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Melysa_S Want to throw your own #BlogHer11 party,fine. But don’t commit to mine, get info from me,back out n then throw it SAME DATE & TIME #Suckit3M 7/9/11 6:42 PM |
Below is a transcript of the email I sent to the two contacts I had worked with from 3M after finding out they are now throwing a competing party at BlogHer 2011 after committing to a $1500 sponsorship of our Kiss Our Sass Party and then backing out due to “limited funding.”
After that email are screen caps of the emails I received in response from 3M today. I gave them six hours after my last response to them to apologize, give an explanation, or make things right–none of which happened.
I am not posting the following information to be difficult or spiteful. I think people deserve to know the facts and make a decision about 3M with those. I am posting it with the hopes that any blogger who reads it will NOT attend the 3M event during BlogHer 2011 and will also think twice about working with 3M in the future after they have been so blatantly shady in their dealings with us.
This is my side of the story….
It has recently come to my attention that you are throwing a party during BlogHer 2011 on Thursday August 4thfrom 8:30-11:00pm, the same date and time as our Kiss Our Sass Party. While I can’t say this surprises me I can say how disheartening it is to know that a well-known company such as 3M would be so unethical in their business practices, especially when dealing with bloggers.
You approached us about being involved in our event; we did not come to you. For weeks you showed genuine interest in participating through our various exchanges via email as, I feel, you used me for information on what makes a BlogHer event such as the ones we are holding work and what bloggers like as far as receiving products from companies; products vs. coupons, etc. You then committed (in writing) in an email, that both Jamie and I have saved to our inboxes, to a sponsorship of $1500. I spent my time and energy writing you emails with my own ideas, specifics, and a detailed contract of how we would effectively promote your company during the event, some of which I am sure you will now be using at your own event to promote your brand for your own personal gain. You then ignored my emails regarding the contract for over a week until I reached out to you myself, at which point you backed out of sponsorship with limited explanation. Had I not reached out to you I wonder if you would’ve let me know at all that you were no longer sponsoring.
I understand how business works, truly I do. I understand that your company had every right to back out of our event before the contract was signed. I understand that 3M wanted to throw their own event in order to get bloggers to focus on their products directly, but it is the way your company chose to go about doing all of this and the way we were treated that has upset me and hundreds of other bloggers attending Blogher. Had you been honest as to why you suddenly were backing out of your $1500 sponsorship I would feel differently. Had you chose another night and time to throw your event that did not affect ours I would also feel differently.
Above all, I am disgusted by the way Jamie and I were treated in our dealings with your company, which has left a bad taste in our mouths, and since we’ve gone public with it, it has also left a bad taste in the mouths of bloggers who would’ve normally supported, and have been supporting, 3M. Jamie and I are making no money off of this party. We have nothing to gain from it. We have invested our time, our energy, and our hearts in order to pull together an event for women who truly deserve it. We didn’t set out to do this to make money or promote ourselves, like your corporation did. We did this to give something back to bloggers who are less fortunate than us. The fact that you tried to undermine a party that was created for something good is saddening.
That being said, I’d like to give 3M a chance to make things right by either making a donation to support the women attending the Kiss Our Sass Party so we can add some last minute surprises to the event, or by compensating me for my time and my ideas that you used for your own personal gain.
Below is a link to where you can make a donation, or you can contact me directly.
Sincerely,
Melysa Schmitt
I haven’t heard anything from 3M since. I won’t hold my breath.
Why will I not talk to 3M on the phone? Because then it is he said, she said and I intend to save my own ass from now on. That is the lesson I have learned from all of this and the lesson bloggers before me have learned.
I know exactly why 3M does not want to talk through email, and so do you.
For two months I worked with 3M via email and that is why I also have screen caps of all of our prior emails in which 3M confirmed they would sponsor our Kiss Our Sass party for $1500, asked me questions regarding what makes an event successful and what bloggers like, my responses to those questions, the contract I submitted with bullet points of my ideas, ways I would promote them during the event, and what I would provide, the fact that they sat on that email for well over a week before responding, and ONLY responded when I sent them an email inquiring what was going on. I don’t intend to start talking on the phone now and having faith in a company who is obviously so unethical.
Yes, I could download an application to my phone so I could record our conversation, but I’m not investing any more of my time or energy in 3M after they broke my trust. They don’t deserve that.
