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February 14, 2002
ANDERSEN'S CORPORATE ADS
ARE RAPPED
 

Alan Siegel, who runs a New York-based brand consulting firm, told The Washington Post that the full page "open letters" newspaper ads signed by Andersen's, CEO Joseph Berardino, are "a waste of time" and lacking in credibility.

Andersen ad
Berardino 'open letter' ad

The letter, which ran Feb. 6 in The Post, The New York Times, and other major newspapers, was the accounting firm's third crisis ad since it got caught up in the Enron scandal.

"Almost two months ago we went before Congress and acknowledged our responsibilities," read the ad. "We said that we will be accountable for our actions, will learn from the experience, and will become a better firm as a result."

The ads are the work of Chlopak, Leonard, Schechter & Assocs., a Washington, D.C.-based firm that is a unit of Gavin Anderson, which is owned by Omnicom Group. Andersen retained the firm on Jan. 7.

Siegel told the Post's Frank Ahrens that it is "disingenuous for Andersen to say ‘We're learning, we're studying the situation.' This company has been in business 100 years, they are the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval of accounting, and they say they're going to learn from this?"

Further, any message the ads attempt to convey is "garbled by this legal writing," Siegel said. "If the president of Arthur Andersen really talks like that, are they really human beings?" Siegel asked.

Charles Leonard said the purpose of the ads was to amplify Andersen's position. "You don't get your side of the story out with six [paragraphs]" in a newspaper article, said Leonard, who is acting as an Andersen spokesman.

Leonard said the language in the ads was "either genuinely crafted or inspired by Joe Berardino in previous statements."

 

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Brian Kilgore, Editor, BAK's Report, at www.BrianKilgore.com (2/16):
Well, Siegel managed to get his name into the paper, and into this web site, but, in fact, he does not know what he's talking about, and any smart person reading his drivel will look down upon him, so, on balance, he's not ahead for being famous. Not all publicity is good publicity.

Andersen, on the other hand, has run some good ads, is getting its side of the story told (which includes admitting to errors), and, perhaps most important of all, is showing its people world-wide that the bosses at Andersen will fight for the survival of their (partners and employees, jointly) firm.

The typesetting is mediocre -- there need to be some subheads and some bold-face, plus the date should be added -- but those are only quibbles. Every accountant benefits from Andersen's ads in a time of crisis.


 

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