PR Week (US) articles from January 2006

PR Week (US) archives from January 2006

Keane to focus on more than obesity as he takes ABA's top comms job.
January 2, 2006... WASHINGTON: Kevin Keane, the former assistant secretary for public affairs at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), has joined the American Beverage Association (ABA) as SVP for communications. Keane has worked on issues...

Spielberg hires Sharon aide to promote 'Munich' in Israel.
January 2, 2006... Glendale, CA: Steven Spielberg has enlisted the help of one of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's top aides to promote his film Munich in Israel. Eyal Arad, who helped plan the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, is now part of a small list...

Diamond steps into crisis mode as product recall follows pet deaths.
January 2, 2006... Meta, MO: Diamond Pet Foods put a crisis plan in action when it initiated a voluntary product recall in 21 Eastern states late last month after several dogs died, and the toxic fungus aflatoxin was found in one of the Diamond products they'd...

Schwarzenegger revamps PR team ahead of election.(DCI Group)(Brief Article)
January 2, 2006... SACRAMENTO, CA: Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R-CA) continues to shake up his staff with another move to the middle, this time appointing Adam Mendelsohn, former VP of Washington, DC-based public affairs agency DCI Group. Mendelsohn replaces...

Access survey highlights journalists' needs for CES.
January 2, 2006... LAS VEGAS: This week's Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is shaping up to be the biggest to date. The show, which has supplanted Comdex as the king of tech trade shows, has 2,500 companies exhibiting for an expected 130,000 attendees. And...

Gartner promotes Spender to comms VP.
January 2, 2006... STAMFORD, CT: Gartner, a research and analysis company specializing in the global IT industry, has named Andrew Spender its VP of corporate communications. Spender will be responsible for global PR and internal communications. ...

Tort reform group issues report to stem civil suits.
January 2, 2006... WASHINGTON: The American Tort Reform Association (ATRA), aiming to reduce the number of civil lawsuits targeting big business, last month released its latest list of so-called 'judicial hellholes' - the least business-friendly state courts in...

Burson taps O'Neill to boost US brand marketing division.(Brief Article)
January 2, 2006... NEW YORK: Burson-Marsteller has hired Chris O'Neill as chairman of US brand marketing. He will handle brand communications strategies for clients, reporting to Ken Rietz, US CEO and worldwide vice chairman. O'Neill is succeeding Linda...

News Brief: CovX retains support.
January 2, 2006... SAN DIEGO: Biopharmaceutical Company CovX has retained Euro RSCG Life PR and its Noonan Russo biotech division for corporate communications support. Team members both here and in New York will service the account.

News Brief: Allyn to represent.(allyn and company inc)(Brief Article)
January 2, 2006... DALLAS: Allyn & Company confirmed it will represent Mexico's president Vincente Fox in his efforts to develop an image strategy to counter anti-Mexican sentiment in the US. The agency is run by Rob Allyn, who advised Fox during his presidential...

News Brief: Bland director.
January 2, 2006... CHARLOTTE, NC: The University of North Carolina-Charlotte has named John Bland director of PR. Previously, Bland was a senior counselor at PriceMcNabb, now the Charlotte office of Eric Mower & Associates, an independent marketing communications...

News Brief: Paul launches weblog.
January 2, 2006... NEW YORK: Mike Paul, reputation manager and president of MGP & Associates, has launched The Reputation Doctor weblog at mikepaulblog.com.

News Brief: Bite acquires Credo.(Bite Communications )(Credo Communications)(Brief Article)
January 2, 2006... LONDON: Bite Communications has acquired 2-year-old UK-based firm Credo Communications. Credo's MD David Hargreaves will take over as MD of Bite's UK office. Credo's staff and a majority of its clients will transfer to Bite. Separately,...

News Brief: Feingold joins Horn.
January 2, 2006... SAN FRANCISCO: Martha Feingold has joined Horn Group as a VP, managing the firm's consumer tech practice. Prior to joining, she was an independent consultant. She has also worked for Edelman and ZDTV/TechTV. Horn has also signed several...

