Edelman May Be Out of WOMMA

Edelman is on 90-day probation with the Word of Mouth Marketing Association for failure to adhere to the WOMMA code of ethics.

The public relations firm has acknowledged it is behind a series of flogs, or fake blogs, for Wal-Mart. These flogs are Wal-Marting Across America, Paid Critics and Working Families for Wal-Mart.

Edelman appears to be violating their own Ethical Approach to Business as stated on their website:

Principles:
* Edelman is committed to honesty.
* Edelman is committed to transparency.
* Edelman is committed to fair dealing.
* Edelman will ensure activity aligns with the interests of its employees,
clients and critical stakeholders.
* Edelman will strive to model best practice in the marketplace.
* Employees will not violate legal obligations or prohibitions where
Edelman does business.

If you wish, you may download Edelman's 25-page Code of Conduct that:

. . . provides a uniform understanding, informed by our Values, as to what is expected of Edelman employees and embodies our commitment to excellent counsel and service to all stakeholders.

While bloggers are disclosing their relationships and posting their blogging ethics , Edelman, the only independent global public relations firm, continues to be guilty of the most rampant case of non-disclosure on behalf of their clients.

If you would like to read more about this debacle, please visit MediaPost for the full story. If you wish to tell Edelman what you think, you should email them at contact_us@edelman.com

Tags: fake blogs, flogs, Edelman flogs, nondisclosure ethics violation, identity obscured by hype