If they were genuine and wanted to “work things out” as they stated in the above emails, they’d be more than willing to put that in writing in an email as they have done before. Or make a donation to our party as I suggested. The women attending deserve that much, and so do I.
There was no misunderstanding here, fellow bloggers. If you choose to go to the 3M event, that’s fine. If you choose to work with them in the future, that’s fine too. I just wanted you to know what kind of corporation you’re dealing with. Do with this information what you will.
P.S. This isn’t the first instance where 3M has had a Social Media FAIL, or screwed someone over: 3M Post-It Note Car: How Not To Do Viral Marketing
Edit
P.P.S. In the emails Hunter PR is sending out to bloggers in regards to this situation, which you can see part of in the comment from Lilith below, there is a claim they signed on for sponsorship with BlogHer in May and “subsequently” backed out of our sponsorship. They backed out of sponsoring our event on June 23rd.
Here is the proof:
Please enjoy the following posts by some other fabulous people regarding why 3M can suck it.
Kiss Our Sass Tells 3M To “Suck It”
3M Party Drives Kiss Our Sass Planner Coconuts
3M PR Gaffe Triggers Ire Of Mom Bloggers
Related posts:
18 comments
3 pings
ShredderFeeder says:
July 11, 2011 at 6:35 PM (UTC -4 )
So. Much. Fail.
Good luck with your party, and I wish the folks at 3M a miserable failure this year and know most bloggers I know will definitely think twice about entering into any kind of an agreement with 3M.
Their dealings were shady and underhanded at the very least, and more likely rose to the level of breach of contract.
Just like big corporations to step on the little guy and think it’s no big deal.
Oh – and the reason they wanted you on the phone was because they knew anything they put in writing could be used against them. Which of course is a clear indicator that they were up to no good.
Mely says:
July 11, 2011 at 6:56 PM (UTC -4 )
I knew exactly what they were up to and that was why I was so adamant about not speaking on the phone. They think I’m just another dumb bitch. Clearly they are wrong. They also never expected me to speak up for myself. WRONG.
Thanks for your support.
Kristin says:
July 11, 2011 at 7:32 PM (UTC -4 )
This is so disappointing. I won’t be at your fabulous party because I am not a single mom but I have quite a few friends who are including a number of SMC. I tweeted and facebooked this major 3M FAIL.
Cari says:
July 11, 2011 at 7:35 PM (UTC -4 )
That is shady! It’s especially sad that they are a Minnesota company, and we are generally known for Minnesota nice. I know you gals have been working you asses off! Which from one single Mama to another I don’t know how you find the time! Not quite sure they know who they are dealing with here…bloggers, some of which have been burned before, it won’t be pretty. Well, guess I’m back to nails in the walls and no more of their no mark stick-up crap. Have a wonderful party, you two ladies are amazing.
Major Bedhead says:
July 11, 2011 at 8:59 PM (UTC -4 )
I’m really sorry to hear they’ve been such shysters. That’s a really lousy way to treat you and will, hopefully, reflect badly on them at BlogHer and in the future.
Katie says:
July 11, 2011 at 9:03 PM (UTC -4 )
I can’t wait for them to confirm my RSVP and I either 1. Say NO THANKS I’m #teamSASS or 2. never show.
Asrojuan says:
July 11, 2011 at 9:50 PM (UTC -4 )
That is all kinds of shady. I hope they send you some monies, it’s the least they can do!
Jenni says:
July 12, 2011 at 2:18 AM (UTC -4 )
Mely, they’re throwing a luau. A LUAU! There is no way you guys could consider that competition. It’s so cliche and cheesy, it goes to show how stupid the people that work for 3M really are. You and Jamie have nada to worry about.
- xo, Jenni
Frank says:
July 12, 2011 at 3:23 PM (UTC -4 )
A LUAU in San Diego? Morons… Everyone knows you do bonfires in San Diego.
Lilith says:
July 12, 2011 at 7:07 AM (UTC -4 )
I had RSVP’d to their party explain why I would NOT be going. I received this explanation from a member of their PR team from Hunter PR:
“Recently, 3M and BlogHer were surprised to see negative tweets about this party. Two bloggers tweeted that the date and time of 3M’s official party overlaps with an outside party they are organizing that same night.
