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Share SLO social ambassador fired

September 4, 2013
Bentley Murdock

Bentley Murdock

The Rosetta Marketing Group has fired San Luis Obispo’s first social media ambassador, Bentley Murdock. [KSBY]

Rosetta hired Murdock six months ago to promote San Luis Obispo by attending events and posting on social media. The marketing firm received funds from the San Luis Obispo Tourism Improvement District to hire Murdock for a year.

Murdock served as the city’s ambassador for six months after a highly publicized, six-week hiring process that involved interviews with, among others, Mayor Jan Marx.

Others involved in Rosetta’s promotion of San Luis Obispo tourism said that Murdock was not attending events.

Sources told CalCoastNews a few months ago that Murdock’s firing was imminent.

Rosetta now says that the San Luis Obispo ambassador position has been eliminated, and the firm is using a “street team” of more than 100 volunteers to fill the role of promoting the city.

“We just didn’t see him,” said radio host Adam Montiel, who applied for the ambassador position and is a member of the street team. “If you ‘Google Bentley Murdock Share SLO,’ the first thing isn’t from posts. It’s the article that says he won.”

Montiel said he interviewed Murdock on his radio show the after Rosetta hired him.

“He was chosen because the mayor liked that he didn’t drink,” Montiel said. “When you figure how much wine plays into everything we do here, that didn’t even make sense.”

Murdock said he is seeking legal representation. Roestta said it could not comment due to the threat of “legal ramificiations.”

 


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So something doesn’t seem quite right here. The CITY of San Luis Obispo is paying $600,000 for this campaign, yet the majority of the events I see promoted on the ShareSLO site are not in SLO but in other central coast cities. If the county of SLO was paying for this campaign, or a collection of central coast cities, that would make sense, but they aren’t. You could argue that there would be a trickle down effect from people flocking to a Paso Robles wine event, but Paso will end up with far more benefit than SLO.


There are plenty of events happening in SLO city that are not covered by the site. I’m sure covering winery events in Paso is lots of fun for the “street team”, but perhaps they should concentrate more on events in the city of SLO that might not involve as much drinking, but will help with the goal of promoting the CITY of SLO.


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Social Ambassador? Really? Might has well have paid some B-list celebrity to show up to a few events per year? Can we find a couple recent American Idol winners? I don’t think they are up to anything.


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I met Bradley shortly after he got the job. He was introduced at a business forum in Morro Bay.

He was dressed nicely, casual but tasteful. He had pretty wild curly hair and a goatee.

He broke out his giutar and sang and played quite well.

I wasn’t exactly impressed with him, especially after I asked him what he was going to be doing. He shrugged and didn’t really answer. He was really a little timid and shy in this new roll.

I thought then that this isn’t the guy I want being the respresentative of my town.

Not to seccond guess but if you want someone to do social media marketing, shouldn’t you hire a writer and not a musician/singer?

WIth all the layoffs at the Tribune in recent years, people leaving the paper on an early buyout, etc… and the turnover at the local TV stations like KSBY, there are planty of writers around that could have done this.

Or maybe use a numbr of people all writing anonymously under one personna? A sort-of group ghost writer.

I’m not surprised at all that Bradley didn’t last. He clearly wasn’t the right person for this type of highly visible open-book type if existence.

Here’s a suggestion, SLO has a beauty pagent with men and women and picks one of each to do this ambassador job. Give them a crown, have a photog go with them everywhere and document their year-long gig as this minor, local celebrity.

Whoever gets this gig in the future needs to know exactly what’s expected of them going in. I don’t think Bradley got that sort of help or direction from the beginning, not to excuse him for what looks like a pretty poor effort to do this job.

I met one of the other people that tried for this job. Can’t remember her name, but she was pouring wine at a Chamber mixer and was very beautiful, professional looking, outgoing and highly intelligent.

I remember telling her that if I lived in SLO, she’d get my vote.

That’s the kind of person SLO needs to have as an ambassador, someone that presents well in a lot of scenarious and settings,with an outgoing personality. The girl next door or the kid up the block, not a hippie guy with a guitar.


