PR Week (US) articles from October 2008

PR Week (US) archives from October 2008

Financial comms work remains steady amid Wall Street turmoil.
October 6, 2008... NEW YORK: Financial communications professionals say they are keeping busy as the Wall Street tumult, which began several weeks ago with the demise of Lehman Brothers and sale of Merrill Lynch to Bank of America, continues. Stanton...

FDA suspends work with pair of agencies.
October 6, 2008... WASHINGTON: The FDA temporarily halted work September 29 on a dollars 300,000 contract with an Alaska-based PR firm that had subcontracted with Qorvis Communications. The government agency is awaiting the findings of internal and independent...

PN wins dollars 6m CMS contract.
October 6, 2008... WASHINGTON: The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), a division of the US Department of Health and Human Services, awarded Porter Novelli a nearly dollars 6 million contract to develop and implement an awareness campaign for the...

A nostalgic trip.
October 6, 2008... For the final game ever at Shea Stadium on September 28, the Metropolitan Transit Authority's New York City Transit rolled out a 'Nostalgia Train' to take fans to the matchup between the New York Mets and the Florida Marlins. Riding in the same...

Coke relaunches energy drink with hip-hop flair.
October 6, 2008... ATLANTA: Coca-Cola relaunched its Full Throttle Fury energy drink September 30 with a new campaign and spokesman, hip-hop artist Big Boi. The effort focuses on in-person events with Big Boi, one half of hip-hop duo OutKast, and music in...

Wheat Council makes new effort an 'Urban Experience'.
October 6, 2008... NEW YORK: The Wheat Foods Council (WFC), a nonprofit supported by producers, millers, and other industry groups, plans to turn one quarter of an acre of downtown Manhattan into a wheat field for a three-day event. Held from October 6 to 9 at...

Firms reviewed for Juniper Networks.
October 6, 2008... SUNNYVALE, CA: Juniper Networks is reviewing firms for its North American AOR. Roger Fortier, corporate communications manager at Juniper, said it is part of the company's overall business review process, though he did note a new CMO was hired...

WPP plans to incorporate ..
October 6, 2008... LONDON: WPP Group plans to incorporate in the Republic of Ireland to reduce its tax burden. Shareholders will vote on the proposed move in late October, and if approved, the plan will take effect on November 19 The board and management team...

GlobeImmune hires Russo Partners.(Brief article)
October 6, 2008... LOUISVILLE, CO: GlobeImmune, a biopharmaceutical company that develops treatments for infectious diseases and cancer, hired Russo Partners for message development and corporate media relations. The firm began work September 1 and will provide...

Goodman Media International adds new clients.
October 6, 2008... NEW YORK: Goodman Media International added five new clients to its roster since August, including The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, which has an audience of 3 million, for publicity surrounding the show's coverage of the election. In addition,...

Rogers & Cowan AOR for Bahamas International Film Festival.
October 6, 2008... NASSAU, BAHAMAS: The Bahamas International Film Festival hired Rogers & Cowan as AOR for the second year. The agency will handle strategic planning, build the Festival's profile in the global film community, and oversee publicity for the 2008...

BackBay Communications AOR for LifeYield.
October 6, 2008... BOSTON: LifeYield, a recently launched financial technology provider to wealth management firms and advisers, hired BackBay Communications as AOR. BackBay will assist LifeYield with media relations work and the creation of marketing materials

Edelman working with dna13.
October 6, 2008... NEW YORK: Edelman is working with dna13 to create a standardized Web-based platform that will allow the firm's 3,200 employees to use the software-as-service for media monitoring, directories, analytics, document management, and client...

Corrections.(Correction notice)
October 6, 2008... Corrections: Two errors were made in the September 22 issue. In Inside Information, we said Cigna's first press room was created in 2006 (it was actually 2005) and failed to mention that Cigna created the pressroom internally. In the backpage...

SunPower selects Ogilvy to help corporate comms.
October 6, 2008... SAN JOSE, CA: SunPower, a solar power designer, manufacturer, and marketer based in San Jose, CA, named Ogilvy global AOR after a competitive pitching process. The San Francisco-based account team will focus on corporate communications for...

