Seyferth Spaulding Tennyson
 |
This article is part of the Center for Media & Democracy's spotlight on front groups and corporate spin. |
Seyferth Spaulding Tennyson Inc. (SST) is a public relations firm based in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
In 2007, the PR firm organized a campaign, funded by the Meijer retail giant, to secretly orchestrate a recall of elected officials in Acme Township, which apparently violated state campaign finance laws. According to local reporter Brian McGillivary, Meijer paid SST "at least $30,000 in a failed effort to remove Acme's board after years of zoning disputes over Meijer's plans to build a store along M-72 in Grand Traverse County. Meijer's public relations firm crafted recall language, devised election strategy, wrote campaign literature, and used local residents as figureheads in the recall."[1]
SST directed the campaign using front groups including Acme Taxpayers for Responsible Government and the Acme Recall Committee. "It gives me a chill, how much money they can spend to ruin other people," said Acme Clerk Dorothy Dunville, one of the public officials targeted by the company's recall campaign.
T. Michael Jackson, a retired public relations professional, filed a complaint with the Public Relations Society of America, charging that SST's actions violated the PRSA's code of ethics.[2]
Clients[3]
Banking and retailers
- McDonald's
- Staples
- Fifth Third Bank
- Huntington Bank
- Independent Bank
- Irwin Union Bank
- West Michigan Wireless
Commercial, Residential Builders and Engineers
- Fleis & VandenBrink Engineering, Inc.
- Holwerda Homes
- Platinum Construction & Associates
- Rockford Construction Co.
- The Taubman Co.
Education
- Thomas M. Cooley Law School
- Forest Hills Public Schools
- Grand Rapids Community College
- Grand Rapids Public Schools
- Grand Valley State University
- Management Solutions Group
- West Michigan CDL
Environmental/Energy
- Bofors-Nobel
- Kalamazoo River Study Group
- Macatawa Area Coordinating Council
- Waste Management
- West Michigan Sustainable Business Forum
- Wolverine Power Cooperative Inc.
- Zeeland Farm Services
Government & Associations
- Association for Corporate Growth
- Precision Metalforming Association
- Allegan County Parks Department
- City of Detroit
- City of Grand Haven
- City of Grand Rapids
- City of Kentwood
- City of Wyoming
- Kent County Board of Commissioners
- Kent County Parks Department
- Office of the Attorney General
Health
- Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan
- Cancer Treatment Centers of America
- Children's Choice of Michigan
- Children's Hospital of Michigan
- Detroit Medical Center
- Detroit Receiving Hospital
- Early Solutions Clinic, LLC
- eCOBRAhelp.com
- Huron Valley Sinai Hospital
- Hutzel Women's Hospital
- Ionia County Memorial Hospital
- Johnson Portables, Inc.
- Karmanos Cancer Institute
- Life EMS Ambulance
- Northern Michigan Hospital
- Pilgrim Manor Retirement Community
- Region II South Medical Bio-Defense Network
- StageRight, Inc.
- United Memorial Health Services
- Wayne State University School of Medicine
Legal and Financial
- Bush, Seyferth, Kethledge & Paige PC
- Clark Hill
- DilleyHaney, P.C.
- Dykema Gossett PLLC
- Edward Jones
- Gruel Mills Nyms & Pylman LLP
- Miller Johnson
- Pepper Hamilton, LLC
- Plante Moran
Manufacturing
- Georgia-Pacific Corporation
- Haworth Inc.
- Huizenga Manufacturing Group
- LPiT Solutions
- Perrigo Company
- Terryberry
- MEDBIO Inc.
- Robert BOSCH Corp.
- SUSPA, Inc.
- Synergis Technologies Group, Inc.
- Westwater Group
- X-Rite, Inc.
Real Estate/Development
- Coldwell Banker Schmidt
- Front Row Condominiums
- Grand Landing LLC
- Grubb Ellis Paramount Commerce
- Ramco-Gershenson, Inc.
- Robert B. Aikens & Associates
- RiverHouse Condominiums
- Rockford Development
- Three Oaks Group
- Walker/Orchard Land Partners
Entertainment
Transportation
Not-for-Profit/Social Services/Arts & Culture
- American Cancer Society
- Bethany Christian Services
- Better Business Bureau of Western Michigan, Inc.
- Catholic Diocese of Grand Rapids
- Concerned Citizens Council
- Detroit Downtown, Inc.
- Dutch American Heritage Council
- Economic Club of Grand Rapids
- Goodwill Industries of Greater Grand Rapids, Inc.
- Grand Rapids Art Museum
- Grand Rapids Ballet
- Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce
- Grand Rapids Wheelchair Sports Association
- Hispanic Center of Western Michigan
- The Henry Ford Museum
- Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation
- The Literacy Center of West Michigan
- Kresge Foundation
- Mackinac Center for Public Policy
- Rotary International, Grand Rapids Chapter
- Wedgwood Christian Services
- West Michigan Science and Technology Initiative
- Women's Resource Center
Contact information
275 Iron Street
Detroit, MI 48207
Phone: (313) 393-7890
Fax (313) 393-7893
40 Monroe Center NW
Suite 202
Grand Rapids, MI 49503
Phone: (616) 776-3511
Fax (616) 776-3502
Toll free phone: (800) 435-9539
Email: info AT seyferthpr.com
Website: http://www.seyferthpr.com
References
- ↑ Brian McGillivary, "Meijer's Secret Plan," Traverse City Record-Eagle (Michigan), December 23, 2007.
- ↑ T. Michael Jackson, "Forum: Meijer P.R. Firm Violated Ethics," Traverse City Record-Eagle (Michigan), December 23, 2007.
- ↑ Seyferth website (accessed January 4, 2008).
External links
- Ted Roelofs, "Meijer to Aid Probe of Its Role in Recall Vote," Grand Rapids Press, December 25, 2007.
- Tim Penning, "Meijer-y Christmas," grpr blog, December 26, 2007.
- "PR guru defends her firm in Meijer controversy," Grand Rapids Press, December 29, 2007.
