Updated: DMedia, the firm responsible for media/PR for the Espinoza campaign restated that an ad on the OJ Blog was not asked for, solicited, approved. The campaign never asked for the ad and never asked for the ad to be taken down. The principal of the firm stated he’s not even sure who Art Pedroza is. We stand by our reporting that the free ad was posted by Art Pedroza without the approval of the campaign.
Imagine if you will that you are a candidate for office, and a publication you don’t read or don’t want to be associated with in any way suddenly gives you a free advertisement? What do you do?Â
Rose Espinoza, a candidate for the Orange County Board of Supervisors in the crowded 4th district race, found herself in this situation when an ad for her candidacy showed up on the Orange Juice Blog. We contacted the campaign and they said they didn’t order an ad or take one out, and that they didn’t know how it got there.
The ad has since been pulled, replaced by a free ad for Shawn Nelson, a Republican from Fullerton.Â
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An Update: Pedroza has emailed me to say he pulled the ad, not the campaign. I have two emails from Epinoza campaign officials stating that they neither asked for the ad to be posted in the first place and don’t know how it got there. Art called this post a lie when if fact, my opinion was it appeared the ad was pulled by the campaign after I inquired about it. I stand by the reporting on the rest of this post.
Given the OJ Blog’s track record on candidates they have supported and ballot issues, I’m not so sure advertising there is a sound marketing strategy — even if the ad is free. Sometimes you do get what you paid for.
Run Rosie Run. As far away from Art Pedroza and his looney toons blog as possible. Getting dragged down by that crew would have been the death of your campaign.