aGameOfThrones
06-17-2014, 09:50 AM
A newly-published document shows that Seattle’s publicly-owned electrical utility paid thousands of dollars to Brand.com to manage the online reputation of CEO Jorge Carrasco.
The document, which was received and published Saturday by the Seattle Times after a public records request, shows that Brand.com charged City Light $5,000 in December 2013.
As the contract states:
Enhances online branding and clears negatives by blanketing search results with positive content. Typically for businesses or individuals, often companies may use to create a positive buzz around the company as well as suppress any negatives associated with the company or executives at the company.
The Times added that City Light signed one contract with Brand.com in October 2013 and extended it in February 2014, authorizing payments of $47,500 “for services through the end of this year.” However, a utility spokesman told the Times that Seattle only paid $17,500 and wasn’t going to spend more.
"Among the mentions generated for City Light by the deal were blog posts on websites including Huffington Post, which did not disclose they were connected to a paid marketing campaign for the utility," the Times added.
The relevant article on the Huffington Post has since been removed. Neither City Light nor Dana Robinson Slote, a city spokeswoman, immediately responded to Ars’ request for comment. Ars did however put in a public records request for these documents.
Scott Thomsen, another city spokesman, told the Times that the contact with Brand.com was designed to “increase the visibility” of positive stories. Thomsen did not immediately respond to direct questions about City Light’s deal with Brand.com or if there are or have been any similar deals for other city employees.
The Times itself was baffled by the move. As it reported:
It’s not clear what negative stories City Light executives were trying to squash—or whether the utility got any lasting results for its money. Google search results for City Light last week were dominated by news and criticism of Carrasco’s proposed raise.
Among the negative headlines from previous years that ranked high in search results was a Seattle Weekly article from 2008 that called Carrasco’s tenure at City Light “polarizing” and described the utility as “beleaguered.”
Earlier this month, the Seattle City Council approved a pay raise for Carrasco, up to $364,000 annually. Even at his previous salary of $245,000 per year, he was already the highest-paid public employee.
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2014/06/report-seattle-paid-17500-to-boost-online-reputation-of-city-official/
The document, which was received and published Saturday by the Seattle Times after a public records request, shows that Brand.com charged City Light $5,000 in December 2013.
As the contract states:
Enhances online branding and clears negatives by blanketing search results with positive content. Typically for businesses or individuals, often companies may use to create a positive buzz around the company as well as suppress any negatives associated with the company or executives at the company.
The Times added that City Light signed one contract with Brand.com in October 2013 and extended it in February 2014, authorizing payments of $47,500 “for services through the end of this year.” However, a utility spokesman told the Times that Seattle only paid $17,500 and wasn’t going to spend more.
"Among the mentions generated for City Light by the deal were blog posts on websites including Huffington Post, which did not disclose they were connected to a paid marketing campaign for the utility," the Times added.
The relevant article on the Huffington Post has since been removed. Neither City Light nor Dana Robinson Slote, a city spokeswoman, immediately responded to Ars’ request for comment. Ars did however put in a public records request for these documents.
Scott Thomsen, another city spokesman, told the Times that the contact with Brand.com was designed to “increase the visibility” of positive stories. Thomsen did not immediately respond to direct questions about City Light’s deal with Brand.com or if there are or have been any similar deals for other city employees.
The Times itself was baffled by the move. As it reported:
It’s not clear what negative stories City Light executives were trying to squash—or whether the utility got any lasting results for its money. Google search results for City Light last week were dominated by news and criticism of Carrasco’s proposed raise.
Among the negative headlines from previous years that ranked high in search results was a Seattle Weekly article from 2008 that called Carrasco’s tenure at City Light “polarizing” and described the utility as “beleaguered.”
Earlier this month, the Seattle City Council approved a pay raise for Carrasco, up to $364,000 annually. Even at his previous salary of $245,000 per year, he was already the highest-paid public employee.
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2014/06/report-seattle-paid-17500-to-boost-online-reputation-of-city-official/