- General provisions
An APECOM member company must:
1.1. Observe the highest standards of professionalism in the exercise of the Communication function and honestly treat former and current clients, fellow associates and other professionals, intermediaries, the media, employees and especially the public.
1.2. Know, respect and act in accordance with this code, as well as the recommendations and guidelines issued by APECOM.
1.3. Accept the provisions of this Code and help other associates accept them as principles in the light of which appropriate decisions must be taken, in the face of any issue that arises in their professional activity. Any associate that knowingly allows its personnel to act in contravention of these principles is considered a participant in such action, considered to have violated this code.
1.4. Avoid taking part in any practice or behaving in a way that harms the Association's reputation and the interests of the activity.
- Conduct towards the public, the media and other professionals.
A member company must:
2.1. Conduct their professional activities always taking into account the public interest.
2.2. Respect the truth, not propagating, intentionally or thoughtlessly, false or incorrect information.
2.3. Respect the codes of the professionals with whom you may work together and not intentionally participate in any violation of them.
2.4. Respect the confidences received in the course of your professional activity.
- Conduct towards the customer:
A member company must:
3.1. Keep confidential information obtained from both current and former clients and not reveal or use this information to their detriment or for their own benefit, except when the client has previously disclosed it in public, has given specific authorization for its disclosure or when such required by court order.
3.2. Inform your clients of any financial interests you hold or any of your employees hold in another company or with persons whose services you recommend.
3.3. Inform the client of fees, commissions or other amounts that he may receive, within the scope of the same action, from sources other than the client himself.
3.4. Be able to negotiate with clients taking into account all the circumstances of each specific situation.
And in particular:
- The time to be spent carrying out work;
- The specificity of the issue, case, problem or work and the difficulties associated with carrying it out;
- The professional or specialized skills and qualification levels of its staff, or of the external consultants dealing with this case, the time spent and the degree of responsibility involved;
- The amount of documentation required to be examined or prepared and its importance;
- The place and circumstances in which the work is carried out, in whole or in part;
- The scope, extent, and value of the task to be performed and its importance to the client, in terms of decision or project.
A member company must not:
3.5. Misuse of information relating to your client's affairs for the financial gain of another.
3.6. Serve a client on terms or conditions that may compromise their independence, purpose or integrity.
3.7. Accept the representation of interests that may be in conflict or in competition with each other. Without the express consent of the clients involved in them.
3.8. Ensuring that it achieves results that it knows in advance that it is not capable of achieving.
- Conduct towards colleagues:
A member company must:
4.1. Observe the highest standards of accuracy and truth, and not use ideas or pressures that have been conceived by others.
4.2. Be free to expose your skills or offer your services to any potential client, either on your own initiative or at the request of the client, provided that, in doing so, you do not seek to breach any existing contract or to diminish the reputation or ability of any other agency already at the service of that client.
A member company must not:
4.3. Detract from the reputation or professional practice of another member of the Association.
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