Wal-Mart Starts Image Boosting Ads

[katinmn]

Not mentioned here, but Wal-Mart also recently became an NPR underwriter.

http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=11788

US: Wal-Mart Starts Image Boosting Ads

Reuters
January 13th, 2005

Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the world's biggest retailer, launched a national advertising campaign on Thursday to burnish an image tarnished by allegations that it discriminates in hiring and promotions and drives smaller rivals out of business.

-snip-
"It has just become evident to us that it is time for us to be more aggressive in defining ourselves rather than letting others do that," Allen (senior vice president of corporate affairs).

-snip-
The company spent $500,000 to help defeat a California ballot measure requiring larger employers to pay for health care coverage for workers. But California lawmakers have said they will hold hearings to investigate allegations that Wal-Mart burdens the state with an unfair portion of the retailer's employee health-care costs.

-snip-
Bentonville, Arkansas-based Wal-Mart also faces a lawsuit, filed in 2001, accusing it of discriminating against women employees and retaliating against those who complained. In September, a job applicant sued the retailer in federal court, alleging that the company discriminates against black employees seeking work as truck drivers.

--more--

[LiberalEsto]

1. It won't stop me from boycotting them

They can send out all the fancy PR they want,

but they can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.

[Florida_Geek]

2. I think some Dems not going to Wally Mart

Is starting to show up under their bottom line.

[katinmn]

6. shares fell 20 cents, but we hope to see steeper declines

keep up the boycotts and the image-sullying!

Wal-Mart has about 3,660 stores in the United States and more than 1,500 abroad. It has annual sales of $256 billion -- about the same size as the gross domestic product of Austria.

Shares of Wal-Mart, a component of the Dow Jones industrial average, fell 20 cents to $53.88 in early trade on the New York Stock Exchange.

[NuttyFluffers]

3. if they paid me to take their goods, then maybe.

otherwise, no wal-mart.

[KurtNYC]

4. Locking workers into your buildings is just an image problem?

They will spend a fortune to try and brainwash all of us but what they really need to do is treat their employees right and...okay, about 50 other major things.

This country is like a big stumbling drunk who every time he sees a problem or the truth or feels the slightest discomfort about something that should make a person uncomfortable, the MSM pours another numbing bottle of propaganda down his throat.

[Tighthead Prop]

5. I don't go to Wal-Mart anyway...

The store is rediculous. They have everything imaginable except for what you actually need.

[geekgrrl]

7. haven't their ads been doing this for a while?

Their ads are sickening- they have had that ad of the woman who is promoted over 20 years to be in charge of the card dept. That one is directly against the lawsuit of thousands of women against walmart.

All their other ads too- about how people who work there love it, and love to shop there. About how their stores are so great for the community as they bring jobs etc...

Seriously, their TV ads are nauseating!

[rwork]

8. I think their media ads are working.

A friend of mine came by yesterday and was praising Walmart.They had a representative on Good Morning America.My friend was claiming that Walmart paid 100% health care on its employees and started people out at $7 per hr.I think at the best cases they only pay one third of employees health care and start people off here in Okla. at $5.15 per hr.

[katinmn]

9. I wonder how much they paid GMA?

[Botany]

10. I will never shop there.

I guess I will have to pass on the 10 pound bag of cost cutter "Cheese Puffs"
and the cheap pants made by Chinese who got 25 cents an hour.

LLBR

[Robert Oak]

11. couldn't possible use that $$ for the workers now could they?

They'll spend millions on public relations campaigns...

but lower the cost of benefits to workers, probably didn't even cross
their mind.

We see billions spent on propaganda campaigns by multinationals
to convince Americans how screwing them over is perfectly ok...

imagine if that money was used for wage and benefit increases.

[katinmn]

12. I agree with you

I also hate the money we as individuals give for counter-acting negative campaign ads.

We could spend that money on healthcare and education.