PR Week (US) articles from July 2004

PR Week (US) archives from July 2004

Euro RSCG Magnet to handle all PR initiatives for cable network TLC.(Brief Article)
July 12, 2004... LOS ANGELES: Cable network TLC has expanded its relationship with Euro RSCG Magnet from a single television program and branding project to all network PR. It also has brought aboard a Los Angeles boutique to help with entertainment work. ...

GOP House leaders oppose RFP for AmeriCorps efforts.(Grand Old Party )
July 12, 2004... WASHINGTON: Republican leaders in the House are objecting to an RFP for a dollars 10 million, five-year integrated campaign released late last month by the firm that oversees AmeriCorps. The nine-page RFP describes a multifaceted effort to...

Krupnick to leave world comms SVP job at MasterCard.(Brief Article)
July 12, 2004... NEW YORK: Elizabeth Krupnick, SVP for global communications at MasterCard, told PRWeek on June 30 that she is planning to leave the position that she has held since October to start her own business-consulting agency. Krupnick's is the top...

Shell US expands PR for launch of its new premium-grade gasoline.
July 12, 2004... HOUSTON: Shell US' dollars 30 million marketing effort to promote its new Shell V-Power premium-grade gasoline will tap more PR than the company used in its previous gas launch. The company is working with AOR Fleishman-Hillard on planning,...

Soft-drink group responds to Purdue sweetener study.(Purdue University)(Brief Article)
July 12, 2004... WASHINGTON: The National Soft Drink Association (NSDA) has decided to take the communications offensive against a study from Purdue University claiming that artificial sweeteners can disrupt a body's ability to know how many calories it...

PR Newswire ups convention distribution.(Brief Article)
July 12, 2004... NEW YORK: The reach of PRNewswire's distribution at the two major political parties' conventions will be its widest ever, said an executive at the 50-year-old newswire. 'It's our broadest national distribution that we offer,' said Danny...

Trinity network taps WDC to attract secular interest.(WDC Media)(Brief Article)
July 12, 2004... LOS ANGELES: Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN), a religious broadcast conglomerate that reaches more than 90 million homes, has hired a PR firm to help it generate more interest with non-religious audiences. The Southern California-based...

Davenport moves into director post at Hill & Knowlton.(Brief Article)
July 12, 2004... WASHINGTON: Longtime political operative Rory Davenport has joined Hill & Knowlton as SVP and director of its US public affairs practice. Davenport hopes to take the practice beyond standard public affairs work, he said, incorporating...

News Brief: PriceMcNabb bought.
July 12, 2004... SYRACUSE, NY: Eric Mower and Associates, an advertising, PR, and marketing firm, has bought Charlotte-based PriceMcNabb, an integrated-marketing communications agency. Terms were not disclosed. (See full story in news section at...

News Brief: Daddi in Demand.
July 12, 2004... NEW YORK: Medical communications agency Belsito & Co. has added a consumer arm to reach audiences beyond traditional medical ones. William Daddi, who had led Euro RSCG Magnet's national consumer practice, will serve as president of the new...

News Brief: Dan Klores AOR.
July 12, 2004... MONTEGO BAY, JAMAICA: The resort Half Moon, Montego Bay, has named Dan Klores Communications its AOR. Brian Cronin & Associates had been its AOR for 10 years. (See full story in news section at www.prweek.com.)

News Brief: Consensus Planning wins RFP.
July 12, 2004... LOS ANGELES: Consensus Planning Group recently won an RFP from the Orange County Transportation Authority to handle communications surrounding plans to increase traffic flow along state Route 91. The one-year contract is valued at dollars...

News Brief: Obituary - Al Rothenberg.(Brief Article)(Obituary)
July 12, 2004... DETROIT: PR executive and automotive writer Al Rothenberg, 85, died June 23. He was media relations manager of the Automobile Manufacturers Association from 1978 to 1989. Before that, he headed the Automotive Information Council and, from 1972...

News Brief: Schreiber SVP.(Susan Schreiber Wolfe )(Brief Article)
July 12, 2004... CHICAGO: Susan Schreiber Wolfe has joined Golin Harris as an SVP. She will oversee the agency's McDonald's team. Wolfe had worked for the US food division of PepsiCo Beverages & Food before joining Golin.

