Hitting them where it hurts

This story on Prius Chat makes me happy and worried at the same time.

The ad agency representing 173 dealers in 5 Southeast states has told the local ABC affiliates to pull their commercials. The agency told ABC affiliates last week that the shift was due to “excessive stories on the Toyota issues.” Instead, the dealers have shifted their commercial time buys to non-ABC stations in the same markets, “as punishment for the reporting,” according to an ABC station manager.

Southeast Toyota (SET) comprises 173 dealers in Florida, Georgia, North Carollina, South Carolina, and Alabama.

On one hand, it is certainly their right and given the coverage, I’d say it was about time these dealers did something. The coverage has been insane and, what really irritates me, much of it contains numerous factual reporting errors. So these people are just protecting their own businesses. Good for them.

I do find it a little odd they’re moving the ads to other stations. What stations/networks? Fox affiliates here have been banging this story just as hard and just as stupidly (which is pretty standard for Fox stations).

Why not take that money to another venue entirely? Like, dare I suggest, the internet? Direct mail?

But I do find it disturbing that this is an attempt further blur the lines between editorial and advertising something which, as someone who has a lot of ties to both things, are already far too blurred together.

In this instance, it’s totally appropriate. In the future, who knows?