PR Week (US) articles from May 2008

PR Week (US) archives from May 2008

Rockstar controls Grand Theft Auto IV publicity.
May 5, 2008... NEW YORK: Rockstar Games, the creator of the highly anticipated video game Grand Theft Auto IV, used a highly controlled media outreach strategy to promote the game's launch last month, according to gaming industry insiders. The Grand...

Pentagon suspends retired military analyst briefings.(Brief article)
May 5, 2008... WASHINGTON: The Defense Department indefinitely suspended its practice of holding private briefings for retired military analysts, following a recent New York Times report. The article reported on the business dealings and lobbying activities...

CMS taps Ogilvy for $1.4m task.(Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services )(Brief article)
May 5, 2008... WASHINGTON: The Department of Health and Human Services' Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) awarded a $1.4 million contract to Ogilvy PR for a new campaign to promote awareness of information and services available to adults...

Poker alliance bets on voter registration effort.
May 5, 2008... WASHINGTON: The Poker Players Alliance (PPA) is launching a voter registration effort during the World Series of Poker (WSOP) in Las Vegas, which begins May 31 and runs through November, with the aim of rallying support for reversing or...

Staples goes back to school with its new cause initiative.(Brief article)
May 5, 2008... NEW YORK: Staples kicked off its annual Back-to-School campaign May 1 with the addition of a new cause initiative, DoSomething101. com. The retailer partnered with youth-focused, nonprofit DoSomething.org and American Idol winner Jordin Sparks...

Gavin Anderson opens office in Abu Dhabi.(Brief article)
May 5, 2008... Abu Dhabi: Gavin Anderson opened a regional headquarters, Gavin Anderson Middle East and North Africa, in Abu Dhabi. The office will be led by Robert Kaltrachian as CEO. Kaltrachian has more than 17 years of experience in the region, and the...

Publicis Groupe reports increase in revenue.(Brief article)
May 5, 2008... PARIS: Publicis Groupe reported Q1 revenue for 2008 of approximately $1.59 billion, up 8.2%, from the same period last year, using constant currency rates, and 5.4% organic growth. The company did not break down PR results, but said its $1.9...

Office Depot targets small businesses.
May 5, 2008... DELRAY BEACH, FL: Office Depot is targeting small businesses with a promotion that offers firms the chance to have their company and logo featured on the Office Depot Ford in an upcoming NASCAR race. Edelman provided support for the campaign,...

Bell Pottinger selected by 2016 Olympic bid team.
May 5, 2008... MADRID: The Madrid 2016 Olympic bid team has selected UK agency Bell Pottinger to supports its efforts to host the 2016 Olympics. The campaign will be supplemented by Fast Track, Chime Communications' sport and sponsorship division in Spain....

Triton approaches Cision with acquisition offer.(Brief article)
May 5, 2008... STOCKHOLM: European private-equity firm Triton has approached Cision with an acquisition offer. Cision's board of directors accepted a request for limited due diligence, stating that Triton will be able to complete the offer and take on full...

NeighborWorks selects four firms.
May 5, 2008... WASHINGTON: NeighborWorks selected four firms to provide media relations for its local chapters around the US, which work to prevent foreclosures through counseling and other assistance. The agencies selected are Chicago-based Tricom...

Correction.
May 5, 2008... CORRECTION: In our April 28 Agency Business Report, we misspelled the names of Neal Cohen, CEO, Americas region, APCO Worldwide; and Tim Kane, EVP at Makovsky. We also misidentified JMPR, ranked 149th, as UMPR. We regret the errors

Vonage names Access Communications AOR.(agency of record)(Brief article)
May 5, 2008... NEW YORK: Vonage selected Access Communications as AOR after a two-round RFP process. The firm is responsible for corporate communications, reputation management, product PR, and internal communications. The firm, hired on April 21,...

IPG firms display Q1 growth.(Interpublic Group of Companies Inc.)(Financial report)(Brief article)
May 5, 2008... NEW YORK: Interpublic Group's PR agencies' revenue grew faster than the holding company's other businesses during the first three months of this year, said Harris Diamond, CEO of Weber Shandwick and Interpublic's Constituency Management Group...

