Guilt By Association Doesn't Lessen The Blow
America is abuzz with the results of last week's elections, and the months leading up to November 7 were politically charged. Mud-slinging left political candidates of all persuasions in the line
of fire, and one unlikely victim also found itself spattered yet again in the media. Wal-Mart, whose reputation has been under fire for some recent missteps (see PR News, 10-30-06), was a target of
criticism by several political groups. A consultant on the corporation's payroll, Terry Nelson, is also the Republican strategist who was responsible for creating controversial ads attacking Harold
Ford, Jr., the Democratic candidate from Tennessee. Ironically, Nelson's post at Wal-Mart was to help the company bolster its image, but the relationship turned against the company when it was
criticized for the association. Nelson resigned. What's the communications lesson? Know all your paid employees' (consultant or otherwise) affiliations, as they can come back to bite you, and the
timing of such things is never good.