PREAMBLE
TPM Branding prides itself on offering clients competent, unbiased advice, professional guidance and sound judgement on the many diversified challenges encountered developing and maintaining brands.
TPM recognises the consulting function as a profession, organising our collective knowledge and experience to offer quality of consulting services to industry.
TPM’s consultants have demonstrated their integrity and are qualified by their experience, training and knowledge, to develop and express sound judgement on all issues related to brand and brand marketing.
This Code is designed to serve notice that TPM’s people will assume the obligation of self-discipline above and beyond the requirements of law and that we will maintain a high level of ethics and professional service. With any complaint TPM will investigate all violations and take disciplinary action, including revocation of employment or contract if necessary, against any employee or contractor who is found guilty of Code violation.
It is our desire to earn and retain the respect and confidence of industry, and thus to maintain highest possible ethical conduct. Any loss of that respect and confidence is the ultimate sanction.
In recognition of the public interest in their obligation to the profession, TPM agrees in writing to comply with the following articles of professional conduct.
I. PROFESSIONAL ATTITUDE AND BEHAVIOUR
All TPM employees and contracting consultants shall conduct all professional activities in a manner that reflects credit upon TPM, and business in general.
1. TPM Consultants will not take personal, financial, or other advantage of inside material or information resulting from their professional relationship with clients unless proper, full disclosure has been made; nor will they provide the basis on which others might take such advantage.
2. TPM Consultants will not advertise their services in misleading language or any other manner that could be detrimental to the respect and honour afforded to TPM or its individual consultants.
3. TPM Consultants will not solicit employees of clients for employment except with the consent of the client.
4. TPM Consultants shall maintain and improve their professional competence through the ongoing practices of reading appropriate professional literature, participating in educational seminars and programs in their field, and pursuing other continuing professional education activities.
5. TPM Consultants will support this Code by reporting any violations to TPM.
II. RELATIONSHIPS WITH CLIENTS
A TPM Consultant must not accept any assignment or engage in any practice involving a violation of the law, this Code or the TPM Consultant’s specific ethical responsibilities. A TPM Consultant must immediately withdraw from any assignment if such a violation is identified.
1. General responsibilities
i. TPM Consultants shall, before accepting an engagement, confer with the client or prospective client in sufficient detail and gather sufficient facts to gain an understanding of the perceived issues, the objectives to be achieved, the scope of assistance needed and the possible benefits that may accrue to the client.
ii. TPM will hold as strictly confidential all information concerning the affairs of the client that is gathered during the course of a professional engagement, except when the client has released such information.
iii. TPM will advise the client of any significant reservations they have regarding anticipated benefits of an engagement. We will not accept an engagement in which they cannot perceive a client benefit.
iv. TPM Consultants will not promise any benefit that is not within their control to deliver.
2. Independence, objectivity and integrity
i. TPM Consultants will assume an independent position with the client, making certain that advice to clients is based on impartial consideration of all pertinent facts and responsible opinions. TPM will not knowingly present a misleading report.
ii. A TPM Consultant must not accept any assignment involving a conflict of interest and must withdraw from an assignment when an unavoidable conflict of interest arises after the assignment has been accepted, unless such conflict is fully disclosed in writing to all parties and all parties agree that the assignment may be accepted or continued.
iii. TPM must not knowingly accept any assignment in which the TPM Consultant is called upon solely to lend professional reputation or signature to misleading predetermined opinions or positions.
iv. TPM must not accept any assignment which precludes or limits the ability to develop factual and supportable opinions, findings or conclusions. If the client requests the scope of the assignment to be limited (to the extent that the consultant may not be able to consider all relevant factors), then these limitations must be communicated in writing and agreed upon by the client before accepting the assignment.
3. Arrangements with clients
i. All Partners will agree with the client in advance on the basis for charges, including the reimbursement of expenses, and variation will only occur when the client requests additional work previously not quoted on.
ii. A TTM Partner is precluded from accepting a contingent fee in situations where the TTM Partner is represented or reasonably expected to be independent for the purposes of completing the project, unless such engagement arrangements are disclosed in writing in all communications with third parties.
iii. Due professional care and competency a TPM consultant may not accept any assignment that is beyond the scope of TPM’s competency, knowledge, and expertise unless the TPM Consultant obtains the needed knowledge or expertise from other sources.
v. TPM Consultants will ensure that others they assign to an engagement, including subcontractors, comply with the standards set out herein, are qualified to produce the engagement benefits, and are adequately supervised.
vi. TPM Consultants will ensure that sufficient relevant information is obtained and evaluated in developing conclusions and recommendations.
vii. TPM Consultants will perform each engagement on an individualised basis and will develop recommendations designed specifically to address each client’s issues. Such solutions should be realistic and practical, clearly understood by the client and capable of being implemented by the client.
viii. TPM Consultants will demonstrate a commitment to the quality of their advice, assistance and resulting deliverables through sufficient planning, reviews, and controls.
III. PROFESSIONAL RELATIONSHIPS
TPM Consultants recognise that from time to time they will be working with other professional marketing and business consultants, as well as those from other disciplines, and that it is necessary to adhere to certain standards of conduct in order to maximise the benefits to clients as well as to maintain the professional relationships within the profession.
A TPM Consultant referring another consultant to a client will not misrepresent the qualifications of the other consultant, nor will they make any commitments for the other consultant. TPM Consultants receiving a referral from another will ensure that no misrepresentations or commitments have been made.