Saturday, October 13, 2012

Mr Harrington, the Edelman boss, needs to improve his PR

Updated: PR firm's study QUESTIONED [The Mole, 15-10-2012]



Edelman PReaching local media how to do the job?
“The principal issue where trust (towards the local media) is lacking is when there’s a presumption that there’s an untold story, and that it isn’t being shared fully, thus causing readers to be more cynical.” - Matthew Harrington, Edelman global CEO 
This Mat Saleh PReacher needs to talk to his local pr boys and girls to get a better picture of the local media scene. Seriously. A public relations man trying to tell journalists and editors what trust is about?

Untold story? Do not get me started, Mr Harrington. We know Edelman is BIG in Malaysia, that you guys get a lot of government jobs, especially with PEMANDU. In fact, Edelman has become almost a monopoly where government-related agencies are concerned.

And yet, the level of distrust in the Malaysian Government (according to your barometer) remains high. How is that, Mr Harringto?
According to the 2012 Edelman Trust Barometer for Malaysia, Malaysians placed a high level of trust in NGOs and business, with 58% of the general population trusting both institutions to do “what is right.”
This compares with the public trust in Government (52%) and media (46%), providing business and NGOs a license to lead the agenda to build increased trust and deeper relationships with the Malaysian public.
Not much difference is there!? Public trust in Government (52 per cent) and media (46 per cent). How does Mr Harrington propose to improve public trust in Government? Increase next year's budget for Edelman, perhaps? Give ALL government PR works to Edelman?

Why am I worked up? Journalists and pr dudes have a special bond in Malaysia, we deal with each other a great deal on a daily basis. We teach and guide our pr friends on how to get their messages into our pages and air time. We both know that if a piece of news is too p.r.-ish, readers will not trust us (the media0.

Mmmm. Maybe that is what's happening: too much PR in government and media. Too much Edelman.

p.s. NOTE TO EDITORS: I suspect that if you guys should stop sending your reporters to cover events organised by Edelman, the barometer of trust in you guys will suddenly and mysteriously improve in Harrington's report next year. Try it.

Read the StarBiz's interview with Harrington, published today, here.
The news on the barometer in NST in January NGOs, businesses most trusted institutions in Malaysia, survey says

32 comments:

  1. Anonymous1:04 pm

    This is same Edelman that did botched PR work for Felda? Aiyooh ....

    ReplyDelete
  2. Muahaha . . . Good one Rocky. If i am opposition, all i nred to do to smell issue is to see where is Edelman is.

    Had an experiance of Edelman ppl dont know the subject they are representing.

    Nasib kita tahu subject. Tanya2 saja nak test.

    Bangang rupanya Edelman.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous1:50 pm

    kah..kah..kah...

    A vote for Najib is a Vote for Soros !!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous1:59 pm

    Edelman got a lot of projects, works and enormous jobs from the BN gomen, yet this drunk mat salih said that the level of distrust among Malaysians towards BN gomen still high?!

    In other words, BN gomen can't be trusted? but this arrogant mat salih still want to do business with BN gomen?!

    Did this otak udang mat salih thought malaysians are that stupid?!


    Macam anjing kuraplah ini mat salih..sudah bagi makan, digigit pula tangan tuan yang bagi makan!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous2:25 pm

    How to trust local media? Too many stories past , most turn out to be lies and spins.

    Better, the local media become political newspapers to sell to their members than to the public.

    Who the shit wants to read tons of political news everyday in all the major local dailies?

    Even the local TVs programmes are all full of politics and not really newsworthy.

    Better read real news on the Internet where at least there is 50% true news than pure bullshit.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous3:20 pm

    Rocky,

    Tak Payah nak dengki dengan orang yang lebih mahir dari Anda...

    Hidup Anda terjejas kerana dengki masa bekerja dengan NST. Sekarang Anda masih belum belajar!!!


    Journalist Lama

    ReplyDelete
  7. Mustang4:16 pm

    what a joke.