Starbucks refocuses its brand.(Brief article)
May 5, 2008... SEATTLE: Starbucks is making consumer outreach a priority as it rethinks its entertainment division and returns focus to its core product: coffee. The company, which works with Edelman as its AOR, has been reaching out to consumers through...

Launch Pad: Teen star, Web initiatives help Unilever introduce Degree Girl.
May 5, 2008... Organization: Unilever Campaign: Degree Girl OMG! PR Team: Weber Shandwick Launch: April 3 Budget: Undisclosed Idea: The ongoing campaign selected Ashley Tisdale, teen star of Disney's High School Musical, to represent the product...

Don't miss out.
May 5, 2008... Logging on to prweekus.com/web-exclusives. Gives you access to all of our Web exclusives and podcasts in one location. For breaking news, log onto PRWeek.com Only on PRWeek.com: Jaimy Lee chases news of the possibility that the Food & Drug...

Munchkin's Project Pink champions breast exams.
May 5, 2008... NEW YORK: Munchkin, the infant and toddler product company, hired Formula to promote its upcoming cause campaign, Project Pink, that encourages mothers to get a breast exam. Project Pink will kick off at an event May 9 to 10, where...

Edelman launches new creative unit.(Daniel J. Edelman Inc.)(Edelman Studios)(Brief article)
May 5, 2008... NEW YORK: Edelman launched a new division, Edelman Studios, to allow aspiring filmmakers, or anyone, to pitch and develop creative content for its clients, including short and feature films, TV shows, and webisodes. It solicited content from...

Dillard enlists H&K to lead its rebranding.(Hill and Knowlton Inc.)(Dillard University)(Brief article)
May 5, 2008... NEW YORK: Dillard University, a historically black university in New Orleans, hired Hill & Knowlton to oversee a major rebranding campaign. The effort will integrate creative online and interactive technologies, provided by H&K's digital...

Giving back begins 'Today'.(Marina Maher Communications)(Brief article)
May 5, 2008... Marina Maher Communications (MMC) is marking its 25th anniversary in July by giving back to the community throughout 2008. The firm kicked off its efforts April 18 by joining Today's Al Roker for its seventh annual 'Lend a Hand Today'...

PR Play of the Week: Nobody fairs well in Miley photo uproar.(public relations)(Brief article)
May 5, 2008... The land of Disney is not the happiest place on Earth these days. A photo of its teen princess Miley Cyrus (a.k.a. Hannah Montana), shot for the May issue of Vanity Fair, has been making the rounds on the Interwebs and causing an uproar with...

News Analysis: Groups continue outreach after Bell trial.
May 5, 2008... Even after the acquittal of the detectives, the battle continues in the court of public opinion. When Sean Bell was shot dead by police outside of a strip club in Queens, NY, just hours before his wedding, there was immediate outrage from...

Newsmaker: Zwilling shows faith in Archdiocese's outreach.
May 5, 2008... Pope Benedict XVI's visit last month marked only the fourth time a sitting pope has made a trip to New York. Joseph Zwilling, director of communications for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York, had to make sense of the hysteria generated...

Companies: Corporate Profile - Fiji Water has its consumers seeing green.
May 5, 2008... From the Web to its role in 1,800 annual events, the company is touting its environmental efforts. Fiji Water's goal is to get its message out that bottled water can be good for the environment. Yes, that is right. Having dealt with...

Companies: The Agency Business - US economy slump provides global opportunities.
May 5, 2008... Although various sectors of the US economy - most notably the housing market - face grave difficulties at the moment, agency executives say that the tough times also present great opportunities for their corporate and financial practices. ...

Editorial: Incisor is walking fine line between clever and conflict.
May 5, 2008... Incisor Communications, created so that Bite Communications could take on the Sybase account without dropping any existing clients (PRWeek, April 28), is a tenuous conflict solution. Incisor will be a part of Bite's brand, exist under the same...

