PR Week (US) articles from August 2004

PR Week (US) archives from August 2004

PR pros having problems pitching sensitive health issues to press.(Brief Article)
August 2, 2004... NEW YORK: Amid fears of hefty Federal Communications Commission (FCC) fines, PR professionals are encountering various levels of difficulty in pitching stories on sensitive health topics. Since the now famous Super Bowl incident in January...

Fleishman revises ethics standards amid LA crisis.
August 2, 2004... ST. LOUIS: Fleishman-Hillard is eliminating corporate contributions to political candidates or ballot issues and is creating a hotline for anyone employed by or associated with the firm to anonymously report 'questionable or unethical...

Dell and Gateway go in-house to fill top comms posts.(Brief Article)
August 2, 2004... ROUND ROCK, TX and POWAY, CA: Two of the biggest names in the PC world have looked internally to fill their top corporate communications jobs. Dell has promoted Lynn Tyson from VP of IR to VP of IR and corporate communications. Bob Sherbin...

OutCast replaces PN as EMC's agency.(Brief Article)
August 2, 2004... HOPKINTON, MA: In the midst of changing its business model, EMC has also changed PR agencies. After working with Porter Novelli for nearly nine years, it has selected San Francisco-based OutCast Communications as its new AOR. EMC...

PRWeek Forum to hold sessions on honing reputation.(Brief Article)
August 2, 2004... NEW YORK: The second PRWeek Forum will feature workshop sessions designed to help senior corporate communications professionals assert a leading role in managing the reputation of their organizations. Among the speakers is Bill Margaritis,...

Trump wins casino license with grassroots drive in IN.(Brief Article)
August 2, 2004... FRENCH LICK, IN: A grassroots PR effort that included giving away American flags for the Fourth of July has helped Donald Trump win the right to build a new casino in Orange County, an economically depressed area in Indiana. Trump even...

Hispanic PR Wire unveils election offers.(Brief Article)
August 2, 2004... MIAMI: To reach what officially became the US' largest minority group last summer, Hispanic PR Wire has introduced new packages for monitoring and distributing news during the 2004 election season. Hispanic PR Wire's three packages will...

Chicken firm blasts PETA for animal-abuse claims.(Brief Article)
August 2, 2004... NORFOLK, VA: At first it seemed an animal-rights group got one of its targets to pay attention to its criticisms, but then the company decided to strike back. On July 20, The New York Times ran an exclusive from People for the Ethical...

Golin Harris pegs Lochner its EVP of Southeast region.(Brief Article)
August 2, 2004... WASHINGTON: Golin Harris is bringing former CareerBuilder. com VP Eric Lochner aboard as EVP for the Southeastern region, a newly created position. Lochner said the IPG firm has experienced significant regional growth in recent years,...

News Brief: 9/11 Report calls on Congress.(Brief Article)
August 2, 2004... WASHINGTON: The 9/11 Commission Report called on Congress to increase funding for new US overseas broadcasting efforts, such as Radio Sawa, Radio Farda, and Alhurra. 'We believe that the people of the Middle East and elsewhere are best served...

News Brief: Hausmann leaves Ogilvy.(Brief Article)
August 2, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO and LOS ANGELES: Clay Hausmann, MD of Ogilvy PR's San Francisco and LA offices, has left the agency. Ogilvy declined to comment on Hausmann's departure. The firm named Margaret Gifford, SVP and tech-practice group director in...

News Brief: Brunswick provides counsel.(Brief Article)
August 2, 2004... NEW YORK: The Brunswick Group has provided PR counsel for two IPOs and two deals over the past month. The firm advised directory business Dex Media in its dollars 1 billion initial offering and Collegiate Funding Services, an education-finance...

News Brief: McPherson joins Horn.(Brief Article)
August 2, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO: Dee Anna McPherson has joined The Horn Group's Bay Area office as a principal, leading that office in client service, business development, and operations. McPherson had been an SVP and tech-practice group director in Ogilvy PR's...

News Brief: SBA appoints Cisneros.(Brief Article)
August 2, 2004... WASHINGTON: Raul Cisneros has been appointed as the new director of communications for the United States Small Business Administration (SBA). Prior to joining the SBA as assistant administrator for public communications in 2001, Cisneros served...