News Brief: Pearson-McNeil VP.(Cheryl Pearson-McNeil )(Brief Article)
July 12, 2004... CHICAGO: Cheryl Pearson-McNeil has joined Nielsen Media Research as VP of communications and community affairs. She'll oversee the company's communications strategy as it launches its controversial Local People Meters in Chicago on August 5....

News Brief: Williams VP.(Brief Article)
July 12, 2004... SAN JOSE, CA: Brad Williams has joined eBay as a VP, overseeing marketing PR, internal communications, and community development. Williams, who reports to VP, corporate communications Henry Gomez, came from Gateway, where he was communications...

News Brief: Dittus launches practice.(Dittus Communications )(Brief Article)
July 12, 2004... WASHINGTON: Dittus Communications has launched a food, agriculture, and nutrition-policy practice, led by former Golin Harris EVP Elizabeth Weinmann, now a VP and MD at Dittus. Clients include the American Council for Fitness and Nutrition, the...

News Brief: PR Newswire and News Aktuell combine.(Brief Article)
July 12, 2004... LONDON: PR Newswire and News Aktuell have combined forces to offer communications services to German, Austrian, and Swiss companies that seek to reach international audiences, and to global companies that wish to reach German, Austrian, and...

News Brief: Susan Davis hires Shortencarrier.(Brief Article)
July 12, 2004... WASHINGTON: Susan Davis International has hired Michelle Shortencarrier as director of communications. Prior to joining the public affairs and communications firm, she worked under two administrations in the US Department of State, the US...

News Brief: Hook joins RedEnvelope.com.(Brief Article)
July 12, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO: Susan Hook has joined RedEnvelope.com as PR director, overseeing all communications for the online gift site. Prior to joining, Hook ran her own consultancy. Before that, she worked for Rogers & Cowan. For more news briefs, go to...

New SEC disclosure tack spurs IR challenge.(Securities and Exchange Commission)(Brief Article)
July 12, 2004... WASHINGTON: The Securities and Exchange Commission's decision last month to begin disclosing correspondence with companies whose regulatory filings need to be 'improved or enhanced' will certainly make the jobs of IR professionals more...

Coke, Pepsi, Virgin boost PR for summer launches.(Public Relation)
July 12, 2004... ATLANTA: PR is playing a major role in the introductions of new mid-calorie colas by Coca-Cola and Pepsi this summer. At the same time, Virgin Cola is using PR to re-establish itself in the US market, where it has not made much of a splash....

Political parties to allow bloggers at conventions.(Brief Article)
July 12, 2004... WASHINGTON: Bloggers will take one more step into the mainstream media this summer now that both major political parties have said they will issue credentials to the amateur scribes for their national conventions. Whether bloggers would be...

Zito takes on post as SVP of comms for Bristol-Myers.(Robert Zito)(Brief Article)
July 12, 2004... NEW YORK: Robert Zito, the former EVP of communications at the New York Stock Exchange, has been appointed SVP of corporate affairs at pharmaceutical giant Bristol-Myers Squibb. The post is the top corporate affairs job at Bristol-Myers,...

Grey Global Group keeps mum amid sale speculation.(Brief Article)
July 12, 2004... NEW YORK: Media speculation continues to swirl around potential suitors for Grey Global Group, even as all parties involved keep quiet or stick to their 'no comments.' Various media outlets late last month reported that Grey, the world's...

Sanofi and Aventis to link up comms units after merger.(Brief Article)
July 12, 2004... PARIS and NEW YORK: Sanofi-Synthelabo's bid for Aventis Pharmaceuticals also will bring about a merger between the drug companies' communications departments. PR executives from all global affiliate offices will report to Nicole Cranois,...

Waning attendance dooms '04 Comdex.
July 12, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO: MediaLive International's decision to nix Comdex this year was met with a mixture of disappointment and 'what took so long?' Once the largest tech show around, Comdex was canceled because of falling attendance by vendors and...

Software creator benefits from Apple's competition.(Konfabulator)(Brief Article)
July 12, 2004... CUPERTINO, CA: It's not usually good when the giant player in your industry decides to release a product similar to your own. However, Arlo Rose and Perry Clarke, creators of a third-party software program for Apple computers called...