Op-Ed: Staying one step ahead of the lion.
May 5, 2008... While the pundits debate the current state of the economy and whether it fits the formal definition of a recession, we continue to see high gas prices, consumer spending is sluggish, the dollar is weak, healthcare costs are skyrocketing, and...

Op-Ed: Social media ushers in a new PR age.(Viewpoint essay)
May 5, 2008... If I could hire any two people in the world to join my PR consultancy, who would they be? The answer today sure is different than 18 months ago. I most likely would have rattled off the name of a well-respected technology trade journalist,...

Opinion: Cost of collecting information is more expensive than you think.(Viewpoint essay)
May 5, 2008... In a previous column, I extolled the virtues of monitoring Twitter for information about your company (or client's) reputation, products, and brand. It's also great for finding a column idea. The great thing about Twitter - and sites like...

Opinion: Zelda's conundrum: Figuring out what she needs to do with Sid.
May 5, 2008... Why do many CCOs I meet lately express frustration that the people at their companies are viewed as tacticians, not strategists? Take the case of two people I know: Sid Lipschitz and Zelda Schpondulix, executives at the Acme Explosives...

Factfile: Pop culture tie-ins provide a corporate storytelling boost.
May 5, 2008... In the news Entergy, a Fortune 500 energy company, gave its April 25 periodic analyst meeting a No Country for Old Men theme, including dialogue and imagery from the controversial, Oscar-winning film. During the presentation, Entergy...

Media: Analysis - Anchors are losing their hold on viewers.
May 5, 2008... Walter Cronkite, once considered the most trusted figure in America, established an emotional connection between the public and national news anchors. However, as the nightly network news - like all other sectors of traditional media - grapples...

Media: Journalist Q&A - Sarah Lacy, BusinessWeek, Yahoo Finance.(Interview)
May 5, 2008... Name: Sarah Lacy Title: Author/freelance writer Outlet: BusinessWeek, Yahoo Finance Preferred contact method: sarah@sarahlacy.com Web site: sarahlacy.typepad.com Lacy talks with PRWeek about what the controversy, where bloggers and...

Media: Research: LGBT responses to new media.(lesbian gay bisexual and transgender)(Survey)(Brief article)
May 5, 2008... Conducted by: Harris Interactive and Witeck-Combs Communications Sample: 2,733 US adults, 13% identified as gay or lesbian (March 11-19) Goal: To determine gay, lesbian use of blogs and social media Web sites KEY FINDINGS 28% of LGBT...

Media Roundup: Business journals reach a target audience.
May 5, 2008... With many newspapers cutting newsholes and resources - including within the financial sections - local business journals would seem to be poised to steal mind and market share from the dailies. Yet, for the most part, the tightening of...

Media: Critical hit - 'Evening News' boosts Tupperware.(dialogue with Michelle Mandara)(Interview)(Brief article)
May 5, 2008... Who is your client and what are its media goals? Michelle Mandara: Tupperware Brands is our client and its goal is to drive awareness around the company, as well as raise the profile of chairman and CEO Rick Goings in the financial and...

Media: Ups and Downs.(briefs)(BusinessWeek.com)(Brief article)
May 5, 2008... Northwestern University journalism professor Abe Peck wins a lifetime achievement award from the American Society of Business Publications The New York Times wins six of 21 awards given by the Overseas Press Club, more than any other news...

Media: Inside Information - Online video monitoring helps to track measurement.(Brief article)
May 5, 2008... PR pros routinely aim to win clients a guest spot on a TV show or create a great CEO video-blog. Yet communications pros, also tasked with monitoring a video's success as it spreads across the Internet, are increasingly turning to online video...

Feature: A brand new strategy.
May 5, 2008... NetApp's corporate marketing and communications team has worked hard to help redefine the company for a variety of different audiences. Over the past 16 years, NetApp (formerly known as Network Appliance), a data-management solutions...

PR Technique: Video can come in handy during a crisis.
May 5, 2008... Certain elements can be prepared beforehand and used in a pinch if the time comes, finds Craig McGuire Even the most thorough contingency planning cannot anticipate every unexpected situation. Having broadcast-quality footage already on hand,...

