Gawker: valleywag, waggener edstrom

Microsoft Flacks Banned 'Forever' Over a 'Significantly Less Blue' Scoop

Ryan Tate — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:37:40 EST

Michael Arrington, the TechCrunch publisher and noted feuding diva, has "banned" Microsoft's PR firm Waggener Edstrom for a blown embargo. Forever. What huge scoop was stolen from him, by Microsoft's terrorist network?

A redesign of MSN.com to contain "significantly less blue." Arrington, who loathes embargoed tech "news" (so do we), used to make an exception for Microsoft, and sat on this one until midnight last night. But a dastardly marketing blogger spoiled his exclusive by running the story an hour early, due to some kind of WordPress error. The startup information chieftan tells us:

They came in and briefed me, took an hour. Then I rearranged my evening to write the post, took more time. the embargo broke by at least 45 minutes and they [Waggener] didn't bother to let me know.

So now Google is the last big name in tech allowed to supply Arrington with embargoed news. Until one of their orchestrated PR news releases blows up in his face, too. And so Arrington's worthwhile, if ignoble, war on Valley flacks continues.

(Pic: Arrington, by Randy Stewart)

Microsoft's cut-rate PR firm says they just cut rates on Office 2007

Alaska Miller — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 11:40:00 EDT

It's been a few months since school started, but it's never too late to spam blogs! A Microsoft flack had no shame in trying to sell the Ace Online Schools blog on old versions of Office at bargain-basement prices using a copy-and-paste come-on. What prompted the pitch? The blogger who got the pitch suspects that a post he'd written about free Web apps for students drew the attention of a rep at Waggener Edstrom, Microsoft's longtime PR firm. Heck, maybe the process is automated — for all the effort Waggener Edstrom flacks put into it, it might as well be.

Microsoft's comment on Yahoo, the 17-word version

Owen Thomas — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 17:40:00 EDT

We didn't even have to condense the latest statement Waggener Edstrom uberflack Frank Shaw sent on Yahoo chairman Roy Bostock's comments at today's shareholder meeting about Microsoft's botched negotiations to buy Yahoo: "Yahoo is attempting to rewrite history yet again with statements that are not supported by the facts.” The three-word version: "So's your mom."

Microsoft's "Jackass" non-denial

Jordan Golson — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 17:40:52 EDT

In response to the rumor that Jackass star Johnny Knoxville is the new Microsoft pitchman, a company spokesperson emails: "Microsoft is planning a consumer advertising campaign with Crispin Porter & Bogusky. We have no other details to share at this time."

Waggener Edstrom Worldwide, Microsoft's PR firm, is surely earning their millions with that non-denial. If I were a betting man — and I am — I'd say the rumor of Knoxville's involvement is completely accurate.

Microsoft PR guy on Stevenote: Meh.

Nicholas Carlson — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 14:40:53 EST

Frank Shaw runs Microsoft PR at Waggener Edstrom. And he's got some fighting words in reaction to Apple CEO Steve Jobs's Macworld keynote. "The event and news today made me wonder if the Apple PR model of hold and surprise was wearing thin," Shaw wrote on his blog. Oh no he didn't? Oh yes he did.

Shaw writes that Apple's "concept of holding news, building expectations and then unveiling a massive surprise" usually works — certainly it did with the iPhone —but "this recent Macworld? Not so much."

He complains that:

"Upon further review" frenzied fans will disdain the MacBook Air
The Apple TV update was "lipstick on a pig."
That the "closed, underpowered" MacBook Air will be a market failure.

He concludes:

There is little room for events like today in that world. Apple stepped to the plate today, IMHO, and hit ... .a single. The company won't be up to bat again for a while ... .if you are only up a few times a year, you better hit some home runs.

Like Microsoft did with the Bluetooth Notebook Mouse 5000, Frankie?