Edelman Reveals 2 More Walmart Flogs
Walmart's PR firm today publicly disclosed two more fake blogs shilling for Walmart and took steps to increase their transparency.
- "One blog appears on the home page of Working Families for Wal-Mart, the allegedly grassroots advocacy group formed by Edelman last December, which is "committed to fostering open and honest dialogue...that conveys the positive contributions of Wal-Mart to working families." The second blog is on WFWM's subsidiary site Paid Critics.
The Paid Critics blog is devoted to "exposing" links between unions and other vested interests that are "smearing Wal-Mart" through the media. Until yesterday, blog entries on both WFWM and Paid Critics were uncredited. Thursday, bylines were added to blog posts "in response to comments and emails."
Of course, now that the Edelman authorship has been laid bare, the blogs are as inutile for Walmart as they were for consumers.
Edelman Reveals Two More Wal-Mart 'Flogs' [MediaPost] (Thanks to Dmitry!)
Attention, Walmart shoppers! This ad is for you! Woo hoo!
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Comments:
While it wasn't too hard to connect the dots in the case of these flogs, its the other anonymous posts and comments that they should come clean with.
so who wrote this consumerist post?
Dammit, guys. Do you have to keep digging into your vacation pics for illustrations?
I did.
Leave the NSFW pics OUT of the RSS feeds, please.
Ugh! Not an office-safe photo!!!
Funny, it was safe when they took it at the Consumerist office...
MY EYES! MY BEAUTIFUL BLUE MAN-EYES!
These pics are getting a bit creepy. Although, at least we now know about Ben's tanline.
"While it wasn't too hard to connect the dots in the case of these flogs, its the other anonymous posts and comments that they should come clean with."
You know, not every pro-Wal-Mart blog is one of Edelman's projects. Some of us legitimately support the company without being paid.
"While it wasn't too hard to connect the dots in the case of these flogs, its the other anonymous posts and comments that they should come clean with."
You know, not every pro-Wal-Mart blog is one of Edelman's projects. Some of us legitimately support the company without being paid.
Great point, AcilletaM. If they would go this far with fake blogs, god knows how many anonymous comments by Edelman employees are littering the blogosphere. Totally disgraceful. They have lost all trust. No point in keeping Steve Rubel on board now. Give the man his life back and let him work for a company who has a chance now. Krempasky on the other hand, that dude deserves a dishonorable discharge.
It's the yellow racing stripe on the jockstrap that turns terrible to terrific!!
New marketing photo for Garden Guy's website!
On a more serious note, got a mailer from Consumers For Choice (tm), sent to my name (I don't use my real name for mag subs, etc, so wtf?) with a "Should politicians choose where you can shop?" emblazoned on the envelope.
Opened it up, expecting wacky shennanigans, and sure enough, it was Wal-Mart. Our city council passed a "no big box" measure and Wal-Mart responded by blizzarding the city with astro-turf mailers.
Pre-filled out petitions to overrule the measure, pleas to tell a friend, cover letter w/ mock handwritten highlighted sentences.
Wal-Mart: there to protect foolish, FOOLISH citizens from freeing themselves of jacknailed boots on your throat.
So HELPFUL. Gosh, thanks.
Tra-Dep,
Have you mentioned that to Ben? I would think it would be post-worthy.
hmm. hadn't thought of that, relying on his eerie omnipotence of all things forum. But I will. Thanks!
Someone-in-USA, I didn't say all but you better believe there are more things they have done.
Also:
It's ironic that Edelman Worldwide helped to write the Word of Mouth Marketing Association's code of ethics, which states: "Honesty of identity: You never obscure your identity."
From today's AdAge.com