"Robinson, Lerer & Montgomery: Corporate Bad News Spies"

Jim Edwards, who is a brilliant healthcare and marketing journalist, just wrote this very interesting blog post on BrandWeekNRX. Based on his last comment, it appears as if he's written one too many stories Pfizer doesn't like . . . after all, he's a nice guy, so why wouldn't Pfizer's PR people talk to him?

Robinson, Lerer & Montgomery: Corporate Bad News Spies

Peter Rost has written an interesting post which mentions that his blog is read every day by a pr firm called Robinson, Lerer & Montgomery, which, he claims, works for Pfizer. Rost and Pfizer are locked in a legal-and-PR deathmatch stemming from this.

I wouldn't normally mention this as it's not drug marketing related, but the name of the PR firm rings a bell with me. So I went back through my collection of business cards and pulled out an RLM card for svp Anne Granfield. Turns out, years ago, when I was covering the Ogilvy & Mather corruption trial, Anne was assigned by O&M to monitor me. She certainly wasn't assigned to give me quotes from O&M, because the trial lasted weeks and she didn't give me anything.

We spoke about her assignment before the trial started when I noticed she was sitting near me in court with a notebook that had my name on the top of the page, and a description of what I looked like underneath it. My very own PR stalker!

RLM's web site indicates that indeed they are spinmeisters for truly troubled companies. They specialize in "“reputational programs … Crisis management, [and] Litigation support.”

One question: What exactly is Pfizer getting for its money with RLM? Rost certainly isn't getting any quieter. And I have difficulty getting Pfizer to return calls even on the days when I've got good news to write about them.

(Note to Pfizer pr Pfolks: Guys, not every story has to be bad news. This, for instance. Try picking up the phone. Transparency is a powerful thing. Just because you're not talking doesn't mean all my other sources disappear—why give them all that free mileage?)