PR Week (UK) articles from July 2003

PR Week (UK) archives from July 2003

DWP launches hunt for shops to join roster.(Department for Work and Pensions U.K. to retain public relations firms)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2003... The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has this week launched a search for agencies to join its first corporate communications roster. The setting up of the roster is being handled by the DWP commercial and estate directorate, and it is...

BA drafts in PR firm for Concorde retirement.(British Airways hires Jackie Cooper PR for consumer public relations support)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2003... British Airways has bolstered the PR capabilities for its media handling of Concorde's final days as a commercial airliner, by drafting in Jackie Cooper PR to provide consumer PR support. It emerged this week that JCPR has secured 'rostered...

Triggs takes over at B-M healthcare as Sutton leaves.(Ralph Sutton resigns Burson-Marsteller to be replaced by Kate Triggs)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2003... Burson-Marsteller's healthcare practice leader Ralph Sutton is to leave the agency to run the London office of its Canadian affiliate, National PR. He will be replaced by current corporate practice head Kate Triggs. She is a 15-year B-M...

Benetton moves all PR work in-house.(to set up first in-house press office in London)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2003... Global fashion brand Benetton plans to set up its first in-house press office in London after its eight-year relationship with Modus Publicity ended this week. Benetton media and comms officer Emma Cole said the decision was part of an...

Harris's departure leaves opening in Prince's PR corps.(Colleen Harris resigns as press secretary to Charles, Prince of Wales U.K.)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2003... One of the plum jobs in UK PR fell vacant this week, following the resignation of the Prince of Wales's press secretary Colleen Harris. A spokeswoman at St James's Palace confirmed Harris will be replaced, but as she had only resigned on...

Food ads body launches campaign.(Food Advertising Unit U.K.)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2003... The Food Advertising Unit (FAU) is launching a PR push in an effort to expand the debate about TV advertising aimed at children. The unit, created by the Advertising Association in 1995, is an information and research centre that deals with...

L'Oreal plans local activity for ethnic minority brands.(L'Oreal UK to launch public relations campaign)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2003... Beauty giant L'Oreal is to launch a PR campaign later this month for its ethnic minority hair and beauty range SoftSheen-Carson. Through-the-line agency Leigh Jones is planning an 'experiential marketing' campaign, featuring a swathe of...

Arthritis charities join PR lobby on NICE monitoring.(Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Alliance public relations campaign on National Institute of Clinical Excellence)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2003... Arthritis charities this week became the latest third-sector organisations to kick off a PR campaign demanding improvements in the monitoring of the implementation of National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidance. The Arthritis...

Biss Lancaster set to handle Channel Four Video comms.(public relations retainer)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2003... Channel Four Video has appointed Biss Lancaster Euro RSCG as its first retained PR agency, following a five-way pitch. The brief is to handle both trade and consumer PR, promoting not just releases but also the five-year-old brand itself to...

STOP PRESS: Three days left.
July 4, 2003... AWARDS: Readers have just three days left to enter the 2003 PRWeek Awards - the deadline for entries is 7 July. Application forms can be downloaded from www.prweek. com/events/index.cfm?site=1.

STOP PRESS: FWP appoints.(architect firm hires Weber Shandwick North's property division to handle its public relations)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2003... PROPERTY: Architect firm FWP has appointed Weber Shandwick North's property division to handle its PR. FWP, which has offices in Manchester, Preston Wigan, Leeds and London, specialises in architectural design, quantity surveying and structural...

STOP PRESS: Boyden Interim Management hires.(Iain Macauley hired to handle its public relations in the UK and Europe)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2003... EMPLOYMENT: Boyden Interim Management has hired Iain Macauley to handle its PR in the UK and Europe. BIM was the subject of an MBO in April. Macauley is a former MD of Manchester-based Cicero Public Relations, but left in April to set up his...

STOP PRESS: Lighthouse Analyst Relations hires.(hired Lore Ridings as associate director)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2003... FINANCIAL: Lighthouse Analyst Relations has hired Lore Ridings as associate director. She joins from Chime Communications, where she was managing partner for its analyst relations business.

