Chamberlain: Accommodation in our Time
Author: Jon KrugerApropos of recent Wisconsin poll item where Chamberlain Research Associates defends its "independent" poll, I did a search on UCSF's document base. What a surprise; 40 hits.
Turns out Chamberlain has a long history of doing polls cited extensively by Philip Morris PR. Polls that turn out to have been paid for by Philip Morris. Polls that often don't reveal they were paid for by Philip Morris. Polls that often state they are done for some other organization.
See below for summary of my search results.
As far as I can tell Chamberlain is a PR firm that takes lots of Philip Morris money, delivers "poll" results that support Philip Morris business and PR interests, and these results end up in the mouths of Philip Morris and organizations it apparently has used as fronts for the surveys.
So to hear about a "gift from Chamberlain to the community"* that just happens once again to favor Philip Morris business interests, well, I'd say skepticism would be healthy here.
1990 Philip Morris PR says polls show the public wants smoking in restaurants; cites poll done by Chamberlain Research Consultants for Wisconsin Restaurant Association. http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/cty82c00
1995 Philip Morris admits its "Accommodation Program" paid Chamberlain for this (NB: or a remarkably similar) poll. http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/nju94c00
1997 Philip Morris PR says polls show the public is against cigarette taxes; cites poll done by Chamberlain Research Consultants for the Wisconsin Grocers Association; PR doesn't say who paid for the poll. http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/ojy21c00
1998 Chamberlain does another poll that also claims to show the public wants smoking in restaurants; says poll was done for the Wisconsin Restaurant Association. http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/ixo35c00
1998 Philip Morris PR cites 1998 Chamberlain poll pushing for smoking in restaurants. http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/pno06c00
1998 Philip Morris admits it paid for 1998 Chamberlain poll. http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/qsv94a00
1999 Philip Morris pays Chamberlain to do study of PM's image. Chamberlain finds the public doesn't like Philip Morris. http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/qax45c00
1999 News article says both smoking and smokefree sides have polls supporting their position, cites Chamberlain poll; Edward Lump, of the Wisconsin Restaurant Association doesn't disclose that Philip Morris apparently paid for a WRA poll he cites. http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/tfx97d00
*Heather Hagenow: Chamberlain defends independent polling on smoking ban Source: (Madison, WI) Capital Times, 2005-08-31 Author: Heather Hagenow http://www.madison.com/tct/opinion//index.php?ntid=52407&ntpid=4