliance with state law, federal law, and the DMA Guidelines for Ethical Business Practice.

2. Perform due diligence on prospective network advertising partners and make sure you are working with reputable firms. Additionally (if possible), obtain a sample list of current advertising clients. Due diligence should also include either 1) asking for a full disclosure of eligible sites, or 2) a review of processes to limit access to unwanted sites or channels. When partnering with an aggregate site online advertising and affiliate networks should provide the marketer with a sampling of sites that are in their network. Due diligence should encompass the entire process from the marketer to the end consumer.

3. Always utilize a written contract/agreement. This will provide you the greatest possible control over your ad placement. This will also be the mechanism by which you devise and enforce formulas and/or guidelines for where and how online ads will be placed.

4. Include specific parameters that must be employed to determine placement of your online ads in written agreements. Altering of offer by an advertising or affiliate network is prohibited. If laws, guidelines or set standards are violated your contract with the violating advertising or affiliate network should be terminated.

5. Develop a system to routinely monitor your ad placements as well as your contract with any online advertising or affiliate network.

http://www.the-dma.org/guidelines/online...workBP.pdf