Screening the message
In an unprecedented move the market's most recent major entry, Edelman, has purchased a series of high profile spots on TVN24 in a bid to promote itself after the furor surrounding its launch.
The firm's general manager Barbara Kwiecień left Business Consulting Associates (BCA) to open the international organization's Polish arm at the end of May, taking many staff with her and sparking a series of bitter accusations from her former partner and co-owner of BCA, Wiesław Migut.
Looking bad
But two months on the dispute that fueled countless column inches of the business press and proved an exciting source of gossip for the PR community is no nearer resolution.
While the Edelman team has gone on the offensive and commissioned a series of slick ads in various media, BCA appears to be looking more and more the wounded animal, and both sides are taking aim with their legal guns in a bid to right perceived wrongs.
Down and out?
Migut admits his company is facing major difficulties. "BCA exists as a legal entity only and it doesn't have any PR activities at the moment. We have tried to set up a board but Barbara Kwiecień has not agreed to this. She is not co-operating in any of the legal activities and is putting one condition on her involvement and that is all legal action against her must stop."
He has sent official documents to the prosecutor's office and received signals back that the office has begun researching the case. But when asked whether the company could survive the roller coaster ride of the past two months he is pessimistic. "This is a very good question. If somebody stole a car then you can see the evidence but this case is very difficult," Migut said.
Edelman has so far filed three suits against Migut for allegedly libelous remarks about Kwiecień and the company. Kwiecień cites some of the more outlandish reports, all unfounded, that she sold-off office furniture and that she had been detained by the police over the dispute. She says that on this occassion officers called her out at night following a report that their former office was being burgled.
Kwiecień is reluctant to stoop to the mud-slinging that characterized BCA's initial stand, preferring to appear aloof. "These allegations are pathetic but they are also bothersome. They are pathetic because they show what kind of man he is, and bothersome because they have resulted in this legal action." She did reveal, however, that her former business partner has now resorted to what she called 'spamming' of other Edelman branches.
Migut denies the spamming slur, saying that he has simply been publicizing the facts. "I have sent out our official statement, a kind of fact sheet or press release, to international PR organizations and magazines," he said.
Stirring interest
Edelman claims that the controversy surrounding their launch has sparked considerable interest from potential clients. "Although the dispute proved very newsworthy it has not been damaging. We were given a tremendous amount of coverage and people are very curious about who is the new player on the market and we have been given a good reception.
"Our target - the communications directors and brand managers - know us from wherever the companies have their headquarters and I have been swamped with requests for information. So far we have made 15 new business presentations in just the few weeks we have been operating."
Nevertheless, fellow industry players have widely condemned Kwiecień's behavior, with the Polish Chamber of Foreign Investors and the Polish Public Relations Consultancies Association (ZFPR) queuing up to heap criticism on her. The association's vice president Mariusz Pleban says: "We condemn such behavior. We have seen all the material that was released by both sides and after one week we came back with an announcement that was condemnatory of Barbara Kwiecień as a representative of Edelman Polska.
But she believes the whole experience should serve as a lesson for the country's public relations sector, levelling a broadside at conditions in the field. "Staff don't want minimal wages and payments under the table to avoid social payments," says Kwiecień.
"Instead employees want training, a true wage, full social payments, job descriptions, clarity, and professional recognition. The companies need to look after their staff, reward them and invest in them in order to satisfy their workforce and offer their clients the best service."
Whatever the outcome of looming court action, the Edelman/BCA struggle provides a rare insight into the dog-eat-dog world of Polish PR.
The firm's general manager Barbara Kwiecień left Business Consulting Associates (BCA) to open the international organization's Polish arm at the end of May, taking many staff with her and sparking a series of bitter accusations from her former partner and co-owner of BCA, Wiesław Migut.
Looking bad
But two months on the dispute that fueled countless column inches of the business press and proved an exciting source of gossip for the PR community is no nearer resolution.
While the Edelman team has gone on the offensive and commissioned a series of slick ads in various media, BCA appears to be looking more and more the wounded animal, and both sides are taking aim with their legal guns in a bid to right perceived wrongs.
Down and out?
Migut admits his company is facing major difficulties. "BCA exists as a legal entity only and it doesn't have any PR activities at the moment. We have tried to set up a board but Barbara Kwiecień has not agreed to this. She is not co-operating in any of the legal activities and is putting one condition on her involvement and that is all legal action against her must stop."
He has sent official documents to the prosecutor's office and received signals back that the office has begun researching the case. But when asked whether the company could survive the roller coaster ride of the past two months he is pessimistic. "This is a very good question. If somebody stole a car then you can see the evidence but this case is very difficult," Migut said.
Edelman has so far filed three suits against Migut for allegedly libelous remarks about Kwiecień and the company. Kwiecień cites some of the more outlandish reports, all unfounded, that she sold-off office furniture and that she had been detained by the police over the dispute. She says that on this occassion officers called her out at night following a report that their former office was being burgled.
Kwiecień is reluctant to stoop to the mud-slinging that characterized BCA's initial stand, preferring to appear aloof. "These allegations are pathetic but they are also bothersome. They are pathetic because they show what kind of man he is, and bothersome because they have resulted in this legal action." She did reveal, however, that her former business partner has now resorted to what she called 'spamming' of other Edelman branches.
Migut denies the spamming slur, saying that he has simply been publicizing the facts. "I have sent out our official statement, a kind of fact sheet or press release, to international PR organizations and magazines," he said.
Stirring interest
Edelman claims that the controversy surrounding their launch has sparked considerable interest from potential clients. "Although the dispute proved very newsworthy it has not been damaging. We were given a tremendous amount of coverage and people are very curious about who is the new player on the market and we have been given a good reception.
"Our target - the communications directors and brand managers - know us from wherever the companies have their headquarters and I have been swamped with requests for information. So far we have made 15 new business presentations in just the few weeks we have been operating."
Nevertheless, fellow industry players have widely condemned Kwiecień's behavior, with the Polish Chamber of Foreign Investors and the Polish Public Relations Consultancies Association (ZFPR) queuing up to heap criticism on her. The association's vice president Mariusz Pleban says: "We condemn such behavior. We have seen all the material that was released by both sides and after one week we came back with an announcement that was condemnatory of Barbara Kwiecień as a representative of Edelman Polska.
But she believes the whole experience should serve as a lesson for the country's public relations sector, levelling a broadside at conditions in the field. "Staff don't want minimal wages and payments under the table to avoid social payments," says Kwiecień.
"Instead employees want training, a true wage, full social payments, job descriptions, clarity, and professional recognition. The companies need to look after their staff, reward them and invest in them in order to satisfy their workforce and offer their clients the best service."
Whatever the outcome of looming court action, the Edelman/BCA struggle provides a rare insight into the dog-eat-dog world of Polish PR.