Campaigns: Visit Milwaukee honors 'Fonzie'.
May 5, 2008... Visit Milwaukee PR Team: Visit Milwaukee (Milwaukee, WI) Campaign: Bronze the Fonz Duration: September 2007-ongoing Budget: $10,000 At one time, TV Land created bronze statues of iconic characters in their home cities for fun photo...

Campaigns: So Low uses celebrities to boost West Coast presence.(Brief article)
May 5, 2008... So Low PR Team: So Low and Fashion Pulse PR (both LA) Campaign: So Low West Coast campaign Duration: May 2006-ongoing Budget: $1,500 a month So Low re-established the demographic as 13 to 25 year olds and tasked its PR director,...

Campaigns: Tappening pushes product to curb bottled-water craze.(Brief article)
May 5, 2008... Ericho Communications PR Team: Ericho Communications (White Plains, NY) and DiMassimo Goldstein (New York) Campaign: Tappening Duration: November 2007-ongoing Budget: $150,000 Ericho Communications president Eric Yaverbaum and...

PR Toolbox: Thriving despite economic woes, pitching tips, more.
May 5, 2008... Performance in a recession How can small firms thrive in an economic downturn? Even if the economy isn't technically in a full-blown recession, most businesses are feeling or expecting a downturn. Rise Birnbaum, CEO of Zcomm, says that...

People moves: Western Union.
May 5, 2008... ENGLEWOOD, CO: Western Union hired Eric Jackson as SVP, global corporate communications. He will develop and direct communication strategies to benefit Western Union's global competitive position and reputation among both internal and external...

People moves: Weber Shandwick.
May 5, 2008... ATLANTA: Dave Watson joined Weber Shandwick's Atlanta office as group director, leading the office's business marketing and corporate practices. Watson was previously manager of Aflac's HR communications

People moves: WeissComm Partners.
May 5, 2008... WASHINGTON: WeissComm Partners named Laurie Mobley associate director of its Washington office, effective April 28. Mobley previously served as a VP in Ketchum's Washington office, where she worked for seven years. In the newly created...

People moves: FD.(appointment of Colasuonno, Lou)(appointment of Goldberg, Kal)(appointment of Parrish, Leigh)(Brief article)
May 5, 2008... NEW YORK: FD appointed three MDs. Leigh Parrish was named MD of the agency's retail and consumer practice. Kal Goldberg was appointed to MD of special situations, advising clients on financial and crisis situations such as M&A deals, Chapter 11...

People moves: Qorvis Communications.
May 5, 2008... WASHINGTON: Sol Levine, previously executive producer at Al Jazeera English, joined Qorvis Communications as a senior director. Levine has also worked as a producer at CNN, NBC News, and ABC News, including serving as executive producer for...

People moves: Carmichael Lynch Spong.(appointment of Mcneil, Sarah)(Brief article)
May 5, 2008... MINNEAPOLIS: Carmichael Lynch Spong hired Sarah McNeil as senior principal. McNeil will chair the b-to-b and technology practice groups, as well as lead two of the agency's clients, Digital River and Foresters. McNeil joins from...

People moves: Cato Institute.
May 5, 2008... WASHINGTON: Khristine Brooks, previously director of media relations at the Heritage Foundation, joined the libertarian think tank Cato Institute as VP of communications

People moves: American Physical Therapy Association.
May 5, 2008... ALEXANDRIA, VA: Felicity Feather Clancy joined the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) as VP of communications. Clancy, who was previously VP of communications for the American Chiropractic Association, will oversee the APTA's PR, Web...

People moves: Virilion.
May 5, 2008... WASHINGTON: Rachel Cheatham joined Virilion as VP for food, agriculture, and nutrition. She most recently served as director of science and health communications for the nonprofit International Food Information Council

Careers: Expert Advice - Mike Marino, Human resources consultant.(Brief article)
May 5, 2008... I question my staffer's truthfulness regarding a recent 12-week leave to care for a sick parent A: The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) does allow employers to require appropriate documentation to support a leave request, as well as periodic...