CJP to launch Buffett series.
October 6, 2008... NEW YORK: Author Alice Schroeder recently enlisted CJP Communications to launch an online, promotional documentary series to coincide with the release of the first authorized biography of Warren Buffett. Schroeder authored The Snowball:...

US Navy Seals choose Gallup.(Gallup Consulting)(Brief article)
October 6, 2008... SAN DIEGO: The US Navy Seals recently awarded Washington-based Gallup Consulting a six-month, dollars 500,000 contract to help it develop a new branding and marketing strategy. Work will include assessment of the Seals' current...

Launch Pad: McDonald's broadens Hispanic outreach with traveling 'Fiesta'.
October 6, 2008... Company: McDonald's Campaign: Fiesta Tour McDonald's Music Experience PR Team: Valencia Perez & Echeveste PR Launch: September 28 Budget: Undisclosed Idea: As a sponsor of the Latin Grammys, McDonald's wanted to tie in its...

Don't miss out.
October 6, 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: Kimberly Maul looks at ABC.com's new interactive...

Remington seeks brand boost, taps Clarke/EMA.(Clarke/Eric Mower and Associates)(Remington Products Inc.)
October 6, 2008... MADISON, WI: Remington, a division of Spectrum Brands, recently selected Clarke/Eric Mower and Associates (Clarke/EMA) as AOR for its North American men's grooming and shaving products. The contract, which was won after a competitive review, is...

Olympic ties earn brands good press.
October 6, 2008... NEW YORK: Brands aligned with the 2008 Games saw far more positive news coverage than negative, despite pre-Olympic protests, according to a Hill & Knowlton-sponsored study conducted by ComMetric. The study examined the coverage received by...

Love those bonus points.
October 6, 2008... Citibank, which bought Wachovia last week, debuted its 'Thanks a Million' sweepstakes program on September 23 in New York, where winning customers get ThankYou points. Citibank chairman and CEO Peter Knitzer spoke about the program at the event...

MAOF hires Valencia arm as new AOR.(Mexican American Opportunity Foundation)(Valencia & Co.)(Brief article)
October 6, 2008... LOS ANGELES: The Mexican American Opportunity Foundation (MAOF) chose Valencia & Co., the separate public affairs arm of Valencia, Perez & Echeveste PR, as its AOR in a one-year contract, effective September 25. 'Qualifications we were...

PR Play of the Week: Pirates reveal new side with spokesperson.
October 6, 2008... Years of stories that depict pirates as villainous brutes have caused some serious reputation damage to the pirating business as a whole. So when a call came from The New York Times, pirate spokesperson Sugule Ali stepped up to offer a...

News Analysis: Automakers happy to tell electric car story.
October 6, 2008... Car manufacturers are starting to plan comms for the 2010 rollout of their next-gen vehicles. Automakers are handling myriad issues - changing consumer demand, rising costs, layoffs - but perhaps none as important as convincing its...

Newsmaker: Hunt brings mature attitude to Thomson Reuters.(appointment of Jolie Hunt )
October 6, 2008... Jolie Hunt joined Thomson Reuters as global head of PR for its Markets division just 10 days after the companies merged in April 2008. Not long after that, Hunt accompanied the division's CEO Devin Wenig and other team members on a 17-city tour...

Companies: Corporate Profile - Wolters' CLS unit gets its staff on-board.(Company overview)
October 6, 2008... External campaigns are aided by creative efforts that educate employees on the entire company. No matter their size or cleverness, PR and ad campaigns can't really succeed if the people at the companies don't understand or believe in the...

Companies: The Agency Business - Client service key to riding out economic unease.
October 6, 2008... As the economic climate dampens, new business opportunities across the industry, some PR firms are focusing on client service to shore up existing accounts. For instance, proactive surveying of client satisfaction enables New York-based...

