PR Week (UK) articles from February 2005

PR Week (UK) archives from February 2005

Cancer Research hires Lilly's Taylor.(Eli Lilly, Maxine Taylor )(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... Cancer Research UK, one of the country's biggest NGOs, has hired Maxine Taylor for its top PR post. She will step up pressure on the Government to implement a complete ban on smoking in public places. Taylor joins from drugs firm Eli Lilly,...

Amex reviews PR as part of lifestyle bid.(American Express Co., public relations)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... American Express has put its core UK PR account out to pitch, threatening Hill & Knowlton's nine-year hold on the business, as the charge card revives attempts to become a lifestyle brand. Amex wants to put more emphasis on the consumer...

Heathrow's Phillips to take nuclear hot seat.(Jon Phillips, Nuclear Decommissioning Authority )(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... The new public body charged with cleaning up Britain's discredited nuclear programme has poached Heathrow Airport's head of communications Jon Phillips to deal with the potential controversy. He leaves Heathrow owner British Airports...

Help mounts for PRWeek appeal.
February 4, 2005... Coca-Cola, HMV, Vodafone, Waitrose, Edelman, Good Relations, Hill & Knowlton, Ketchum and Weber Shandwick have pledged their support for PRWeek's tsunami appeal sale at The Marquee, Battersea Park, on 26 February, with all proceeds to be...

Four to promote PlayStation 2 and PSP games.(PlayStation Portable, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe and Four Communications contracts)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) has handed Four Communications a remit to promote games launching later this year for its PlayStation 2 and PSP consoles. Four is charged with preparing a consumer PR strategy, press releases and...

Defra hires Diamond at time of fresh scrutiny.(Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Yasmin Diamond )(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has named Department for Education and Skills (DfES) head of strategic marketing Yasmin Diamond as its communications director. She will take the helm next month at the...

PN's Gillette brief 'put under threat'.(Porter Novelli International's contract)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... Procter & Gamble's (P&G) pounds 30bn acquisition of Gillette has this week thrown Porter Novelli's decade-long global relationship with Gillette into doubt. P&G said in a statement that it 'expects to achieve revenue and cost synergies at...

French government bids to quash anti-US image.(Agence Francais pour les Investissements Internationaux)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... PARIS: The French government has launched a charm offensive to woo the US business community and help reverse the image of France as anti-American and burdened by a strike culture. It has issued a DVD which it will target at a number of...

Bud signs Shire for UK gig tour.(Anheuser-Busch Companies Inc., Shine Communications )(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... Brewer Anheuser-Busch is bolstering the association of its Budweiser brand with music with a series of UK gigs under the banner Bud Rising, and has hired Shine Communications to handle the project. Budweiser hosted the first Bud Rising...

Madrid hires to bring in tourists.(Burson-Marsteller, Landor Associates)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... MADRID: City authorities in Madrid have called in Burson-Marsteller and branding agency Landor to advise on the development of a new city creative identity to lure tourists and business to the Spanish capital. Madrid, whose international...

Citroen stages pitch in face of sales slump.(Automobiles Citroen S.A., Wyndham-Leigh contracts)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... Citroen has put its UK PR contract up for grabs as it attempts to turn around falling sales and prepares to launch cars including the C1 and C6. The French car maker is in discussions with agencies over a contract that spans corporate,...

August.One sheds tech focus.(Microsoft's public relations account)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... PR holding group Next Fifteen Communications has shifted the entire Microsoft UK B2B PR account along with 20 staff out of August.One Communications and into its tech shop Inferno Communications. The shift halves the headcount of August.One...

News Brief: Visa Europe hires Kleine.(Simon Kleine)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... APPOINTMENT: Visa Europe has hired Simon Kleine as head of external comms, it emerged this week. Kleine left Ketchum, where he was corporate practice group director, in November after just seven months.

News Brief: Clifford to pay damages.(Max Clifford Associates, Neil Hamilton cases)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... SETTLEMENT: Publicist Max Clifford is to pay former MP Neil Hamilton and wife Christine around pounds 100,000 in costs and damages to settle the Nadine Milroy-Sloane libel case. Clifford's lawyers Clintons read an apology to the Hamiltons in...