News Brief: Brophy partner.
January 2, 2006... WASHINGTON: Glover Park Group has hired Susan Brophy as partner in its legislative affairs division, overseeing legislative strategy, coalition management, and issue advocacy. She joins from Time Warner, where she was an SVP in its global...

News Brief: Hanvik promoted.
January 2, 2006... MINNEAPOLIS: Fleishman-Hillard has promoted Robert Hanvik, SVP, to the post of partner and GM of its Minneapolis/St. Paul office. Hanvik replaces Frank Parisi, who stepped down from the GM post in August 2005 and who remains with the firm as a...

News Brief: CarryOn IHOP AOR.
January 2, 2006... LOS ANGELES: Family restaurant chain IHOP has named CarryOn Communication its AOR to support all of its major marketing and promotional efforts. The account will be managed by SVP and Lifestyle Brands Practice Leader Claudia Bloom. IHOP has...

News Brief: Mullen named agency.
January 2, 2006... WOBURN, MA: PolyMedica Corp., a provider of healthcare products and related services, has named Mullen its lead strategic and creative agency. The firm will also provide PR, media planning, and buying for direct mail and online marketing for...

News Brief: JMPR signed.
January 2, 2006... WOODLAND HILLS, CA: AireTronics, manufacturer of patented, inflatable torso-protective riding gear for motorcyclists and others, has signed JMPR Public Relations for media relations and PR to promote its products. For more briefs, see...

Goodyear taps Coyne to buoy brand identity.
January 2, 2006... AKRON, OH: Goodyear has selected Parsippany, NJ-based Coyne PR as its first AOR in several years. The selection comes after a four-month search that included Weber Shandwick and MS&L as finalists. Ed Markey, VP of PR and communications for...

Protesters claim credit for American Girl's campaign.
January 2, 2006... Middleton, WI: American Girl, a subsidiary of Mattel, has launched its first major communications effort in its 20-year history, but a pro-life group is the impetus behind the campaign and is taking credit for the news coverage that's been...

Independent committee sings Wal-Mart's praises.
January 2, 2006... Washington: A newly formed independent group is launching a pro-Wal-Mart media campaign, with some financial support from the retail giant. The group, Working Families for Wal-Mart, which aims to generate 'balanced media coverage,'...

Tamraz takes BW's top position, eyes global expansion.
January 2, 2006... NEW YORK: Cathy Baron Tamraz has been named CEO of Business Wire. A 26-year veteran of the company, she previously served as president. Lorry Lokey, founder of BW, will now serve as chairman of the board. 'For the past two years,...

NASA searches for vendor to monitor its press coverage.
January 2, 2006... WASHINGTON: The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is looking for a vendor to monitor news coverage in the top 100 markets. NASA is seeking to track a range of issues relating not only to the agency, but also more...

Muhlberg leaves Sprint after less than six months.
January 2, 2006... RESTON, VA: Judith Muhlberg has left Sprint Nextel less than six months after joining the telecommunications company as SVP of corporate communications. Muhlberg departed the company in order to pursue other opportunities, said Nicholas...

Online Poll.
January 2, 2006... Last week's question: What new media tool will be the least used in 2006? Wikis - 33% Meta-tagging - 29% Podcasts - 19% RSS feeds - 14% Blogs - 5% Visit prweek.com and give us your response. Results will be published in next...

Sponsors of bowl games introduce consumer efforts.
January 2, 2006... NEW YORK: Companies are now looking beyond just attaching their names to billboards when they sponsor a college football game during the busy bowl season. There will be 28 college football bowl games during the three-week bowl season...

Franklin at heart of Philly tourism drive.
January 2, 2006... PHILADELPHIA: The city of Philadelphia is banking on the appeal of Benjamin Franklin to drive tourism in 2006. Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC), in conjunction with Ben Franklin Tercentennial, a civic group, is...

