PR Week (US) articles from January 2002

PR Week (US) archives from January 2002

Cordiant's PR division rudderless as too dogs exit amid squabble.(Cordiant Communications Group PLC; Business Communications International)(Brief Article)
January 28, 2002... LONDON: A huge row has broken out between Cordiant Communications and the management of its international PR division, Business Communications International (BCI), leading to the ejection of its two bosses. Both CEO Nick Miles and group...

Kmart struggles to convey that it's business as usual.(Brief Article)
January 28, 2002... TROY, MI: IR powerhouse Kekst & Company is assisting long-term client Kmart with its Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings. However, the retailer appears to be facing more general PR challenges without its usual stable of agencies. Firms that...

PRtrak beefed up through SDI deal.(Brief Article)
January 28, 2002... PHILADELPHIA: Trak Ware, developer of the PRtrak media-coverage measurement software, is hoping to take measurement into a new dimension with its new owner: market research and consulting provider Surveillance Data (SDI). Philadelphia's...

Microsoft targets Hispanic markets with aid from GDB.(Brief Article)
January 28, 2002... CORAL GABLES, FL: Microsoft is making a concerted effort to tap into the burgeoning Hispanic small-business market, and has retained mid-size PR firm GDB & Partners to help. A series of educational and networking events, entitled "Build...

Top names in auto PR all under one roof.(Stratacomm ;Jason Vines, Arthur Liebler, Bruce MacDonald)(Brief Article)
January 28, 2002... DETROIT: Two of the best-known names in automotive PR have been snapped up by Stratacomm to bolster its presence in Motor City. Jason Vines, former VP of communications at Ford, and Arthur "Bud" Liebler, former SVP of marketing at...

Golin/Harris International has won a shootout with Manning Selvage & Lee for Sprint PCS business in the Chicago, Northern Indiana and Wisconsin region. (Briefs - Chicago).
January 28, 2002... Golin/Harris International has won a shootout with Manning Selvage & Lee for Sprint PCS business in the Chicago, Northern Indiana and Wisconsin region. The six-figure account was previously held by PR21.

Alcade & Fay, an independent lobbying and public affairs agency, has spun off its PR practice, creating a new company called Capitoline Communications. (Briefs - Arlington, VA).(Brief Article)
January 28, 2002... Alcade & Fay, an independent lobbying and public affairs agency, has spun off its PR practice, creating a new company called Capitoline Communications. Jennifer Hirshberg will serve as president of the firm, which will keep its own books and...

Business Wire has promoted Laura Sturaitis, former Florida regional manager, to VP of new media development. (Briefs - New York).(Brief Article)
January 28, 2002... Business Wire has promoted Laura Sturaitis, former Florida regional manager, to VP of new media development. Texan Wire employees, Ken Bouton and Judi Swartz, were named regional managers at the company's recent national sales meeting. In...

Medialink Worldwide has hired broadcast news and production veteran Ronald Piedrahita as vice president of production. (Briefs - New York).
January 28, 2002... Medialink Worldwide has hired broadcast news and production veteran Ronald Piedrahita as vice president of production. Piedrahita will direct a team of producers and help formulate communications strategies with corporate and public relations...

Boutique telecommunications and cable specialist Bob Gold and Associates has signed three new accounts with a total value of $225,000. (Briefs - Los Angeles).
January 28, 2002... Boutique telecommunications and cable specialist Bob Gold and Associates has signed three new accounts with a total value of $225,000. The clients include Two Way TV, an interactive TV provider; Incanta, a broadband provider of premium...

Access Communications. (Briefs - San Francisco).(Brief Article)
January 28, 2002... Access Communications had added an SVP and three new clients worth a combined $500,000 for the year. For Thomson Financial, the agency will work on an internal communications project that includes intranet research and development of related...

Medialink. (Briefs - New York).(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 28, 2002... Medialink announced last Wednesday that it will report fourth-quarter revenues modestly exceeding the high end of previously announced guidance. Medialink provided revenue guidance on November 6, 2001, in the range of $10.5 million to $11.0...

Golin/Harris International to its list of sponsors for the 2002 PRWeek Awards. (Briefs - New York).
January 28, 2002... PRWeek has announced the addition of Golin/Harris International to its list of sponsors for the 2002 PRWeek Awards. It will sponsor the Boutique Agency of the Year category.

New report says figuring out customers isn't easy. (News).(Brief Article)
January 28, 2002... NEW YORK: According to a report recently presented at a National Retail Federation conference in New York, consumers are becoming too complex to conveniently pigeonhole by age, race, or gender. "The customer isn't who he or she might first...