STOP PRESS: Public Relations merge.(Lindsay Mason Public Relations and Mark Symington Public Relations become Spa Public Relations)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2003... MERGER: Cheltenham based Lindsay Mason Public Relations and Mark Symington Public Relations have merged to form Spa Public Relations. The newly created agency is five-strong and has clients that include direct marketing firm TDA and security...

STOP PRESS: Eve Taylor drafts in CCD.(Eve Taylor Aromatherapy London hires CCD Healthcare to handle consumer and trade public relations)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2003... HEALTHCARE: Eve Taylor Aromatherapy London has drafted in CCD Healthcare to handle consumer and trade PR. The agency, which kicks off its campaign later this month, handled a project to launch Eve Taylor Active Rub earlier this year.

STOP PRESS: CCA hires Emmett & Smith.(call center industry trade association appoints agency to handle its public relations)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2003... TRADE ASSOCIATION: CCA, the trade body for the call centre industry, has hired Emmett & Smith to handle its PR. The agency will handle a national PR campaign that aims to promote work being done by the CCA surrounding standards and training in...

STOP PRESS: B. Braun Medical hires.(HR Media for public relations work)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2003... HEALTHCARE: B. Braun Medical has hired HR Media to handle its PR. The Sheffield-based firm is part of the B Braun Group, which operates in 50 countries and employs around 26,000 people.

STOP PRESS: Bates joins Department of Health.(Steve Bates U.K.)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2003... GOVERNMENT: It has emerged from Whitehall that Labour Party PRO Steve Bates has joined the Department of Health as a special adviser to recently appointed secretary of state John Reid.

Echo begins work with i to i tracker in bid to measure ROI.(Echo Research return on investment U.K.)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2003... Echo Research, the UK's largest independent research and evaluation firm, has teamed up with the Publicis-owned i to i tracker in a bid to develop fresh systems for measuring return on investment in PR campaigns. Echo, which collects...

Coker leaves job as Phipps review signals changes.(Andrew Coker resigns Phipps PR)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2003... Phipps PR CEO Andrew Coker has left the job after less than a year, following a board and shareholder review. Coker has taken on a full-time consultancy role at the food and beverage agency this week and will remain a director who sits on...

EC grants will bolster enlargement comms.(European Commission public relations finance)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2003... The European Commission is to make available more than pounds 200,000 in grants to fund promotional activity surrounding EU enlargement. The move comes ahead of the expected accession of ten new member states in May next year, and is part...

Finsbury retains top spot in June Dealwatch ranking.(public relations firms; includes "Deal watch June 2003 Ranking" table)
July 4, 2003... Finsbury has held on to the top slot in the UK M&A PR league for the second month running, according to the latest DealWatch figures. Advising on four deals worth more than pounds 3.2bn last month, total deal value was lower than the...

PR body aims to resurrect public's interest in dance.(National Dance Communications Forum plans public relations)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2003... A newly formed body of PR professionals representing dance companies and venues is planning a PR blitz to promote interest in dance and ballet. The decision comes at a time of crisis for dance companies and theatres specialising in dance,...

Red Door wins the brief for cannabis-based drug in UK.(Bayer AG retains Red Door Communications Ltd.)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2003... Bayer has drafted in Red Door Communications to handle PR surrounding the launch of what could become the first licensed cannabis-based drug available in the UK. Bayer is currently awaiting regulatory approval for Sativex - for which it...

Combat Stress to use backdrop of war in campaign.(public relations )(Brief Article)
July 4, 2003... Combat Stress, the charity that helps ex-service personnel deal with combat-related psychiatric illness, is to launch its first proactive PR campaign this autumn. The campaign's aim is to raise awareness of the issue of mental health...

Volvo Ocean Race appoints firms to push its next event.(Karen Earl Sponsorship and Citigate Dewe Rogerson retained)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2003... Volvo Ocean Race, the round- the-world yacht competition, has appointed Karen Earl Sponsorship (KES) and Citigate Dewe Rogerson for a global PR campaign ahead of the next event in 2005-2006. KES has been charged with increasing awareness of...

