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Marketers' Constitution

We the members of the marketing community commit to the following key principles to ensure that our industry thrives and continues to contribute significantly to the economic health and well-being of our society.

1. Marketing must become increasingly targeted, focused and personal.
The future is a world in which consumers receive only messages that interest them - and only when they are receptive to these messages. This exciting, controversial, but extraordinarily important world of behavioral advertising offers enormous efficiencies to marketers and immense value to consumers. However, one-to-one marketing goes beyond just communicating with customers. It encompasses the entire process of customer relationship management - attracting, retaining and growing long-term loyalty.
2. Marketing must build real, tangible and enduring brand value.
Fundamentally, marketing is about building brands and brand value. As an industry, we must focus on taking strong brands and making them stronger; taking brands that have lost their way and restoring them to prominence; and building new, powerful brands that meet the emerging consumer needs of tomorrow.
3. Marketing must become more effective - more creative, insightful and accountable.
Marketing effectiveness depends on smart consumer insights that are meaningful, actionable and predictive. Effective marketing also requires great creative, driven by these consumer insights. Great creative is the inspiration that connects a marketing message to a consumer's heart and mind; the catalyst that engages, captivates and persuades; and the force that propels brand and business growth. Effective marketing must be reliably and consistently accountable, informing us how well we are building brands and growing business.
4. Marketing must become more integrated and proficient in managing expanding media platforms.
Marketing must be seamlessly integrated across all media and marketing functions - general advertising, digital, PR, direct marketing, event marketing, social networking and more. Integrated marketing, however, continues to be more talked about than actually implemented. Marketers must strategically approach decisions and media choices in a completely agnostic fashion. Every marketing resource must seamlessly work to build brands and grow businesses.
5. The marketing supply chain must become more efficient and productive.
Efficiency is different than effectiveness - but just as important. Marketing efficiency enables us to shorten the supply chain, reduce waste and improve productivity. Six sigma, Kaizen and decoupling all work to improve processes, but a fundamental key to supply chain efficiency is to make everything digital. Ad-ID is the foundation of digital workflow throughout the marketing process. Fully embraced by the marketing industry, it will improve the accuracy of reporting and evaluation of advertising assets, affording process improvements and cost savings for everyone.
6. The marketing ecosystem - including agencies, media and suppliers - must become increasingly capable.
Today's marketing ecosystem comprises a complex, interconnected community of advertising agencies, media organizations, research firms, production companies and other resources that support marketers' needs to build their brands and grow their businesses. Marketers need these partners to continuously create new ideas and competencies, such as powerful branded entertainment vehicles, thought-leading intellectual capital, breakthrough licensing opportunities and ingenious media packages.
7. Marketing professionals must become better, highly skilled, diverse leaders.
As we prepare for the future, we must cultivate the talents, skills and continuous development of marketing professionals. We must attract and nurture people who are customer-centric, holistic, innovative, creative, articulate, effective and results-obsessed team leaders in everything they do. We must also embrace diversity, a vitally important factor in reaching and influencing consumers from culturally different backgrounds, perspectives and persuasions. Diversity contributes to a more inspiring and creative environment - one that is better able to build brands and businesses.
8. Marketing must be indisputably socially responsible.
Consumers must have trust that the companies they choose to do business with respect their personal values and are sensitive to larger societal issues. As an industry, we must continue to commit resources to socially responsible endeavors like the ANA Alliance for Family Entertainment, the Children's Food and Beverage Initiative, the Partnership for a Drug-Free America, the Ad Council and the industry-wide marketing principles to protect consumer privacy in ad-supported interactive media. The future of marketing depends upon us behaving and acting in the best interests of society.
9. Marketing must be unencumbered by inappropriate legislation or regulation.
We must protect marketing's First Amendment rights, even with regard to controversial products. In addition, we must vigorously work to defeat proposals for taxes on advertising and efforts to alter its 100 percent tax deductibility. Finally, we must continuously strengthen our exemplary record of self-regulation - a record that dates back over 40 years to the creation of the National Advertising Review Council and the Children's Advertising Review Unit. They are the model for how our industry must operate in the increasingly complex, politically charged environment of today and tomorrow.
10. The marketing discipline must be elevated and respected.
As an industry, we must continually underscore the fact that nationally, marketing generates over $5 trillion in economic activity, or approximately 20 percent of total U.S. economic activity. Sales of products and services stimulated by advertising support 21 million jobs, or 15 percent of the total jobs in the country. Building respect for marketing's immense economic impact will ensure that we attract the best and the brightest to our profession. The future rests on a new, motivated, creative and committed generation of marketing leaders.

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Signers of the Marketers' Constitution

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