PR Week (UK) articles from February 2008

PR Week (UK) archives from February 2008

Plastic surgery clinic in star deal.
February 1, 2008... Consumer agency Brazen PR has facilitated a unique deal that will see its client, a major plastic surgery clinic, getting augmented PR coverage when certain celebrities go under the knife. Transform clinic will be the only company to...

Get your entries in for Top 150.
February 1, 2008... PRWeek's 2008 Top 150 is launching this week. Agencies have until 1 March to get their entries in for the industry's definitive guide to the top agencies, which will be published in April. Agencies can download a form from the prweek.com/UK...

Ogilvy UK plans restructure.(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... Ogilvy is conducting a wide-ranging review of its UK PR operation, which will see three senior staff facing redundancy. The agency's UK MD Kerrin Roberts strongly denied rumours of testing times for the agency. But he confirmed that a...

Societe Generale in PR fightback over rogue trader.
February 1, 2008... Societe Generale is using City agency FD to help advise on the 'rogue trader' scandal that saw the bank lose pounds 3.7bn last week. FD is used by the bank on an ongoing basis, but it has seen its brief expanded to include crisis comms...

Asda loses director, hires agency for George range.(John Longworth of ASDA Group Ltd. to retire)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... Asda has lost its corporate affairs director and brought in a new agency for its George range in the same week. Parent company Wal-Mart is separating its legal and corporate affairs function, making board director John Longworth's role...

Kellogg's to 'tell its own story' in health debate.
February 1, 2008... Cereal giant Kellogg's has moved the majority of its consumer account out of Munro & Forster (M&F), opting instead to beef up its in-house comms operation. The move comes three years after M&F snatched the account, believed to be worth...

Price comparison site seeks PR aid.
February 1, 2008... Price comparison website comparethemarket.com is on the hunt for a consumer PR agency. Comparethemarket.com - which is owned by the Budget Group - does not currently retain an agency. PR manager Faith McMath said the brand is 'planning...

Lobbying firm hails APPC's handling of complaint.
February 1, 2008... The vice-chairman of lobbying firm Morgan Allen Moore has claimed he is 'delighted' with the way the Association of Professional Political Consultants (APPC) is dealing with a complaint concerning the agency. The APPC is looking into...

Cosmo publisher in agency trawl.
February 1, 2008... The publisher of the Cosmopolitan and Good Housekeeping websites is seeking PR support to work across its digital portfolio. Hearst Digital, part of the National Magazine Company, wants an agency to promote its stable of titles. This...

3 Monkeys seeks agency purchase.
February 1, 2008... Oxfordshire-based 3 Monkeys Communications is in talks with three agencies about acquiring them. 3 Monkeys MD Annabel Dunstan confirmed the agency hoped to buy a rival agency 'within the next six months' but would not reveal the three...

Agency shake-ups at Carling and Heineken.(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... Two of the UK's biggest beer brands have overhauled their PR arrangements as they fight for fridge space in 2008. Carling is revamping its consumer PR support as it looks to extend its reach beyond music and football interests. Carling...

NBA match.
February 1, 2008... The National Basketball Association (NBA), the governing body of one the US's most popular sports, is beginning a Europe-wide push for exposure. The organisation has brought in Pitch PR to conduct a campaign from London. The NBA brand, and...

News Brief: Freud to part company with Hiltzik.
February 1, 2008... AGENCY: Freud Communications is to part company with US president and CEO Matthew Hiltzik. It is not known if he has a new role or whether there is a replacement lined up

News Brief: Properganda (sic) to rebrand as 63G.
February 1, 2008... AGENCY: Properganda (sic) Communications is rebranding as 63G this month. The comms agency specialises in sponsorship and currently promotes Diageo's Johnnie Walker sponsorship of Vodafone McLaren Mercedes

News Brief: Wylie promoted.
February 1, 2008... CITY: Gavin Anderson's London CEO Fergus Wylie has been promoted to the new role of executive chairman of Gavin Anderson's European operations, with the responsibility to look at expansion into new geographical locations