News Brief: DiBene director.(Brief Article)
August 2, 2004... SAN JOSE, CA: Micrel Semiconductor has named Julieanne DiBene as director of corporate communications. Prior to Micrel, DiBene was corporate communications director at Windbond Electronics. She has also worked at SGI and Unisys. Search firm...

News Brief: Citrix names A&R.(Brief Article)
August 2, 2004... FORT LAUDERDALE, FL: Citrix Systems has named A&R Partners as its new PR firm. Citrix's technology allows users to access desktop applications from servers.

News Brief: FitzGerald chosen.(Brief Article)
August 2, 2004... RESTON, VA: Software AG has chosen FitzGerald Communications as its agency of record. The company's software helps integrate applications and systems.

News Brief: Equity Group retained.(Brief Article)
August 2, 2004... HOUSTON: Sterling Construction Company has retained The Equity Group to provide IR services.

News Brief: Modine hires Prichard.(Brief Article)
August 2, 2004... RACINE, WI: Modine Manufacturing Company has hired David Prichard for its newly created position of director of IR and corporate communications. Prichard had been VP of IR and corporate relations at IMC Global in Lake Forest, IL.

News Brief: Drew joins MS&L.(Brief Article)
August 2, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO: Ben Drew has joined MS&L's Bay Area office as VP of corporate and public affairs. He will manage the San Francisco office's corporate and public affairs teams and will lead several accounts. Drew began working with MS&L as a...

News Brief: GCI Group employs 420.(Brief Article)
August 2, 2004... CLARIFICATION: The PRWeek Global Report should have stated that GCI Group in Europe employs 420 people. The information was not supplied for the report. For more news briefs, go to prweek.com.

ATA Airlines picks Hill & Knowlton as first lead agency.(Brief Article)
August 2, 2004... NEW YORK: Low-fare carrier ATA Airlines has named Hill & Knowlton its first AOR. Vicki Higgins, director of market development at 31-year-old ATA, said the airline conducted an informal search based on its own research and interviews of...

Havas talks to Grey as Omnicom posts its results from Q2.(Brief Article)
August 2, 2004... NEW YORK: On the holding company front, talks are under way between Havas and Grey Global about a possible purchase of Grey, and Omnicom has released its second-quarter results. Peggy Nahmany, director of external relations at Paris-based...

Virgin retools electronics firm, hires A&R.(Brief Article)
August 2, 2004... SAN JOSE, CA: Virgin is relaunching its nascent consumer electronics company with a more straightforward name, an eye on digital music, and a PR agency of record. Launched in October 2003 as Virgin Pulse, the company is now changing its...

PR pros lend press a hand at Democratic convention.
August 2, 2004... WASHINGTON: There was no shortage of reporters in Boston last week hunting for stories at the Democratic National Convention (DNC) - and no shortage of PR pros eager to aid in the search. About 200 PR staffers - mostly volunteers - were...

Groups endorse policies to stop bribery of media.(Brief Article)
August 2, 2004... NEW YORK: The Institute for Public Relations (IPR) and five other global media organizations have announced their support of a number of principles aimed at ending the practice of bribing journalists. The principles, which were set out in...

Wag Ed boosts its public affairs unit with new DC office.(Brief Article)
August 2, 2004... WASHINGTON: Waggener Edstrom is opening its doors in DC, the latest in a litany of firms expanding their public affairs work all the way to the Potomac. The Seattle-based tech agency launched a public affairs practice in June 2003 that now...

FischerHealth lifts Cone into SVP post at new office in MN.(Brief Article)
August 2, 2004... LOS ANGELES: FischerHealth, an agency that specializes in healthcare, has opened a Minneapolis office to go after healthcare and medical-devices accounts across the Midwest. Andrew Cone, an 18-year veteran of the medical-device business,...

IL creates comms office to simplify its press relations.(Brief Article)
August 2, 2004... SPRINGFIELD, IL: The state of Illinois plans to launch a new Office of Communications and Information today in an effort to streamline its media relations activities. While as many as 60 people in various departments had some media...

