Wal-Mart's Ad Campaign...what do you think?

[Catty1]

From me: Also see: http://wakeupwalmart.com/ http://walmartwatch.com/ (groups mentioned in article below)
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Wal-Mart launches defensive campaign

MARCUS KABEL

Associated Press

POSTED AT 3:16 PM Sunday, January 07

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. will run national television ads starting Monday praising its record as an employer and corporate citizen, taking its arguments straight to the public in an ongoing battle over its reputation with unions and other critics.

The world's largest retailer, increasingly a lightning rod for politicians as well as labour unions and other activists, cites the legacy of late founder Sam Walton in a folksy 60-second ad. A 30-second ad focuses on Wal-Mart's health insurance plans for its more than 1.3 million U.S. employees.

“It all began with a big dream in a small town, Sam Walton's dream,” a narrator says as one ad starts with a black-and-white photo of Sam Walton and a grainy shot of Walton's first five-and-dime store in what is now the chain's headquarters town of Bentonville, Ark.

“Sam's dream. Your neighbourhood Wal-Mart,” the ad ends.

Both ads recite key points Wal-Mart has been making to reporters for months about its record, but the ads now take the arguments straight to the public.

The nation's largest private employer says it creates tens of thousands of jobs a year, offers employee health plans for as little as $23 (U.S.) a month, saves “the average working family” more than $2,300 a year through its low prices and is a major contributor to local charities with donations last year totalling more than $245-million.

In a news release about the ads, Wal-Mart said a survey of its employees nationwide last summer found 88 per cent believe the company is a good corporate citizen and 81 per cent would recommend a Wal-Mart job to a friend.

Company spokesman David Tovar declined to say how much Wal-Mart is spending on the ads, which were tested last summer in Tucson, Ariz., and Omaha, Neb. They will run for an as-yet undetermined period on national broadcast and cable networks as well as in a “couple of dozen” individual markets, Mr. Tovar said.

Steven Silvers, a corporate reputation management expert with Denver-based consultancy GBSM Inc., said it was strategically smart of Wal-Mart to take its case directly to the public to counter mounting attacks.

“If they're targeted, they have to get their message out there,” Mr. Silvers said. “It's because they have become political fodder. They have to frame the discussion.”

Wal-Mart was the focus of two high-profile but unsuccessful efforts last year to legislate how it treats employees.

Maryland's Legislature passed a union-backed law that would have forced Wal-Mart to spend a fixed percentage of payroll on employee health insurance. That law was overturned by a federal court. Chicago's City Council passed an ordinance mandating higher wages at big-box retailers, but it was vetoed by Mayor Richard Daley.

Union-funded campaign groups have also recruited national Democratic figures to back their calls for higher wages and better health care at Wal-Mart, including potential 2008 presidential contender Senator Barack Obama of Illinois and declared 2008 candidate John Edwards.

WakeUpWalMart.com, a union-funded campaign group, said the ad campaign proves Wal-Mart is seeing damage to its bottom line from a worsening reputation. The retailer had its worst holiday sales season in years, WakeUpWalMart.com spokesman Chris Kofinis said.

“Wal-Mart is living in a bizarre state of denial, where no matter how bad their public reputation is, they still believe that a tired ad campaign can fool the American public into believing it is OK to exploit millions of working families,” Mr. Kofinis said.

WakeUpWalMart.com and another union-backed group, Wal-Mart Watch, claim Wal-Mart pays poverty wages, runs small businesses out of town and pushes employees onto tax-funded public health care. Wal-Mart denies those allegations.

The union groups have repeatedly run newspaper and television ads.

Wal-Mart said its ads are part of a continuing effort to show it is good for its employees and customers.

“This campaign is part of a long-term effort to inform the public about the company's positive impact on communities, including some of our core values like affordable health care, customer savings and charitable contributions,” Mr. Tovar said.

[columbine]

The fact that A) they have to do this and B) they can afford to says it all. The parents who need to work multiple jobs and get their families' healthcare via public assistance paid for this ad campaign.

