Oops, They Did It Again

Courtney Barnes

Cyberspace is not a playground, or a mud-wrestling pit, or a platform for flame-throwers.

It’s a lesson you’d think you’d be telling your 14-year-old kid who doesn’t understand the risk of his wacky (or risqué) blogosphere banters, but apparently you should consider taking the warning to the workplace – and maybe even hand-delivering it to your CEO.

Case in point: Whole Foods CEO John Mackey has created an organic mess out of his affinity for anonymously (until now) denouncing competitors on Yahoo! financial message boards.  His PR/communications team most likely wasn’t aware of this pastime, but its recent entrée into the public domain reiterates the importance of keeping your C-suite executives informed on the opportunities – and dangers – of digital communications.

The messages Mackey posted allegedly date back to seven years ago (which is ironically impressive that he even knew how to use the technology in digitalization’s relative infancy) and number in the thousands.  And while technically not unethical – but definitely well in the realm of a really bad idea – his definition of  “fun” is PR’s definition of transparency, which is all the more relevant in today’s digital environ.  Edelman and Wal-Mart learned the hard way with their faux-folksy “Wal-Marting Across America” blog, and now Whole Foods will suffer the reputation consequences. Maybe those consequences will be more of embarrassment (after defaming rival Wild Oats for years, he has recently made moves to buy shares) than anything, but only time (and board-of-directors decisions) will tell.

In the meantime, Mackey should probably abandon his keyboard for greener, safer, more organic pastures.

August 15, 2007