PSA push gets olympic boost.(public service announcement )(Brief article)
May 5, 2008... The Ad Council, Department of Health & Human Services, the US Olympic Committee, NBC, and Qubo - its Saturday morning children's entertainment service - created PSAs featuring Olympic hopefuls - such as Shawn Johnson (shown above with...

McAfee taps Red Consultancy to direct consumer outreach efforts.
May 12, 2008... SANTA CLARA, CA: McAfee selected Red Consultancy as its consumer AOR. The six-figure contract adds consumer duties to the firm's existing corporate and enterprise responsibilities. The selection followed a competitive bid by six agencies. ...

APCO assists 'off-label' push.
May 12, 2008... Washington: APCO Worldwide is providing media relations support for a coalition of drug companies hoping to persuade the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to permit distribution of peer-reviewed articles on 'off-label' use of drugs to doctors....

Britannica promotes free online tools for bloggers.
May 12, 2008... CHICAGO: Encyclopedia Britannica is promoting its online information as a free service to Web publishers, and has hired Holtz Communication & Technology (HC&T) to focus PR efforts on bloggers. Encyclopedia's internal PR team is working on much...

EA Sports focuses on casual gamers with its latest brand.
May 12, 2008... SAN FRANCISCO: EA Sports launched a new global sub-brand to strengthen its appeal among casual video-game users. The new brand, EA Sports Freestyle, was revealed at the company's 'Sports Season Opener' media event on May 6....

News brief: Kaplow hired by The Warnaco Group.(Brief article)
May 12, 2008... NEW YORK: The Warnaco Group hired Kaplow as AOR for its Warner's and Olga brands, effective May 1. Kaplow, which was chosen after multiple rounds, will work to extend communications with consumers and the media on both intimate apparel brands....

News brief: Fujitsu Computer Products.
May 12, 2008... SAN FRANCISCO: Fujitsu Computer Products of America hired Schwartz Communications to create a PR strategy that fosters visibility and sales. Fujitsu declined to disclose whether there was a competitive bid Schwartz's San Francisco office will...

News brief: Phoenix Investment Partners.
May 12, 2008... NEW YORK: Phoenix Investment Partners selected Middleburg Communications to aid a PR effort in preparation for the group's spinoff from its parent company, Phoenix Companies, later this year. Middleburg will handle branding, positioning,...

News brief: Biz360 secures financing.
May 12, 2008... SAN MATEO, CA: Biz360 secured dollars 10 million in financing from Foundation Capital, Granite Ventures, and Scale Venture Partners. The three venture capital firms invest in tech companies in a variety of sectors including clean technology and...

News brief: The Morris & King Company selected.
May 12, 2008... NEW YORK: Good magazine selected The Morris & King Company as its AOR, effective May 5. The agency will develop a brand awareness campaign for the magazine, its Web site, and events

News brief: Assets acquired by Marketwire China Holdings.(Brief article)
May 12, 2008... TORONTO: Marketwire China Holdings, a subsidiary of Marketwire, has acquired certain assets and a license from Media Services Asia, expanding Marketwire's release distribution services across Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. The two companies...

News brief: Associated Press launch.
May 12, 2008... NEW YORK: The Associated Press launched the Mobile News Network, a multimedia news portal targeted at wireless users. The Web application is optimized for use on iPhones. More than 100 publishers are participating in the network, covering 16 of...

'Reader's Digest' selects DKC to revive its brand.
May 12, 2008... NEW YORK: The Reader's Digest Association (RDA) selected DKC as AOR for its Reader's Digest title and corresponding Web site, focusing immediately on brand revitalization, media outreach, and content distribution. DKC and Reader's Digest...

Facebook retains Google VP.
May 12, 2008... PALO ALTO, CA: Facebook hired Elliot Schrage, former VP of global communications and public affairs at Google, as its new VP of communications and public policy. PRWeek obtained an excerpt of an e-mail that Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg...

Piaggio USA taps Brandware.
May 12, 2008... NEW YORK: Piaggio Group USA consolidated the PR functions for its four major brands to one agency by naming Brandware AOR for Vespa and Piaggio scooters and Aprilia and Moto Guzzi motorcycle brands. Prior to the consolidation, Access...