Saturn sends out iPods in nontraditional PR initiative.
January 2, 2006... DETROIT: In pursuit of a design-centered brand 'revitalization,' GM's Saturn division has kicked off a media relations campaign using the video iPod. To tout the Sky convertible in showrooms next spring, Saturn gave a unique twist to the...

Tully's enlists Lane in campaign to put focus on its coffee.
January 2, 2006... SEATTLE: Tully's Coffee is hop-ing to move the spotlight from its business woes to its coffee this year. The company, which has 350 locations in Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho, and Arizona, has selected Portland, OR-based Lane as...

Motel 6 targets consumers via podcast.
January 2, 2006... Carrollton, TX: Motel 6 launched its first ever podcast, titled 'Top 6 reasons to stay at a motel during the holidays,' featuring travel writer and radio raconteur Tom Bodett. In the podcast, Bodett offers six reasons to stay at a motel instead...

Liberal groups hit the air with anti-Alito ads.
January 2, 2006... WASHINGTON: Liberal groups are now spending more money than their conservative counterparts to protest the appointment of Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito. The latest spending figures come from the Washington-based Justice at Stake...

Murray joins Bank of the West as its first comms head.
January 2, 2006... SAN FRANCISCO: Roberta Wong Murray has joined Bank of the West as SVP of corporate communications, a new position. Also joining the dollars 1.7 billion company is Patrice Smith as VP of marketing communications. Smith was previously...

Op-Ed: New media offers new opportunity for PR.
January 2, 2006... The news environment in which we storytellers operate is in a high state of ferment. Media fragmentation that began with cable TV, and accelerated with the internet's rise, is now occurring at breakneck speed. According to Technorati.com, there...

Op-Ed: PR's leaders must go global - literally - to succeed.
January 2, 2006... Two of PRWeek's recent editorials have touched upon the issues of PR agency leadership and PR industry leadership. One referred to the search for a new CEO for my firm, Burson-Marsteller. The other took stock of the recent International...

Editorial: PR has long been good at telling client stories; in '06, we'll watch to see how well it tells its own.(Editorial)
January 2, 2006... The process of selecting the companies and individuals appearing in our second annual Editors' Choice/Who To Watch feature, which begins on p.9 of this issue, revealed a number of themes that will continue to dominate the industry in 2006. ...

Analysis: Q&A with Roger Bolton - Page Society's Bolton looks to boost PR profile in C-suite.
January 2, 2006... As Roger Bolton commences his presidency of the Arthur W. Page Society, he talks to Craig McGuire about his plans to advance the group's principles. Roger Bolton has a busy 2006 ahead of him. Recently appointed president of The Arthur W....

Analysis: Dangillmor.
January 2, 2006... Simplicity is a website's strongest asset in a cyber universe inundated with information. Stating the obvious: A website is one of an organization's most strategic public-facing assets. So why are so many corporate sites so unappealing?...

Market Focus: Financial Communication - The money makers.
January 2, 2006... Members of an elite crop of financial PR pros are becoming specialists. Craig McGuire reports. With billions of dollars pouring into hedge funds and private equity firms, a new breed of financial communicator has emerged; one adept at...

PR Technique: Pitching editorial boards - Playing the editorial board game.
January 2, 2006... Editorial boards are a powerful platform for your message. But even if you get a foot in the door, the challenge has only just begun. Michael Bush reports. In spite of dwindling circulation numbers for daily newspapers and the growing...

Campaign: Pitney Bowes uses star power to buoy its literacy efforts - Consumer Outreach.
January 2, 2006... PR team: Pitney Bowes (Stamford, CT) and Alan Taylor Communications (New York) Campaign: Pushing the Envelope to Support Literacy Time frame: April to September 2005 Budget: dollars 392,800 While the campaign had been a success in...

Campaign: McDonald's joins OH walking clubs to reduce obesity - Health Initiative.
January 2, 2006... PR team: McDonald's of Northeast Ohio (Columbus, Ohio) and Stern Public Relations (Pepper Pike, OH) Campaign: Get On The Go Northeast Ohio walking clubs Time frame: June 5 to September 18, 2005 Budget: dollars 25,000 The 'Eat Smart,...