Shine will handle PR for the launch of Vinnie clothing.(Shine Communications)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2003... A campaign is to get under way this month to promote the launch of footballer-turned-actor Vinnie Jones's own range of clothing, The actor's newly created fashion label, called Vinnie, has appointed Shine Communications to handle consumer...

Shangri-La hires Luard for UK brand work.(hotel chain recruits Karen Luard as director of public relations)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2003... Luxury hotel chain Shangri-La has recruited Karen Luard as its director of public relations with a brief to increase the company's brand recognition in the UK and lure European travellers to its five-star resorts. The Asia-based company...

Siebel to pitch UK account as Hill & Knowlton resigns.(Siebel Systems is putting its public relations account up for pitch)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2003... US software giant Siebel Systems is putting its UK PR account up for pitch. The pounds 100,000-a-year account - which covers Siebel's UK corporate PR, media relations and product launches, as well as issue and reputation management - has...

New PR computer language XPRL is set to be unveiled.(public relations U.K.)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2003... XPRL, the computer language aimed at saving time for the PR industry, is to be publicly unveiled next week. The new software, which promises speedy and accurate drafting of press releases and message tracking, will be launched at Imperial...

Harrison Cowley gains Fortis PR briefs.(Fortis Bank and Fortis Commercial Finance hires public relations firm)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2003... Fortis Bank and Fortis Commercial Finance, part of the Benelux insurance and banking business Fortis Group, has hired Harrison Cowley to handle its media relations in the UK. The agency has been appointed as the two firms integrate their PR...

Fine Foods poised for blitz on drinks with alcohol taste.(Fine Foods International to launch Take One)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2003... Europe's largest privately-owned coffee and beverage manufacturer, Fine Foods International, has drafted in its first ever PR agency as it prepares to launch its own brand of alcohol-flavoured hot drinks, called Take One. FFI has appointed...

PUBLIC SECT0R: Northampton wins top AHC award for comms campaign.(Northampton General Hospital National Health Service Trust U.K.)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2003... Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust has scooped the top accolade at this year's AHC Awards for an internal comms campaign to tackle the fallout from its poor Government inspection report. Awards judge and Department of Health director of...

PUBLIC SECT0R: Healthcare body plans PA work to target NHS bosses.(Association of Healthcare Communicators to launch public affairs campaign on U.K. National Health Service)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2003... The Association of Healthcare Communicators is to launch a public affairs campaign aimed at convincing NHS bosses of the importance of comms. The move is the first of its kind by the group, which represents PROs within the NHS, and was...

PUBLIC SECT0R: Coventry creates a PR role to boost morale.(public relations U.K.)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2003... Coventry City Council has created its first PR role with an internal comms remit to shore up flagging staff morale, following its 'poor' rating in last year's Comprehensive Performance Assessment (CPA). This week it has been confirmed that...

PUBLIC SECT0R: NFU Cymru looking to replace Roberts.(Leigh Roberts resigns National Farmers Union Cymru)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2003... The National Farmers' Union Cymru is seeking a new head of public affairs to replace Leigh Roberts, who is stepping down at the end of August. Roberts is to start her own Agri-Food PR consultancy with former Western Mail farming editor...

PUBLIC SECT0R: Energy Savings Trust to undergo restructure of PR.(public relations executives recruitment, U.K.)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2003... The Energy Saving Trust (EST), the not-for-profit group set up to respond to issues on climate change, is restructuring its corporate communications department. The shake-up, overseen by EST head of public affairs and media Kate Hinton,...

PUBLIC SECT0R BRIEF: Borough of Brent launches campaign.(Brent Against Drugs)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2003... BRENT: The London Borough of Brent has launched a campaign to combat crack cocaine and heroin use in the area. Brent Against Drugs is targeting local young people through online PR and an information pack for schools. Drug-related crime and...

