WALMARTING AND NEW COKE… A COINCIDENCE?
Over the years I’ve known and worked with and for a number of public relations firms in major cities across North America. Everyone makes mistakes like New Coke, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything as inept as Wal-Marting Across America.
I mean, I mean, how can this firm fall so hard?
Edelman is the world’s largest independent public relations firms, with 2,000 employees in 43 offices worldwide. The firm was named PRWeek’s Large Agency of the Year for 2006. Advertising Age recently named Edelman as the best PR firm in its 2005 “Best Agencies†while PRWeek awarded the firm its “Editor’s Choice†distinction at the start of 2006.
I’m starting to think of Edelman as the Cleveland sport’s franchise of PR.
(Ducking for cover as a rush of Browns, Indians and Cavalier fans storm my apartment.)
Jeff,
I’m a PR pro turned PR educator (Kent State) who’s horrified to see this kind of behavior from — of all firms — Edelman. I mean, these guys, all the way to CEO Richard, are the champions of responsible social media use…the titans of transparency. This is the firm I point to in my classes as the role model.
Like you, I posted on this topic tonight after surfing around looking for a reaction from Edelman, from the top PR bloggers…someone. It’s pretty quiet out there.
I, too, have used Edelman PR (specifically Richard Edelman and Steve Rubel) as a company which exemplifies the responsible and transparent use of social media. They are a best practice slide for my workshops and introductory presentations about marketing and the blogosphere.
And as Jeff pointed out in an earlier post, I’ve written about the Wal-Mart mess in the hopes of provoking the unusually silent bloggers over at Edelman. So far, no word. This goes against every principle of good PR and crisis management.
It will suck to have to re-work my deck.
Shalom William,
First, thank you for stopping in, for reading and, most importantly, for taking the time to write a comment. It’s all about the conversation.
I’m also a NEO blogger working out of Cleveland Heights, Ohio.
Wal-Marting Across America isn’t the only sponsored blog. There is a suite of Wal Mart-created blogs building that you might want to take a look at that could be instructive for your students.
Paid Critics
Working Families For Wal Mart
And you should definitely consider an occassional drive up to the Cleveland Bloggers’ MeetUp. It’s always the third-Wednesday of the month. Attendance looks a little light this month because a lot of people are out of town.
B’shalom,
Jeff
Shalom George,
Thank you for stopping in, for reading and, most importantly, for taking the time to write a comment. It’s all about the conversation.
I wouldn’t re-work that deck quite yet. How Edelman ultimately handles all of this will be more significant in the long run.
The grace and humility with which we pick ourselves back up can be vastly more instructive than how we tripped.
I’m watching the two prime astroturf blogs Edelman maintains now — Paid Critics and Working Families For Wal Mart — to see if the company reassesses what has gone by and acts in a better manner in response.
B’shalom,
Jeff