Campaign: APA shows public how psychology fits into their lives - Awareness Initiative.
January 2, 2006... PR team: American Psychological Association (Washington, DC) and News Generation (Bethesda, MD) Campaign: Bringing Psychology to the Airwaves Time frame: August 18 to 22, 2005 Budget: dollars 9,950 During this year's conference, the...

The Publicist: 'Brokeback' sets the stage for latest political PR battle.
January 2, 2006... I could almost see my friend Dan smiling in the e-mail. 'Thanks for the mid-terms fodder. Every time we take on water, you guys bail us out.' By 'us' he meant neo-conservative Republicans. By 'you' he meant Hollywood. With 'fodder' he...

PR Play of the Week: Knicks win one for strike-affected fans.
January 2, 2006... When you're an NBA club that has lost more than two-thirds of your games, you'll do anything for a win. If your loyal supporters happen to live in a city that has just gone through an obstructive three-day transit strike, you undoubtedly have a...

Boilerplate.
January 2, 2006... The December 19 mystery company was Watson Pharmaceuticals. The winner for the December 12 issue was Troy Tepley, senior account rep at Tunheim Partners. E-mail your guess for this week to boilerplate@prweek.com by 5pm EST Friday for your...

Toy Box: For the record, the WS-320M is a big hit.(Brief Article)
January 2, 2006... Olympus' WS-320M recorder provides the exact type of device convergence necessary for any traveling businessperson. Need to dictate notes? Done. Need to interview the gentleman next to you about the customer service offerings of the airline...

Book Review: 'Sisomo' brings PR to a screen near you.
January 2, 2006... Title: Sisomo Author: Kevin Roberts Publisher: PowerHouse Books (November 2005), 169 pages Reviewed by: Karl Greenberg 'Sisomo' is an acronym for sight, sound, and motion, and Roberts takes us from Times Square's pixel-blasted screen...

PRWeek Clip book.
January 2, 2006... ONE YEAR AGO Cohn & Wolfe's LA office is named AOR for the Beverly Hilton, best known as host of The Golden Globe Awards Media organizations respond to a trend toward secrecy at all levels of government by coming together for a...

Intel looking to 'leap ahead' in new year with revamped identity.
January 9, 2006... SANTA CLARA, CA: Intel is culminating a year of marketing and PR changes with a massive revamping of its brand and identity. The campaign will include a raft of new duties this quarter for PR agencies new to the account, the names of which...

Auto show is stage for core coverage of new concepts.
January 9, 2006... Detroit: As the North American International Auto Show opens its doors this week to some 6,800 journalists from 60-plus countries, auto PR will be as critical as the new sheet metal. 'In terms of sheer influence and size, this is the one to...

RFP from FDA calls for examination of drug ads' effects.
January 9, 2006... WASHINGTON: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is looking for a contractor to analyze how advertising and other promotional tactics influence drug sales and prices. The move comes as the FDA and the drug industry at large have been...

Fleishman to lift Asian airline's presence.
January 9, 2006... SAN FRANCISCO: Cathay Pacific Airways hopes to give its brand a lift by hiring Fleishman-Hillard as its first North American AOR. The Hong Kong-based airline selected Fleishman after a four-month search that initially included about a dozen...

MS&L lands PR for marijuana-based pain reliever spray.
January 9, 2006... NEW YORK: UK biotech GW Pharmaceuticals has hired MS&L as the company begins clinical trials for its marijuana-based pain reliever in the US. Sativex is a spray derived from cannabis that is being tested as a pain reliever and sleep aid...

Intelligent design case win spurs PR effort for law firm.
January 9, 2006... BALTIMORE: Sawmill Marketing Public Relations is launching a PR juggernaut for the Philadelphia law firm that helped win the widely covered Pennsylvania Intelligent Design case. Pepper Hamilton LLP, Philadelphia, along with the American...

