Cultivating an image on not so distant lands

Target is looking to get ahead of the curve in major media markets by placing communications executives in such places as Dallas, Los Angeles, New York and Toronto in addition to those at the Minneapolis home office, Ad Age reported on Monday.

Target tends to receive kinder press treatment than its larger rival Walmart, but the ill wind of negative media sentiment could eventually blow Target’s way more forcefully. So being more proactive with media professionals in the field is a good idea as it will be better able to establish new relationships with news outlets and deepen existing relationships. The strategy worked pretty well at Walmart, which undertook a similar action more than five years ago to counteract a withering attack on its reputation from critics. To learn more and see what Ad Age had to say about the new approach at Target, click here.