Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Wed Post #3: MAC Marketing Solutions admits to using employee in news story




A faithful reader has sent us this screenshot of a question posted on the Facebook page for MAC Marketing Solutions.

If you go to MAC's Facebook page, it is on the right side in a section titled "Recent posts by others on MAC Marketing Solutions"

More details when I am able to post.

Hat tip RCP.

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Email: village_whisperer@live.ca
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25 comments:

  1. I can just picture them giving each other high fives after this aired and joking about how stupid and gullible their customers are.

    This BS needs to stop

    An Observer

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  2. I just figured out how to link directly to a comment on Facebook. FYI, just click on the time of comment. Anyhow, here is the direct link:

    link

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  3. Interpretation of MAC comment: We used an employee, so what? It's busy during Chinese New Year and that's all we were saying. Too bad we were caught so we regret that you found out.

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  4. So Cameron McNeil's company, MAC Marketing Solutions, openly admits to deceiving the news media and played them for fools. This should obliterate his credibility as an objective real estate observer/spokesperson in future news stories. It is important that this story gets out to all local media who may want his opinion on future real estate issues.

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    Replies
    1. Agreed but I wouldn't clear CTV as a unknowing bystander blindsided by a shim sham man. I don't doubt for a second they knew who Amanda Lee worked for and that it was a PR stunt arranged by a past/current advertiser (MAC).

      Delete
    2. I'm not so sure CTV/CBC were willing participants? I think they were looking for a "cute" story which has all the ingredients of interesting issues to Vancouverites: Chinese New Year, real estate, and offshore purchasers. Having two cute "sisters" only added to the visual multimedia appeal of the story. In addition, it seemed like MAC basically spoonfed most of the story line to the reporters by giving very digestible quotes. They were plainly duped in the chase of this easy story.

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    3. rarely does the media tell the whole storey. So many times the real estate articles are not what was told. MLS stats tell it all. Cameron Muir chief economist at CMHC is miss quoted and the WHOLE storey is not told. They are trying to sell news papers truth or not. If you listened to everything you read and hear on the news you would not leave your home.

      Delete
  5. Bravo "Whispers"!!

    Way to bust these fraudsters.

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  6. Amanda at MAC company party, lol

    http://sphotos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/602833_10151431169633033_210801108_n.jpg

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  7. I hope CTV, CBC will do a follow-up story and CRTC will take action and make sure these things will not happen again. Report whats real, not the one sided BS propaganda that they had been reporting all these years. Thank you whisper.

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    Replies
    1. CBC is indeed following up! On MAC's facebook page:

      "Matthew Black I was the CBC reporter on this story and feel some clarification is in order:

      *Can you confirm that Amanda is the employee you refer to in the post above?
      *Is Chris Lee (from the TV pieces) actually Amanda Lee's sister?
      *Is Chris Lee a genuine prospective buyer from China, or, is she also a MAC employee?

      I trust you still have my contact information..."

      Delete
    2. All this should be forwarded to the BC-CTV reporter. Are they gonna let CBC scoop them on exposing real estate industry fraud and media manipulation?

      Delete
  8. This issue is just another reason why I don't watch the local "news" anymore, and I haven't for about five years now.

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  9. Looks like Marthew Black, the CBC-TV reporter has gone to the Facebook page to ask for an explanation.

    Where's the popcorn, this gets better with each passing hour.

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  10. All this should be forwarded to the BC-CTV reporter. Are they gonna let CBC scoop them on exposing real estate industry fraud and media manipulation?

    ReplyDelete
  11. The fraudulent CTV News report from Shannon Paterson should be forwarded to Lynda Steele ("Steele on Your Side") so she can expose it as a case of attempted consumer fraud.

    Oh, wait...maybe not..... :-)

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  12. WoW, unbelievable! Amanda Lee is probably gonna need some therapy after this ordeal. Poor girl. She was used. Well, she did choose to be in this lie. I wonder what other lies have been told and presented to us. Anyone want to hire her in the future? I think her name had gone down the credibility pipes unfortunately. Not very typical Chinese. Parents are probably very disappointed. No face.

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    Replies
    1. I wouldn't characterize Amanda as having been "used". She was a willing participant.

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    2. Look, she works for a marketing firm and a RE at that. All naivety disappeared after the first week of working there.

      Delete
  13. So Amanda Lee has become Amanda Chu on Facebook:

    http://www.facebook.com/sweety.amanda?ref=ts&fref=ts

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    Replies
    1. This is getting better than watching a movie on Netflix.

      Is this what a 'real' journalist feel like when they break open a story?

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    2. I agree, get the popcorn. Great job to all who contributed. I would love to see this on the 6 o'clock news!

      Delete
  14. Nice job Whispers! - moments like this really frame how rotten things have gotten to keep propping up this ridiculous bubble. Sadder is the fact that media and government, each beneficiaries of this bubble, will likely ignore it... I would encourage everyone to hound their local newspapers to cover this.

    That said, I think Amanda is a pawn in this, and her role should not be made more than what it likely was: doing what her boss asked her to in an employment market where people in the real estate industry are feeling the squeeze.

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  15. Reminds me of this story. Would've been useful to let everyone know that the interviewee worked in CONDO MARKETING! http://business.financialpost.com/2011/11/19/mingles-moving-housing-markets/

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