News Brief: Barron account director.(Edelman UK appoints Nick Barron )(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... APPOINTMENT: Football Association comms manager Nick Barron is to join Edelman's corporate/B2B team as an account director. Barron joins in April after seven years at the FA.

News Brief: UK Online hires Hobbs.(Kate Hobbs)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... TECHNOLOGY: Internet service provider UK Online has hired Kate Hobbs, formerly senior PR executive at rival Wanadoo, to the newly created role of PR manager.

News Brief: Jackie Cooper PR promotes.(Public relations, GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare Ltd.'s contracts)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... CONSUMER: Jackie Cooper PR is promoting GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Health's Aquafresh Extreme Clean variant via a campaign themed around the importance of the tongue in oral hygiene.

News Brief: Hotwire PR hires Hood.(Hotwire Public Relations, Ian Hood )(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... TECHNOLOGY: Hotwire PR has hired Ian Hood as a senior partner. Hood, a former director of corporate comms and investor relations at Telewest, joins this month.

News Brief: VisitBritain appoints Gauger.(Paul Gauger )(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... TOURISM: VisitBritain has appointed Paul Gauger to the role of regional manager of press and PR for the Americas. Gauger will relocate from his current job as London head of publicity and destination PR and will be based in New York from May.

Biss tells Britons to take up music.(Euro RSCG Biss Lancaster's contracts)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... Musical instrument retailers and manufacturers have called in PR agency backing as they bid to encourage more Britons to take up an instrument. Trade body the Music Industries Association (MIA) is using Euro RSCG Biss Lancaster for the...

Bondy is latest TCG departure.(Jessica Bondy, The Communications Group)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... Jessica Bondy, managing director of The Communications Group, has left just two months after the return of Michael Hayman as CEO, the latest in a string of exits. It is understood that Bondy has been placed on gardening leave. Her exit...

P&G rockets to top spot after union with Gillette.(Procter & Gamble Co.)
February 4, 2005... Procter & Gamble's pounds 30bn takeover of Gillette propelled the consumer goods giant to the top of this week's Reputation Monitor, knocking Tesco off its perch for the first time this year. P&G's union with Gillette, which took fifth...

Cardiff in sports push.(The Cardiff Initiative, Sports Impact )(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... Regeneration body The Cardiff Initiative is planning a campaign to underline the Welsh capital's sporting credentials during its centenary year. The move comes as Cardiff's Millennium Stadium prepares to host the Wales v England Six...

Trimedia snaps up Pimm's brief.(Diageo PLC, Trimedia Communications AG contracts)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... Diageo has drafted in roster agency Trimedia Communications to position its quintessentially English drink Pimm's as an alternative to wine and beer at summer barbecues. Trimedia director Frankie Oliver said the campaign, which will run...

LA Fitness hires PRO Livingstone.(Jo Livingstone, public relations officer)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... Gym chain LA Fitness has hired Jo Livingstone as head of PR. She replaces Carolynne Bull-Edwards, who left to become head of PR for Friends Reunited. Livingstone joins from financial PR agency WMC Communications, where she was an...

Ketchum strategy causes US row.(Ketchum Public Relations Worldwide Inc., Graham Williams contracts)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... WASHINGTON DC: Ketchum has run into a major controversy in the US over its use of well-known black media commentator Armstrong Williams to promote president Bush's contentious No Child Left Behind education programme. Ketchum contracted...

Matalan seeks agency to emphasise low pricing.(public relation firms)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... Discount clothing retailer Matalan is reviewing its PR account as it attempts to fight back against clothing price cuts by large supermarket competitors. The company wants to emphasise its trademark value for money offer to its core...

Brazen set to lift Caudwell profile.(John Caudwell's public relations contract)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... Telecoms entrepreneur and Phones4U founder John Caudwell has drafted in Brazen PR to raise his personal profile. Brazen owner Nina Wheeler said Caudwell wants to emphasise that 'he has customer excellence at his heart'. The agency will...

Bradford & Bingley comms chief quits.(Bradford & Bingley PLC, communications, Siobhan Hotten)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... Mortgage bank Bradford & Bingley's communications chief Siobhan Hotten has quit after 11 years to take a 'career break'. The move comes just months after a major rationalisation of its business, which has seen its PR team slashed from...