Head of Ohio firm finds business is only a letter away.(Highland Public Relations)(Akron City Council)(Brief Article)
July 12, 2004... AKRON, OH: Sometimes it pays to speak up, as Robert Zajac, president of Highland Public Relations, found out recently. Zajac was miffed when he read that the Akron City Council was talking about hiring a PR firm from Cleveland, Greer...

Siebel facing second charge from SEC.(Siebel Systems )(Securities and Exchange Commission )(Brief Article)
July 12, 2004... NEW YORK: Siebel Systems on Tuesday became the first company ever charged twice by the Securities and Exchange Commission under Regulation Fair Disclosure, or Reg FD. The SEC filed suit in federal district court in New York against the...

Ketchum runs PR for Olympic Torch Relay.(Public relations)
July 12, 2004... NEW YORK: Ketchum and its affiliates are providing more than 125 personnel for PR support for the Athens 2004 Olympic Torch Relay through its 33-city international route. The amount of the account was undisclosed, said Teresa Henderson, a...

Fleishman unit to help clients work with government.(Brief Article)
July 12, 2004... WASHINGTON: Fleishman-Hillard is seeking to help clients capitalize on recent surges in government spending with its new business-to-government marketing practice. SVP Bill Garber will head up the new effort, which combines PR, lobbying,...

PN teams up with Hungarian firm to expand in Europe.(Porter Novelli)(Noguchi Communications)(Brief Article)
July 12, 2004... NEW YORK: In an effort to capitalize on a continuously growing Eastern European market, Porter Novelli said last week that it had formed a partnership with Noguchi Communications, a PR agency based in the Hungarian capital of Budapest. The...

Ogilvy working on DHL's PR effort to pose challenge to FedEx, UPS.(Brief Article)
July 12, 2004... PLANTATION, FL: Ogilvy PR is one of several firms handling communications for package deliverer DHL, which is in the midst of a dollars 150 million, six-month integrated marketing campaign that focuses on challenging FedEx and UPS. Matthew...

R&C set to handle push for Beyblade world competition.(Rogers & Cowan Inc.)(Beyblade World Championship)(Brief Article)
July 12, 2004... NEW YORK: Rogers & Cowan will handle the PR for the Beyblade World Championship this summer in New York City. The firm recently beat out four rivals for the task. Hill & Knowlton, Burson-Marsteller, Edelman, and Porter Novelli also...

Paper details best methods for hiring, training workers.(public relations firms)
July 12, 2004... NEW YORK: Even in a tight economy, agency executives can implement cost-effective hiring and training programs that will add value to their companies, according to a paper published by the PRSA. Author Michael Herman, president and COO of...

TN school district gears up to retool comms program.(Tennessee)(communications program )(Brief Article)
July 12, 2004... NASHVILLE, TN: Nashville's Metro Schools District is revamping its communications program with the hope of starting off the 2004-05 school year with more user-friendly PR. The plan calls for hiring a new communications officer, who will...

Editorial: The best practice for building an in-house team combines pragmatism with ideology.(Editorial)
July 12, 2004... Corporate readers of PRWeek generally want to know one thing - what works? The question most often asked is, what are best practices for building an effective in-house team? It is not always easy to find answers to the best practices...

Op-Ed: New corporate climate has changed the IR role forever.
July 12, 2004... The world of corporate communications is changing - rapidly - and it's especially affecting the investor relations discipline. Many of the changes, in some cases seismic, have been caused by the corporate environment of the past few years...

Analysis: Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty - SHAC's success energizes extreme activists' resolve.
July 12, 2004... SHAC's whatever-it-takes tactics have not only impacted its target - Huntingdon Life Sciences; they've put extreme activism squarely on everyone's radar. By Anita Chabria. Have you heard of the SHAC 7? They're not a basketball team, but...

Paul Holmes: Moore's movie is a reminder of how many stories the mainstream media is missing.
July 12, 2004... As Eliot Spitzer is to the nation's regulators, Michael Moore is to the US media. With regulators increasingly seeing their jobs in terms of protecting large corporations, Spitzer has stepped in to force companies in the financial-services and...