DKC appoints former Bloomberg staffer.
January 9, 2006... NEW YORK: Dan Klores Communications has hired William Cunningham, former director of communications for New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, as an EVP. 'It was a natural time to make a move,' said Cunningham, who was senior advisor and...

Lego switches product PR to Flashpoint for relaunch.
January 9, 2006... ENFIELD, CT: As Lego Systems prepares to relaunch its robotic toy division, 'Mindstorms,' the company has picked Flashpoint PR for its dollars 750,000 product PR account. Lego switched to the San Francisco-based agency predominantly to...

Independence Air bankruptcy marks finale for comms.
January 9, 2006... DULLES, VA: The communications surrounding the bankruptcy of Independence Air were the last tasks the in-house team handled before their jobs ceased to exist last week. Valerie Wunder, Independence's manager of media, said the company did...

News Brief: NIRI retirement.
January 9, 2006... VIENNA, VA: The National Investor Relations Institute (NIRI) announced that Louis Thompson plans to retire from the post of president and CEO he has held since 1982. NIRI is conducting a national search to replace him.

News Brief: Flashpoint adds clients.
January 9, 2006... SAN FRANCISCO: Flashpoint PR has added four new clients: American Game Factory, the North American-division of video and computer game publisher The Game Factory; garden and work-glove company West County Gardener; mobile search service 4INFO;...

News Brief: TWM retained.
January 9, 2006... CHICAGO: TeamWorks Media (TWM), a full-service creative media company specializing in sports and entertainment, has been retained as the PR partner of the Chicago Sky, the WNBA's new expansion team. TWM will develop and execute a comprehensive...

News Brief: GolinHarris selected.
January 9, 2006... PORTLAND, OR: OnScreen Technologies has selected GolinHarris as its new agency. The company develops video displays for portable emergency response and outdoor advertising signs.

News Brief: Steers GolinHarris VP.
January 9, 2006... CHICAGO: GolinHarris has promoted Bill Steers to VP of its Chicago corporate communications group, managing the global Owens Corning business. Steers was formerly an account group supervisor. Golin also hired Trent Frager as VP, managing the...

News Brief: Schroeder joins Corinth.
January 9, 2006... NEW YORK: Stephanie Schroeder has joined Corinth Group Communications as director of media relations, overseeing all media outreach for the agency's consumer-directed healthcare clients. She previously held a similar role at Investor Relations...

News Brief: Randall appointed.
January 9, 2006... HONOLULU: Kim Randall has joined Communications Pacific as an SVP in its marketing division. Randall joins from Visa USA, where she was formerly VP of advertising, responsible for all of Visa's national, merchant, and member-marketing programs,...

News Brief: Trevelino/Keller clients.
January 9, 2006... ATLANTA: Trevelino/Keller Communications Group has added two new clients: TRX, which develops transaction processing and data-management technology for the travel industry; and Marketworks, which provides marketplace management and marketing...

News Brief: Demers VP.
January 9, 2006... GULPH MILLS, PA: Henkel of America has hired Cynthia Demers as corporate communications VP, responsible for all North American PR activities. Her most recent stint was at The Dial Corp. as VP of corporate and government affairs. Henkel markets...

News Brief: Media Strategiespromotes.
January 9, 2006... LAS VEGAS: The Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association (CTIA) has tapped Media Strategies International to promote the trade organization's upcoming convention in April. CTIA represents companies from all sectors of wireless and...

News Brief: Landis signs clients.
January 9, 2006... SAN FRANCISCO: Landis Communications has signed several new clients, including Dermalounge, the Pacific Forest and Watershed Stewardship Council, Engage. com, and the National Brain Tumor Foundation.

News Brief: Tibco selects Spark.
January 9, 2006... PALO ALTO, CA: Tibco Software has selected Spark PR as its corporate communications firm. Tibco develops software that allows customers to integrate and manage other enterprise applications. Tibco will continue to use Bateman Group for product...