Comeback on the horizon for tech? (News).(high technology)(Brief Article)
January 28, 2002... LOS ANGELES: Hi-tech account wins for PR firms in Southern California seem to be making a rebound, despite last year's industry shakeout. "I can report a cautious improvement in the calls we're getting," says Sue Bohle of The Bohle...

Magnet launches 'brand publishing'. (News).(Magnet Communications)(Brief Article)
January 28, 2002... NEW YORK: Magnet Communications has gone into the book business. While its titles aren't likely to storm the bestseller list, the firm is touting its "brand publishing" program as a way for clients to pursue multiple communications goals...

Spanish-language milk campaign goes mainstream. (News).(Brief Article)
January 28, 2002... LOS ANGELES: In an effort to stem a decline in milk consumption among California's teenagers, the long-lived "Got Milk?" campaign has launched a Spanish-language ad and PR initiative featuring a mythical Latina who constantly cries for the...

September 11 victims are united by Push to get their voices heard. (News).(Stephen Push)(Brief Article)
January 28, 2002... WASHINGTON: As part of an increasingly sophisticated communications strategy, Stephen Push, treasurer of Families of September 11, has worked with PR Newswire to establish a blast e-mail system that is already paying media relations dividends....

WSW wrestles i2 PR from Edelman. (News).(Weber Shandwick Worldwide; i2 Technologies)(Brief Article)
January 28, 2002... DALLAS: Weber Shandwick Worldwide has grabbed i2 Technologies' PR account from Edelman in a fight that also included Fleishman-Hillard. The software company's PR director, Susan La Dow, wouldn't acknowledge the selection, stating that...

PRN called unfair by Business Wire. (News).(PR Newswire)(Brief Article)
January 28, 2002... New York: A Business Wire executive has told PR Week that he believes chief competitor PR Newswire (PRN) is engaging in unfair marketing practices. Michael Lissauer, SVP of marketing and business strategy, said PRN is telling its...

Experts mull the impact of Enron collapse on IR pros. (News).(investor relations)(Brief Article)
January 28, 2002... NEW YORK: The web of corporate deceit and investor distress that took place at Enron has, according to Lou Thompson, president and CEO of the National Investor Relations Institute, possible implications for rank-and-file JR people. "If...

Counties banding together to show level of readiness. (News).(Brief Article)
January 28, 2002... WASHINGTON: The National Association of Counties (NACo) is harnessing the results of a new public health study to raise Congressional funding for the group's six-point plan to prepare the country against biological and chemical attacks. ...

CEOs categorized by their media tastes. (News).(Brief Article)
January 28, 2002... NEW YORK: Traditional b-to-b PR plans target major business publications on the assumption that they are they best way to reach senior corporate execs. But a new survey conducted for Doremus & Co., a New York ad agency, seeks to add a new...

Talk silenced, but Brown spouts off. (News).(Brief Article)
January 28, 2002... NEW YORK: Following the decision by Miramax and the Hearst Corporation on January 18 to withdraw their joint funding of Talk, editor-in-chief Tina Brown embarked on an impromptu PR campaign, attempting to posthumously rebrand the buzz-seeking...

Ogilvy PR buys into PRAP to enter Japan. (News).(Brief Article)
January 28, 2002... TOKYO, JAPAN: WPP chief executive Martin Sorrell has made good on his promise to grow business in Asia. Last week, Ogilvy PR entered the notoriously tough Japanese market, acquiring a one-third stake in the $15 million firm PRAP. ...

DKC reviving hotel in downtown NYC. (News).(Dan Klores Communications to promote Regent Wall Street Hotel and Ballroom)(Brief Article)
January 28, 2002... NEW YORK: To get out from under the considerable shadow September 11 cast over lower Manhattan, the Regent Wall Street Hotel and Ballroom has hired Dan Klores Communications (DKC) as agency of record. The venue appointed the agency last...

BBC's Ayres hired to teach UK to LA. (News).(Alan Ayres, drama publicist)(Brief Article)
January 28, 2002... LONDON: Alan Ayres, the BBC's top drama publicist, has been signed by an unnamed LA-based agency to help its movie-star clients navigate the British media scene. Ayres would not reveal the name of the agency due to contractual issues. ...

AMP now offering flat-rate PR services. (News).(Albrycht McClure & Partners )(Brief Article)
January 28, 2002... WASHINGTON and NEWARK, CA: Package pricing for PR services, a trend first reported in PR Week late last year, has accelerated. Virtual PR and marketing agency Albrycht McClure & Partners (AMP) has now joined the fiat-rate bandwagon. ...