Corporate Case Study: PR coordination helps WWE grab hold of the public.(public relation)(World Wrestling Entertainment)
July 12, 2004... Whether promoting its stars or community endeavors, World Wrestling Entertainment is using a concerted comms push to boost its fan base and earn the corporate world's respect. Thom Weidlich reports. Gary Davis and Neil Lawi are an important...

The Agency Business: A sound succession plan helps facilitate a smooth agency sale.(Advertising agencies)
July 12, 2004... While an exit strategy is crucial for those looking to sell their firm imminently, Beth Herskovits finds that such plans can help any agency meet benchmarks and benefit the future of everyone in the company. For many independent agency...

Media Roundup: Luxury travel trumps tax brackets.
July 12, 2004... Luxury-travel outlets are targeting travelers in the upper-middle and middle classes in an effort to make high-end vacations appeal to a wider audience. By David Ward. A trip to Disney World with the family or a driving tour of the Midwest...

Media: Journalist Q & A - Paul Eisenstein.(Interview)
July 12, 2004... Name: Paul Eisenstein Outlet: TheCarConnection.com Title: Founder and publisher Preferred contact method: 248-544-8700 Website: thecarconnection.com Paul Eisenstein has covered the auto industry since 1979. His work...

Media Watch: Early power transfer in Iraq bolsters Bush.(George W. Bush)(Brief Article)
July 12, 2004... Post-war Iraq has been central in many critiques of the Bush administration, and the debate in the last six months over the planned delivery of Iraqi sovereignty has caused it to become a key election issue. The surprise early handover of Iraq...

Media Brands: Moore film might make for future PR lesson about importance of all pre-election comms.(Michael Moore)
July 12, 2004... This presidential election's version of the Willie Horton TV ad or the famed tank footage, both of which helped to undo Michael Dukakis' bid for the presidency in 1988, might not be a slick TV spot at all, but a 122-minute documentary made by a...

Profile: Challenge brings out best in ChevronTexaco's Samson.(Dave Samson)
July 12, 2004... While working for a few companies during times of turmoil, Dave Samson learned the benefits of good communications. Now he puts that knowledge to use as public affairs GM at ChevronTexaco. By Andrew Gordon. While Dave Samson might not...

Offering advice.(Initial public offerings)(public relations firms)
July 12, 2004... The IPO is back, and so are the PR challenges that go with it. By Tom Acitelli. The once-dormant IPO market is back in the headlines and in the minds of individual investors, as well as PR and financial communications professionals....

PRWeek Regional Forum: Chicago.(public relation)
July 12, 2004... In this second year of its Regional Forums, PRWeek will focus on seven top markets: Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Atlanta, Washington, DC, the Bay Area, and Texas. For each of these regions, leading PR professionals from a variety of...

PR Technique: Annual Reports - What a difference a yearly report makes.(public relations)
July 12, 2004... Companies are now producing their second annual reports in the post-Sarbanes-Oxley era, and can better gauge how much information, and what kind, to use. By Craig McGuire. To measure the profound impact 2002's Sarbanes-Oxley Act has had on...

Campaign: Mitchell & Ness fashions worthy centennial celebration.
July 12, 2004... Mitchell & Ness combined classic media outreach with its trendy fashions to put on a successful 100th birthday party and maintain recent momentum. Thanks to the success of its line of authentic retro sports jerseys, Mitchell & Ness (M&N)...

The Publicist: Stars do shine in New York, but not as brightly as in Hollywood.
July 12, 2004... I hadn't been to New York since before 9/11. I know it's a little late, but I finally made it there last week and performed the overdue patriotic duty of spending cash. It didn't take long to feel like a flag-waving Patrick Henry. A burger for...

PR Play of the Week: Chamber's shift out of neutral gets mileage.(Brief Article)
July 12, 2004... Thomas Donohue, president of the US Chamber of Commerce, issued a pretty grave threat against the Democratic Party last week. He warned that if John Edwards - a trial lawyer and no friend of Big Business - were chosen as John Kerry's running...

Toy Box: Ambient adds color to art of forecasting.(Brief Article)
July 12, 2004... On the original Star Trek series, things always seemed to glow and blink. In the real world, there's now a new group of what's being called 'glanceable' devices that you look at to see the color they're glowing and glean information from...