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An effective PR program, especially for a city the size of SLO, is not an undertaking that can be handled by a bunch of unprofessional volunteers. I predict the work of these volunteers is going to do more harm than good to the City of SLO’s image.


SLO City isn’t the first local government agency who thought they could do without a PR specialist and just have it done informally, on the fly. The result is an ineffective program that often does more harm than good by alienating the very people the program is supposed to influence in a positive way. Then, if and when the local government agency finally gets a clue, and hires a PR professional, that new PR person has to waste time and resources undoing the mess the previous ineffective volunteers created.


The idea of having volunteers, without an experienced PR professional very closely monitoring and mentoring, work on social media as a public-marketing tool is completely asinine, and shows the amount of ignorance resident in the officials making PR decisions. All it takes is one unprofessional and ignorant volunteer to destroy any gains that may have been made by other means.


I’m not passing judgment on the city’s decision to fire the newly-hired PR rep, Mr. Murdock. However, the idea to go with volunteers and not have a professional PR rep is reflective of a clueless city government who is going to have to pay far more to straighten out the mess they will have created by this ignorant decision.


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The Campaign is in fact being monitored by Rosetta, for that reason alone. The “Volunteers” count among the area’s best in Marketing, PR, and Social Media as most were in the Top 10 or close to it and became the Street Team to support Bentley. The use of the Volunteer Street Team was to fan out to our local events, concerts, restaurants, and nature trails to blog, photograph, and socially influence others to continue to visit SLO and spend their travel dollars here. This is not a group of yocals partying it up.


The ShareSLO Blog, can be found here: http://www.shareslo.com/


Bentley was let go because he simply did not perform the job. At all. You can only pay for non-performance for so long, and all contestants signed an agreement stating that they could be let go at Rosetta’s discretion for such issues as non-performance.


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No wonder Jan Marx endorsed Bentley Murdock…


just like SLO City Manager Katie Lichtig…


Doesn’t show up much for work and makes a lot of money!


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“He was chosen because the mayor liked that he didn’t drink,” Montiel said. “When you figure how much wine plays into everything we do here, that didn’t even make sense.”


That is a ridiculous assertion. You don’t have to be a drinker to promote and report on drinking events. Do you see KSBY reporters throwing back glass after glass of wine at wine events? No. If anything, someone who won’t have a temptation to drink on the job will be a better promoter/reporter for those events. Compare this to the current “share slo street team”, which is basically a bunch of grown up frat boys and girls who attend all the alcohol events and take lots of selfies of themselves drinking and partying.


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Exactly. Except…..Bentley didn’t even show up to do that. He didn’t show up to 1. In fact, he outright refused BECAUSE of the drinking. Hence, the Street Team.


He didn’t show up at the Amgen Tour either. The only thing that Bentley has actually done is run the Marathon to donate shoes…….but he hasn’t even done that either. As of Monday, he has still not delivered the shoes that he was given to donate in APRIL.


That’s the point.


Don’t put the negativity off on the Street Team- have you seen the photos under the hashtag? It covers the area, restaurants, events, scenery- not selfies of aging frat boys.


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Hello Paragon, Adam here. I thought since I replied to this nice man named Harry Malone, I would clarify my point on this. I said a lot more on the drinking aspect, and they played only a snippet :)


The Mayor chose him, in part because he did not drink. Why is that ridiculous? It’s true. You’re totally right, you do NOT have to have a lick of alcohol to be able to cover events where they are served. I agree with you. So why didn’t he cover them?


I’m sorry if you thought I meant only drinkers can go to wine events.


Cheers (if youre into that sorta thing :)


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Harry, Adam was representing himself. He never said or acted like a spokesman for the city.


Secondly, do you have any idea the number of prank calls done on morning shows across the country? They are jokes! That topic is so innocent anyways. The fact that you called the FCC over this is sad.


Don’t take life so seriously.


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How would you like it if an anonymous adult male called your 12 year old daughter and asked her when the last time she went potty in a public place?


There may be prank calls on morning radio shows that you find acceptable but that particular one crossed the line as did the following.


