Wal-Mart exploits bloggers in P.R. campaign
CNet reports Wal-Mart has enlisted bloggers in a P.R. campaign attempting to improve its image.
Under assault as never before, Wal-Mart is increasingly looking beyond the mainstream media and working directly with bloggers, feeding them exclusive nuggets of news, suggesting topics for postings and even inviting them to visit its corporate headquarters.But the strategy raises questions about what bloggers, who pride themselves on independence, should disclose to readers. Wal-Mart, the nation's largest private employer, has been forthright with bloggers about the origins of its communications, and the company and its public relations firm, Edelman, say they do not compensate the bloggers.
Lawyer Glenn Reynolds, publisher of Instapundit.com, one of the oldest blogs on the Web, questioned WalMart's practices: 'If I reprint something, I say where it came from. A blog is about your voice, it seems to me, not somebody else's.'
I agree with Reynolds. Wal-Mart may have enlisted Edelman, now employing blog PR expert Steve Rubel, but the company's feeding content to bloggers is misguided. If Wal-Mart is serious about having a presence on the blogosphere, they're going to need have their own blog where they openly interact with the public.
I couldn't disagree with you more. From your title's use of the word "exploits" (who's being exploited?) to your assumption that if Edelman / WalMart sends content to bloggers that they'll just blindly republish it, I think you're viewing this completely wrong.
I get lots and lots of press releases every week. I like it. It helps me keep up with what's going on in the industry, lets me identify contacts in companies if I need further information and also helps me figure out who is doing PR for what firm. I also get white papers and other content from PR companies, good and bad. Do I publish any of it verbatim? Of course not.
Frankly, the bloggers who would publish content from a PR agency verbatim, without specifying its origin, are the same bloggers who would use an "rss feed to blog entries" tool to populate their weblog and pollute the entire blogosphere anyway.
I think Walmart and Edelman are doing exactly the right thing here. They've recognized that the blogosphere exists, that it influences people, and that bloggers are just people who can be added to the communications list.
What's not to like about that?
Thanks for the comment Dave.
It's good that Wal-Mart sees the blogosphere is real. They saw the network news as real as well.
I am not saying the press releases will be be republished verbatim. I am saying that Wal-Mart will be trying to influence the thinking of bloggers just like they do with the traditional media. And they will be very, very good at it.
It is not my place here to criticize Wal-Mart's past practices but they appear to be taking a rap for the way they treat employees. Why not put up a Wal-Mart blog and interact directly with Wal-Mart employees who believe they have been treated poorly by the company? Why not have Wal-Mart employees blogging?
The blogsophere is about public discussion and interaction. Wal-Mart should join the discussion rather look for mouth pieces who already publish a blog.
Could Wal-Mart's approach work? Sure. But it could backfire if the discussion on the blogosphere develops into Wal-Mart wanting to do it their way via press releases and not getting into the real discussion via their own blog and commenting on blogs that are critical of the company.
Microsoft has improved it's image greatly via the blogosphere. They did not do it by sending out press releases to bloggers. Microsoft did it via their own employees having blogs and interacting with other blog publishers via comments and blog posts.