Drilled S3, Ep 4: Oil Slick, Part 1—The Rise of the Corporate Persona
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Feb 4, 2020 Herb Schmertz, Mobil Oil's PR guru, revolutionized media manipulation, humanizing oil companies through 'corporate persona', and fighting for First Amendment rights for corporations. Explore the impact of advertorials, issue advertising, and shaping corporate image in the oil industry.
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Schmertz's Unconventional Path to PR
- Herb Schmertz, unlike other PR figures, began as a lawyer specializing in labor law.
- His background included military counterintelligence and work on JFK's campaign, focusing on labor and ethnic communities.
Humanizing Mobile Oil
- Mobile's CEO, Raleigh Warner, aimed to increase the company's visibility.
- Schmertz proposed "humanizing" Mobile by creating a corporate persona with distinct viewpoints to share.
The Birth of Issue Advertising
- Schmertz pioneered "issue advertising," focusing on topics instead of products.
- This is evident in modern oil company ads that emphasize climate solutions rather than gasoline.