News Brief: TP brings in Cirkle.
February 1, 2008... CONSUMER: Outdoor toy manufacturer TP has brought in Cirkle Communications in the run up to its 50th anniversary year. The campaign will focus on the importance of outdoor play and will target parenting, regional and female press

News Brief: Hill & Knowlton acquires stake.
February 1, 2008... AGENCY: Hill & Knowlton has acquired a majority stake in Chinese agency Rikes Communications. Clients include China Southern Airlines, Guangshen Railway and Huaneng Power

News Brief: Moet Hennessy brings in Mission.
February 1, 2008... CONSUMER: Moet Hennessy has brought in Mission to handle PR for its upmarket champagne brand Krug and its Belvedere Vodka brand following competitive pitches

News Brief: PZ Cussons' acquisition.
February 1, 2008... CITY: Tulchan and The Hogarth Partnership advised on either side of PZ Cussons' successful acquisition of The Sanctuary Spa businesses for pounds 75m. Hogarth advised PZ Cussons

News Brief: BBC appointment.(appointment of Payne, Julian in BBC)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... MEDIA: The BBC has appointed the deputy MD of Henry's House as its new head of press for BBC1. Julian Payne will take up the role in mid March, replacing Jane Fletcher, who resigned after last year's 'Crowngate' affair, when the Queen was...

Shine to highlight ginger beer mixer.(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... Soft drink brand Old Jamaica Ginger Beer has hired Shine Communications as it seeks to target its new diet variant at chic young women. The agency has been briefed to position Old Jamaica Ginger Beer Light as the fashionable mixer of...

Haugen gets V-P role at Edelman.(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... Burson-Marsteller's former European creative director has joined Edelman in a similar role. Paul Haugen, who also held senior positions at Hill & Knowlton, has taken the role of Edelman Europe executive vice-president and creative...

Little Chef entrusts IAS Smarts with fresh look.
February 1, 2008... The roadside restaurant chain Little Chef has called in PR support ahead of the launch of its first new-look branch later this year. Birmingham-based PR shop IAS Smarts has picked up the six-figure account following a four-way pitch. It...

Beware of bloggers, Dell boss warns conference.(Conference news)
February 1, 2008... Computer giant Dell is making a concerted effort to engage with bloggers since it was caught out by a PR crisis. Dell head of digital media and comms EMEA Kerry Bridge told delegates at this week's PRWeek Social Networking & Blogging...

Dating site nabs a bit of Mischief.(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... The UK's largest online dating site has brought in Mischief PR as its strives to stand out in an increasingly competitive market. The 12-month retainer will see Mischief handling all media relations for DatingDirect.com. The agency...

Agencies in place for big summer music festivals.
February 1, 2008... The O2 Wireless Festival and the Big Chill have reviewed their PR arrangements ahead of the 2008 summer season. O2 Wireless Festival organiser Live Nation has appointed music specialist Hall Or Nothing after a four-way pitch. The two-year...

Midlands agency for house builder.(George Wimpey and Taylor Woodrow merged to form Taylor Wimpey )(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... The UK's largest house builder has turned to a regional agency to communicate new brand values. Taylor Wimpey has handed the brief to Birmingham-based Haslimann Taylor The house builder wants to 'build distinct positions for its consumer...

Starbucks in CSR push as report predicts cutbacks.
February 1, 2008... Starbucks is creating a new post of UK head of comms and corporate social responsibility (CSR), in an attempt to build a 'greater understanding of the brand'. The coffee chain hopes the new positioning will help it to stand out from its...

Taylor Herring boosts sumo.tv.(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... Taylor Herring is to promote a popular 'short attention span' online TV channel run by Loaded magazine founder James Brown. The entertainment agency will build awareness of sumo.tv, which broadcasts quirky clips from the internet. ...