Opinion: Public bails on bill thanks to communications failure.(Brief article)
October 6, 2008... At press time, the House of Representatives had shot down a dollars 700-billion bailout plan for the financial sector from the White House that was initially expected to pass. A revised bill was headed to the Senate, but the initial failure...

Op-Ed: Curiosity could save the comms pro.
October 6, 2008... In the midst of the dot-com tailspin, I heard a former CEO of the late, once-great Arthur Andersen speak in a general way about the challenges of client consulting. Human nature being what it is, he said, it is far easier to embrace the status...

Op-Ed: Motivated Millennials provide hope.
October 6, 2008... Mentoring, meaningful internships, and interaction with university students are all important approaches to preparing the next generation, but many industry leaders have reservations about the next generation of PR pros. Do the 20-somethings -...

Opinion: McCain, Obama haven't been on the money with their messaging.
October 6, 2008... For months, the 2008 presidential election has been hyped, by media and political pundits, to be unlike any this nation has ever seen. And to be sure, with the first African-American nominee and the first woman ever on the GOP ticket, it...

Opinion: In today's market, IR pros must be on the front lines, not the sidelines.
October 6, 2008... Panic may be a natural reaction to the historic market turmoil we're witnessing. However, after we shake our heads in disappointment, take a deep breath, realize that the next few months, or longer, will be tough, and turn off CNBC, we must get...

Factfile: Planning helps Newman brand prosper even after his passing.(Paul Newman)(Newman's Own)
October 6, 2008... In the news When Paul Newman passed away two Fridays ago at the age of 83, media coverage focused not only on his long film career, but also his work as a philanthropist and entrepreneur. He leaves behind Newman's Own, which he...

Media Roundup: Mental health groups struggle for coverage.
October 6, 2008... Though much of the stigma of mental health conditions has abated among the general public, coverage of depression, addiction, and other disorders is still often overshadowed by other health issues. Therefore, there are few journalists...

Media: Critical Hit - 'Journal' shows Gerstein's strengths.(Gerstein Fisher)(Interview)(Brief article)
October 6, 2008... Who is your client? What are its media goals? John Roderick: Gerstein Fisher is a midsize financial advisory firm with dollars 1 billion in assets under management. (Its) media goals are to raise (its) profile nationally through the...

Media: Inside Information - Employees, clients gain from enterprise social networks.
October 6, 2008... Most PR pros know to use social media platforms to engage the public, but many are also finding ways to use them to communicate with colleagues and clients. Al Comeaux, SVP of corporate communications at Sabre Holdings, a travel retailer...

Media: Ups and Downs.(briefs)(Brief article)
October 6, 2008... News aggregator Digg announces it has raised nearly dollars 29 million and will double its staff to 150 employees The New York Times extends its TimesPeople social networking tool across its Web site, adding reader inter-action through the...

Feature: American beauty.
October 6, 2008... Sephora has started marketing to the often-ignored disabled community with events that target children with special needs and their caretakers. In many ways, Gretchen Vogel is a typical 17-year-old girl; she loves wearing makeup and enjoys...

PR Technique: Creating a pitch that is always in vogue.
October 6, 2008... Targeting the fashion media requires a casual, yet informed, tone, finds Alexandra Bruell. The fashion industry has been shaped by celebrity influence, a growing number of designers, and a more complex media environment. To reflect these...

Campaigns: Prepared 4 Life sets positive goals.(Pennino & Partners)
October 6, 2008... Prepared 4 Life PR Team: Prepared 4 Life and Pennino & Partners (both Houston) Campaign: Lemonade Day 2008 Duration: January-May 2008 Budget: dollars 100,000 The organization, along with Pennino and Partners (P&P), launched...

Campaigns: Ethisphere drives attention to its leadership conference.(Conference news)
October 6, 2008... Ethisphere institute PR Team: The Ethisphere Institute (New York City) and Mindspace (Tempe, AZ) Campaign: Driving Profit Through Ethical Leadership conference Duration: March-June 2008 Budget: dollars 30,000 Seeking a way to draw...