Martell to woo younger drinkers.(Pernod Ricard S.A.'s public relations contract)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... Pernod Ricard is on the hunt for an agency to handle a pounds 160,000 PR account for its Martell cognac brand. Martell wants to maintain its profile following the end of its 13-year sponsorship of the Grand National. Rival Courvoisier,...

Public Sector: VisitLondon set for agency hire.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... VisitLondon is on the verge of appointing an agency to promote the capital as a destination for short breaks in April and May. The campaign will aim to attract visitors from the UK, France, Germany and Ireland, promoting London's 'diverse...

Public Sector: OFT to warn small firms about competition law.(Office of Fair Trading's public relations firms contracts)
February 4, 2005... The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) is looking for an agency to help manage its first campaign to promote the benefits of competition and free markets to SMEs. The move comes after OFT research showed small businesses had low awareness of...

Public Sector: Ufi puts UK Online comms account out to pitch.(University for Industry, communications, Geronimo Public Relations Ltd. contracts)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... The PR account to promote the Government's 6,000 UK Online internet centres is up for grabs as it attempts to boost their popularity. UK Online outlets provide free internet access and are designed to help close the 'digital divide',...

Public Sector: Broadband drive targets Cheshire.(North West Regional Development Agency hired Spin Media and Fido)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... North West Regional Development Agency (NWRDA) has hired Spin Media and Fido to encourage Cheshire residents and businesses to sign up to broadband. The agency wants 25 per cent of households and businesses in Cheshire to sign up by...

Public Sector: Southampton bus ads.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... Southampton City Council is urging more people to use public transport by putting pictures of its residents on the backs of buses. 'The bus backs show a dreadlocked man as a DJ, a woman at the gym, a woman on a night out and five other...

Public Sector: DWP plans anti-ageism initiative.(Department for Work and Pensions )(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is set for a campaign to fight age discrimination in the workplace and to promote legislation to businesses. New legislation being drawn up by the Department of Trade and Industry is due to come...

Public Sector: Hammersmith in clean-up drive.(London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham Council)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... The London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham Council has begun a campaign highlighting its efforts to improve the district's streets. The year-long media relations-based drive, which started last week, is the latest phase of the council's...

Public Sector: Warrington warns off-licences.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... Warrington Borough Council is trying to stop children and young people buying alcohol from off-licences as part of a series of measures to tackle under-age drinking. The initiative follows a Trading Standards test of 64 off-licences and...

Public Sector: Falconer - FOIA is not a 'political football'.(Freedom of Information Act )(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... The Lord Chancellor has accused the Conservative Party of using the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) as a 'political football' after revealing that the Tories have made the biggest number of requests of any single organisation. Speaking...

Public Sector: Suffolk promotes discount travel.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... Suffolk County Council is running a campaign to encourage young people to pick up a free discount travel card as part of a wider push to promote public transport. The Xcape discount travel card, which launched last week, entitles five to...

Public Sector Brief: IPR Local Government Group AGM.(Institute of Public Relations, annual general meeting,)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... IPR: The IPR Local Government Group is to hold its AGM today (Friday 4 February) at City Hall, Tower Bridge. Business includes the group's annual report, its financial report, and election of a new committee for 2005/06. Keynote speakers...

Public Sector Brief: Stopforth chief executive.(Liverpool Chamber of Commerce, Jack Stopforth)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... LIVERPOOL: Liverpool Chamber of Commerce has appointed PRO Jack Stopforth as chief executive. The former head of marketing agency SBA, Stopforth joins from the Cumbria Inward Investment Agency where he was managing director. He replaces Peter...

Public Sector Brief: Dedier hired.(London Borough of Bromley, Emma Dedier)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... BROMLEY: The London Borough of Bromley has hired former head of internal communications and marketing at the Notting Hill Housing Trust, Emma Dedier, as comms manager. She reports to head of comms, consultation and customer service Sheila...

Public Sector Brief: Sussex Council encourages reusable.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... SUSSEX: West Sussex County Council is encouraging residents to use reusable nappies rather than disposable ones. Posters and leaflets promote incentive schemes encouraging parents to use washable cotton nappies as part of a drive to cut down on...