Book Review: 'Spinning The Bottle' is worth absorbing.(Book Review)
July 12, 2004... With the wine market growing at a record-setting pace - it's now a dollars 21.1 billion business, according to the Wine Institute - this book arrives just in time. The authors act more as editors, as the book is mainly anecdotes, tips, and...

Siebel Systems searches for PR partner amid industry uncertainty.(Brief Article)
July 19, 2004... SAN MATEO, CA: CRM company Siebel Systems is looking for a new PR firm and doing so at a particularly volatile and competitive time in the enterprise software market. Oracle is still pursuing its hostile takeover bid of PeopleSoft, SAP...

Domino's delivers RFP with aid from its former agency.
July 19, 2004... ANN ARBOR, MI: Domino's Pizza is searching for a new agency of record, as Vorhaus & Co., its partner of almost ten years, is changing its business model from agency to consultancy and resigning its consumer clients. The estimated budget...

Fleishman's Kline responds to claim of falsified billings.(Brief Article)
July 19, 2004... LOS ANGELES: Richard Kline, Fleishman-Hillard's regional president and GM, responded last week to allegations from a former staffer quoted in the LA Times who claimed that the firm falsified billings for its Los Angeles Department of Water and...

Shields leaves NBC Universal for ad firm.(Brief Article)
July 19, 2004... NEW YORK: NBC Universal is searching for a replacement for Cory Shields, its SVP of corporate communications and media relations who left to join advertising giant J. Walter Thompson (JWT) as EVP and chief communications officer. Dave...

Alaskan governor answers demand for easier access.(Brief Article)
July 19, 2004... JUNEAU, AK: Gov. Frank Murkowski (R) has ordered all Alaska state departments to dedicate staff to improving communications with the media and citizens. The move comes on top of the governor hiring a new communications director and press...

Pfizer denies PR is motive for discount-drug initiative.(Brief Article)
July 19, 2004... NEW YORK: When Pfizer unveiled a new program offering deep drug discounts to uninsured Americans, the first questions from journalists probed Pfizer's motives. PR did factor prominently in the program, but not in the way journalists have...

Sloane & Co. runs push for LG. Philips' IPO.(Brief Article)
July 19, 2004... NEW YORK: Sloane & Company is handling the international financial PR campaign for the IPO of LG.Philips LCD, which is expected to make history this week as the first company to be listed concurrently on the Korea and New York stock exchanges....

McDonald's reveals plans to replace flagship eatery.(Brief Article)
July 19, 2004... CHICAGO: McDonald's began PR for its 50th anniversary last Monday by unveiling plans for a new flagship restaurant in Chicago's River North entertainment district. The new restaurant will replace what is known as the Rock 'N' Roll...

NKH&W appoints Rumpza SVP of PR for practice in MN.(Brief Article)
July 19, 2004... MINNEAPOLIS: NKH&W, a Kansas City, MO-based integrated communications firm, is expanding into the Minneapolis PR market. The firm has hired Bob Rumpza as SVP of PR in its new Minneapolis office. Rumpza had spent more than 17 years with the...

News Brief: Porter Novelli selected.(Brief Article)
July 19, 2004... WASHINGTON: The US Department of Agriculture selected Porter Novelli to launch its revised food pyramid next year in a three-year, dollars 5.8 million campaign. (See PRWeek, June 28.) PN handled a similar campaign for the USDA in 1992, the last...

News Brief: Cohn & Wolfe AOR.(Brief Article)
July 19, 2004... NEW YORK and FORT LAUDERDALE, FL: Spirit Airlines has named Cohn & Wolfe its AOR after fielding a seven-agency bid. Donna Imperato, C&W president and worldwide CEO, said three other firms participated in the third round: Edelman, Hill &...

News Brief: Ergo acquired.(Brief Article)
July 19, 2004... NEW YORK and LONDON: The Global Consulting Group, a corporate communications, IR, and public affairs firm, has acquired Ergo Communications, a public affairs and corporate communications consultancy based in London.

News Brief: Miguel Silva appointed.(Brief Article)
July 19, 2004... WASHINGTON: Weber Shandwick has appointed Miguel Silva, founder and partner of WS Colombian affiliate Gravitas, to oversee the agency's Latin America operations. A former chief of staff to the president of Colombia and to the secretary general...