Public Sector: Flying the flag for local govt PR.
February 1, 2008... Last week our chairman, Sir Simon Milton, unveiled the new campaign that will be the focus of the majority of the Local Government Association's work for the next 12 months. The campaign, Putting People First, will focus our efforts on six...

Public Sector: Probe into state of council reputations.
February 1, 2008... LG Communications, the body representing local government communicators, has set up a commission to look into the declining reputation of councils. Acting in the style of a parliamentary select committee, the commission will investigate...

Public Sector: Government puts PROs on alert for obesity drive.
February 1, 2008... The Government is preparing to fire the starting gun in its search for PR support to drive forward major new plans to tackle levels of obesity. The national obesity strategy, outlined last week, includes setting aside a ground-breaking...

Public Sector: Saltmarsh wins South East travel brief.
February 1, 2008... Tourism South East has appointed travel consultancy The Saltmarsh Partnership to promote the region's heritage, family attractions and appeal for couples. Saltmarsh beat off ADPR, Midnight Communications and incumbent Blue Bear...

Public Sector: North Yorkshire fills comms post.
February 1, 2008... North Yorkshire County Council has bagged Leeds City Council's head of communications Helen Edwards. Edwards replaces Ben Hayes, who retired in December after less than a year. The role was a surprise move for Hayes, who was previously...

Public Sector: Heads roll as OFT creates 'lean, mean' comms team.(Office of Fair Trading)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) is slashing the headcount in its comms department in an attempt to create a 'smaller, leaner, more specialised team'. Recently installed comms director Barney Wyld plans to reduce the OFT's number of PROs...

Public Sector: Drive to highlight basic wage hike.(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... The Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform plans to raise awareness of changes to the minimum wage with an experiential campaign using a converted double-decker bus. The campaign, overseen by the Central Office of...

Voluntary Sector: Children's Society plans roadshow.(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... The Children's Society is planning a nationwide PR roadshow next month to publicise its ongoing Good Childhood Inquiry. Retained agency IncrediBull will kick off the roadshow on 4 February, which encourages people to submit their childhood...

Voluntary Sector: Conference examines whether charity stories can be 'sexy'..(Conference news)
February 1, 2008... Senior journalists from The Mail on Sunday and BBC London expressed opposing views as to whether fundraising stories can ever be 'sexy', at a special conference last week. The editor of The Mail on Sunday's You magazine Sue Peart insisted...

Voluntary Sector: ...as comms chief calls for more faith in power of PR.
February 1, 2008... Voluntary sector PROs should 'create a crunch moment' to win the argument for investment in PR, delegates at last week's Institute of Fundraising conference were told. Animal charity The Brooke's comms director John Trampleasure was...

Voluntary Sector: Royal Institution drafts in support.(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... The Royal Institution, the oldest independent research body in the world, has handed a wide-ranging brief to Communique. The agency has been retained on a 12-month account to attract new audiences. The cultural centre is the oldest...

Voluntary Sector: Magic of Disney.(Walt Disney Company to partner with Great Ormond Street Hospital)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... The Walt Disney Company has teamed up with Great Ormond Street Hospital in the corporation's biggest charity deal outside the US. It is the first time that the PR teams across all of Disney will work on one overarching campaign. It hopes to...

Public Affairs: FoE in legal fight for access to lobby meeting info.(Friends of the Earth to pursue legal action against Confederation of British Industry)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... Friends of the Earth (FoE) is pursuing legal action in an attempt to highlight heavy lobbying of the Government by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI). The environmental body is embroiled in a legal fight with the Department for...

Public Affairs: Campaigners get a rough ride from MPs at select committee..
February 1, 2008... Campaigners calling for stringent regulation of the public affairs industry failed to win over MPs during the select committee inquiry last week, according to lobbyists who were following the spectacle. Representatives of Spinwatch and...

