Code of Ethics

BBC adheres to the Member Code of Ethics of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA)

• We serve the public interest by acting as responsible advocates for those we represent.
• We provide a voice in the marketplace of ideas, facts and viewpoints to aid informed public debate.
• We adhere to the highest standards of accuracy and truth in advancing the interests of those we represent and in communicating with the public.
• We advance the profession through continued professional development, research and education.
• We build mutual understanding, credibility and relationships among a wide array of institutions and audiences.
• We provide objective counsel to those we represent.
• We are accountable for our actions.
• We are faithful to those we represent, while honoring our obligation to serve the public interest.
• We deal fairly with clients, employers, competitors, peers, vendors, the media and the general public.
• We respect all opinions and support the right of free expression

BBC adheres to the Social Media Marketing Ethics Code of Conduct. The fundamentals are listed below, and the full code can be viewed here: http://womma.org/ethicscode/ethicscode.pdf

1. Happy, interested people will say good things about you.  
   It’s doesn’t take much more than that.  Understand this concept, devote yourself to it, and you will be a successful word of mouth marketer.
2. Honest, genuine opinion is our medium.
   We don't tell people what to say or how to say it.   We fundamentally believe that people should be free to form their own opinions and share them in their own words.   While supporting the natural conversation, we take great care to ensure that we do not distort it.
3. We start, support, and simplify the sharing.
   Social media marketers use creative techniques to encourage communications.  We make it easier for people to talk to each other, we create interesting things to talk about, we create communities to share ideas, and we work to find the right people who should know about what we do.  Traditional advertising pushes ideas on consumers.  We help naturally occurring good ideas move around.
4. Social media marketing cannot be faked.  
   Deception, infiltration, dishonesty, shilling, and other attempts to manipulate consumers or the conversation are bad.  Honest marketers do not do this, will not do this, and will get caught if they try. Sleazy behavior will be exposed by the public and backfire horribly on anyone who attempts it.
5. Social media marketing empowers the consumer.
   Consumers have control, and they dictate the terms of a new, healthier relationship between marketers and the people who use their products.  Consumers demand satisfaction, respect, and great products and services.  When companies deliver, people will tell their friends.  Word of mouth marketers work to accelerate this process, replacing aggressive advertising with customer-centric service, support, and open communications.