ISO FORM 1
ISO TS/P 321
PROPOSAL FOR A NEW FIELD OF TECHNICALACTIVITYPROPOSER:DATE OF CIRCULATION:

SAC

2024-07-16
CLOSING DATE FOR VOTING:
2024-10-08

A proposal for a new field of technical activity shall be submitted to the Office of the CEO (to tmb@iso.org),
which will process the proposal in accordance with ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1, Clause 1.5.
Furthermore, a proposal will be considered as complete if every information field is complete and follows theguidelines for proposing and justifying a new field of activity given in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1, Annex C.
TITLE(Please see the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1, Annex C, Clause C.4.2)
Digital Marketing
SCOPE(Please see the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1, Annex C, Clause C.4.3)
Standardization in the field of terminology, requirements, guidance, practices, tools and methods fororganizations and professionals conducting digital marketing.
Excluded: Digital marketing activities that will lead to E-commerce transactions and relevant work within thescopes of the following committees:
ISO/IEC JTC 1 (Information technology)
ISO/TC154 (Processes, data elements and documents in commerce, industry and administration)
ISO/TC 207 (Environmental management)
ISO/TC 225 (Market, opinion and social research)
ISO/TC 307 (Blockchain and distributed ledger technologies)
ISO/TC 321 (Transaction assurance in E-commerce)
ISO/TC 324 (Sharing economy)
Note: In parallel, the proposed TC works in cooperation with existing committees on subjects that may support
digital marketing.
PURPOSE AND JUSTIFICATION (Please use the field immediately below or attach an annex.)(Please see the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1, Annex C, Clause C.4.13)
Marketing is about identifying and meeting human and social needs in a way that harmonizes with the goals of theorganization 1, which is the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging
offerings that have value for customers and clients, partners, and society at large. Marketing permeates all aspects of the
1 Kotler P, Keller K. Marketing Management [M]. Pearson, 2021.

society. Specifically, marketing typically involves 10 different domains, which also can be seen as the target of marketing,that are goods, services, events, experiences, persons, places, properties, organizations, information, and ideas. Marketingcan be executed through various methods, including traditional marketing and digital marketing. Traditional marketing
encompasses methods such as print ads, television commercials, and direct mail, which have been widely used for decades.
On the other hand, digital Marketing is a type of marketing that involves using new media or digital technology to achievemarketing and business goals. It is perceived as innovative communication and interaction with the target group throughdigital channels, using technology to promote goods, services, events, experiences, persons, places, properties,
organizations, information, and ideas to build brand reputation, acquire customers, boost sales, and achieve other marketing
objectives (including community building and engagement, partnership development, etc.).
Obviously, digital marketing is a horizontal concept that can be applied to all sectors of all industries, all organizations (e.g.,enterprises, government, charity organizations, and other NGOs), and all scenarios (online and offline), and all steps (Figure1).
What is marketed through digital marketing is not limited to goods and services. The purpose of digital marketing is not
limited to transactions or revenue growth. For example, destination management organizations (DMOs) can use digitalmarketing to promote destinations, politicians can use digital marketing during elections or online affirmative action
campaigns, and all the ISO TCs use digital marketing to communicate and engage with stakeholders.



Digital marketing can help online and offline organizations achieve both marketing and business goals. For example,
brick-and-mortar stores and restaurants are using digital marketing to promote their organizations and services, buttransactions and consumption take place offline. Therefore, digital marketing can facilitate offline transactions andoffline business without transactions that are not covered by e-commerce.

According to Prof.Philip Kotler’s 5A model 2 , this is by creating awareness for your brand (Aware), appealing tocustomers' curiosity (Appeal), assisting them in their research process (Ask), encouraging action (Act), and building
advocacy and loyalty (Advocate). This model can be seen as the journey or phase of digital marketing. At the Phase of“ACT”, individuals may take actions visiting, voting, attending, buying, commenting, etc. It is no doubt that thetransaction in E-commerce exists in the "ACT" phase of the 5A Model, but only as one type of the actions attributable
to online buying.