Public Sector Brief: GCN on hunt.(Government Communication Network, director recruiting)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... GCN: The Government Communication Network's media monitoring unit is on the hunt for a director. The network, which launched this week, replaces the Government Information and Communication Service. The director will report to the unit's...

Voluntary Sector: Thornhill tackles unemployment.(Thornhill New Deal for Communities's services)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... Southampton community group the Thornhill New Deal for Communities has embarked on a drive to reduce unemployment in the area. It used Dr Who actor Colin Baker to launch a local volunteering service earlier this week. The service,...

Voluntary Sector: Music charity in 30th celebration.(LD Communications to raise awareness for Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy's anniversary celebrations)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy plans to use its 30th anniversary celebrations this year to increase understanding and respect for music therapy. The charity wants to raise awareness about its work among account directors and project...

Voluntary Sector: Stroke Association poaches Korner to head comms.(Joe Korner, communications)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... The Stroke Association has hired Muscular Dystrophy Campaign director of corporate affairs Joe Korner as its director of communications. The appointment comes as the body seeks to strengthen its campaigning profile and gain more influence...

Voluntary Sector: Victim Support asks for 'one hour' volunteers.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... Victim Support is planning a campaign to persuade the public to give up an hour of their time to raise money for victims of crime. The charity wants to highlight its work helping victims and witnesses of crime, particularly those affected...

Voluntary Sector: Countryside Alliance invites media to 'final' hunts.(unique way to show effect of coming ban on fox hunting on hunters)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... The Countryside Alliance plans to invite the national and regional media to observe hunts across the UK on 19 February, the day the ban on fox hunting is due to come into effect. The organisation wants to demonstrate to the media how little...

Voluntary Sector: Citizens Advice targets taxman.(campaign against Inland Revenue)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... Citizens Advice has begun a campaign to stop the Inland Revenue from 'clawing back' tax credit overpayments which, it argues, contributes to thousands of people living below the poverty line. The charity is calling for an overhaul of the...

Public Affairs: TUI ends Citigate era with new brief.(TUI UK ends contract with Citigate Public Affairs to give it to Political Intelligence)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... TUI UK has awarded its public affairs account to Political Intelligence after a competitive pitch, ending a 20-year relationship with Citigate Public Affairs. The hire comes as Europe's biggest holiday firm steps up lobbying on consumer...

Public Affairs: Gifford sets up shop with City journalist McCrystal.(Andrew Gifford and Damien McCrystal to start a consultancy firm)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... Andrew Gifford, the co-founder of long-standing lobbying consultancy GJW, has joined forces with newspaper City diary columnist Damien McCrystal to launch a public affairs and PR consultancy. Gifford McCrystal will primarily target clients...

Public Affairs: HBOS reviews PA in bid to be 'consumer champion'.(public affairs)(APCO)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... Britain's biggest mortgage lender HBOS is reviewing its public affairs account as it strives to be seen by politicians as a consumer champion on the issues of consumer debt and responsible lending. Four-year incumbent agency APCO is not...

Public Affairs: Relate lobbyist Silver walks out.(Victoria Silver)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... Relate's top lobbyist Victoria Silver has quit the relationship counselling charity after just five months over what is understood to have been a disagreement over the scope of her role. Silver was brought on board as media and PA officer...

Public Affairs: Manchester uni hires WS to secure state funding.(University of Manchester hires Weber Shandwick Public Affairs)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... The University of Manchester has drafted in Weber Shandwick Public Affairs to press the Government for more funding. It wants to bolster its international reputation for research among politicians and media. The move is part of the...

City & Corporate: Finsbury wins JP Morgan mine job.(JP Morgan Cazenove)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... JP Morgan Cazenove has appointed Finsbury to handle PR around a possible stock market listing of Kazakhmys, a copper mine in Kazakhstan. Kazakhmys could be valued at pounds 2bn if it lists in London later this year. Flotations in New York...

City & Corporate: Portman calls in CDR for awards.(Portman Travel hires Citigate Dewe Rogerson Ltd.)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... Business travel agent Portman Travel has drafted in Citigate Dewe Rogerson to position the company as a consultant offering business travel advice. CDR consumer, retail and industrial practice director Steve Marinker said PR would focus on...

