You know, all transparent like...

something_amazing: hey, ben, in your opinion does edelman coming out with these blogs indicate that there may be some sort of internal backlash against krempasky since he was head of the blogging division?
fakeout: nope, they're outing themselves before anyone else has a chance to
something_amazing: well it would seem to me that if Krempasky where the one who was heading much of this "blog reach out" program, and this was a big smear back in the face of Edelman that there may be some inclination of internal upset against krempasky?
something_amazing: ie: a good portion of Krempasky's entire job for Edelman has just been reset to ground zero.
something_amazing: And it may have served to issue bad water to Edelman regarding using blogs as a PR tool in the future. Enough to the point where Krempasky may be worried about his job.
fakeout: Mmm that's reaching. I think it's more like Richard Edelman said: "fix this shit. " But if they're smart, they will use this as a lesson to reevalutate how to use blogs. They've established so much equity as being the PR agency that "gets" blogs.
something_amazing: Yeah, at the very least. I mean if Richard Edelman is coming out and essentially apologizing, then there has to be some indication that he's not happy with it. And you're right about reevaluating but what will it amount to, full disclosures or just trying to become sneakier?
fakeout: There's too much invested to abandon wholesale
something_amazing: I hope it goes to Full Disclosure.
fakeout: Well, the word transparancey will get thrown around even more
something_amazing: But disclosure defeats the purpose of PR
fakeout: And I bet there will be a few blogs set up as being like, "we are the full disclosure awesomeness site"
something_amazing: heh ;)
fakeout: and while everyone claps them on the back for that, they will go and do something even more dastardly and sneaky
fakeout: "Gentleman, our failure here was not that we were sneaky. Far from it. Rather, we were not sneaky enough."
fakeout: The thing that nags at me, though, about Edelman and blogs and Walmart
fakeout: Is the fracas is blurring the issue
fakeout: They've got us all focused on Edelman
fakeout: That's what Edelman's job is
fakeout: to defuse criticism towards their client
something_amazing: right— so you think Edelman has successfully parried and done exactly what their job is?
something_amazing: as opposed to wal-mart taking the heat?
fakeout: yup
fakeout: I'll bet dimes to donuts there was this conversation with walmart:
fakeout: edelman: so we're going to set up these fake blogs and organizations praising you
fakeout: walmart: cool
fakeout: conversation #2
fakeout: Walmart: how can we fight these unionizers? if we say anything in the press, we get slammed by activists
fakeout: edelman: let's set up a fake walmart worker advocacy group denouncing unions
fakeout: walmart: cool
something_amazing: edelman: Well, they found out about workers for walmart... dude that was a pretty dumb idea I guess afterall. wal-mart: Ah well, better luck next time?

• Krempasky's personal blog reports disappointment. Scott Womack comments with vigor. Krempasky parries tactfully tact and offers to take the conversation private. Sound familiar?
• Flicking the nerve of internet crazies means showing up on a Daily Kos user blog. [The Writing On The Wall]
• Pending warrants aside, no one's ever featured our doings in a chronology of events before. [Potomac Flacks]
• "The question that was posed to Editor Ben by Krempasky will make your stomach sink..." The Bivings Report post also has a comment from queen of PR whoredom, Strumpette, about Edelman's failed attempt to reach out and touch her somewhere special: her anus.

Steve passed along your e-mail inquiring about our effort to engage bloggers on behalf of Wal-Mart.

We thought there was no better source than the horse s mouth, as it were. And, well, that s me. What questions can I answer for you?

Let me start with the broad one in your original e-mail.

We re very proud of our effort to help Wal-Mart communicate with bloggers. As more and more Americans go to the Internet to get information from varied, credible, trusted sources, Wal-Mart is committed to participating in that online conversation. Blogs are a very important communications channel for us. Whether they have a large or small audience, they are an important new media that can t be ignored. As you know from the various coverage, all of our communications have been open and transparent. And we plan to continue them going forward.

Let me what additional questions I can help you with.

Sincerely,

Marshall

God, we love PR talk. It's so close to human English but it's got an underlying poetry all of its own. We especially love how any company that's under scrutiny is always said to "remain commmited" to one thing or another.

We've got some questions in mind but what, Consumerist readers, would you like to know about this PR agency approaching and engaging bloggers in the way we've seen?

Beware, though, they're watching us now...

Previously: Wal-Mart Loves Blogging