News Brief: Weber Shandwick AOR.(Brief Article)
July 19, 2004... NEW YORK: The Sterling Style Council, trade group for the sterling silver industry, has tapped Weber Shandwick as its AOR. The council submitted a formal RFP and four firms took part. Council president Tim Riddle declined to name the other...

News Brief: Hill & Knowlton AOR.(Brief Article)
July 19, 2004... LOS ANGELES: Natrol, maker and distributor of nutritional supplements, has named Hill & Knowlton as its AOR.

News Brief: Euro RSCG Magnet adds Leeb.(Brief Article)
July 19, 2004... NEW YORK: Euro RSCG Magnet has added Leeb Capital Management to its roster of clients. Magnet will be charged with aiding both corporate and marketing communication efforts.

News Brief: Steven Carr president.(Brief Article)
July 19, 2004... CHICAGO: Steven Carr, director of PR for Rhea & Kaiser, has been elected president of the Chicago chapter of the National Investor Relations Institute.

News Brief: Northlich hired.(Brief Article)
July 19, 2004... CINCINNATI: Tiffany & Co. has hired Northlich for regional communications work, including media relations and promotional services. The agency will help Tiffany promote its latest product, the T57 watch.

News Brief: JB Stanton agency.(JB Stanton Communications )(Brief Article)
July 19, 2004... PEABODY, MA: Boston Acoustics has named JB Stanton Communications as its product PR agency. The agency will focus on several new products the company is rolling out later this year.

News Brief: Topaz and Consultancy team.(Topaz Partners)(The Consultancy)(Brief Article)
July 19, 2004... MALDEN, MA: Topaz Partners is teaming with Hong Kong-based The Consultancy to support a global PR campaign for China-based Lighthouse Technologies, which makes LED video display panels.

News Brief: Peppercom releases tool.(Brief Article)
July 19, 2004... NEW YORK: Peppercom has released its own proprietary measurement tool, called Business Outcomes, which uses an algorithmic scoring system to evaluate the effectiveness of any PR, marketing, or sales initiatives.

News Brief: Schwartz SVP.(Rachel Schwartz)(Senior Vice President)(Roberts Management International)(Brief Article)
July 19, 2004... NEW YORK: Rachel Schwartz is joining Roberts Management International, a retained executive search firm, as an SVP to develop and launch its corporate communications, PR, and marketing-search practice.

News Brief: Shift AOR.(Shift Communications )(Brief Article)
July 19, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO: Edusoft, a division of educational publisher Houghton Mifflin, has selected Shift Communications as its AOR. Edusoft develops assessment software for public education, which helps schools measure student achievement and...

BNC taps branding expert to manage its New York office.(Bragman Nyman Cafarelli )(Brief Article)
July 19, 2004... LOS ANGELES: Continuing its push towards offering integrated marketing services, Bragman Nyman Cafarelli has hired a branding expert, Doug Scott, to head its New York office. For the past few years, BNC has steadily shifted its focus away...

Trio of firms hires top-level execs to buoy health units.(Brief Article)
July 19, 2004... WASHINGTON, NEW YORK, and LONDON: Three PR firms have expanded their operations with senior-level hires in healthcare. At Edelman, Lee Lynch will head a Washington-based group being created within the agency's bioscience communications...

Doke to head up comms at Freescale Semiconductor.(Freescale Semiconductor )(Brief Article)
July 19, 2004... AUSTIN, TX: Tim Doke has joined Freescale Semiconductor as VP of corporate communications, three months after Dell shook up its global communications team. In that shakeup, VP of communications Doke and VP of corporate communications...

Suzuki leverages lawsuit to push its US growth message.
July 19, 2004... BREA, CA: American Suzuki Motor Corporation used a July 8 announcement of a long-standing lawsuit's settlement to effectively push messages about its US growth plans. A Suzuki executive was able to discuss the company's long-term US...

Widmeyer to run PR for court reporter group.(Widmeyer Communications)(Public Relations)(National Court Reporters Association )(Brief Article)
July 19, 2004... WASHINGTON: The National Court Reporters Association is using Widmeyer Communications to help stave off a potentially detrimental combination of new technologies and nationwide cuts in court budgets. The advancement of voice-to-text...