PR Watch, Third Quarter 2001, Volume 8, No. 3

Download PR Watch, Third Quarter 2001, Volume 8, No. 3

Flack Attack

To understand the evolution of corporate strategies
for defeating environmentalism, it helps to look at the career of E. Bruce
Harrison, known today as the inventor of "environmental public relations."
Harrison's career began when he helped the pesticide industry attack Rachel
Carson and her classic 1962 environmental book, Silent Spring. By
the 1970s, however, Harrison realized that attacking environmentalists had
its downside, and he began advising his clients in the art of corporate
camouflage--a strategy that environmental groups have labeled "greenwashing."

align="BOTTOM">The greenwashing strategy emerged at the same
time that the environmental movement was undergoing an internal transformation.

Keep America Beautiful: Grassroots Non-Profit or Tobacco Front Group?

by Walter Lamb

Keep America Beautiful (KAB) is the best-known
litter awareness group in the United States, thanks largely to its 1971
"crying Indian" public service announcement. KAB's stated mission is to
"empower individuals to take greater responsibility for enhancing their
local community environment." Yet KAB has shown a singular disinterest
in empowering these communities to address the growing problem of cigarette
litter, the most prolific form of litter in the world.

align="BOTTOM">Recently uncovered tobacco industry documents
help explain this seeming paradox.

Corporations "Get Engaged" to the Environmental Movement

by Andy Rowell

Senior members of the United Kingdom's environmental
community courted some of the world's most ecologically controversial
companies at a seminar in late June 2001 held at the London Chamber of
Commerce.

align="BOTTOM">Companies such as Balfour Beatty, Cargill,
Du Pont, Monsanto, Nirex and Syngenta attended the conference about "Getting
Engaged" to the environmental movement. They heard talks from Peter Melchett,
the former head of Greenpeace UK and now policy advisor to the pro-organic
Soil Association, as well as top representatives from green groups including
Friends of the Earth (FoE) and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).

Endangered Wildlife Friends Are Here!

by John Stauber

I recently stopped at a BP/Amoco gas station near the office of PR Watch. The gas pumps were gaily adorned with colorful posters featuring stuffed toy timber wolves, golden frogs, elephants, spotted leopards and panda bears. "Endangered wildlife friends are here!" the poster proclaimed. "Collect All 5--Only $2.99." The posters carried the logo of Amoco at the top.

Correction: Burson-Marsteller and the Global Climate Coalition

by Sheldon Rampton and John Stauber

Nearly four years ago, a report
on global warming
in the Fourth Quarter 1997 issue of PR Watch
stated that the Burson-Marsteller PR firm created the Global Climate
Coalition to help the oil and auto industries downplay the dangers of
global warming. We based this statement on a source which we regarded
as reliable. Burson-Marsteller made no attempt to deny this claim until
July 2001. Following a recent denial from Burson-Marsteller, however,
we have undertaken a thorough review of our files and have spoken with
several sources, none of whom can substantiate this claim.

PR Week Offers Free Advice to Philip Morris

The Philip Morris tobacco company was recently forced to apologize for its role in commissioning a report which claimed that the Czech Republic benefits economically from the premature deaths of smokers. Ever eager to help an old friend, the August 6 issue of PR Week asked PR experts, "How can Philip Morris regain PR ground following the publication of the Czech report?" Advice from the pros included:
  • "More advertisements praising the philanthropic activities of its Kraft and Miller subsidiaries would be wise."

  • "The best thing for it to do is minimize its public profile."

  • "Partner itself with a consumer watchdog group."

  • "Fire all of those involved in commissioning these studies, and obtain confidentiality statements from each of them."

  • "Resist interview requests; any interviews on this will be no-win situations."