News Brief: Breakaway selected.
January 9, 2006... REDWOOD SHORES, CA: Ipass has selected Breakaway Communications as its new North American agency. Ipass' technology allows employees to access their businesses' internal networks while traveling or with personal devices. For more briefs, see...

Online Poll: U. of Michigan joins 'Killer Coke' campaign.
January 9, 2006... ANN ARBOR, MI: The University of Michigan's announcement last week that it is suspending its contract with Coca-Cola in response to activist concerns reflects the success of an ongoing campaign to protest the company's international labor and...

Critics blast Intl. Coal Group over botched comms effort.
January 9, 2006... TALLMANSVILLE, WV: International Coal Group's (ICG) handling of communications in the final hours of last week's coal mining tragedy in West Virginia severely damaged the company's reputation and could intensify federal action against it,...

Tuna Foundation enlists RF to allay mercury worries.(Ruder Finn )(Brief Article)
January 9, 2006... WASHINGTON: The Tuna Foundation and agency Ruder Finn are trying to calm public fears about the mercury levels in canned seafood. A three-part series last month in the Chicago Tribune prompted a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) official...

WDC Newswire set to distribute faith-based messages.
January 9, 2006... LOS ANGELES: Christian PR firm WDC Media has launched a web-based news distribution service, WDC Newswire, designed to help faith-based ministries better target Christian and secular media. 'With the political landscape and a lot of...

RF takes lead on Napster digital differentiation plan.
January 9, 2006... LOS ANGELES: Napster, hoping to trumpet itself as the only pure-play digital music company, has named Ruder Finn its lead firm. Once the bane of the music industry, Napster is hoping to differentiate itself as the only company focused...

Group challenges fair labor initiative of fast-food giant.
January 9, 2006... IMMOKALEE, FL: McDonald's has launched a corporate goodwill effort partnering the company with a group that certifies fair farm labor practices in Florida. But the campaign has led a high-profile group of farm-workers to charge that the company...

Breaking stories on prweek.com.
January 9, 2006... - Alaska Airlines blog snafu PR pros grapple with internal comms issue when airline staff allegedly comment on blog - Spying controversy lingers White House officials launch vigorous defense of Bush's decision to order...

Sony remains resolute amid criticism of graffiti-aided PSP launch.
January 9, 2006... FOSTER CITY, CA: Sony Computer Entertainment America is finding that art is in the eye of the beholder. To promote the PlayStation Portable (PSP), Sony recently launched a multi-faceted marketing campaign that included street art. The...

NC DOC is seeking firm for dollars 750,000 image campaign.
January 9, 2006... RALEIGH, NC: The North Carolina Department of Commerce (DOC) will be selecting a PR firm as it prepares to launch a dollars 750,000 image campaign designed to improve the state's image and attract more business. The DOC has closed its RFP...

EDS taps Fleishman to tell story as IT regains footing.(Electronic Data Systems)(Brief Article)
January 9, 2006... PLANO, TX: As Electronic Data Systems (EDS) focuses on telling its corporate and business story after a rough couple of years, the dollars 20.6 billion IT services and outsourcing company has hired Fleishman-Hillard as its corporate media...

Pretty Tough hires R&C to target girls who enjoy sports.(Brief Article)
January 9, 2006... STUDIO CITY, CA: Teen fashion brand Pretty Tough has hired Rogers & Cowan to build name recognition among young female athletes. R&C will promote the sports-inspired clothes and personal care lines ahead of an aggressive rollout later this...

Editorial: West Virginia tragedy reinforces an obvious PR rule: the truth can never be compromised.(Editorial)
January 9, 2006... An unbelievable three hours elapsed between the time families and friends of the trapped West Virginia miners were given false hope, and when they were finally told the truth. At press time, the only explanation from International Coal Group's...

Op-Ed: Healthcare marketers need to log on to interactivity.
January 9, 2006... For a long time, those of us in the highly regulated world of healthcare have been excited observers of interactive communications. We've sat on the sidelines waiting for the right moment to get involved. That moment is now. As health...