Last Thursday, MSNBC host Rachel Maddow hauled PR giant Burson-Marsteller over the coals for working for “creepy” clients, like defense contractor Blackwater.
Mark Penn, the CEO of Burson-Marsteller, then sent a memo to his employees defending the firm and rebutting one part of Maddow’s commentary.
“Her commentary also significantly mischaracterized the nature of the firm's past—for example, we never took a dime from Blackwater,” Penn said in the memo, which was leaked to PR Week.
Penn was asking for it—and Maddow gave it to him.
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Comments (6)
I worked for Burson - that firm always had creepy clients - from shooting wolves out of helicopters, to tobacco companies to the oil spill. Evildoers. I quit after six months.
Posted by Catlipz | March 11, 2009 5:52 PM
Posted on March 11, 2009 17:52
@Anonymous 12:37
Karma, too. Can't say I have a problem with it.
Posted by Anonymous 8:25 | March 11, 2009 1:07 PM
Posted on March 11, 2009 13:07
What Anonymous said may have a ring of truth to it, but is too conspiratorial for me. While a case can be made for accepting troubled clients, let's remember Mark Penn's recent track record. His repeated miscalculations in Hillary's presidential bid helped derail what appeared to be a sure winner. He not only underestimated the opposition, he belittled it and refused to recognize it. That should call his judgment into question, not only in the Clinton campaign, but in other work, as well. Good PR begins with good judgment.
Posted by Jim | March 11, 2009 12:53 PM
Posted on March 11, 2009 12:53
Payback? Sounds more like karma to me.
Posted by anonymous | March 11, 2009 12:37 PM
Posted on March 11, 2009 12:37
Here's a little inside baseball for those who don't work in political PR. This whole thing is payback. Mark Penn was Hillary's man. Through his work on the campaign, he alienated the Obama Camp, at times severely. Now Obama is in power and Rachel and her network are a willing tool. With Hillary neatly squared away at State, under the thumb of the president, it's time to settle some scores. These stories don't happen by accident and Rachel, of all people knows this. B-M used to be a darling of the Dems and will be again. If everything was the same, except the president were Clinton instead of Obama, do you think MSNBC would do a hit piece on Mark Penn? No. They could have launched this story any way they chose, but AIG was a convenient choice.
Posted by Anonymous | March 11, 2009 8:25 AM
Posted on March 11, 2009 08:25
Harold Burson must be rolling over in his bed.
Posted by TJ | March 11, 2009 8:06 AM
Posted on March 11, 2009 08:06