Gun debate heats up as ban's end looms.
August 2, 2004... WASHINGTON: Advocates on both sides of the gun control debate are turning up the volume as the 10-year-old ban on assault weapons inches toward expiration next month. The 1994 bill outlawing the manufacture of 19 firearms will lapse at...

Report reveals best brands share traits.
August 2, 2004... NEW YORK: This year's BusinessWeek/Interbrand 'Best Global Brands' report, to be published in the magazine this week, reveals a common link for the best of the best brands, said Jeff Swystun, global director at Interbrand, a research company....

News sites to host clinical trials database.(Brief Article)
August 2, 2004... ARLINGTON, VA: Two online news sites are addressing one of the most challenging steps in drug development by launching an advertorial section dedicated to recruiting patients for clinical trials. CenterWatch, a Boston-based clinical-trials...

France starts push to tout its business opportunities.(Brief Article)
August 2, 2004... NEW YORK: The image of France is one of chateaus, fine wine, culinary delicacies, and magnificent art. An aggressive new PR campaign is set to present the country as a place of cutting-edge business opportunities, as well. As part of the...

Suntory to launch new whiskey in US with Dentsu's help.(Brief Article)
August 2, 2004... NEW YORK: Japanese wine and spirits maker Suntory has hired the New York office of Dentsu Communications to handle PR for the introduction of its 18-year-old, single-malt whiskey in the US. Dentsu has put five people on the account. It held...

Editorial: Need for information on competitors grows as the post-Sarbanes-Oxley market picks up.
August 2, 2004... A sentence in WPP's 2003 annual report looks like it was lifted from PRWeek's pages. 'In the absence of reliable league tables, measuring market share has become difficult.' The statement appears on the overview of the holding company's PR...

Op-Ed: Marketers should give respect to win consumer trust.
August 2, 2004... Research continues to confirm that to a significant degree, consumers no longer care much about, nor care to listen to, what marketers have to say about their brands. According to a study presented by Yankelovich Partners at this year's...

Analysis: Fleishman's LA Office - Fleishman's LA controversy raises questions for all firms.(Fleishman-Hillard)
August 2, 2004... While Fleishman-Hillard faces accusations of overbilling in Los Angeles, some tricky issues have begun to emerge about agency management. Julia Hood reports. A client shared by Fleishman-Hillard and another firm recently received an...

Paul Holmes: If FDA sides with companies on lawsuits, it'll lose its bite as a watchdog for consumers.(Food and Drug Administration)
August 2, 2004... 'Who would I rather have deciding which drugs are safe - scientists or trial lawyers?' Robert Goldberg of the Manhattan Institute's Center for Medical Progress asks a question of dubious rhetorical integrity at the end of a column in The...

Media Roundup: Media gets ready for back to school.
August 2, 2004... Media interest in back-to-school issues grows as the story evolves beyond basic school supplies to the newest tech and lunch ideas for returning students. From an annual, almost private rite of passage for American children, accompanied by...

Media: Journalist Q & A - Peter Van Allen.(Interview)
August 2, 2004... Name: Peter Van Allen Publication: Philadelphia Business Journal Title: Staff writer Preferred contact method: pvanallen@bizjournals.com Website: www.bizjournals.com/philadelphia In addition to covering Philadelphia's...

Media Watch: Track & Field team runs into problems.(Brief Article)
August 2, 2004... As the Summer Olympics near, the US Track & Field team faces assorted dilemmas as a result of athletes' use of banned performance-enhancing drugs. Scandals include an alleged doping ring linked to a California sports-supplement company and a...

Media Brands: Traditional reporters should adopt bloggers' liberation from old journalism conventions.
August 2, 2004... By the time this column appears, some of the nation's political bloggers will have had their first moment in a spotlight that isn't of their own making. The decision by the media gatekeepers at the Democratic National Convention to admit a few...

Corporate Case Study: Unilever embraces PR's major role in marketing mix.(Unilever Home and Personal Care USA)
August 2, 2004... PR's role in Unilever's home and personal-care group had long been confined to just publicity. In 2001, a new era commenced in which PR became a key strategic voice in marketing efforts. John N. Frank reports. PR for Unilever's home and...