Public Affairs: ...as committee calls in MPs with big business links.
February 1, 2008... The public administration select committee was this week due to hear from three MPs with close links to big business. The committee called Labour's Ian McCartney, Tory John Greenway and Liberal Democrat Nick Harvey to appear on Thursday...

Public Affairs: Edelman snares Network Rail man.(Chris Rumfitt to join Edelman)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... Edelman has moved to bolster its public affairs firepower with the appointment of Network Rail's media and public affairs chief. Chris Rumfitt will join Edelman in March, taking the role of director and reporting to Edelman's public affairs...

Public Affairs: Cavendish wins air travel brief.
February 1, 2008... Cavendish Communications will lobby against further hikes in air passenger duty after winning a brief with the Guild of Travel Management Companies (GTMC). The guild, a consortium of business travel agents, handed the brief to the agency...

Healthcare: H&K brings in headhunters to find senior staff.
February 1, 2008... Hill & Knowlton has called in headhunters as it attempts to replace joint MD of healthcare Shipra Singh. Singh has left to go on a sabbatical to Antarctica and will not be rejoining H&K. She joined the agency in 2001 and formerly worked for...

Healthcare: Chandler Chicco hires London MD for EU role.
February 1, 2008... The owner of healthcare PR specialist Chandler Chicco Agency (CCA) has appointed Neil McGregor-Paterson to head up a new EU business unit. McGregor-Paterson is currently MD at CCA London. In his new role working for Chandler Chicco...

Healthcare: M&F moots staff redundancies.
February 1, 2008... Munro & Forster (M&F) is considering making an unspecified number of redundancies in its healthcare practice. Sources at the agency said the action had been triggered by 'reduction in client income, particularly in the pharmaceutical...

Healthcare: Bayer Schering hands drug brief to Athena.
February 1, 2008... Healthcare comms shop Athena Medical PR has been taken on by Bayer Schering Pharma to handle the UK PR campaign for its forthcoming anti-coagulant drug. Rivaroxaban is due to launch late this year following a regulatory filing to the...

Healthcare: At a Glance - Hospitals respond to maternity care failings.
February 1, 2008... IS THIS THE HEALTHCARE COMMISSION REPORT? Yes, the commission last week released a survey of maternity services in 148 NHS trusts, a report that was at the top of news bulletins and made most papers. A wide range of criteria, including...

City & Corporate: Teamspirit signs Hanover boss for business outfit.(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... Financial and professional services marketing agency Teamspirit has enlisted Hanover director Scott Learmouth to launch a corporate and business outfit. Learmouth will found Teamspirit Corporate & Business, which will offer 'strategic...

City & Corporate: Cubitt to start student fund.(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... Cubitt Consulting is launching a bursary programme for 'deserving and underprivileged' undergraduate students at Cambridge University. The Cubitt Consulting Bursary will be awarded to an undergraduate student reading English or History at...

City & Corporate: Diageo bags rival head of comms.
February 1, 2008... Former SABMiller media relations manager James Crampton is joining rival drinks firm Diageo as head of financial comms. Crampton is currently at life insurer Old Mutual in a top comms role, having joined in 2006 (PRWeek, 30 November 2006)....

City & Corporate: Can banks recoup their reputations?
February 1, 2008... For PRWeek in Davos If it is possible for the colour to drain from the faces of 2,000 people at the same time, it happened at Davos last week. News broke that Societe Generale, the second largest French bank, recognised as a world leader...

Technology: Local Bluetooth scheme begins.
February 1, 2008... A mobile marketing company aiming to 'commercialise' Bluetooth technology at football stadiums and shopping centres has signed a deal with Threepipe for a comprehensive PR brief. Bluepod Media has developed hardware that allows mobile phone...

Technology: Bite loses pounds 250K Toshiba brief to Nelson Bostock.(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... Bite has lost an estimated pounds 250,000 worth of business from Toshiba as the electronics giant consolidates its UK PR spend under one roof. Toshiba's Computer Systems Division, which includes its laptops and computer accessories, has...

