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Another Dubious Distinction For Wal-Mart

Wal-Mart’s PR firm, Edelman, is rocketing up the charts—all the way to # 1 on blog index Technorati’s top searches and tags. Guess what they’re talking about? Hint: it’s not organics, fashion or Lee Scott’s hybrid car.

The Philadelphia Inquirer reports on Wal-Mart’s dubious distinction. And PR trade publications are covering Edelman’s response:

PR Week:

Edelman CEO Richard Edelman today issued an apology for his agency’s role in creating a blog for client Wal-Mart that did not properly disclose its origins or funding.

The blog, walmartingacrossamerica.com, chronicled a couple’s journey across the country in an RV while stopping at various Wal-Mart parking lots. Although the blog did not initially bear any clear disclosures outside of an advertisement, the trip was funded by the group Working Families for Wal-Mart [WFWM], a Wal-Mart-backed organization designed to promote a positive portrayal of the company. The group is part of Edelman’s effort to turn around the reputation of the controversial retailer.

Media Daily:

Richard Edelman posted the apology in his blog yesterday afternoon, roughly a week after Wal-Mart Watch and BusinessWeek, in separate events, exposed the pair behind “Wal-Marting Across America” as Washington Post photographer Jim Thresher and freelance writer Laura St. Claire.

“I’m sorry we did this,” Edelman expanded in an interview Monday afternoon. “I am completely committed to doing better, not only for our firm but also the PR industry. I want your readers to know I take all this very seriously.”

Web Pro News:

Posts from numerous bloggers have been appearing online. Edelman has come in for the kind of publicity that client hire the agency to avoid.

“Edelman naturally fell back on the approach that has worked for decades - control the conversation by manufacturing it,” wrote Scott Karp at Publishing 2.0.

The fake blog launched September 27th. Anything that is positive for Wal-Mart appearing online gets subjected to heavy scrutiny immediately, and the blog did not withstand the laser-like focus for long. Wal-MartWatch noted the contributors were Jim Thresher, a Washington Post photographer, and his longtime partner Laura St. Claire, whose brother is an Edelman employee.