MMA Updates Best Practice Guidelines

The Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) (www.mmaglobal.com) has released version 3.4 of its Consumer Best Practices (CBP) Guidelines for Cross-Carrier Mobile Content Services in the US. Updated twice annually, the MMA says the guidelines have become the de facto standard for cross-carrier mobile content services, including text messaging, multimedia messaging, Shortcode programs, mobile web and more. As part of the biannual update process, the MMA will be hosting its annual Consumer Best Practices Industry Forum on 13 January in Denver, providing the industry with an opportunity to comment on and contribute to the best practices in the United States.
The Consumer Best Practices document received updates to several topics, including:

  • Clarification of Terms & Conditions specifically for Web Print/Video
  • Clarification of each carriers Standard Rates May Apply language
  • Removing triple opt-in from premium IVR program
  • Clarification on Alcohol & Tobacco marketing guidelines
  • The addition of a new section providing an update on MMS interoperability

As a cornerstone of the MMAs activity in the United States, the Consumer Best Practices Guidelines help simplify mobile marketing, says MMA President, Laura Marriott. All players in the ecosystem support the CBP, and as such, they have become the US standard to help ensure industry profitability and consumer protection.
 The work on updating the guidelines was carried out by the MMA Consumer Best Practices Guidelines Committee, whose mission is to develop guidelines which provide measures of acceptable practices for all players in the United States ecosystem. The CBP sub-committees also help facilitate the rapid development of the guidelines to ensure the MMA stays at the forefront of industry development and self-regulation. These sub-committees include: Participation TV, Interactive Voice Response, Marketing to Children and Mobile Web.
The guidelines are effective immediately and available for download here. Additional information on the CBP Forum can be found here.