The Blog DoggerTarget: Blame blogger fiasco on miscommunication

Target dissects its recent blogger relations gaffe. Plus, an acclaimed director endorsed several companies in his blog, and no one from those companies knows about it

Remember that thing that happened with Target a few weeks ago? The retailer replied to a blogger’s question with an e-mail indicating Target did not communicate with bloggers per company policy. This PR oops burbled in the blogosphere before erupting on the pages of The New York Times.

Shortly after I commented on the situation, Target spokesperson Amy von Walter e-mailed me to highlight some inaccuracies circulating among bloggers and journalists (myself included). Bloggers and reporters alike quoted Target’s response to the blogger. It said, in brief, that Target “does not participate with nontraditional media outlets. This practice is in place to allow us to focus on publications that reach our core guest.”