The Agency Business: To satisfy clients, sometimes two firms are better than one.
August 2, 2004... After working together on a project for Eddie Bauer, Clearpoint Agency and KS Promotions came to realize the added value to clients when agencies combine their specialties. Thom Weidlich reports. Strategic alliances are a good way for...

Profile: Thompson sells Leo Burnett on the benefits of PR.(Julie Thompson)(Leo Burnett Company Inc)
August 2, 2004... At Leo Burnett, Julie Thompson, SVP and director of corporate affairs, worldwide, uses PR to show prospective clients that the advertising agency is keeping pace with the times. John N. Frank reports. Julie Thompson spent her early PR days...

A threat to nonprofits.
August 2, 2004... Nonprofit If it weren't for the fear of unintended consequences, Washington would be a ghost town. Lobbyists, PR pros, activists, organizers - nearly all who work here are in some way just making sure Congress doesn't, in the course of...

Regional Focus: San Diego and Orange County - Comeback in SoCal.
August 2, 2004... Despite client caution, business is up in idyllic Southern California. For those outside of Southern California, the neighboring areas of San Diego and Orange County are often lumped together. Traveling south from Los Angeles, it's hard to...

PR Technique: Election Season - Weaning the media off its election diet.
August 2, 2004... Persuading the media to listen to any non-election pitch will be hard in the coming months. Tom Acitelli discovers how newswires and broadcast companies can help. The race between George W. Bush and John Kerry promises to be one of the...

Campaign: Nikon shifts focus to new audience in latest Coolpix drive.
August 2, 2004... PR team: MWW Group and Nikon (East Rutherford, NJ) Campaign: Nikon Coolpix: Moving the brand to a new level Time frame: January to December 2003 Budget: About dollars 200,000 MWW Group, which prior had maintained the brand's...

Campaign: 'Register' widens exposure of lead-poisoning report.
August 2, 2004... PR team: The Orange County Register (Santa Ana, CA) Campaign: 'Toxic Treats' Time frame: April 2004 to present Budget: dollars 3,500 But that's exactly what Orange County Register reporter Jenifer McKim discovered in May 2002 while...

Campaign: CSPF unites state-park advocates to buoy lobby efforts.(California State Parks Foundation, Landis Communications)
August 2, 2004... PR team: California State Parks Foundation (Kentfield, CA) and Landis Communications (San Francisco) Campaign: Advocacy Day Time frame: January to April 2004 Budget: dollars 40,000 But with California in dire financial straits, the...

The Publicist: The summertime heat brings about a bevy of PR meltdowns.(Los Angeles Department of Water and Power)
August 2, 2004... Summer is supposed to be a time for chillin'. Especially in LA. We invented laid-back. So why is everyone in such a dither? I return from a month-long business trip back East to discover it's summertime, but the livin' is uneasy. Last...

PR Play of the Week: Dems turn 'Shove it' remark into a boost.(Brief Article)
August 2, 2004... So much of politics is learning how to spin a difficult personality. Just ask anyone who's ever worked for Dick Cheney, John McCain, or Al Sharpton. Last week, the Democratic party may have found just the right torque required for...

Toy Box: Sprint's Treo connects on many levels.(Brief Article)
August 2, 2004... Is it too strong to say I'm in love with a tech device? Sprint sent me a Treo 600 - a combination phone, PDA, and camera - and I've found it very user-friendly and functional. If I traveled a great deal, this is the phone I would carry so I...

Book Review: The place to begin for PR newcomers.(public relations)(Book Review)
August 2, 2004... If I just landed on Earth and wanted to learn what PR is, why it's important, and how to approach it, I'd read this book. It provides a thorough overview of how PR should be practiced and how it fits into a marketing plan. Those most...

SAP retools global comms to align top execs with target audiences.(communications)(Brief Article)
August 9, 2004... WALLDORF, GERMANY: Enterprise software giant SAP has reorganized its global communications structure to have its top executives more aligned with four key audiences - customers, investors, employees, and the public. Some of the positions...

