37. Case Study: Wal-marting Across America In 2006, a blog called Wal-Marting Across America was born. It featured the journey of Laura and Jim, a couple on a trip in an RV, capturing lives and stories as they journey across the US, and park for free at Wal-Mart Stores. Jim turned out to be a photographer for the Washington Post. Laura was a writer. The blog was funded by a fake organization created by Wal-mart's PR agency. Bloggers called them out. The media crucified them. Stories appeared in BusinessWeek, Fortune, Washington Post, Associated Press, Advertising Age, Media Daily, PR Week, Dow Jones and more. The agency behind it, Edelman, had their membership in the Word of Mouth Marketing Association placed in review. They have since started a real blog, but it took years to gain back credibility with their influencers and consumers in social media. “ Last week, Wal-Mart took a hit when bloggers on the Internet attacked the behemoth’s effort to burnish its image via its own bloggers, who were receiving compensation from the retailer for their efforts. The episode may turn out to be an even bigger public relations disaster for Edelman, the retailer’s PR firm.” [BusinessWeek, 10/17/06]