Beware The Corporate Blog Post In Disguise!

Delilah Boyd has learned that Wal-Mart enlists bloggers in its public relations campaign.

Brian Pickrell, a blogger, recently posted a note on his Web site attacking state legislation that would force Wal-Mart Stores to spend more on employee health insurance. "All across the country, newspaper editorial boards — no great friends of business — are ripping the bills," he wrote.

It was the kind of pro-Wal-Mart comment the giant retailer might write itself. And, in fact, it did.

Several sentences in Mr. Pickrell's Jan. 20 posting — and others from different days — are identical to those written by an employee at one of Wal-Mart's public relations firms and distributed by e-mail to bloggers.

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.

Oh, by the way... Everything above this line is identical to a New York Times story intro by Michael Barbaro in the March 7th edition:

Wal-Mart Enlists Bloggers in Its Public Relations Campaign

By MICHAEL BARBARO
Published: March 7, 2006

Brian Pickrell, a blogger, recently posted a note on his Web site attacking state legislation that would force Wal-Mart Stores to spend more on employee health insurance. "All across the country, newspaper editorial boards — no great friends of business — are ripping the bills," he wrote.

It was the kind of pro-Wal-Mart comment the giant retailer might write itself. And, in fact, it did.

Several sentences in Mr. Pickrell's Jan. 20 posting — and others from different days — are identical to those written by an employee at one of Wal-Mart's public relations firms and distributed by e-mail to bloggers.

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.

Sadly, the bad PR image of Wal-Mart has become an important political issue for rightwing bloggers. I suppose the Wal-Mart Way Of Life must be as vigorously defended as... well, the incompetent Bush administration. After all, without all of that cheap crap from Wal-Mart, the few remaining Bush supporters might finally figure out that they aren't as well off financially as they think they are.

As for corporations like Wal-Mart feeding bloggers post content, free advertising comes with a price: you're only as good as your weakest link, remember? When you ask your bloggers not to quote your email content word-for-word, remember that you're dealing with Wal-Mart zealots, not New York Times crossword afiçionados.

You get what you don't pay for, Wal-Mart.



So you think you know Delilah?
Judges 16:19-- And she made him sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head.