Click here to see exactly what I think. (There are no swear words.)

Love, Columbine

[Lady's Human]

WakeUpWalMart.com, a union-funded campaign group, said the ad campaign proves Wal-Mart is seeing damage to its bottom line from a worsening reputation. The retailer had its worst holiday sales season in years, WakeUpWalMart.com spokesman Chris Kofinis said.

So did almost every other retailer in the US.

I know people who work for Wal Mart. They have no complaints with their jobs or their salaries/benefits. Compared to other retailers they are at least on par.

The truckers who drive for Wal Mart in many cases leave union jobs to work for them.

Wal Mart isn't perfect, but then again, no other company is, either.

[BC_MoM]

I was employed at Wal-mart for just over 3 months and they were just amazing. I never had any beef with them. They were a great company to work for.

I have nothing negative to say about them except that they need more cashiers!! *LOL*

[borzoimom]

So did almost every other retailer in the US.

I know people who work for Wal Mart. They have no complaints with their jobs or their salaries/benefits. Compared to other retailers they are at least on par.

The truckers who drive for Wal Mart in many cases leave union jobs to work for them.

Wal Mart isn't perfect, but then again, no other company is, either.

I agree- here people fight over these jobs to work at our super walmart.
I am reserving comments on any union organization. Many of what they stand for, are already into federal laws, and basically- take peoples money..( and yes- that was a reserved comment..)
Prior to Wal-mart coming here, we all had to drive 35 miles for any shopping at all- paid alot money for it ( nevermind the gas to get into town), and even the other grocery store that we did have, hi jacked prices awfully high. The competition of Wal-mart put things on a more even scale. We do our shopping there every week- never a complaint- with a wonderful staff, and all appear very happy. Where else can you get moderately paying job with little if any job skills prior..

[catnapper]

I know several people who work for Walmart in several different stores and all of them are very happy with their work, pay, and benefits. They get the same thing from Walmart as they would the local supermarket, pet store, clothing store, etc. Retail typically pays low. Its just people see how big Walmart is and they feel the need to target them.

[BC_MoM]

Minimum wage here is $7.65 and hour.
I had no experience working before, and my starting wage was $8.45 an hour.

[Pembroke_Corgi]

Wal-mart actually closed it's doors rather than risk having unionized employees. What a great dream Sam had.

I think it's time they were responsible and raised wages, weren't allowed to make so many workers "temp" in an effort to save themselves of getting their employees health insurance.

They are the biggest- they influence ALL retailers. Other big businesses get away with throwing peanuts to their employees, too, because of the example that Walmart is setting. Small businesses certainly can't compete with their prices. I wouldn't mind paying more to know that people were earning a decent living.

[Pembroke_Corgi]

Minimum wage here is $7.65 and hour.
I had no experience working before, and my starting wage was $8.45 an hour.

Minimum wage in this country is still $5.15/hr (not in every state though, it was recently raised to $6.85 in CO). I don't know if Walmart pays that or not (I don't think they pay that low) but families cannot survive on that. Period.

[Cataholic]

Minimum wage in this country is still $5.15/hr (not in every state though, it was recently raised to $6.85 in CO). I don't know if Walmart pays that or not (I don't think they pay that low) but families cannot survive on that. Period.

I heard this comment the other day on talk radio that made me pause. I am paraphrasing. "Minimum wage is not SUPPOSED to support families. It is a low end, entry level job rated amount of money. "

The speaker was trying to emphasize that one should go to school, complete an education, maybe live with a roommate, live at home, 'scimp' or save, THEN search for a better paying job, THEN take on debt. THEN start a family.

I had never looked at it from that perspective before.

On a side note, IMO, in general, we have grown past the purpose of unionizing.

{runs off to corner to await the fallout from that last comment}

[Logan]

Cataholic, you are not alone in your thinking about unions. If I were a business owner and had to face a union coming into my business vs closing the doors, I think I'd close the doors, too. I've been too close to the manufacturing business, too much of my life, to think otherwise.

