Google's proposed purchase of DoubleClick earned it an invitation to a Senate subcommittee hearing this week. Microsoft's work with PR firm Burson-Marsteller could have helped print that invite.
Microsoft Taps PR Firm To Thwart Google
Skullduggery in the form of a whispering campaign against Google, carried out by Burson-Marsteller on Microsoft's, called for media organizations and Internet firms to sign up at www.i-comp.org.
The
Confronted with the claims backed by written pitches the Journal obtained, as well as reporting by
Microsoft wasn't quite as forthcoming in those pitches about its involvement. Solicitations sent on its behalf by Burson-Marsteller did not note Microsoft had backed the campaign.
According to The Observer, i-comp.org stands for Initiative for Competitive Online Marketplaces. Burson-Marsteller director Jonathan Dinkeldein admitted the group had been formed by Microsoft.
One would think Microsoft had learned from the PR debacles Wal-Mart suffered when it tried to quietly back some pro-company online initiatives. Although there seem to be legitimate reasons to question Google's proposed DoubleClick buy, Microsoft probably didn't need to help things along this way. 
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