Comments on: Consumerist vs. Wal-Mart’s (Edelman’s, really) Krempasky

By: Information Architects Japan » iA Notebook » Partner in astroturfing: Boycott Technorati? (1)

Sun, 17 Dec 2006 23:27:50 +0000

[...] Did Edelman try to corrupt or even threaten the Consumerist? Edelman’s advocate Krempasky’s answer: “Does anyone thing think I am that STUPID?” Well, it’s fair to assume that Krempasky is a very smart guy and he certainly certainly is smarter than most of us. But Krempasky is not smart enough to avoid the main trap smart people fall into: He notoriously underestimates everyone else. [...]

By: Scott Womack

Scott Womack — Tue, 03 Oct 2006 14:40:48 +0000

Yet more PR action from Mike…a shill acting the part of arbitrator, but remember, the aggressor, the environmental polluter, abuser of women and children laborers, and destroyer of local economies, Wal-Mart, pays his salary to disguise these facts.

Mike may just be “doing his job”, but Ben and I, investigative journalists, in turn, are just “doing ours”.

Scott

By: Amanda Chapel

Amanda Chapel — Fri, 29 Sep 2006 17:42:06 +0000

I was approached similarly by Edelman’s senior management. Two things jumped to mind when the “private conversation” was broached: “Okay Mister, I’ll get in your car;” and Ray Liotta in Goodfellas, “Your murderers come with smiles, they come as your friends.”

I took a pass.

- Amanda

—–Original Message—–
From: Murray, Rick [mailto:Rick.Murray@edelman.com]
Sent: Sunday, March 26, 2006 9:51 PM
To: chapel@strumpette.com
Subject: coffee

Hey,

Love your design.

This is totally unrelated, sort of…

I am looking for someone who has a real knack for stirring it up in Chicago.

Let me know if you’re interested in grabbing a coffee to chat some time.

RWM

By: Ben Popken

Ben Popken — Thu, 28 Sep 2006 18:26:31 +0000

Plenty of consumer problems with Edelman clients have been posted on The Consumerist. Where are their solutions?

By: Krempasky

Krempasky — Thu, 28 Sep 2006 18:20:42 +0000

Rita,
Unfortunately, it just ain’t so. And I appreciate the benefit of the doubt. (I hesitate to ask, in the political blogosphere, “does anyone really think I’m that STUPID?!”)

What I did offer him was the chance to work together, to help his readers get consumer complaints resolved, and to help him participate in that. (far, far too often bloggers or blog readers get ignored or end up in the endless voicemail phone tree)

I thought, mistakenly, that he was interested in solving problems. His choice, of course, and I’m better for having learned the lesson in this case.

As far as blogs go, lots of folks think the only conversations that are permitted are on the public stage of the internet. That sort of dialog is great, of course, but in many cases even if you disagree with someone, you can get a lot done together if you’re willing to show a little respect and courtesy. And perhaps the very tiny start of that is the ability to have a private conversation sometimes.

By: The Writing On The Wal » Blog Archive » Perhaps Edelman Shouldn’t Talk to Us

Thu, 28 Sep 2006 17:20:11 +0000

[...] Rita Desai at the Bivings Report (which is where I found this tale), tries to be kind: I’d be interested in knowing what Edelman thought that they could do for Consumerist. The immediate thought is, as one commenter mentioned, a briefcase full of cash. But maybe Krempansky meant to ask them for consulting advice. Maybe what Krempansky really meant was, “How can we be a better Wal-Mart for consumers and its employees?” or maybe he wanted Ben [Popken of Consumerist] to be his Jerry Maguire (”Help me help you”) and it just came out wrong. [...]

By: John Wagner

John Wagner — Thu, 28 Sep 2006 16:58:59 +0000

So much for those “transparent” conversations we hear so much about. The only thing missing here was a gun above the toilet and a room full of cigarette smoke.

By: Todd Zeigler

Todd Zeigler — Thu, 28 Sep 2006 15:43:50 +0000

For what it is worth, I read this as an attempt by Edelman to get some free advice from the Consumerist.

Interesting the he tried to go off the record with the Consumerist. Don’t think that is the way the Consumerist works.