Looks like Remington is fixing to shoot back.
Figures, 2 sides to every story, especially the ones from the MSM.
http://www.shootingwire.com/archived/2010-10-22_sw.htmlBattle Lines Drawn
Less than 36 hours after CNBC's hour long investigative report alleging that Remington's "flagship" rifle, the Model 700 had been plagued by decades of accidental discharges that the report alleges the company knew about but ignored for economic reasons, it's safe to say the story is becoming one of the focal points of very lively industry chatter.
I'm betting it will be remembered as one of those memorable instances when a pair of major corporations square off in what is, essentially, a cage fight with few-if any-rules.
As Remington responds via their "single -and official- channel for communications regarding the CNBC charges" - a very slick website (
http://remington700.tv) it's apparent they're doing their equivalent of "teasing" their ultimate response.
Remington isn't pulling any punches calling the factual accuracy of CNBC's report into question. What appear to be excerpts from an eventual long-form Remington response on their website not only attack the credibility of CNBC's senior correspondent Scott Cohn (whose discomfort in handling a firearm was painful to watch), but question CNBC's interview techniques (questions they didn't ask), the experts cited in the report, and virtually everything else connected to the story.
Only the tragic accidents cited in the CNBC report appear - at least at this writing - to be off-limits to very pointed questioning. Frequent references to Remintgon's "10 Commandments of Firearms Safety" however, it would seem to imply that most problems associated with the Model 700 can - ultimately- be traced to a variety of human factors.
A section on that website teases an upcoming special report by Joie Chen entitled "Remington Shoots Straight".
You might remember Chen as a former CBS/CNN anchor, but today she's not a mainstream news anchor. She is Executive Vice President for Branded News Worldwide, a company which "creates online platforms for organizations and industries to deliver news and programming models for niche audiences."
Part of mega-agency Ackerman/McQueen, Branded News Worldwide is in the business of professionally packaging and delivering niche-focused content for organizations as diverse as the Cancer Institute of Oklahoma and the National Rifle Association (NRA News).
In other words, Remington's rolling out very heavy artillery to fight back against a report they say was pieced together out of less than whole-cloth.
Crucial in that vigorous defense is the utilization of the very latest online technologies.
There are several benefits. Using a single-point method of communication.
Remington stays on-point and on-message. With no authorized statements being made outside the channel, Remington also has a considerably tighter control over unauthorized sharing of information (that's "leaks" -a mainstay of the news business).
And it's an effective force-multiplier.
Despite some extremely cranky video and the occasional glitches inherent to the internet (especially a micro-site that appears to be getting heavy traffic), it is a very professional method of getting information out to consumers are either intrigued by the story or concerned about the safety of their Model 700.
In the weeks ahead, this is not one of those stories that appears to be a blip on the radar that fades away. The stakes are simply too-high.
As always, we'll work to keep you posted.
--Jim Shepherd
To comment on Bill's next to last post :
Exactly! They had to go all the way back to 1947 for their "story" ?
Must have been a slow news week
