Wal-Mart's Blog Outreach Backfires

Revelations last week that a handful of bloggers had posted, sans attribution, pro-Wal-Mart opinions directly from one of the retailer’s PR firms throws a spotlight on the struggles of marketers looking to take advantage of the chaotic world of new media.

The campaign’s initial success—influencing the bloggers—suggests that even the righteously independent blogosphere is receptive to a marketer’s advances. But the resulting controversy illustrates the pitfalls awaiting those who wade into the often lawless world of citizen journalism.