While 3M had inquired about sponsorship of this outside party, 3M signed its sponsorship agreement with BlogHer in May and subsequently notified the two blogger organizers that it was focusing on the details of its own official event and sponsorship.
On Monday morning, July 11th, 3M staff tried to arrange a phone call with these bloggers to hear their concerns. We would have welcomed the chance to speak. However, the bloggers declined 3M’s offer and instead continued to post negative comments.”
Allegedly, they had planned to do this other party all along, which honestly makes me feel worse about them not better. They went to know, asking for advice, KNOWING they would use it for their own party.
Mely says:
July 12, 2011 at 9:30 AM (UTC -4 )
I LOVE you Lilith for posting their reply.
Yes, I did DECLINE a telephone conversation, but they NEGLECTED to mention the fact that that I DID NOT DECLINE to speak about it in email as we have been for months. I DID NOT DECLINE to hear what they had to say or for them to allow me to voice my concerns.
I knew they were going to say we declined to speak with them since I refused to speak on the phone and THAT is exactly why I posted the screen caps of our email exchange yesterday. I knew what they were up to and why they would not speak to me further about it in writing. I’m not an idiot.
Plain and simple, they are shady.
They did not INQUIRE about a sponsorship, they COMMITTED in an email after weeks of exchanges. “The Scotch team will be COMMITTING to this effort…” Does that not sound like a commitment to you? Does that sound like an inquiry? I HAVE THE EMAIL THAT SAYS THIS.
And I’d like to say I did not continue to post negative comments. I posted the truth. What anyone else posted is beyond my control.
They never once notified us that they were focusing on the details of their own official event. That is not the reason they gave us for backing out on sponsorship. Like I said in the letter to them, I understand how business works and that they wanted to focus on their own things but they were SHADY about the whole thing and dishonest. THEY ARE THROWING THEIR EVENT SAME NIGHT AND TIME. What does that tell you?
Did they tell us they had a sponsorship agreement with BlogHer yes, but they also said since they were going to be at BlogHer already they wanted to get involved with our event as well. More promotion for them obviously.
Bottom line, they were dishonest and I have posted the truth. Their response to Lilith’s email STILL TWISTS THE TRUTH. They’re dishonest.
The end.
Mely says:
July 12, 2011 at 9:37 AM (UTC -4 )
SUBSEQUENT: 1. Coming after something in time; following.
They signed their sponsorship with BlogHer in May. They contacted us AFTER that and well into JUNE. They did not “subsequently notified the two blogger organizers that it was focusing on the details of its own official event and sponsorship” unless I’m misunderstanding the definition of the word “subsequently”
Frank says:
July 12, 2011 at 3:21 PM (UTC -4 )
Looks like 3M has a history of putting $$$ ahead of ethics. Sorry guys, in Social Media, ethics and credibility are your currency. What’sit like being bankrupt?
Patty says:
July 27, 2011 at 10:07 AM (UTC -4 )
That is absolutely disgusting behavior from a company. It’s unethical to use the blogging community in that way. I’m 100% behind you, I’m skipping their booth and wasn’t planning on attending their event in the first place.
Best of luck at you party!
Jen says:
July 30, 2011 at 11:44 PM (UTC -4 )
That is incredibly crappy what they pulled. It sounds like they know they are in the wrong and are now trying to back pedal. What a huge waste of your time and energy, and it was so incredibly disrespectful of them too. Unreal. I’ll be skipping their booth too (and anything else to do with them).
Erica says:
August 4, 2012 at 8:31 PM (UTC -4 )
WOW!
They basically used you as a consultant under the guise of sponsorship of the party.
Double WOW!
BUT…let’s keep in mind this is the same company that exploits it’s employees inventions….how much did the guy who invented the sticky stuff on post-its get? I heard $50.
Yet…how much do they earn yearly from post-its?
just wrong….flat out wrong…
Maria says:
September 16, 2012 at 6:57 AM (UTC -4 )
@Erica.
At 3M it is not the people who invent things that get the credits. It’s the people who sell the stuff, and their managers who get the credits.
Don’t go to work there, unless it’s in sales & marketing!
Maria says:
September 16, 2012 at 6:51 AM (UTC -4 )
3M has a nice facade on ethics, but in reality it’s just: “as long as you can get away with it, it’s okay”.
Especially their HR policies are unethical.
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