ONE OF 2007'S "MOST HATED COMPANIES"

Be sure to scroll down to get up-to-date on all the controversy surrounding Home Depot's $25,000 YouTube contest, in which they allowed the winning video to re-edit their entry AFTER the contest was over, in order to meet their own contest rules.

If you scroll down down far enough, you'll read the post regarding IMRE Communications getting involved in this promotional contest. This was their first time operating a YouTube contest, but not the first time they have been hired by Home Depot. Home Depot has had a tough time with their company image, noted especially by the AOL Money and Finance poll that, with over 200,000 votes, pegged Home Depot as one of the most hated companies in for 2007. (More analysis here) Given that dubious title, and because this YouTube contest was all about promoting their Gift Cards and building their brand, you would think this would trigger extra safeguards to ensure they conduct their promotions with the utmost in accuracy and response to all the contest entrants. It would appear that wasn't the case.

I'm interested in seeing how Home Depot has portrayed this contest results, since they haven't said a peep about it on the YouTube site that I am aware of. If anyone is aware of official press releases given by Home Depot regarding this contest, and how they presented it to the media, please let me know. Maybe we'll luck out and Manish Shrivastava, President, Home Depot Incentives will stop by and let us know.

For reference, here's the Press Release they published when the contest was underway.