[Pembroke_Corgi]

I heard this comment the other day on talk radio that made me pause. I am paraphrasing. "Minimum wage is not SUPPOSED to support families. It is a low end, entry level job rated amount of money. "

The speaker was trying to emphasize that one should go to school, complete an education, maybe live with a roommate, live at home, 'scimp' or save, THEN search for a better paying job, THEN take on debt. THEN start a family.

I had never looked at it from that perspective before.

I wish that everyone had the opportunity to go to college, but that won't happen. Even if you DO all of the above things, it's still hard to make it. My husband and I are both college graduates and it was tough to get jobs after college. In fact, my first job with benefits out of college was working as a janitor. We had to move 800 miles away to find a decent living, which didn't come cheap.

I didn't have the option of waiting to take on debt, either, as my parent's didn't help me pay for college. I went to a state school, finished in four years, and even had a partial scholarship, but still if I think about how much money I owe it makes me sick. And I'm getting a master's degree because a BA in psychology just doesn't cut it so I have to take on more debt.

I think that idea that people can wait till they start a family to take on debt is outdated- college is just too expensive. It's hard to support yourself, even with student loans and a college student budget, on near minimum wage.

[Cataholic]

I wish that everyone had the opportunity to go to college, but that won't happen. Even if you DO all of the above things, it's still hard to make it. My husband and I are both college graduates and it was tough to get jobs after college. In fact, my first job with benefits out of college was working as a janitor. We had to move 800 miles away to find a decent living, which didn't come cheap.

I didn't have the option of waiting to take on debt, either, as my parent's didn't help me pay for college. I went to a state school, finished in four years, and even had a partial scholarship, but still if I think about how much money I owe it makes me sick. And I'm getting a master's degree because a BA in psychology just doesn't cut it so I have to take on more debt.

I think that idea that people can wait till they start a family to take on debt is outdated- college is just too expensive. It's hard to support yourself, even with student loans and a college student budget, on near minimum wage.

After reading your post, I realized I may have come off sounding elitist. I didn't mean to. For clarification, I want to re-iterate that I heard this thought process on talk radio, and it wasn't something I had considered before. However, it did sit well with me.

I did go to college, largely paid for by my parents. However, I still had about 8 grand in debt when I left. I have since paid that part off. I next incurred a significant amount of debt (think debt equal to some people's mortgage payment debt) when I went to law school. I am still paying on that, and I have been out of school 8 years. I don't roll in the cash, by anyone's definition.

I never lost sight that a college education would pay off for me. I think it has, though prolly not as much as a legal education. I don't have somethings that others have- lush home, fancy car, exotic vacation, etc. (lordie, does that even have anything to do with this? LOL). But, college was, and, IMO, still is an opportunity to most everyone.

A minimum wage job, for me, was a humble starting point, for financial, as well as emotional reasons.

Whether Wal-Mart is good or not, I can't say.

[Lady's Human]

Not all unions are pointless. Some are, some aren't.

The Teamsters union is a prime example of one I believe whose time has passed.

They still use hardball tactics (intimidation, threats, etc) to try to unionize companies when employees are perfectly happy without union representation.

They also push for contractual items that would bankrupt companies. Case in point, St Johnsbury trucking. The owner told the union he was doing all he could just to keep people on the job, and couldn't pay any more. He also told the union that if they persisted with the contract they were pushing and went on strike, he would close the doors. That is exactly what happened, so instead of having people working for what the teamsters thought were substandard wages, they had people in the unemployment line.

One case of a union that is still needed? The US Post office. The supervision and management is inept, and that's being kind. Contrary to what BM wrote, the USPS DOES award jobs by skill. They are awarded in most cases by senior qualified, not just seniority. Having had to go to the union more than once to correct inept supervision, I shudder to think what the work environment would be like without the union.

[borzoimom]

I disagree agree totally about the post office unions. Totally- ..