What Happens When Your Influencers Refuse to Use Their Own Names

Marshall Manson is the CEO of Fleishman Hillard and a communications strategist with deep experience in both brand marketing and corporate reputation. In 2006, while working at Edelman, he played a central role in the infamous "Walmarting Across America" campaign, an early and much criticised attempt at influencer marketing that quickly unravelled due to a lack of transparency. Marshall joins us to reflect openly on what went wrong, what he learned, and why the lessons from that experience still matter today. 

The 2006 "Walmarting Across America" PR scandal offers valuable lessons about transparency and ethics that remain relevant in today's influencer marketing landscape. This storytelling deep-dive reveals how a promising campaign featuring anonymous bloggers in Walmart-branded RVs unraveled when they refused to identify themselves to a journalist, leading to front-page coverage in major newspapers.

• Campaign concept: Bloggers would travel in Walmart-branded RVs, staying in store parking lots and documenting their experiences
• Critical mistake: Allowing bloggers to remain anonymous despite red flags
• Campaign built momentum that made it difficult to cancel despite ethical concerns
• Media coverage quickly turned from positive to highly critical
• Leadership response from Richard Edelman emphasized learning from mistakes rather than scapegoating
• Importance of transparency in sponsored content remains a crucial lesson for modern influencer campaigns
• Setting high ethical standards when operating in uncharted territory

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