AUGUSTA GROUP DROPS "ANTI-MARTHA BURK" AD CAMPAIGN

A coalition of Augusta, Georgia community leaders abandoned a planned aggressive advertising and public relations "counterattack" campaign to combat Martha Burk's protest at the Augusta National Golf Club during next week's Masters golf tournament.

(PRWEB) April 5, 2003 ---Augusta marketing executive Bert Dean today announced that a planned multimedia campaign targeting Martha Burk will not take place. At the repeated urgings of several respected and highly-placed individuals in the community, the coalition of committees has voted to withdraw our counterattack effort at this time," reports Mr. Dean, a senior partner in OShields and Dean Marketing Communications.

Dean adds: Reliable sources indicate that Ms. Burk, as did Jesse Jackson, is already waffling on the Augusta National 'Masters Week protest issue. She recently reported that her group was downplaying her attack on Hootie Johnson and friends in favor of concentrating more on their anti-war, anti-Bush, anti-American protest efforts."

When asked her reaction to the coalitions decision, Vera Stewart, the nationally-recognized Internet entrepreneur who founded Augusta-based confectioners Very Vera, Inc., replied: I think this is the proper course of action for your coalition at this time. The truth is that Martha and her minions know that they dont have enough support from area women to assemble the kind of crowd it would take to engender the press coverage she so transparently craves."

Ms. Stewart, who is not a member of the coalition, continues: With that in mind, I would think that your group would not want to run the risk of inadvertently and unintentionally playing into her hands by providing her with the commercial media leverage to afford her even more access to the press."

Bert Dean also pointed to recent reports on national radio talk shows that Ms. Burk is facing internal dissension within the ranks of the National Council of Womens Organizations, which

Martha Burk heads: Weve heard, just this week, that Martha may be facing a challenge to her leadership by those within her own council who are not at all supportive of her bullying tactics on the Augusta National membership policy issue."

Dean offers the opinion, shared by a large number of Augustans----male and female---that Nobody likes thinly-veiled threats, intimidation tactics and blackmailing. In her words and by her actions, Ms. Burk has proven herself to be nothing more than a common shakedown artist with an advanced degree."

Dean stated that all of the underwriting funds collected for the planned multimedia campaign are being returned to all supporters this week.

OShields and Dean Marketing Communications, with headquarters in Augustas Enterprise Mill downtown office and residential complex, was asked to develop and coordinate the advertising and public relations campaign by key community leaders involved with CSRA First and Citizens Action Committee, the two largest coalition organizations.

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