WalMart gets slapped

maggiefox, October 12 2006

Still think it’s a good idea for someone to ghost write a blog?

Then perhaps you should read about all the bad press WalMart is getting for setting up a fake blog (I had originally noted that the prominent sponsorship badge to the right was a new addition. This was incorrect. The “Working Families for Wal-Mart” sponsorship of the blog has always been made clear. However, at issue is the fact that “Working Families” is actually an organization that Wal-Mart created. The whole trip was paid for by the company). Apparently the whole thing was cooked up by Edleman. You’d think they’d know better.

More bad press coverage available at:
Business Week Online

Discussion

PR meets the WWW » Edelman, Wal-Mart, and WOMMA Code of Ethics on October 13th, 2006
[...] (I don’t know for sure if the blog’s sponsorship by Working Families for Wal-Mart was made clear from the beginning. The MediaPost story says it wasn’t; some bloggers say it was. But even if the sponsorship was made clear from the start by a banner posted on the blog, the terms of sponsorship were never disclosed, and it wasn’t made clear that the organization is partially funded by Wal-Mart.) [...]
The Writing On The Wal » Blog Archive » Was Edelman PR Behind the Jim and Laura Fiasco? on October 14th, 2006
[...] While you are at it, see what Maggie Fox at Social Media Group” has to say about this story. [...]
Beyond the Price Wars | Social Media Group on June 5th, 2008
[...] when Walmart and their competitors have squeezed every last ounce out of their suppliers and are to within small [...]