Campaigns: Palm Springs celebrates gay marriage with wedding event.
October 6, 2008... Palm Springs, CA PR Team: Palm Springs City Council members and Burke, Rix, Hines & Associates (Palm Springs, CA) Campaign: Married in Palm Springs Duration: May 15-June 18, 2008 Budget: dollars 500 Burke, Rix, Hines & Associates...

PR Toolbox: Stretching your PR budget, pitching bloggers, and more.
October 6, 2008... Budgets What are some tips for stretching my budget in 2009? Review your contracts with all of your service providers, advises Eric Hill, president of MyMediaInfo. From wire services to media directories, there may be a lower-cost...

People moves: Burson-Marsteller.(promotion of Mike Lake)(Brief article)
October 6, 2008... DALLAS: Burson-Marsteller promoted Mike Lake to chairman of its US public affairs practice, effective October 1. Lake, whose twin brother James Lake resigned from the same position in early September to join Gibraltar Associates, will oversee...

People moves: Edelman.
October 6, 2008... SEATTLE: Edelman hired Wayne Hickey as SVP and digital content strategist. Hickey will drive Edelman's work with Microsoft's Interactive Entertainment Business and play a role in the agency's digital entertainment, rights, and technology...

People moves: IR at NTSE Euronext.(appointment of Stephen Davidson)(Brief article)
October 6, 2008... NEW YORK: Stephen Davidson will become VP of IR at NYSE Euronext October 6, responsible for its global IR program, including managing relationships and communications with shareholders, analysts, and the professional investment community....

People moves: Hilton Hotels Corporation.
October 6, 2008... BEVERLY HILLS, CA: Hilton Hotels Corporation hired Ellen Gonda as SVP of global communications and PR, effective October 1. Gonda, who previously was director of communications for the Americas at The Carlyle Group, will oversee corporate...

People moves: The Rogers Group.(appointment of Marion Pyle )(Brief article)
October 6, 2008... LOS ANGELES: The Rogers Group (TRG) hired Marion Pyle as VP of its Latino Strategies Group, effective September 24. In this position, Pyle will provide expertise in Latino nonprofit and consumer branding and marketing, public affairs, media...

People moves: The Horn Group.
October 6, 2008... SAN FRANCISCO: The Horn Group promoted Dee Anna McPherson to partner. McPherson, a principal of the firm, leads Horn Group's San Francisco office in client service, business development, and operations

People moves: MWW.
October 6, 2008... NEW YORK: MWW hired Matthew Della Croce as SVP and deputy GM of its New York office. Croce was most recently president of Phase IV Health & Performance Center, a wellness/fitness startup. In the past, he was EVP and director of corporate and US...

Careers: Expert Advice - Steve Seeman, VP Makovsky & Company.
October 6, 2008... I don't believe I was fairly assessed in my performance review. How should I address this? A: This is a delicate situation that must be handled with a great deal of diplomacy, because your approach will impact your future at your firm. First,...

Pepsi Bottling mixes first CSR report in messaging.
October 13, 2008... SOMERS, NY: Pepsi Bottling Group (PBG), the largest manufacturer, seller, and distributor of Pepsi-Cola, issued its first CSR report last week and is working to integrate the message into all communications. In issuing the report, the...

USPS issues an RFP for firm to provide strategic outreach.
October 13, 2008... WASHINGTON: The US Postal Service (USPS) issued an RFP on October 2 for a contractor to provide strategic messaging services to the media, the general public, and postal employees. The deadline for proposals is November 5. Crisis...

ACS is looking for AOR that has multicultural capabilities.
October 13, 2008... WASHINGTON: The American Cancer Society (ACS) is holding a competitive review of its creative firms, including PR, and plans to select a new AOR in the next month. The RFP is part of a larger initiative for the nonprofit organization to...

CDC broadens its child flu vaccination campaign.
October 13, 2008... ATLANTA: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) began its 2008 influenza vaccination push with a dollars 1 million PR budget. This year's campaign, which opened September 24, taps children ages 5 to 18 years old for the first...

