PR 2.0 plays by different rules.

If you haven’t heard about the Walmart Edelman PR blog debacle, read Dave Taylor’s post over at  Business Blog Consulting.

Bloggers are a strange bunch: while we will skewer you if you’re not honest and open, we are quite forgiving once you admit you screwed up.

I say hats off to Dave for holding the line. A quick apology from Edelman is not good enough.  The tone of a group is always set up the top. And like Caesar’s wife, the executives of a group like WOMMA have to be above reproach.

When one of the perceived ‘best’ makes a mistake like this - violates the basic rules of blogging and Word of Mouth Marketing and there is no repercussion - it’s a big blunder.

And there are indeed aspects that don’t ring true. Why would Rubel not be involved in a blog project for such a big client?  Who was involved?  Who will take the heat?  Anyone – or no-one?

It will be interesting to see how they handle it going forward. One comment that does ring true – their staff definitely  needs more PR 2.0 training. 

As a traditonal PR stunt this would be a great idea. And everyone would know the client and the PR agency were behind it.  But in the blogging world it doesn’t fly.  And PR agencies need to learn the difference.