    We know edelman boys and girls (local ops) -- dont know how to do their job..

    ask mainstream media boys and girls..

    WTF is this guy talking about -- PR some more...HAH talk is cheap!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Anon 2.25pm,

    If you're saying public distrust in the Internet is 50%, that's about the same as Edelman's findings. And you didn't even have to conduct a survey! Hehe.

    Dear Journalist Lama,

    Still hiding behind "Anon" after sekian "lama"? Kesian ...

    Mustang,

    The old Edelman - the 80s Edelman - weren't as bad. The new people are very raw. Mr Harrington should seriously look at improving the quality of his people here.

    ReplyDelete
  9. iskandar5:16 pm

    journalist lama,

    terang2 kamu bercakap nonsense.
    kamu tulis: "Tak Payah nak dengki dengan orang yang lebih mahir dari Anda...

    Hidup Anda terjejas kerana dengki masa bekerja dengan NST. Sekarang Anda masih belum belajar!!!"

    Begini lah, tolol.

    Ini bukan bab "dengki". Maksud kamu Rocky sekarang dengki dengan Edelman? Betul ke kamu ni journalist? Buat malu nama wartawan jer. Bodoh sangat kamu ni.

    Hidup Rocky terjejas di NSt kerana dengki? Kenyataan bodoh apa ni?

    NST masa di NSt, kalau kamu yang bodoh ni nak tahu -- sebab dia tidak dengar cakap seseorang machai palat yang masa itu boss NSTP. Rocky ni mana nak dengar arahan bodoh? (Orang ni sekarang pun dah bersekongkol dengan DAP di penang)..
    Oleh itu, kalau journalis lama yang bodoh ni nak tahu, si machai palat ni pun nak "remove" Rocky.

    You see, moron - this machai plat actually created a monster because Rocky became a blogger to be reckoned with started this phenomenal blogger era and got "people" together and began a movement.

    who was haris ibrahim? who was malik imtiaz? who was Elizabeth Wong? What was suaram? what was CIJ?

    Even Jeff Ooi?

    They all came to him.

    Kamu yang dengki.

    So, journalis lama -- jangan lah nak merapu. Moron.


    ReplyDelete
  10. Anonymous5:17 pm

    Newspapers cannot be controlled by political parties. They are there to cover up government scandals and promote their parties. Good example are Star, NST and Utusan. What Edelman said is right. The people don't trust the mainstream newspapers anymore. We read news from the Internet.

    ReplyDelete
  11. mustang5:17 pm

    `rocky,

    you r right...they were real pro's then.

    they don't make 'em like they used to.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Anonymous6:23 pm

    wow white man spin,

    hhmmm, after merdeka Malaysia progresses MUCH FASTER governed by the locals

    these white rajah command high pay only to relax one corner and spin once in a while

    ReplyDelete
  13. Anonymous6:44 pm

    Mr Harrington,by keeping quiet demostrate your capability in the PR arena. Stop conning and go back to your own country

    ReplyDelete
  14. Datuk,

    I hv really bad experience with the KL Edelman people.

    I find them to be a bunch of very unprofessional PR ppl and they hv very little knowledge of their client or subject matter. I saw the first press release for a new GLC client they did. It

    It was appalling!

    Another time, I was in a briefing by Edelman for a GLC. Apparently, I knew more about the subject matter than the Edelman boss!

    Whats the point having a PR co when they hardly do any homework on their client or the subject matter?

    BTW, I was told when they were first appointed for the FGVH listing project, the first thing they asked "Whats the difference between FELDA and FELDA Global Ventures?"!

    How's that!

    Cant even do basic homework before meeting the client!

    ReplyDelete
  15. D Barton1:20 am

    The 2102 Edelman Trust Barometer study findings showed that the general Malaysian public doesn't trust the Malaysian media or the Govt. Of course not all, but the percentages provided speak for themselves. Fact is fact. Therefore the Govt and the media have some work to do to build trust. That's what Mr Harrington was explaining. Simple.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Anonymous3:10 am

    Mr Harrington orang putih from

    Bush white country or
    Blair white country?