Figure 1 Prof. Philip Kotler's 5A Model
Digital marketing and e-commerce related occupations, as classified by the European Skills, Competences, Qualifications,and Occupations (ESCO), highlight distinct roles and focuses. Digital marketing professionals concentrate on using digitalchannels to communicate and engage with audiences, utilizing creative and strategic methods to enhance brand visibility
and user engagement through content creation across various platforms like social media and SEO. In contrast, e-commerce
professionals are tasked with facilitating online transactions, managing e-commerce platforms, and optimizing the online
shopping experience to streamline the buying and selling processes. Their roles encompass the technical and operational
aspects required to support online sales, including logistics and supply chain management. While both career paths requirea robust understanding of digital tools, their core objectives differ significantly: digital marketing aims to build relationships
and brand awareness, whereas e-commerce focuses on sales conversion and operational efficiency.
Digital marketing can be classified according to channel, target, content form, technology, etc. Each type under the category
generates new demands for standardization as the world grows and develops:

From the perspective of channels, digital marketing includes various communication channels, such as search engine
marketing (SEM), social media marketing, email marketing, content marketing, mobile application marketing, etc. Eachchannel has unique characteristics and advantages. Therefore, corresponding standards are needed to standardize
and optimize marketing practices.



From the perspective of the goals, digital marketing can develop strategies for different goals, including brand building,sales promotion, customer relationship management, etc. Other marketing objectives require different guidance
standards to ensure the expected results are achieved and maximize the maximum return on investment.

2 Kartajaya H, Kotler P, Hooi D H. Marketing 4.0: moving from traditional to digital[M]. Wiley, 2016.



From the perspective of content form, digital marketing includes various forms such as text content, images, videos,interactive experiences, etc. Different types of content need to meet specific standards to ensure user experience,content quality, and compliance.



From the perspective of the technology involved in digital marketing, such as artificial intelligence, virtual reality, etc.,
corresponding standards are needed to guide their application and ensure the rational use of technology and data
security.

Digital marketing offers benefits over traditional marketing, such as lower cost, higher ROI, measurability, personalization,and they are profoundly different in their communication style and impact on consumers. Digital marketing makes it easierfor consumers to obtain information about products, services, and brands with convenient access, thereby enhancing theirdecision-making ability. For business, international trade and economic connectivity through digital channels promote market
globalization, and SMEs (small and medium enterprises) could have a better chance to compete with large enterprises.
Digital marketing creates new jobs in the operation and management of digital marketing, digital marketers are currently oneof the main groups of freelancers internationally, followed by software developers, professional designers, and copywriters.
Digital marketing makes it easier for individuals to build personal brands and become opinion leaders.
Digital marketing has not only achieved success at the business level but also plays a leading role in social development
and sustainability, contributing to building a more sustainable, inclusive, and prosperous future society through information
dissemination, awareness advocacy, and industry self-development. In this way, digital marketing contributes to the United
Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goals 1, 4, 5, 8 12 and 13, as follows:

Eradicating Poverty. Digital marketing raises awareness about poverty through digital channels, attracting attention,
support, and assistance, and promoting efforts to reduce and eliminate poverty, protecting vulnerable groups. Digitalmarketing offers low cost of marketing to remote areas and therefore encourages entrepreneurship to eliminate poverty.
(Support Goal 1 No poverty)Developing Talent and Industry. The rapid growth of digital marketing creates quality employment opportunities
worldwide and enhances digital skills and education, laying a foundation for achieving Goals 4 (Quality education) and
Goal 8 (Decent work and economic growth).

Promoting Gender Equality. Digital marketing challenges gender stereotypes, urging society to address genderdifferences and discrimination. It fosters new perspectives and motivation for gender equality and ensures equal
opportunities in professional selection within the industry ( Support Goal 5 Gender equality).



Encouraging Responsible Consumption and Production. Digital marketing does not generate many waste or toxic
substances directly. By emphasizing sustainable consumption and production concepts and raising awareness of
reduction and recycling, it encourages responsible consumption patterns ( Support Goal 12 Responsible Consumption
and Production).