P&G seeks to forge fashion ties for fabric care products.
October 13, 2008... CINCINNATI, OH: Procter & Gamble continued its multimillion-dollar investment in aligning its Tide and Downy products with fashion, through a new partnership with Ann Taylor Loft. The effort includes a national tour, media outreach, and an...

News brief: AIG works with Sard Verbinnen & Co.(American International Group Inc.)(Brief article)
October 13, 2008... NEW YORK: AIG is working with Sard Verbinnen & Co. as it encounters criticism for a high-priced company retreat that followed its dollars 85 billion bailout from the federal government. The company sought to clarify the event with a press...

News brief: TACA hires The Jeffrey Group as AOR.(TACA International Airlines S.A.)(Brief article)
October 13, 2008... MIAMI: The Central American airline TACA recently hired The Jeffrey Group as its AOR to help with a rebranding through 2009. The company is overhauling its brand with a new campaign to better market to the psychographics of the 'modern Latin' -...

News brief: TNS executives recommend shareholders accept acquisition offer.
October 13, 2008... LONDON: Taylor Nelson Sofres (TNS) executives have recommended that shareholders accept an acquisition offer from WPP Group. WPP first began with a hostile bid in July. By October 8, 82% of investors supported the approximately dollars 2...

News brief: Clear!Blue ordered to rebrand by federal court.
October 13, 2008... CHARLOTTE, NC: Clear!Blue, a Detroit-based marketing and advertising firm, was ordered by federal court in North Carolina to rebrand following North Carolina-based marketing communications agency, Clear Blue's successful copyright infringement...

News brief: Board of directors at Cision replace CEO.
October 13, 2008... STOCKHOLM: Cision's board of directors replaced its CEO ahead of Q3 earnings that the company described as 'unsatisfactory.' It appointed Hans Gieskes as CEO, effective immediately, replacing Niklas Flyborg, who held the position since February...

News brief: Correction.(Correction notice)
October 13, 2008... In the October 6 issue, a story on The Wheat Foods Council stated that the 'Urban Wheat Field Experience' would run October 6 to 9, but the event ended October 8. We regret the error

News brief: ProChile selects Ogilvy PR Worldwide as global AOR.
October 13, 2008... CHILE: ProChile, the trade commission of Chile, selected Ogilvy PR Worldwide as its global AOR for a multi-year account to help position the country's brand around the world. The campaign will emphasize the country's leadership in exports,...

News brief: Support for acquisition.
October 13, 2008... 82% - Investors that supported WPP's acquisition offer for Taylor Nelson Sofres of about dollars 2 billion

NAPFA provides finance advice with its bus tour.(Consumer Education Foundation)(National Association of Personal Financial Advisors)(Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine)(Brief article)
October 13, 2008... WASHINGTON: The National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA) Consumer Education Foundation has teamed with Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine and TD Ameritrade for a yearlong, coast-to-coast bus tour offering consumers free...

J&J restructures leadership.
October 13, 2008... NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ: Johnson & Johnson restructured its public affairs and corporate communication leadership. Senior assignments are now linked to key stakeholder groups, the company said October 3. The team of six VPs reports to Ray Jordan, VP...

Ask.com talks up its relaunch.
October 13, 2008... OAKLAND, CA: Ask.com is conducting an outreach effort aimed at consumer publications and trade media to raise brand awareness of its relaunched search engine. Its new site was unveiled October 6. The campaign runs throughout November and...

Launch Pad: FNBO challenges Americans to 'Pay Yourself' and save money.(FNBO Direct)(Jones Public Relations)(Brief article)
October 13, 2008... Company: FNBO Direct Campaign: Pay Yourself First Challenge PR Team: Jones PR Launch: October 6 Budget: About dollars 300,000, including prizes IDEA: FNBO and its firm, Jones PR, decided to play off the popularity of weight loss...

News Analysis: Contract system in DC arouses concerns.
October 13, 2008... The FDA's no-bid PR contract has put the capital's procurement process in the spotlight. For many outside of Washington, DC, and a few within, the federal contracting process appears to be a bureaucratic morass in which Beltway Bandits...