City & Corporate: FD to promote AIM listing of TV drama specialist.(Financial Dynamics will handle Alternative Investment Market listing)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... Shed Productions, the independent TV programme maker behind Footballers' Wives and Bad Girls, has hired Financial Dynamics to handle PR and financial comms for its AIM listing. FD London chief operating officer Tim Spratt and partner...

City & Corporate: PartyGaming gears up for float on LSE.(London Stock Exchange)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... PartyGaming, the world's biggest poker website, has called in Financial Dynamics for what is expected to be the stock market listing of the FTSE 100's first online gambling company. PartyGaming, formerly known as iGlobalMedia, has...

City & Corporate: Incepta pulls the plug on CDC arm.(Incepta Group PLC closes investor relations data company)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... Incepta, the marcoms group which owns The Red Consultancy and Citigate Dewe Rogerson, has closed its investor relations data company CDC with the loss of up to 32 jobs worldwide. The group said in its pre-close of trading update that CDC...

City & Corporate: IR Society backs regulator's guide.(Investor Relations Society)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... The Investor Relations Society has backed a European regulator group's guidelines on how companies should abide by European disclosure regulations. The Committee of European Securities Regulators, whose members include UK financial market...

City & Corporate: Euroclear calls in Tulchan for Crest job.(Tulchan Communications)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... Euroclear, the company that owns the London Stock Exchange's trading and settlement system Crest, has appointed Tulchan Communications as German stock exchange Deutsche Boerse (DB) tries to buy the UK stock market. Euroclear has not...

City & Corporate: Kroll hires FD as Minerva fails to sell off Allders.(Financial Dynamics)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... Allders' administrator Kroll has drafted in Financial Dynamics while it decides what to do with the failed department store. Kroll called in FD last Wednesday after 60 per cent shareholder Minerva failed to sell the business. Kroll...

City & Corporate: Cubitt to promote Minster's AIM listing.(Alternative Investment Market)(Cubitt Consulting gets Minster Pharmaceuticals' public relations contract)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... Minster Pharmaceuticals, the migraine and schizophrenia drugs company created last week, has hired Cubitt Consulting to promote its AIM listing to investors. Cubitt director Michael Henman is leading the account and reports to Minster CEO...

City & Corporate: Ryanair's O'Leary reaps the goodwill.(Ryanair Holdings PLC's chief executive officer, Michael O'Leary )(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... Michael O'Leary is as far as you could get from the buttoned-up respectability of the City. The chief executive of Ryanair - which this week announced a 25 per cent drop in profits - is not known to let tact and discretion get in the way of a...

Healthcare: At a Glance - Sickle-cell trial drug - MX-1520.(Medinox carries out clinical trials)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... What are sickle-cell disorders? They are a group of rare genetic diseases that affect red blood cells, causing them to become sickle-shaped and obstruct blood vessels, creating extreme pain, permanent organ damage or even death. It is most...

Healthcare: Positive coverage boosts GPs' prescription of Xenical.(General practitioners)
February 4, 2005... Almost a fifth of GPs have increased their prescription of Roche's anti-obesity pill Xenical as a result of positive information they have seen or heard on the product in the past three months, according to PRWeek's latest Brand Watch chart....

Healthcare: Hsd takes on Shire Colazide brief.(Shire Pharmaceuticals Group PLC hires hsd communications)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... Shire Pharmaceuticals is to begin a UK med ed campaign to raise the profile of Colazide in the treatment of ulcerative colitis. Shire has called in hsd communications for a campaign that will target gastroenterologists, as well as nurses...

Healthcare: McNeil exits SHL for C&W position.(Cohn & Wolfe hires Francesca McNeil from Shire Health London)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... Cohn & Wolfe has hired Shire Health London (SHL) account manager Francesca McNeil to work on accounts such as AstraZeneca's blood-thinning drug Exanta and Altana Pharma/Pfizer's pre-launch product Daxas. McNeil has joined C&W in the role...