Technology: Agencies hold talks with outgoing Octane MD.(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... The MD of Lewis's crisis comms arm Octane is talking to at least two top agencies as he prepares to leave the tech shop after 11 years. Octane MD Nick Leonard, who has been with Lewis for 11 years, will stay in his current role until...

Technology: Virtual learning push by Wolfstar.
February 1, 2008... A company aiming to provide schools with a 'virtual learning environment' has hired digital start-up Wolf-star on a 12-month retainer. Norway-based tech outfit Fronter markets 'e-learning' systems to schools, universities and public sector...

Technology: Braben to assist web dating firm.
February 1, 2008... Online dating software company White Label Dating has brought in support for both its consumer and corporate business following a four-way pitch. Media specialist Braben will promote the software outfit, which allows brands to create their...

Technology: Rambo returns... again.(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... Digital PR agency Way to Blue will promote the latest instalment of the hit action series Rambo online. The new film marks 61- year-old Sylvester Stallone's fourth time playing action hero John Rambo, who finds himself in Burma helping protect...

Media Relations: What the Papers say - Ticket protest by rail passengers.
February 1, 2008... Passengers wearing cattle masks and brandishing fake tickets in protest at First Great Western's (FGW) 'late, overcrowded and expensive train service' (The Times, 28 January), dramatically highlighted the rail operator's reputation as the...

Media Relations: Contact book update.
February 1, 2008... PRESS The Independent on Sunday has appointed acting editor John Mullin as editor, replacing Tristan Davies, who is leaving to 'pursue other interests'. The Times executive editor Keith Blackmore has been appointed deputy editor,...

Media Relations: 2 minutes with... Dawn Alford, Editor in chief, Tesco Magazine.
February 1, 2008... WHO IS YOUR DEMOGRAPHIC? Our main readers are our core shoppers - females aged 25 to 44. But as the magazine reaches more than 16 million Tesco customers, we need to be as inclusive as possible. We have a circulation of two million, making...

Media Analysis: Sir Trevor returns with News at Ten.
February 1, 2008... ITV's gamble to return its main evening news to the famous Ten O'Clock spot has generated mixed results. Gemma O'Reilly examines its potential for PROs. ITV's News at Ten returned to television screens two weeks ago following a three-year...

News Analysis: Has Livingstone blown his chances?
February 1, 2008... Ken Livingstone has been accused of running London like his own fiefdom. Matt Cartmell asks four experts to divulge his likely comms strategy now. Ken Livingstone arguably thrives on controversy. But the past couple of weeks have brought...

Profile: Lessons from a recession thriver - Kristin Syltevik, Founder, Hotwire.
February 1, 2008... Kristin Syltevik is not Icelandic. Nor is she Swedish. She is quick to correct PRWeek's inaccurate stabs as to the origin of her clipped accent and Scandinavian looks. 'I'm from the north of Norway,' she says. 'But Iceland is a good guess. I'd...

Opinion: Beware the dual-edged sword of stardom.
February 1, 2008... One day last week a Cabinet minister resigned over a police investigation into his financial affairs. On the same day it was revealed that a rogue trader had fleeced an international bank of pounds 3.7bn and police in the UK arrested a gang of...

Opinion: 'McA-levels' shows No 10 spin still works.
February 1, 2008... This week the Government's spin machine showed that good old-fashioned PR techniques still work. The Number 10 'Sunday for Monday' story on burger chain McDonald's being given the go-ahead to offer A-levels led all the news bulletins in...

Opinion: Time for all banks to think crisis PR.
February 1, 2008... So, beleaguered French bank Societe Generale has given FD a 'crisis management' brief. But before one starts making jibes about bolting horses and stable doors slamming shut, it should be pointed out that - until now, at least - Soc Gen has...

Opinion: Letters - Stop the CIPR from lining its pockets.(Letter to the editor)
February 1, 2008... While the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR)'s new president Elisabeth Lewis-Jones is very enthusiastic about the organisation's work (Profile, 25 January), she might use her next 12 months to start delivering services that save...