US agencies helping China media train spokespeople.(public relations)
August 9, 2004... WASHINGTON: The Chinese government may never be known for transparency, but it is now taking at least one major step in that direction: the creation of its first national network of spokespeople. And it is using American communicators -...

NYSE works to unveil Direct Plus plan while handling terror warning.(New York Stock Exchange)
August 9, 2004... NEW YORK: With the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) gearing up to announce a major electronic-trading initiative, little did its PR pros know that they would also be hastily orchestrating press briefings in the wake of renewed terrorist threats -...

Burger King pegs DeSutter its SVP of corporate comms.(Brief Article)
August 9, 2004... MIAMI: Burger King has hired Steven DeSutter as its SVP of corporate communications. DeSutter, 50, will report to CEO Greg Brenneman and will be a member of the executive leadership team committee. He will oversee global corporate...

Apple blasts RealNetworks' new digital-music software.(Brief Article)
August 9, 2004... CUPERTINO, CA, and SEATTLE: A PR war with no end in sight has broken out between Apple and RealNetworks. On July 26, Real announced its new Harmony software, which allows consumers to convert their music downloads into formats recognized on...

AT&T nearing a decision on PR agency.(Brief Article)
August 9, 2004... BEDMINSTER, NJ: AT&T is close to selecting a new PR agency to work on branding projects as it refocuses its PR on its technology prowess. (See Analysis, p. 9.) AT&T has no agency of record, working instead with a variety of agencies on...

Survey predicts 8% climb for PR spending by 2008.(Brief Article)
August 9, 2004... WASHINGTON: Spending on PR will increase by 8% in the next four years, continuing a trend that has already seen it rise more than 11% since 1998, according to a new media study. Spending on communications overall - including ads, PR,...

Chick turns down Fleishman bill for its Port of LA work.(Laura Chick)(Brief Article)
August 9, 2004... LOS ANGELES: City Controller Laura Chick last week rejected a Fleishman-Hillard invoice. Chick 'has returned an invoice for dollars 2,200 that was for work at the Port of Los Angeles,' said her communications director, Rob Wilcox, adding...

News Brief: Tyson to rely on agencies for PR.(Brief Article)
August 9, 2004... SPRINGDALE, AK: Tyson Foods will rely on its advertising agencies to handle PR for a new integrated campaign that seeks to position the company as a protein provider, rather than simply a processor of chicken, beef, and pork products. Arnold...

News Brief: McMullen head at JP Morgan Chase.(Brief Article)
August 9, 2004... CHICAGO: Melinda McMullen, formerly SVP of communications and public affairs with Bank One in Chicago, has become the head of communications for retail financial services at JP Morgan Chase now that the merger of Bank One and Chase is complete....

News Brief: FDA to cancel RFP.(Brief Article)
August 9, 2004... WASHINGTON: Budget restrictions have forced the Food and Drug Administration to cancel and re-issue an RFP from earlier this year concerning an elaborate 100th birthday celebration. The FDA originally sought an agency to run a wide-ranging,...

News Brief: Intuit names Pforzheimer VP.(Brief Article)
August 9, 2004... MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA: Financial software and services company Intuit, maker of popular programs such as TurboTax, has named Harry Pforzheimer as its VP of communications. Pforzheimer will oversee all external and internal communications. He left...

News Brief: Arp to join Nautilus.(Brief Article)
August 9, 2004... VANCOUVER, WA: Ron Arp, a 16-year veteran of Fleishman-Hillard and currently GM of the agency's office in Portland, OR, later this month will join The Nautilus Group in the new position of SVP of corporate communications, overseeing all...

News Brief: DigitalLife names agency.(Brief Article)
August 9, 2004... NEW YORK: Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide has been named PR agency for DigitalLife, a consumer technology event to be held October 14-17, 2004, in New York. DigitalLife is produced by Ziff Davis Media. Full story at prweek.com.

News Brief: FreshDirect hires MWW.(Brief Article)
August 9, 2004... EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ: MWW Group has been hired by online grocer FreshDirect as AOR (full story at prweek.com) and by Digital Lifestyles for the launch of hip-e, a new line of hardware and software products.

