International Standards

The ICC Marketing Code or ICC Advertising and Marketing Communications Code is generally considered as the ‘gold standard’ of Advertising Self-Regulation. It was introduced by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) in 1937. Since then, it has been updated several times since then to reflect changes in legal and business practices, as well as the emergence of new technologies. The ICC Code serves as the cornerstone for many national and regional Codes.

This high-level Code is complemented by various sectoral guidelines, which are also updated on a regular basis. They include:

• the ICC Guide for Responsible Mobile Marketing Communications
• the Mobile supplement to the ICC Resource Guide for Self-Regulation of Interest Based Advertising (IBA)
• the ICC Framework for Responsible Marketing Communications of Alcohol
• the ICC resource guide for self-regulation of online behavioural advertising (OBA)
• the ICC Framework for Responsible Environmental Marketing Communications
• the ICC Framework for Responsible Food and Beverage Marketing Communication
• the ICC International Code of Direct Selling
• the ICC Principles for Responsible Deployment and Operation of Electronic Product Codes
• theICC/ESOMAR International Code of Marketing and Social Research Practice
• the ICC Policy Statement on Freedom of Commercial Communication

To find out more, visit the ICC website.