    His leaders trusted and relied 100% information from their Intelligence network to enable them to attack oil/mineral rich countries!

    Mat salleh ni dah sasau!

    KELOLO

    ReplyDelete
  17. Anonymous9:11 am

    This mat salleh from the land of the orang putihs know that Rocky and his counterparts and gang at ST's,MM,Utusan,Star and Thambi are all cronies of Umno/BN,and therefore write one sided stories and fantasies.He was refering to Rocky and gang.You have anything to say about and deny this.Hehehe,makan chabai mesti tahu panas kan.

    ReplyDelete
  18. trifling-jester10:28 am

    rocky youre right. this dude is talking rubbish. malaysians are fully behind the local media. especially your papers. just ignore this fella lah, u know the whole of malaysia loves u

    ReplyDelete
  19. Anonymous10:54 am

    ROCKY!
    YOU ARE WAAAAY TOO POLITE -- TELL THEM TO FUCK OFF -- THERE, I HAVE SAID IT FOR YOU!

    Old PR Practitioner

    ReplyDelete
  20. Thanks trifling-jester, I love the whole of Malaysia too. But sorry, I don't have newspapers in my stable.

    You'd be dumber thank I thought if you think I was daft to fantasize that Malaysians fully trust the local media (btw, the PReacher didn't preach to the "papers"; he was running down the local "media"). What I find offensive is:

    1. He is global CEO of Edelman and has vested interest. Edelman Malaysia rakes in big money from our companies and people like me, unfortunately, we know of the "quality" of their shoddy PReaching. Obviously, someone in government has been "recommending" that Pemandu-linked companies use Edelman. Perhaps you were not around before March 2008 when another someone in government was "recommending" big corporations use Fox Communcations for PR ..

    2. It is bad PR on Harrington's part to try and explain public distrust in anything - especially the media - in a couple of paragraphs. If we are talking about:

    a) the MSM, that distrust stems from various factors - from the quality of editors and journalists that we have to the limitations posed by the various media acts. Harian Metro as a circulation of nearly half a million (a day!) while the Malay Mail is still struggling to get decent numbers - if circulation is a measure of trust and distrust, these two will tell totally different stories. Let's not even go to TV ...

    b) Distrust in media under the control of the Opposition is due to a different set of factors.

    c) Distrust in the Internet is due to a lot of factors, not least is the fact that even a crook can start a blog and a rapist or pedo could be stalking your kids on the intenet. The Anons and nicks on my blog, too, we don't know them. Triffle-Jester knows who he/she is, but does anyone else? We have seen RPK swing from one side to another, you have seen bloggers become politicians, you have seen me do my utmost to bring down a PM and then defend the next PM, and both are from the same parties..

    I doubt Harrington knows any of this well enough.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Anonymous11:30 am

    Rocky,

    Please conduct a poll with local PR and media. I would like to actually see the context of the actual report. Do u have copy or where can I get one?

    You made the barometer sound like a baruahmeter. He he

    ReplyDelete
  22. Anonymous1:30 pm

    Edelman is just another whitearsed sons of bitches outfit trying to be preachy when its still well-ensconced in its holier than thou civilising mission. Humbugs!

    The cuntworms probably did a desultory survey with no proper methodology and pass off its questionable data as gospel.Of course "Malaysians" probably refer to yellowskinned, uncircumcised, smegma-coated filthy prepuced, porkchomping, whorepiss drinking Chingpigs who will say the Khoo kongsi is more trustworthy than all excepting the Holy Godfuckers Evangelical Church cum whorejoint down the road! Any surprises there.

