WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Direct Selling Association (DSA) today announced a new partnership with industry supplier Momentum Factor to enhance the Association’s Code of Ethics enforcement capabilities.
Staff attorneys responsible for reviewing applicants for membership admission into the Association and review of existing members for ethics compliance will have new web and social media monitoring capabilities utilizing Momentum Factor’s FieldWatch™ program. The DSA’s Code of Ethics Administrator, who works with members on compliance matters and issues a yearly public report on code enforcement, will also utilize the software.
“We’re proud of our long history of self-regulation and have seen firsthand how it allows us to ensure that applicants for membership in DSA and our existing members are complying with the rigorous standards set forth in our Code of Ethics.” said Joseph N. Mariano, DSA President. “We are excited that the software tools provided by Momentum Factor give us even more resources to protect consumers by more quickly identifying and addressing potential problems on social media and on the internet.”
FieldWatch is a direct selling-specific suite of internet listening, data analysis and case management tools that enable the DSA to screen for violations of the Code of Ethics on social media, blogs, forums and other internet-based properties connected to member and applicant companies. It automatically reports them back to DSA staff or the Code of Ethics Administrator for further analysis and case management. Notably, a number of DSA members also use the software for their own in-house monitoring.
“As the internet, mobile and social technologies give more and more people the opportunity to become involved in direct selling, it’s important that we hold the digital marketing materials they increasingly use to the same high standards we set decades ago and have recently enhanced,” Mariano added.
The DSA leads the marketplace for direct selling in the United States by requiring companies to implement robust business ethics practices and consumer protection standards as an initial and continuing condition of membership.
The DSA applicant review process, which lasts a minimum of 12 months, includes a review of a company’s website, compensation plans, marketing material, social media and any earnings and product claims for conformance with the Code of Ethics. The DSA also reviews records from State Attorneys General, the Federal Trade Commission and local Better Business Bureaus.
To learn more about DSA’s Code of Ethics and consumer protection efforts, visit dsa.org/consumerprotection.
About The Direct Selling Association (DSA)
The Direct Selling Association (DSA) is the national trade association for companies that offer entrepreneurial opportunities to independent sellers to market and sell products and services, typically outside of a fixed retail establishment. More than 18 million Americans are involved in direct selling in every state, congressional district and community in the United States. In 2014, direct selling generated more than $34 billion in retail sales. For more information, visit www.dsa.org.
About Momentum Factor
Headquartered in Austin, Texas, Momentum Factor is the leading digital risk management firm specializing in online compliance monitoring and global online reputation management services and technologies. This includes its flagship product, FieldWatch™, which is used by enterprise, mid-sized and start-up companies to identify online risks and enforce policies. Please visit momofactor.com to learn more.