Advancing Climate Action. Through digital channels, digital marketing raises awareness about climate change issues,
mobilizes support for climate initiatives, as well as promotes efforts to reduce carbon footprints through reducing hard
copy material waste ( Support Goal 13 Climate Action).

Digital marketing has a profound impact on businesses, consumers, practitioners, governments, and society and raises a
series of challenges and issues that need to be addressed. International standards would improve the efficiency of resourceuse, accelerate industrial expansion and integration, harmonize classification and relevant definitions and address theinterchangeable, cross-platform challenges. Marketing as important as human resource, finance and operation are the fourbasic function of organizations requires standardization. However, ISO/IWA 41:2023 Guidelines for live streaming marketing
service remains as the only marketing related ISO standards currently, we need more engagement in the future.
The aim of this proposed TC is to provide standards for terminology, requirements, guidance, practices, tools, and methods
for organizations and professionals conducting digital marketing. The proposed TC will contribute to:Provide unified guidance for the joint development of the global digital marketing industry and promote businessconnectivity among countries.



Regulate the behavior of digital marketing practitioners, avoid inappropriate behavior such as misuse of data anddissemination of false information, and improve the overall ethical level of the industry.

Improve the overall quality level of the digital marketing industry,and reduce low-quality, fraudulent, and harmful
practices, thereby enhancing the reputation and sustainability of the entire industry.



Encourage competition and innovation in the digital marketing industry, provide clear rules and frameworks fororganizations, and drive their development towards higher quality standards.

Help consumers, businesses, and other stakeholders to participate more confidently in digital marketing while adapting
to and adopting new technologies by creating a trusted digital marketing ecosystem.

PROPOSED INITIAL PROGRAMME OF WORK (Please use the field immediately below or attach an annex)
Please see the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1, Annex C.4.4 and C-4.5)
For each item, the initial work programme shall define the deliverable type and target dates. The initial work
programme shall also assign priorities to the different items.
Digital marketing — Vocabulary (Deliverable type: IS)
Digital marketing — Principles and framework (Deliverable type: IS)
Digital marketing — Live streaming marketing (Note: Maintenance of ISO/IWA 41:2023) (Deliverable type: TS)Digital marketing — Search Engine Optimization (SEO) marketing (Deliverable type: TS)
Digital marketing — Pay-per-Click Advertising (PPC) marketing (Deliverable type: TS)
Digital marketing — Social media marketing (Deliverable type: TS)
Digital marketing — AI marketing (Deliverable type: TS)
Digital marketing — Analytics indicators and measurement (Deliverable type: IS)
Digital marketing — Hybrid marketing strategy (Deliverable type: TR)
Digital marketing — Transformation of digital marketing management (Deliverable type: TR)
Note: This TC develops all types of ISO deliverables such as IS, TS, PAS, and TR to meet the global needs.

RELATION OF THE PROPOSAL TO EXISTING INERNATIONAL STANDARDS AND ON-GOING
STANDARDIZATION WORK☒ The proposer has checked whether the proposed scope of the new committee overlaps with the scope ofany existing ISO or IEC committee or JTC1 sub-committee☐

If an overlap or the potential for overlap is identified, the affected committee has been informed and an
agreement has been reached between proposer and committee on
i. modification/restriction of the scope of the proposal to avoid overlapping,ii. potential modification/restriction of the scope of the existing committee to avoid overlapping.

☐If agreement with the existing committee has not been reached, please explain why the proposal should
be approved.

☐

Have proposals on this subject been submitted into an existing committee and rejected? If so, what were
the reasons for rejection?

LISTING OF RELEVANT DOCUMENTS (SUCH AS STANDARDS AND REGULATIONS) AT
INTERNATIONAL, REGIONAL AND NATIONAL LEVEL(Please see the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1, Annex C, Clause C.4.6)
ISO Deliverable:
ISO/IWA 41:2023 Guidelines for live streaming marketing service
China’s national standards:
GB/T 34941-2017 Digital marketing—Programmatic marketing technology requirements
GB/T 42454-2023 Digital marketing—Mobile marketing technical specification