Perrier taps L&P to get San Pellegrino served in more restaurants. (News).(Lewis & Partners)(Brief Article)
January 28, 2002... GREENWICH, CT: The Perrier Group has given Lewis & Partners (L&P) a $600,000 PR, events, and sponsorship management account for its sparkling water San Pellegrino. Ogilvy had been Pellegrino's PR agency, but Perrier wanted a PR firm with...

Internal hire gets Baxter comms job. (News).(Sally Benjamin Young)(Brief Article)
January 28, 2002... DEERFIELD, IL: Baxter International has reached inside to replace Matt Gonring, who late last year left his post as VP of corporate communications. Sally Benjamin Young becomes the new VP of communications for Baxter Healthcare...

Harlequin's new book line romances younger crowd. (News).(Brief Article)
January 28, 2002... NEW YORK: Hoping to tap into a whole new market, Harlequin Enterprises, the world's largest publisher of romance fiction, is launching a new division: Red Dress Ink. The new book line is being pitched as Sex and the City meets Ally McBeal....

NY groups battle passive smoking. (News).(Brief Article)
January 28, 2002... ALBANY, NY: The Coalition for a Healthy New York, a group of private health organizations, plans a February launch for a three-year, $290,000 PR campaign addressing the dangers of secondhand smoke. The coalition has picked Eric Mower &...

Nobody can ignore Enron implications.(Brief Article)(Editorial)
January 28, 2002... In our analysis of the damage the Enron debacle has done to the reputation of the accounting profession (opposite page), Lou Thompson, president of NIRI, correctly asserts that more disclosure will achieve little if corporations continue to use...

Letters.
January 28, 2002... Who you know can help in PR, but what you know matters the most The headline for your January 21 piece on Ken Luce ("Luce proves successful PR is about who you know") reinforces a terrible PR stereotype, one that must be put in its proper...

Why public relations is an easy target for job cuts -- and what to do about it. (Thought Leader).(Brief Article)
January 28, 2002... In 2001, PRWeek pages were strewn with articles about layoffs. PR firm firings seemed to get the most attention, but corporate staffs were also reduced. Our profession isn't the only one to suffer in the economic downturn, of course. Other...

Industry left accountable for activities at Andersen. (Reputation Management).(Arthur Andersen and Co.)
January 28, 2002... When Andersen signed off Enron's questionable balance sheets, it condemned the entire accounting industry to PR purgatory, and left it with the monumental task of trying to regain America's trust. Before Enron combusted in a show of kinetic...

Holmes: A silver lining emerges from the clouds of Enron's debacle: the vitality of free speech. (Analysis).(Paul Holmes)(Brief Article)
January 28, 2002... Enron was a generous campaign contributor to Democratic and GOP candidates alike, but a particularly loyal supporter of President Bush. It has given more than $550,000 to Mr. Bush for various campaigns. Enron executives Ken Lay and Jeffrey...

The business is the story, not the titillating products. (Client Profile).
January 28, 2002... Reporters were more likely to look at New Frontier's products than its quarterly reports. But the adult-entertainment company has embraced PR to show the media and investors that it means business. There's an old joke told in smoke-filled...

Media predicts that Andersen may follow Enron's road to ruin. (Media Watch).(Arthur Andersen and Co.)(Brief Article)
January 28, 2002... Increasingly, it's looking like Enron is a tar baby that is nothing but trouble for anyone who comes into contact with it. Legislators, lawyers, former employees, and the media are all scrutinizing the bankrupt energy firm's accountant,...

Real Estate Coverage builds on wide range of media. (Media Roundup).
January 28, 2002... With Americans taking advantage of low interest rates to buy homes, the media's coverage of real estate is also on the rise, with editorial taking different local and national angles. Those who view real estate as one of the less exciting...

Philly stakes claim on the hearts and minds of the city's elite. (Media Profile).(Philadelphia magazine)(Brief Article)
January 28, 2002... As Philadelphia magazine nears its 100th birthday, its reputation keeps growing thanks to a cornucopia of editorial topics, ranging from local heroes to Playboy Playmates. In the weeks after it went into print last summer, a link to a...

Cripps, a born leader, vows to extend Council's reach. (Profile).(Kathy Cripps; Council of PR Firms)(Brief Article)
January 28, 2002... This past December, a huge void was left at The Council of PR Firms when Jack Bergen resigned the presidency. But in Kathy Cripps, a most worthy successor has been named. When news reached industry leaders that Jack Bergen had resigned the...

What tech clients really want: The balance of power in hi-tech has shifted, with clients calling all the shots. Julia Hood asks how PR agencies can woo them now.
January 28, 2002... A lot of hi-tech PR firms would like to know what Kevin McGuirk is thinking. That's because the recently hired VP of corporate communications and branding for BEA Systems embodies much of the uncertainty plaguing the hi-tech sector right now....