Opinion: Letters - CIPR is ahead on TUPE and best practice.(Letter to the editor)
February 1, 2008... It is nice to see that people are catching up with us. The PRCA is waking up to the implications of TUPE (News, 25 January), the importance of which it dismissed last year, while the CIPR produced guidelines for the industry. And Simon...

Opinion: Letters - Traditional PR is facing extinction.(Letter to the editor)
February 1, 2008... The various articles in your recent 'recession fears' special (News, 18 January) suggest that the industry is in trouble, or has nothing to worry about. The truth is that traditional PR is going the way of the dodo - new media render old...

Opinion: ViewPoint - NICE has a huge role to play in pharma comms.
February 1, 2008... Packer Forbes MD Pam Bourne looks at the future of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) in this week's podcast, available at www.prweek.com/uk. Bourne observes that NICE is consistently in the media when the...

Campaign: Churchill's grandson helps defence fund - Public Sector.
February 1, 2008... Campaign: Launch of the UK National Defence Association (UKNDA) Client: UKNDA PR team: Edelman's Strategic Media Unit and Edelman Public Affairs Timescale: September - November 2007 Budget: Under pounds 25,000 The organisation had...

Campaign: Facebook Freddi fights online identity fraud - Digital.
February 1, 2008... Campaign: The Facebook Probe Client: Sophos PR team: Johnson King Timescale: August - October 2007 Budget: Part of retainer - between pounds 7,000 and pounds 10,000 OBJECTIVES To position Sophos as a leading voice on the...

Campaign: Pub quizzes will never be the same again... Consumer.
February 1, 2008... Campaign: Hitting the 10 Million Milestone Client: AQA 63336 (Any Questions Answered) PR team: Shine Communications Timescale: November - December 2007 Budget: pounds 5,000 OBJECTIVES To help AQA 63336 reach its goal of...

CSR: For the greater good.
February 1, 2008... A panel of experts assembled by Eloqui PR and PRWeek looked at how effective PROs are at running social marketing campaigns. Alex Black reports. Social marketing is expanding rapidly. According to the National Social Marketing Centre, the...

View from the Top: Mihir Bose - On sport, spin and a touch of cricket.
February 1, 2008... One year into his role as the BBC's first sports editor, Mihir Bose has already toughened up the broadcaster's sports reporting. David Quainton talks to him about bungs, business and the increasing gap between sportspeople and journalists. ...

Diary: Morgan under fire by blogger Fawkes.(Steve Morgan)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... What did Steve Morgan do to right-wing blogger Guido Fawkes? The chairman of lobbying firm Morgan Allen Moore appears to be firmly on the wrong side of the scurrilous but popular writer. First, the Tory tyke came up with the moniker 'Morgan...

Diary: Moles nibble away at Edelman site.(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... Like an army of blind rodents destroying arboretums across the UK, Diary has a legion of moles dotted around the country dealing in the salacious, libellous and unprintable. One such mole was in contact this week: 'Edelman last year...

Diary: Good Relations but babes in arms.
February 1, 2008... While you're on Facebook, check out the staff of Good Relations to see if they are looking more fresh-faced than a baby on a spring morning, after the agency has won an account to promote the Fountain of Youth. Well, perhaps not the...

Diary: Sophie and amazing technicolour agency.(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... A great advert for Shine Communications in the Saturday edition of last week's Guardian. 'Publicist' Sophie Knight was given a page to eulogise about the glory of working in PR. We recreate the magical colour of her first day with an...

Diary: Hit or Miss... Colombia lines up celebs.
February 1, 2008... When Colombian president Alvaro Uribe wrote to Kate Moss and former Blur bassist Alex James, inviting them to see the damage cocaine was doing to his country, it was a clear PR move. Moss declined the offer, but James - along with a BBC...