LISTING OF RELEVANT COUNTRIES WHERE THE SUBJECT OF THE PROPOSAL IS IMPORTANT TO
THEIR NATIONAL COMMERCIAL INTERESTS(Please see the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1, Annex C, Clause C.4.8)
Asia: China, Japan, Korea, Philippines, Mongolia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Bangladesh,
Sri Lanka, Nepal, Pakistan, India, Iran, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Lebanon
Europe: UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Ireland, Switzerland, Sweden, Finland, Russia, Denmark, Norway,
Austria, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Serbia
Africa: South Africa, Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Ghana, Mauritius, Malawi, Morocco, Tunisia,
Ethiopia, Tanzania, Ghana, Nigeria
America: Canada, USA, Argentina, Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Mexico, El Salvador
Oceania: Australia, New Zealand

LISTING OF RELEVANT EXTERNAL INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS OR INTERNAL PARTIES(OTHER THAN ISO AND/OR IEC COMMITTEES) TO BE ENGAGED AS LIASONS IN THIS WORK
(Please see the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1, Clause C.4.9)
AMF (Asia Marketing Federation)

AMC (African Marketing Confederation)
EMC (European Marketing Confederation)
ICC (International Chamber of Commerce)
ICSB (International Council for Small Business)
ASBF (Asia Small Business Federation)
CMO (Chief Marketing Officer）Council
DMI (Digital Marketing Institute)
IAB (Interactive Advertising Bureau)
IAA (International Advertising Association)

IDENTIFICATION AND DESCRIPTION OF RELEVANT AFFECTED STAKEHOLDER CATEGORIES(Please see ISO Connect)
Benefits/Impacts/Examples
Industry and commerce – large industry
Digital marketing creates high efficiency and agility
advantages, allow them to perform deeper and better inbrand building and market growth overall success for a longterm development.

Industry and commerce – SMEs
Digital marketing offers cost-effective operations, targeted
and scientific decision making, allows flexibility and agility
at the lean start-ups, which will set a great foundation for
future expansion and growth.

Government

Digital marketing offers digital documentation and traceable
activities records, and instant delivery of regulation
massage, reduces administrative burden. More regulations
over data protection, privacy laws, advertising standards,
consumerprotection,
intellectual
property,
digitalaccessibility, online payment regulations, social media rules,
and online platform regulations.

Consumers
Through digital marketing consumers could receive
personalized information, and more power of selecting
services and products without the limitations of time andlocation. The gap between the market and consumers has
been narrowed because of digital marketing, and theinteractive and engaging experiences will create enjoyment
for consumers .

LabourDigital marketing requires new skills of labor, new thinking
mode, new ways of cooperating both inside and outside thebusiness. Development of the industry has a direct impact on
the workforce, empowering success possibilities.At the sametime, digital marketing jobs are typically not restricted bygeographic location or gender, providing greater flexibility forthe labour, making it suitable for men and women to workfrom home or prefer freelancing equally.

Academic and research bodies
Digital marketing increases visibility and easier reach to
information, enhances data analysis efficiency. Academic
and research bodies could have a new channel and directionof absorbing and producing research in related areas.

Standards application businesses
Digital marketing as a new field of standardization, offers
innovative ways to the promotion of related standards
promotion and application globally, as well as collecting data
and feedback, in return, Standards related organizations
promote the standardization and popularization of digitalmarketing.

Non-governmental organizations
Digital marketing helps non-government organizations(NGOs) increase visibility and reach a broader audience byleveraging online platforms. It enables NGOs to engage
supporters through social media, email campaigns, andcontent marketing, fostering a sense of community andinvolvement. Additionally, digital marketing facilitatesefficient fundraising efforts, allowing NGOs to collect
donations and mobilize resources quickly and effectively.

Other (please specify)

EXPRESSION OF LEADERSHIP COMMITMENT FROM THE PROPOSER(Please see the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1, Annex C, Clause C.4.12)
If ISO agrees to establish this committee, China is willing to undertake the work of the Secretariat.
☒ The proposer confirms that this proposal has been drafted in compliance with iso/iec directives,
part 1, annex c
SIGNATURE OF THE PROPOSERCOMMENTS OF THE ISO CENTRAL OFFICE (IF ANY)