- Shel says let-up on Edelman. Shel, I think people are just having too fun fun with this one to let-up just yet. I do agree though that the Edelman issue reflects broader challenges any large organization faces: first, the actions of the many will be undermined by the few (look no further than the F-H billing incident in LA); second, all organizations are challenged to get employees to live the values they aspire to – this was ulitmately about honesty and transparency; and third, we assume that organizations are very integrated – they aren’t. The smarts that exist on one team don’t necessarily flow unbounded to another. Finally, few if any of the industry organizations ethics policies have any teeth and why should they?
- Post your slides online for all to see…
- A meme tracker for tracking people… great idea!
Welcome to the Daily Lark, the rants, ramblings and musings of Andy Lark – serial opinionator, mover and shaker
Don’t you wonder why no one is talking about Wal*Mart’s role in this? I haven’t seen one blogger challenge the clients role! Imagine the cost involved and ask yourself: Who Approved That Budget? I’d wager the signature authority on that check went pretty high at Wal*Mart, and was probably triple bid 😉
I’m also disappointed the PR community hasn’t said more about their overall antics. How different is running a fake blog from producing and promoting to the mass media a pro-WM “documentary”, or establishing a fake community of Working Families in the first place? Not one word as this strategy started down the slippery slope or landed in mud.
Instead people prefer to bag on Edelman because they brag about their place on the high ground. Hmm – sounds like Wal*Mart.
This issue, IMHO, isn’t about agency bloggers gone awry; it’s about a very large client charging its marketers and agencies to find ways, ethical or not, to manage our perceptions of the company.
Did you read the Steve Rubel’s latest post?
“Microsoft is a client of Edelman.”
Even MS says (in comments) it’s not useful to mention it like that.