Stories of success: The economy may have hit commercial development, but luxury and mix-use construction is booming. Allen Houston looks at the role of PR in real estate. (Market Focus Real Estate).
January 28, 2002... Economists were already forecasting a slowdown in the construction of retail, industrial, and commercial property when the events of September 11 transpired. Projections for commercial real estate worsened. With lenders hesitant to provide...

Cause and effect: Choosing the right charity; Charitable support has the power to boost a corporate brand to new heights. But tying the company to the right nonprofit is essential. (PR Technique Cause-Related Marketing).(Statistical Data Included)
January 28, 2002... American Express was hardly the first corporation to ally itself with a charitable cause. But its 1984 Statue of Liberty restoration campaign marked a turning point in the collaboration between non- and for-profit companies. It also introduced...

Survey helps Life Savers fill PR hole. (Branding).(Brief Article)
January 28, 2002... Client: Kraft Confections PR Team: Coyne PR Campaign: The Hole Truth survey Time Frame: Summer 2001 Budget: under $250,000 Do you suck or bite? That was the question that got the whole thing started. Or rather, the...

Santa delivers for a struggling USPS. (Media Relations).(United States Postal Service)(Brief Article)
January 28, 2002... Client: United States Postal Service (Great Lakes region) PR Team: In-house Campaign: Peek Into Santa's Mailbag Time Frame: November/December 2001 Budget: Staff time The fiscal year for the United States Postal Service...

Pandora's Problem Page. (Careers).(Brief Article)(Column)
January 28, 2002... Q I work for an agency that represents a lot of pharmaceutical and healthcare companies. One of our clients is the manufacturer of a prescription drug that was once thought to cause serious and provocative side effects (which I don't want to go...

My Big Break. (Careers).
January 28, 2002... "Since I was a kid. I wanted to be in broadcasting. I produced my own radio show from my bedroom closet. After earning a Masters in journalism, landed a job at KMB C-TV in Kansas City, and stayed for 13 years. It was an exhilarating time --...

Rachel Solar-Tuttle. (Where I Work).
January 28, 2002... Senior writer/creative strategist Bishoff Solomon Communications Number of PR dept. employee: 21 Address: 98 N. Washington, Street, Suite 300, Boston, MA 02114 Phone: (617) 557-4533 Web: www.bishoffsolomon.com How long...

Cuban manages Dairy Queen to a royal PR triumph. (Last Call).(Mark Cuban)(Brief Article)
January 28, 2002... When the folks at Dairy Queen see a PR opportunity, they're all over it like chocolate on a dipped cone. Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban dished up the PR treat of a lifetime recently when, during one of his frequent rants against the NBA...

Unlucky publicist goes out on limb in promoting bout.(Brief Article)
January 28, 2002... It's a dangerous job, this PR lark. In one corner there was Fernando Vargas, wearing an electronic monitor to fulfill a 90-day sentence for conspiracy to commit assault. In the other was his rival, Oscar De La Hoya -- the Golden Boy of...

Despite the effort, 'Puppetry' cannot pull press' strings.(Puppetry of the Penis)(Brief Article)
January 28, 2002... When PRWeek read that more than a dozen women had contacted the audition hotline for the off-Broadway hit Puppetry of the Penis, we thought we'd spotted evidence of a PR campaign gone awry. After all, how well could the show be marketing itself...

PR pro displays a unique talent for communicating.(Brief Article)
January 28, 2002... Occasionally, a press release arrives that is so well written, it must be printed in its entirety. This one, from a Javier Lopez, arrived in our in-box last week with the promising headline, "Group of companies MC Plant remanufacturadora...

PR phone pitches must only be tried at certain periods.(Brief Article)
January 28, 2002... Any media relations specialist will tell you that the most important thing to do early in any relationship with the press is to establish their deadlines; those black spots in which a phone call from a flack is as welcome as Lizzie Grubman in a...

People's Choice Awards score brownie points with the media. (Tales from Tinseltown).(Brief Article)
January 28, 2002... Notwithstanding a moment of heightened exuberance when Julia Roberts appears, the press line for the People's Choice Awards functions like a well-ordered graduation ceremony. Then the final arrival, Garth Brooks, bolts the red carpet and tries...

Giovanni Rodriguez. (Questions & Answers).(director of market relations at VMware)(Brief Article)(Interview)
January 28, 2002... He's still riding the crest of the hi-tech wave, fueled by almost illegal quantities of sugar and caffeine. Say hello to Giovanni Rodriguez, director of market relations at VMware. Describe the company you work for VMware is a private...