Pray For The American PR Industry

Oh, this is getting just priceless, the smackdown PR battle going on for the Wal-Mart message. I could care less who's right or wrong -- the fun part is watching the all-out corporate catfight!

There are some great examples, on either side, of the flat-out battle to shape the message. I love it. All the flaming and name-calling. I'm particularly charmed by this one anti-Wal-Marteers' slogan: America, Pray for Wal-Mart to Change. A lot of yap in search of a genuine problem perhaps, but it's got zing. PR warfare at its snarky-delicious best.

Note the Newt dude here, and his lukewarm “Dukakis-like” messaging effort:

Then Republican strategist Frank Luntz (famous for helping Newt Gingrich forge his Contract With America) takes a turn. He's been brought in to analyze the focus group, and when he tests classic Wal-Mart rebuttals, including how much the company saves consumers, he bombs, scoring a Dukakis-like 30 percent.

And this: "Last time I checked, he (another dude) wouldn't have a job if it weren't for our (anti-Wal-Mart) campaign."

Yes, these are some glory days for the PR industry. My editorial two-cents: Wal-Mart is losing points for having ZERO sense of humor. Humor’s hot these days, clueless dumb-asses. Hell, even suits stuck way out of reality in a Gulfstream can tell that. Then again… maybe not.

Keep it coming folks. There's big money to be made in war -- and corporate PR.

Technorati tags: wal-mart, Technorati, Edelman, public relations

No Shiney Happy Workers At Florida Wal-Mart

"If something affects my brothers and sisters, it affects me." Yahima Morales, Wal-Mart Dept. Manager

I was all excited about the Howell Mill Station Wal-Mart grand opening today, and was getting ready to head over there to drop a load of cash for a load of things I'd convince myself I had to have to run my household more efficiently.

But per the routine, I first dropped by the computer to read-in on the day, and was sickened by the BusinessWeek tale told by workers at a Florida Wal-Mart as they walked-off the job two days ago.

Here's the rub part from reporter Pallavi Gogoi at BusyWeek online:

The protest wasn't led by any union group. Rather, it was instigated by two department managers, Guillermo Vasquez and Rosie Larosa. The department managers were not affected directly by the changes, but they felt that the company had gone too far with certain new policies. Among them were moves to cut the hours of full-time employees from 40 hours a week to 32 hours, along with a corresponding cut in wages, and to compel workers to be available for shifts around the clock.

In addition, the shifts would be decided not by managers, but by a computer at company headquarters. Employees could find themselves working 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. one week and noon to 9 p.m. the next. "So workers cannot pick up their children after school everyday, and part-timers cannot keep another job because they can be called to work anytime," says Vasquez.

As my time nor my money nor my life, thank God, is decided by a computer program, think I'll just unload my money at Target. Or since I really don't need any more stuff right this moment, I might send the money to these folks in Florida.

GUERILLA MEDIA TIP OF THE DAY: If you want to get on local news tonight, which isn't hard to do, but isn't my style (that's too often the tacky behavior used by book banners in Gwinnett County), you could simply make a sign right now that says something like "Send your Grand Opening money to Guillermo Vasquez and Rosie Larosa in Florida," walk over to where all the press will be today at the Howell Mill Rd. Wal-Mart, and just sit there on the sidewalk. Of course, anyone is welcome to this free speech/photo op. Around 11:45am or about 4:45pm is a good time for the locals. Or stay until about 6pm if the nets are there! Bonus tip: have copies of the BusinessWeek article to hand-out to interested people.

Or how about this for your signage: For All You've Done, or Not Done, This Week Alone! Shame, Wal-Mart, Shame.

Technorati tags: Wal-Mart, Atlanta, Media

Good PR Firm, Good

At my request in a blog comment today, Edelman did remove my editorial from the Georgia Families For Wal-Mart site. At once. Edelman hizseff contacted me by email to honor my request. I really appreciate this responsiveness on their part, and I told 'em that they were free to put the article back on the site, if it (their site) suddenly became "more transparent."

