Education Marketing Council (EMC) Announces Release of Best Practices Code

New York, NY, October 6, 2010 – The Education Marketing Council (EMC), an affiliate of the Direct Marketing Association (DMA), today announced the release of its Best Practices Code.

The code was developed in an effort to encourage excellence among education marketers based on the Direct Marketing Association’s longstanding Guidelines for Ethical Business Practice.

“Best practices are necessary across all consumer marketing channels, and the education industry is no exception in this regard. Given the serious nature of a person’s decision around where to pursue an education, it’s critical that good practices be followed to help ensure a good outcome,” stated Steve Isaac, EMC Chair and CEO of EducationDynamics.

“The Education Marketing Council, along with its sponsors, members and board have spent the better part of this year creating our EMC Code, which we believe reflects the most robust standards for marketing practices in higher education,” added Greg O’Brien, CFO of CollegeBound Network and EMC Best Practice Committee Chairman who led the initiative to develop these Guidelines.

The Education Marketing Council’s Best Practices Guidelines are intended to provide individuals and organizations involved in educational marketing with generally accepted principles of conduct using DMA’s guidelines and additional points specific to education marketers. In addition to providing general guidance to the education marketing industry, these Guidelines are used by EMC’s Best Practices Committee (BPC), an industry peer review committee, as the standard to which EMC member promotions -- that are the subject of complaint -- are compared.

The EMC has established a series of pillars that characterize the Guidelines and are essential to maintaining integrity in educational marketing promotions:

§ Honesty and Clarity of Advertisement

§ Clarity of Representations

§ Prohibition of Disparagement

§ Accurate Portrayal of Photographs and Art Work

§ Disclosure of Sponsor and Intent

“Education institutions face numerous regulatory and marketing challenges where organizations like the Education Marketing Council can provide unprecedented guidance and resources. Publication of these guidelines is the first step to drive ethical marketing practices among education marketers” stated David Ruderman, Senior Vice President, Education Marketing, Greenwood & Hall, and one of the founding members of the Education Marketing Council.

To review the guidelines or obtain information about the Education Marketing Council, visit www.educationmarketingcouncil.com.

The Education Marketing Council, an affiliate of DMA, is a professional member service and advocacy organization whose mission is to identify and advocate marketing practices in postsecondary education that are in the best interest of students and the institutions that serve them. To this end, the EMC will provide: a best practice code, advocacy for best practices, education and information, research, and a web site and resource directory for schools seeking service providers.

Get Social with DMA

Join us on Facebook Join us on LinkedIn Follow us on Twitter

About the Education Marketing Council (EMC)

The Education Marketing Council, an affiliate of DMA, is an information-sharing partnership established in May 2010 by twelve founding sponsors. The aim of EMC is to organize and galvanize the thought leadership in the education field by recognizing and promoting ethical marketing practices in postsecondary education as seen through the best interests of students and their institutions. EMC is dedicated to providing insightful and actionable resources that help our members market their institutions more effectively while adhering to an established code of ethical standards. EMC takes action through five working committees: Marketing Committee, Organizing Committee, Membership Committee, Best Practice Committee and Education Committee. For more information about EMC, its mission and founding sponsors, visit www.educationmarketingcouncil.com.

About Direct Marketing Association (DMA)

The Direct Marketing Association (www.the-dma.org) is the leading global trade association of businesses and nonprofit organizations using and supporting multichannel direct marketing tools and techniques. DMA advocates standards for responsible marketing, promotes relevance as the key to reaching consumers with desirable offers, and provides cutting-edge research, education, and networking opportunities to improve results throughout the end-to-end direct marketing process. Founded in 1917, DMA today represents companies from dozens of vertical industries in the US and 48 other nations, including nearly half of the Fortune 100 companies, as well as nonprofit organizations.

In 2009, marketers – commercial and nonprofit – spent $149.3 billion on direct marketing, which accounted for 54.3% of all ad expenditures in the United States. Measured against total US sales, these advertising expenditures generated approximately $1.783 trillion in incremental sales. In 2009, direct marketing accounted for 8.3% of total US gross domestic product. Also in 2009, there were 1.4 million direct marketing employees in the US. Their collective sales efforts directly supported 8.4 million other jobs, accounting for a total of 9.9 million US jobs.

The Power of Direct: Relevance. Responsibility. Results.

# # #

RSS Subscription