Healthcare: AZ calls in Tonic for prostate job.(Tonic Life Communications gets AstraZeneca PLC's public relations contract)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... AstraZeneca has appointed Tonic Life Communications on a global contract to promote fresh study data on the benefits of its Zoladex brand in treating prostate cancer. Tonic Life is aiming to highlight the fact that Zoladex is one of the...

Healthcare: Israeli firm readies Euro bid to rival Botox buzz.(Ozone to promote ColBar's launch of wrinkle busters)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... TEL AVIV AND LONDON: An Israeli biotech company behind a new treatment to correct facial wrinkles is attempting to emulate the launch buzz around rival treatment Botox. Tel Aviv-based ColBar is to invite journalists to watch patients...

Healthcare: Cook elected as HCA chairman.(Healthcare Communications Association elects Julia Cook)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... Healthcare PR veteran Julia Cook has been elected chair of the Healthcare Communications Association, the trade body for private sector healthcare communicators. Cook, who received the unanimous backing of the executive committee at its...

Healthcare: Awareness Campaign Close-up - EDA slams eating disorder services.(Eating Disorders Association)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... Organisation: Eating Disorders Association Campaign: International Eating Disorders Awareness Week 2005 PR team: In-house Date: 6 February-12 February The report, launched on 7 February at the House of Commons, will compare the...

Media Relations: 2 Minutes with... Oliver Condy, Editor, BBC Music Magazine.(Interview)
February 4, 2005... You've had a redesign. What's changed? We've made it easier to navigate and made our links to BBC Radio 3 bolder. There will be more pictures, and regular features in the front of the magazine will create greater opportunities for...

Media Relations: Slough trade park to ditch 'Office' image.(Slough Estates International hires Tamesis Business Communications)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... Slough Trading Estate, the setting for iconic BBC comedy The Office, is launching a campaign to shrug off its tawdry image and update its reputation as an industrial hub, emphasising the variety of businesses it hosts. The consumer and...

Media Relations: What The Papers Say - P&G surprises with Gillette buy.(Procter & Gamble Co.)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... Procter and Gamble (P&G) took the market and media by surprise last week when it announced its pounds 30bn acquisition of Gillette. 'Another mega-deal eludes the media' (The Times, 29 January). The union was reported as a 'dream deal'...

Media Relations: Nimbus in mobile payment launch.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... Nimbus Systems is gearing up for a consumer and trade media drive in an attempt to build a market for payment by mobile phones ahead of its UK launch. Madrid-based Nimbus provides software that allows consumers to pay for goods over their...

Media Relations: RFL hires PA Sport for stats service.(Rugby Football League)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... The Rugby Football League (RFL) has struck a deal with PA Sport to provide official statistics for Super League and home internationals as it bids to boost coverage of the sport. RFL media manager Andrew Whitelam said the data partnership...

Media Relations: BMW in female Valentine's push.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... BMW is launching a charm offensive to improve sales to women by positioning its female-only test drive events as ideal Valentine's Day gifts. Cairns & Associates has been called in for a media relations campaign that will use women's...

Media Relations: Microsoft raises stakes via anti-piracy program.(Inferno Communications)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... Microsoft is to unleash a PR campaign to get consumers and businesses to join its clampdown on software piracy as it steps up efforts to identify illegal code. From the second half of the year, visitors to the US firm's download and update...

Media Relations: Rocco Forte hires PRO for hotels job.(Rocco Forte Hotels hire public relations officer)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... Five-star hotel chain Rocco Forte has created the position of head of media relations ahead of the June re-opening of its flagship Brown's Hotel in London. Sue Heady, formerly PR and marketing manager at SN Brussels Airlines, fills its...

Media Relations: Contact Book Update.(FHM.com)(journals launched and appoints made)
February 4, 2005... PRESS The Financial Times has launched a weekly column on Asian business and political affairs. Published each Tuesday, most pieces will be written by Guy de Jonquieres, formerly the FT's world trade editor, now based in Hong Kong. Victor...

Media Analysis: Nursing media thrive amid change.
February 4, 2005... With the Government keen to see nurses take on tasks traditionally carried out by doctors, Ian Hall takes the pulse of Britain's nursing media and asks how PROs can engage with the glut of specialist titles in the market. The flurry of...