Newsmaker: Bass helps channel SolarCity's energy message.
October 13, 2008... On April 16 of this year, Jonathan Bass became director of communications for SolarCity, the Foster City, CA-based provider of commercial and residential solar power. Four days later, he was backstage with rock stars at the Green Apple Music...

Companies: Organization Profile - Branding becomes WWPIA's pet project.
October 13, 2008... Industry organization uses various forums to show that its value goes beyond trade shows. At the most recent SuperZoo trade show in Las Vegas in September, the World Wide Pet Industry Association (WWPIA) crowned a border collie named...

Companies: The Agency Business - Financial practices highlight their value in crisis.
October 13, 2008... Agencies have been watching the financial markets for months, and corporate practices kicked into high gear in response to the upheaval on Wall Street. 'The crisis has created a major opportunity for smart financial pros to get into the...

Editorial: Advertising only first step in bank's response to crisis.(Editorial)
October 13, 2008... As customers worry about the safety of their money in banks across the country, massive advertising campaigns with reassuring messaging appeared from various companies, including Bank of America and JPMorgan Chase. Ads for Washington...

Op-Ed: Down economy is PR's time to shine.
October 13, 2008... By most measures, corporate America is currently experiencing a down economy. Companies are assessing their options against this background of lower performance and decreased expectations, and they are leaning toward budget tightening. As...

Opinion: Corporations must blog to keep up.
October 13, 2008... In its June 10, 2002, issue, PRWeek identified an emerging online trend that marketing and communications professionals needed to take heed of: blogging. The article, 'Monitoring the Web - Blogging the great untapped resource,' identified this...

Opinion: Emerging trends point to what comes next in marketing world.
October 13, 2008... As PRWeek nears its 10-year anniversary, we have had a chance to look back on the industry's history. It has been a great thrill to go through a decade's worth of issues to see how agencies soared and flailed (and, in some cases, failed), as...

Opinion: Guest lecturers, students receive reciprocal value from discussions.(Column)
October 13, 2008... Much has been written about the unprecedented transfer of wealth that will soon gain momentum as a generation of baby boomers passes along a lifetime of upward mobility to its children and grandchildren. While the financial turmoil of the last...

Opinion: Factfile - Online networks foster closer consumer-brand relationships.
October 13, 2008... In the news. General Mills and Kraft recently launched online networks for consumers to interact with their brands. The sites - kraftfirsttaste.com and pssst.generalmills.com - give consumers the opportunity to sample products, make...

Media: Analysis - 'Sun' closing could indicate more cutbacks.
October 13, 2008... Although some might consider the September 30 closure of The New York Sun only the failing of one start-up print publication, the title's folding could foretell less drastic cutbacks across various forms of media during this period of economic...

Media: Journalist Q&A - John Byrne, BusinessWeek.com.
October 13, 2008... Name: John Byrne Titles: Editor-in-chief, BusinessWeek.com; executive editor, BusinessWeek Outlets: BusinessWeek.com and BusinessWeek Preferred contact method: John_Byrne@businessweek.com Web site: www.BusinessWeek.com PRWeek:...

Media: Research - Coverage of oil and gas drilling.
October 13, 2008... CONDUCTED BY: Biz360, including a CNN/Opinion Research poll SAMPLE: 24,360 news articles (January 1-September 28) GOAL: To determine the amount and tone of oil and gas drilling coverage KEY FINDINGS 5,000+ articles covered oilfield...

Media: Critical Hit - 'Frontline' raises Goldman's profile.(Interview)(Brief article)
October 13, 2008... - Who is your client? What are its media goals? Christina Kreitzer: The Goldman Environmental Prize was established... by... Richard and Rhoda Goldman to recognize achievements by global grassroots environmentalists. (Its) media goals are...

Media: Media Ups and Downs.(briefs)(Obituary)(Brief article)
October 13, 2008... Riding a wave of interest in the presidential election, WashingtonPost.com hits a record 323 million page views in September, 27% higher than its previous best. Buzznet hires former New York Times music reporter Jeff Leeds as its...