World Chambers Federation

ICC Merchant of Peace Award presented to former ICC Marketing Commission Chair

  • 5 June 2013
Diversity in arbitration

John Manfredi, former long-serving Chair of the ICC Commission on Marketing and Advertising, was presented with the ICC Merchant of Peace Award at the 4 June meeting of the ICC Commission on Marketing and Advertising held in New York.

ICC Chairman-elect grants Mr Manfredi (right) the Merchants of Peace Medal
ICC Chairman-elect grants Mr Manfredi (right) the Merchants of Peace Medal

ICC Chairman-elect, Harold McGraw III, presented the award to Mr Manfredi, Managing Partner, Manloy Associates, previously an executive with Proctor and Gamble, Gillette and Nabisco, recognizing him for his commitment to the mission of ICC and his service of exceptional leadership to ICC’s work on marketing and advertising. 

“During his 23 years at the helm of the commission he lent it weight and authority,” said Mr McGraw. “ICC’s impact encouraging open and effectively self-regulated markets for the advertising and merchandising of products owes much to the wisdom and expertise of Mr Manfredi during those years.”

Under Mr Manfredi’s leadership the commission developed and revised a list of codes and guidance resources. The commission pioneered codes on topics such as environmental advertising, and marketing and advertising on the Internet. It also responded to market needs by producing a food and beverage framework and electronic product codes principles that set out how to implement more general code provisions to specific issues, giving the ICC Code more adaptability while maintaining its ability to serve as the global gold standard.

Of particular accomplishment was the 2006 Consolidated ICC Code of Advertising and Marketing Practice. Under Mr Manfredi’s guidance, the now 75-year old advertising code and separate specific practice codes were consolidated under one authoritative set of general principles applying to all marketing communications followed by specific chapters related to sponsorship, sales promotion, direct selling, electronic media and environmental claims. This ICC Code responded to market needs and facilitated expansion of its use in Eastern Europe and emerging markets ripe for self-regulation.

Mr Manfredi said: “It is a great honour to receive the Merchant of Peace award acknowledging the accomplishments of the Commission on Marketing and Advertising that I was privileged to chair for more than two decades. The self-regulatory marketing codes, frameworks and guidelines we developed are the foundation for the robust global self-regulatory regime that works for consumers, governments and businesses around the world. It is very gratifying to see the self-regulatory principles supported by ICC continue to grow in their acceptance and importance.”

The ICC Merchant of Peace award is granted to individuals who continue to draw inspiration from ICC’s founders, known as the “Merchants of Peace”, and whose dedication and hard work have assisted ICC in promoting world peace through world trade for over 90 years. The Merchant of Peace Medal is a representation of a bust by the artist August Rodin of the founding President of ICC Etienne Clementel. On the back it bears the inscription “ICC Merchant of Peace.” The recipients’ names will be included on the Wall of Honour in the new ICC headquarters and in the official ICC Merchants of Peace book.

The recipients of the ICC Merchants of Peace Award are chosen by the ICC leadership. The nominations of candidates to be honoured by the Merchant of Peace Award are encouraged from the ICC global network of national committees, the World Chambers Federation, individual companies and the ICC Secretariat.

For more information on the commission’s work visit the ICC Commission on Marketing and Advertising.