This is the power of the blogosphere, folks. YOU now own media. You, the individual, don't you see? And all before lunch! Now everybody... shut-up and shop!

Technorati tags: Wal-Mart, Edelman, PR

Bad PR Firm, Bad

Edleman, the massive PR agency with clients like, oh say... Wal-Mart, the second (?) largest corporation in the history of capitalism, has admitted, finally, to their ethically dubious behavior. In a nutshell, and you can click yourself into a mia culpa frenzy reading all about it on your own time, Edelman created phoney sites and blogs and world f-ing tours and a host of other $$$-generated smoke and mirrors for their bestest client, Wal-Mart.

Seemed the smarties in the blogosphere, as opposed to the general public, weren't too confused for too long. (I mean...duh... what were they thinking? That people would seriously believe there was a genuine, grassroots, pro-Wal-Mart effort afoot in the land? Do we LOOK stupid here in the blogosphere?!) And guess what, folks got pissed and called 'em out. Imagine that.

I, too, got caught-up in the whole fake Wal-Mart PR campaign, a practice refered to as "astroturfing," when my editorial for The Georgia Political Digest ended-up on the Georgia Families For Wal-Mart site. It's still there. I asked Edelman today to remove the editorial until the whole campaign/site is made more transparent. (UPDATE as of 12:05pm EDT: they did.)

I stand-by my editorial direction in the article. I like Wal-Mart, and plan to shop there when the new intown store opens tomorrow in my 'hood. (Shit, I'm a single working mom; we're programmed to love Wal-Mart due to our historically slim budgets alone.) I just don't like being used on a highly un-transparent site.

Technorati tags: Wal-Mart, Edelman, PR

Genetically Modified Wal-Mart

Don't know about you, but I'm going to speculate in corn futures. Wal-Mart wants to sell ethanol. Or E85 as it's called for commercial purposes. This is most cool, and could alter the kind of vehicles we purchase and what kind of emmissions we spew. Lord knows, I'm spewing now in my gas guzzler, and sometimes even I feel a twinge or two about it. If something safe, affordable and roomy came on the market that utilized E85, and I knew where a couple of E85 stations were close by, would that affect the kind of vehicle I drove? Absolutely.

My new neighbor, Wal-Mart, has already affected something on me, and if they can soften up my kinda rigidity, then they're doing something right. I wrote about my Wal-Mart miniphany (mini epiphany) this week in the Georgia Political Digest. Read full op/ed here.

From the CNN/Money story:

More than 5 million vehicles on U.S. roads today can run on ethanol - a renewable fuel that comes from corn - as well as gasoline. General Motors, Ford and DaimlerChrysler recently announced plans to double their annual production of so-called flex fuel vehicles to two million cars and trucks by 2010.

tags: Wal-Mart, ethanol, Georgia, gas, gas prices, cheap, corn futures, business

Find Andy's Mind

Apparently a bit difficult this year, as it's all over the place. Andrew Young's poised to whoop it up on the stand today for close personal pal, Ummm Ummmm (Good Where It Matters Most) Campbell. And then he's schillin' and trillin' for Wal-Mart. Huh?

As I mention over at Peach Pundit, not Peach Buzz, this could be a totally good thing. We'll now be able to get our Heroes Of The Civil Rights Movement action figures at really amazingly low prices! Like a set of 6 for 5-bucks. Comes with linkable arms and a free "We Shall Overcome" sound chip. Collect 'em all. Bridge sold separately. Not to be made in Atlanta though. Nor Georgia. Heck, not even the U.S. How about China?!

Awesome.

More like things are starting to have a faint whiff of misguidance, akin to that hideous Edward the (once) VIII and that most supreme of hags, Wallis Simpson, and their devotion to all-things-fascist during WWII.

tag: Andrew Young