News Brief: Licata EVP.(Executive Vice President )(Brief Article)
August 9, 2004... LOS ANGELES: Richard Licata has been promoted to EVP of corporate communications for Showtime Networks. Licata will be responsible for the strategic planning and execution of all global public and media relations designed to enhance Showtime's...

News Brief: Keller joins Trevelino.(Trevelino Communications )(Brief Article)
August 9, 2004... ATLANTA: Genna Keller, former head of Ogilvy PR's Atlanta office, has joined Trevelino Communications as a partner and head of its new Washington, DC, office. The year-old niche technology firm will rebrand as Trevelino/Keller Communications...

News Brief: Lime PR & Promotion opens office.(Lime PR & Promotion )(Brief Article)
August 9, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO: Lime PR & Promotion has opened an office in the Bay Area. The new office's clients include Chela Education Financing, alcoholic energy drink Sparks, and BBC America. VP and communications director Laura Leinweber will oversee the...

Allison & Partners lands AOR post at Pearl Foundation.(Agency of Record)(Brief Article)
August 9, 2004... LOS ANGELES: The Daniel Pearl Foundation has chosen Allison & Partners as its first AOR. Marianne Scott, executive director of the foundation, said the agency was chosen after 'a few' others were interviewed 'because of its experience in...

CDC hunts for firm to direct three HIV prevention efforts.(Brief Article)
August 9, 2004... WASHINGTON: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is on the hunt for an agency to run three campaigns furthering a controversial new approach to HIV prevention. The CDC shifted its approach to HIV outreach last year, placing...

IPG, Publicis, Havas release revenues for Q2.(Brief Article)
August 9, 2004... NEW YORK and PARIS: Three agency holding companies have released their 2004 second quarter results, with two showing increased revenues and one showing declining revenues. Interpublic reported this past Thursday a global net loss for the...

Google faces challenge as public offering draws near.
August 9, 2004... MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA: Google's highly anticipated and much salivated over IPO has hit a couple of rough patches along the path to market. First was the somewhat cool reaction to the company's announcement that it expected its stock to sell as...

Aflac sponsors baseball game to enhance brand.(Brief Article)
August 9, 2004... COLUMBUS, GA: Aflac has continued its recent PR outreach by sponsoring the Aflac All-American Classic baseball game, which was scheduled to be played Friday and broadcast on Fox Sports Net yesterday. The supplemental workplace insurance...

Edelman helping Kaiser with PR for new ad campaign.(Brief Article)
August 9, 2004... OAKLAND, CA: Kaiser Permanente last week undertook its most expensive advertising campaign to date - and the health maintenance organization is also working with Edelman to craft the messages behind it. The PR component is largely in-house...

Fleishman runs media outreach for Statue of Liberty's reopening.(Brief Article)
August 9, 2004... NEW YORK: Fleishman-Hillard was hired by the National Park Service to handle the media outreach for last week's reopening of the Statue of Liberty. The team, structured primarily out of the DC office, worked on the account for less than...

CA venture capital firm appoints MSR agency of record.(Brief Article)
August 9, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO: MSR Communications has been named the AOR for BA Venture Partners (BAVP), a Silicon Valley-based venture capital partnership. BAVP previously had a part-time, in-house publicity rep, but opted to go with an external firm....

Subway under pressure to apologize for insulting US.(Brief Article)
August 9, 2004... ALEXANDRIA, VA: A conservative group, the Center for Individual Freedom, plans to keep public pressure on the Subway sandwich chain until the company apologizes for tray liners used in its German outlets that depicted an overweight Statue of...

Fleishman to help PepsiCo highlight healthy products.
August 9, 2004... PURCHASE, NY: PepsiCo, working with the Chicago office of Fleishman-Hillard, has launched a major consumer education effort spotlighting healthy food and beverage products it makes. The company on July 29 unveiled its new green Smart Spot...

Editorial: Apple's iPod displays how PR can hit the right note - even with the most cynical among us.(Apple Computer Inc.,)
August 9, 2004... One of the irritations of working in marketing-trade journalism is becoming hyper-aware of when you're being marketed to. It's like always being aware of your nose, and just as unavoidable an appendage. Sometimes, however, even cynical...