Mega PR Firm Does About-face; Stakes Claim in 'Authenticity'Posted by Brian Connolly
According to the release, Edelman is mobilizing rapidly to convert its entire ambiguous worldwide PR operation to “authentic.” In support of the initiative, the agency said that it has consolidated its three digital service practice areas into one global operating unit. The new group will be a combination of the firm’s Web design team, its social-media toy lab and a couple of ideas that were being bandied about last fall under the name “Edelman Mobile."
Heading the overhaul will be Rick Murray, former head of the Agency’s botched “Me2Revolution” Practice. Murray set the stage for the announcement a little over a year ago articulating Edelman's very public optimism regarding Second Life. Then he said, “Anytime you can bring fake people together spending real money on fake things to create value... [well] I don't really know how it's going to end up or where we're going to end up in it but it's really cool." Along with yesterday's announcement Murray described the agency's investment: “We think authentic communications is where it's at. The debate over what is and isn't authentic is likely to be rich, complex and never-ending.” My Middle Name is SatanPosted by Bruce Pilgrim Talking to My Cats: 03-04-08
Thus, throughout my life, I've had a bit of a PR problem. I've been taunted countless times, endured such sobriquets as Devil Boy, Beelzebubba, Lucy Fur, Satan's Little Helper, and the Prince of Snarkness. Carrying the baggage of Mephistoles has made it pretty much impossible to pass myself off as angelic. When my mom declaimed my full name in a certain tone of voice, I knew I was in very big trouble. Each year in grade school, the new teacher would take me aside and warn me that they wouldn’t tolerate any of my tricks. Which I always took as a challenge. As a teenager, I experimented with using initials as an alternative, but B.S. Pilgrim has its own set of problems. Bruce S. Pilgrim didn't really ring, either. In my senior year in high school, I briefly embraced the opposite strategy and unsuccessfully campaigned as "Satan for Student Council." This did not go over very well in an all-boys Catholic institution. |
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In a press announcement that sent ripples throughout the business community yesterday, Edelman, one of the largest PR firms in the world, proclaimed that the agency was doing a complete about-face radically shifting direction. The firm has staked "
Long story short, my middle name was supposed to honor my uncle Sal and my aunt Tanisha. I'd be more comfortable it if the reasoning behind the name was something along the lines of "A Boy Named Sue" by Johnny Cash -- something to toughen me up a bit. Alas, my parents didn't really give it a whole lot of thought (obviously), and by the time they did, it was already on the birth certificate. So I am Bruce Satan Pilgrim.
Reader Feedback
Tue, Nov 10, 04:07:04 PM
Anthone who has to delcare that they are "authentic" must presumably take the view that they are perceived as not being "authentic" - something which might be of concern in a PR company
Fri, Jul 31, 10:58:34 AM
Ray Durazo (the founder) sold the company to Dan in 1999. He was not involved in any of this. He (and I) found out about the lawsuit in the LA Times. In addition to embezzling this m [...]
Thu, Jul 02, 01:52:48 PM
Be careful using the word authentic too often. Might later come off as "synthetic authenticity"
Thu, May 07, 10:19:02 AM
Funny that such an article should appear on a blog no? You guys must be from New York.
Wed, May 06, 12:59:37 PM
I don't have a clue about PR. But, couldn't this move to 'authentic' just really be running away from anything 'virtual' at all, like all the other band-wagoners out there that never u [...]
Sun, May 03, 08:42:38 PM
I'm a totally authentic blogger. Edelman is in deep shit.
Mon, Apr 27, 08:40:57 AM
Makes me wonder what have they been doing until now?
Sat, Apr 11, 02:24:56 PM
Wow - I agree with Britton that its incredibly poor positioning. Rick also gives the kind of quote that's supposed to sound hip, clever and yet sincere, but it just comes across s [...]