Montiel was also the same guy that started chattering about what it would be like if obituaries were read on the radio like commercials using a cutesy radio voice. The next thing I know they begin reading my dad’s obituary, referring to a radio listener who just lost his dad, Jack Smith.


So innocent… so funny…


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So Harry Malone, are you Jack Smith? Because Jack Smith is the one who should be upset and Jack Smith actually sat down with Adam and they made peace. Adam knows where he messed up- why you are continuing to carry Jack Smith’s issue is beyond me.


Regardless- this has NOTHING to do with Adam Monteil. Did you read the article?


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This has NOTHING to do with the article….


Adam Montiel, who applied for the ambassador position and IS a MEMBER of the street team.


And in my opinion not fit to represent SLO.


I would like to se a list of the volunteers that are on the STREET TEAM…

Ryan Mason?

Dan McDow?

Ron Faria ?

Corey Pierce?

etc.?


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You are exactly right- it doesn’t, so why bring Jack up? I’m impressed with the number of links you have on Adam, you are certainly fascinated.


As for the Street Team, we are led by SLO Power Couple Adam Hill and Dee Torres.

Naturally.


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Adam Montiel is a wanna be radio “shock jock” and has NO business representing the City of SLO in ANY capacity.


I personally heard him live in November of 2011 on the KIQO radio state…


“7:15 AM Prank called under a false name and asked when was the last time you went potty in a public place. Then asked if there was paper or a blow dryer…was hung up on. Called back and repeated the same questions to a juvenile female minor”.


I filed a formal complaint with the FCC complaint and he was sanctioned by his employer!


I plan to pass this information on to the Rosetta Marketing Group and if anybody else knows of Montiel’s distasteful antics I urge you to do the same.


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That has nothing to do with the issue at hand. Adam Montiel just had the backbone to go on the record regarding what’s happening with this campaign. You may not like his humor- and you can turn the channel, but very few people put themselves out there with the truth in a small town like this.


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This is Adam Montiel. Mr. Malone, I’m going to give you the benefit of the doubt, and assume you are not blatantly just spouting nonsense, but that it must come from many misunderstandings.


I have NEVER had any problem with the FCC in my career, period.


I was NOT sanctioned for anything by my employer during that time you named, for anything, period.


I have a bit I do every day at 8:30 (Not 7:15) called the Cell Phone Salute. People register their phone number with me, WITH THE HOPE I WILL CALL THEM, that they may win. When they do not remember to answer the phone, “I’m Up & Adam”, I will prank them for a few min and let the cat out of the bag. We have a laugh, and move on.


And the premise of the prank call you describe is ridiculous. It’s just as baseless as the rest of your post.


As far as Jack Smith, I long reached a friendly and positive relationship with him and he has been on my show since numerous times. Sometimes owning up to mistakes can open the door to many blessings. Too bad you feel you have more of a right to harbor anger at me than the Smith Family on that issue.


I’m not an employee of Rosetta. KSBY asked for me for a comment, and I gave them an honest comment.


Listen to Howard Stern, then tell me the guy who features kids on regularly like Kiko, weekly interviews with Bill Poett, and talks to the local high school lunch lady 3 times a week, is a shock jock.


Have a nice day


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The Only point I was trying to make is that if Adam Montiel is an ambassador to SLO in any capacity then SLO is in trouble.


I’m glad that Jack Smith took the high road but this is how he felt at the moment thanks to you.

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=10151466452535760&id=684230759


Also Bill Morem of the Trib “A bonehead move inspires true integrity”

http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2012/10/24/2273989/a-bonehead-move-inspires-true.html


You also state that you were NOT suspended but the TRIB printed..

“Monteil didn’t lose his job, but he was suspended without pay last Friday and will be back on the air today”


FCC COMPLAINT NUMBER: FORM475B: 11-WB14869674 was filed


AND IF YOU EVER CALL MY 12 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER AND ASK HER ABOUT HER POTTY HABITS…..


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Ok…. Now quit grandstanding.


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Another thumbs up to Jan Marx! Awesome pick girl.


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Jan has a gift.


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