    And nedia prbably suffers not because of its sharing or coverage but by the existence of Chingkpig and foreign funded rumplickers and buttfucking outfits with queer names like Mei's Cuntitch (MC), Masturbating Kelingkoteh (MK) or Masturbating Incubus (MI) or Fuck Momma's Tits (FMT)...get my drift

    Warrior 231

    ReplyDelete
  23. Anon 1130am,

    This link might help?
    http://trust.edelman.com/slides/2012-trust-barometer-media-coverage/

    ReplyDelete
  24. Dear Warrior,

    Yes, Malaysiakini has been way too pro-Anwar/Pakatan post March 2008. It didn't use to be this overboard. I can only conclude that Soros isn't as overwhelming as Anwar Ibrahim as a factor in swaying Kini's editorial slants.

    FMT still has not come clean with the fact that it is Soh Chee Wen's baby. Soh, for the uninitiated, is Anwar's buddy from way back when he was in the government.

    TMI was set up to prop up Pak Lah's waning popularity. It has taken on a totally different path now but the people behind it, I am quite sure, are the same ones.

    Malaysian Chronicles is the worst of them all. One-woman show and,et , what a woman. One commenter says it is up for sale to the highest bidder.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Jasper Bloodstone4:04 pm

    Bru

    Edelman didn't get to be one of the biggest PR companies in the world (the stats are available for those who care to look them up) by being half-assed, sloppy or incompetent in their work.

    Ditto for their management.

    If Edelman did manage to secure a major share of the Malaysian government's PR budget, then the procurement process should be scrutinised.

    Were the government's PR projects put up for open tender and were all bids evaluated by technically competent people in compliance with financial guidelines, procedures and budgets?

    Which are the other PR companies, local and international, that have secured government projects and business?

    Is there a "revolving door" between retired civil servants and these PR companies? Who supervises this to make sure that it is clean, transparent and aboveboard?

    "Mat Sallehs" can be a convenient target for wannabe deniers who steadfastly believe that everything is fine and hunky dory in Malaysia and that foreigners are out to do us all in (neo colonialism, anyone?). And that Mat Sallehs have no business and locus standi to say that the emperor isn't wearing any clothes!

    ReplyDelete
  26. Anonymous6:41 pm

    Aha...money laundering pig boy trying to act clever

    ReplyDelete
  27. Anonymous7:56 pm

    A few points

    1) The sample size was 200 participants in Malaysia 18+ which makes it meaningless.
    2) However Malaysia seems to be trending in much the same way as the rest of the world.
    3) if Edelman does indeed get lots of government jobs and yet Malaysians have more faith in NGOs than the Government, why is Edelman still getting work from the Government?
    4) Rocky, why the reference to the man's skin colour? Was that necessary?

    ReplyDelete
  28. Anonymous11:03 am

    Dear Rocky,

    I think Edelman should conduct a “Trust Edelman?” barometer – see how much trust its clients have for the firm.

    I, for one, and I know xxx xxx of xxx xxx, will feedback with zero trust!

    Ex-Edelman Client

    ReplyDelete
  29. Dear Brandconsultantasia,

    Thanks for the details.

    And the MatSaleh reference? Mr Harrington has made "white" sound derogatory, hasn't he? Hehe. No worries, I know many great and smart Mat Salehs, other than you, that is!

    ReplyDelete
  30. ursula5:42 pm

    Bro, isn't MRT one of Edelman's clients?

    amboi -- pandai dapatkan clients among the GLCs...

    Pemandu, MRT....what else??

    ReplyDelete
  31. Anonymous12:32 pm

    no wonder mrt project pr go HANCUS

    ReplyDelete
  32. Anonymous6:24 pm

    Why in first place BN Government hire this Mat Saleh to do PR works for our Government...isnt it insulting our local PR expert..padan muka lah BN Government...dah tak percaya kp# keupayaaan rakyat tempatan...dulu PM cakap...glokal lah...global lah...dah lupa kah janji manis ni...? Oh yaaaa...orang Me Layu....lupalah.

    ReplyDelete