Launch Pad: Celebrity videos provide boost to initiative supporting Burma.(Brief article)
May 12, 2008... Organization: US Campaign for Burma Campaign: 'Burma: It Can't Wait' PR Team: W2 Group (Racepoint Group and Digital Influence Group) Launch: May 1 Budget: Undisclosed IDEA: During the month of May, the effort is posting a new video...

Don't miss out.
May 12, 2008... Logging on to prweekus.com/web-exclusives gives you access to all of our Web exclusives and podcasts in one location. For breaking news, log onto PRWeek.com ONLY ON PRWEEK.COM: - Alexandra Bruell tracks fashion's recent infatuation...

News Analysis: Video games chase mainstream coverage.
May 12, 2008... With lifelike images and a growing audience, PR must adapt to keep up with this evolving market. The release of Grand Theft Auto (GTA) IV two weeks ago pushed video games another step closer to acceptance by the entertainment art world,...

Newsmaker: McLean's comms role at museum is a natural fit.
May 12, 2008... When former NBC NEWS international correspondent Charles McLean's phone rang recently, it was a recruitment agency manager asking for advice on hiring a seasoned communications chief for the American Museum of Natural History in New York. The...

Companies: Corporate Profile - Years of branding efforts pay off for CBIZ.(Company overview)
May 12, 2008... From a new name to its thought-leadership push, CBIZ in making inroads with various audiences. It took a name change, a major branding effort, and a few acquisitions for CBIZ to create a brand that was consistent with the company message,...

Companies: At a glance - The Agency Business - Firms discover ways to bring their worlds closer.
May 12, 2008... Having offices around the world is a benefit to PR firms, but keeping staff connected and informed while in different time zones can be a challenge. Agencies cite face-to-face meetings as the best way for employees to bond, but technology has...

Opinion: Hands-on training makes conferences worthwhile.(Brief article)
May 12, 2008... Annual conferences, particularly those bearing the stuffy 'leadership' title, don't usually make journalists gush, but gush they did over the recent Four A's conference held in Southern California. Advertising Age admired the 'diverse list...

Op-Ed: CCOs face a 'perfect comms storm'.(chief communications officers)
May 12, 2008... After the fifth call we received this year asking about 'best practices' for structuring corporate communications functions, I knew something was up. It appears that chief communications officers across the globe are experiencing somewhat of a...

Op-Ed: Mass e-mail pitches are not effective.
May 12, 2008... I'm not sure which of the nine circles of hell I was in the week before ad:tech San Francisco 2008, but it's the level where PR people spam bloggers with irrelevant e-mail pitches. I'm a blogger. But, I've also been in PR for more than 25...

Opinion: Employers have a responsibility to continue new media lessons.
May 12, 2008... I recently spent time with a Boston University (BU) PR class of 20 or so students to discuss the profession they are likely to enter. It's enriching to speak to any students about their lives and the perceptions they have about the working...

Opinion: Corporate communicators can find inspiration in political arena.
May 12, 2008... Tis the season where politics and politicians are scrutinized like foreign animals newly donated to the local zoo. Words, motives, and companions are dissected, making every action a cause for cheer or dismay. It's similar to the treatment of...

Opinion: Factfile - Papa John's quickly rebounds from franchise's foul actions.
May 12, 2008... In the news Papa John's Pizza recently found itself apologizing for the actions of one of its franchises. In a statement distributed to Cleveland and northern Ohio media May 4, it called a DC-based franchise's unauthorized circulation of...

Media: Analysis - Magazine awards reflect industry changes.
May 12, 2008... With a record number of entries this year, the National Magazine Awards, also known as the Ellies, are considered a major benchmark for US publications. Because of the publicity that the awards generate, editors regard the annual ceremony as...

Media: Journalist Q&A - Nanci Hellmich, USA Today.
May 12, 2008... Name: Nanci Hellmich Title: Reporter Outlet: USA Today Preferred contact method: nhellmich@usatoday.com Web site: dietchallenge.usatoday.com Hellmich, who has now worked there for more than two decades talks with PRWeek about her...