PUBLIC SECT0R BRIEF: CSV Media handed grant.(financed by European Social Fund, England)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2003... TRAINING: Volunteering charity CSV Media has been handed a pounds 2.3m grant by the European Social Fund to improve digital media training among the unemployed in England. The charity will now offer an NVQ Level 3 diploma in new media skills.

PUBLIC SECT0R BRIEF: Community Channel to dedicate week.(showcasing Liverpool, England)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2003... LIVERPOOL: The Community Channel is to dedicate a week (7 to 13 July) of programming to Liverpool, after the city was recently named as European Capital of Culture for 2008. Programmes include showcasing work of young film makers in the city...

PUBLIC SECT0R BRIEF: Chichester Council promotes service.(council tax bills to be payed online)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2003... CHICHESTER: Chichester District Council is promoting its new service that allows residents to pay their council tax bills online. According to the Government's e-government strategy, all councils must be able to allow residents to interact with...

PUBLIC SECT0R BRIEF: DrugScope creates role.(public relations director)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2003... CHARITY: Drugs charity DrugScope has created the role of director of information and public affairs. The move comes in a bid to improve comms with Government as well as with the general public, according to the charity's CEO Roger Howard.

PUBLIC SECT0R BRIEF: Chartered Management Institute recruits.(Brief Article)
July 4, 2003... TRADE BODY: The Chartered Management Institute, the professional management trade body, has recruited Mike Petrook as its press and PR manager, reporting to director of public and professional affairs Christine Hayhurst. He will lead all...

PUBLIC SECT0R BRIEF: Yorkshire Dales Joint Promotion revamps.(Brief Article)
July 4, 2003... YORKSHIRE: The Yorkshire Dales Joint Promotion Initiative has revamped its brand identity. The new image, developed by Brahm, aims to boost visitor numbers to the area. The initiative was formed in 1996 and includes six local authorities, as...

PUBLIC SECT0R BRIEF: Macmillan steps up PR work.(Macmillan Cancer Relief)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2003... CHARITY: Macmillan Cancer Relief has stepped up its PR work aimed at encouraging firms and groups to get involved in its annual coffee morning event on 26 September. Last year's event has now been confirmed as the largest of its kind in the...

INTERNATIONAL: Saudi Arabia set to tackle negative image in the West.(Saudi Committee for the Development of International Trade)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2003... RIYADH: Public and private sector bodies in Saudi Arabia have teamed up to launch a PR campaign in a bid to counter what it perceives as 'negative reporting' on the country. The Saudi Committee for the Development of International Trade...

INTERNATIONAL: Opodo hires EuroTandem for push in France.(public relations )(Brief Article)
July 4, 2003... PARIS: Opodo, the online travel portal backed by airlines including British Airways, has appointed EuroTandem to handle its PR in France. The agency hire comes ahead of what Opodo head of European PR Gail Gillogaley described as a fresh...

INTERNATIONAL: Ruder-Finn lands EMEA corporate PR for Manpower.(Brief Article)
July 4, 2003... BRUSSELS: Manpower is to launch a corporate PR blitz across Europe, having drafted in Ruder-Finn on a newly created EMEA comms contract. The personnel firm - whose European headquarters are in Brussels - this week confirmed the appointment...

INTERNATIONAL: IPG Asia-Pacific PR changes unveiled.(Brief Article)
July 4, 2003... SINGAPORE: Details on the restructure of IPG's two PR brands in Asia-Pacific - Weber Shandwick and Golin/ Harris - emerged this week, with personnel changes and cost-savings top of the agenda. WS Asia-Pacific co-president and Singapore MD...

INTERNATIONAL: Further PR boost to revive travel in Asia Pacific region.(Brief Article)
July 4, 2003... BANGKOK: Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) president and chief executive Peter de Jong has announced a pounds 700,000 PR and marketing push that he said would 'attempt to reinvigorate consumer confidence in travel to and within Pacific...

INTERNATIONAL BRIEF: Ferraro joins Global.(Geraldine Ferraro joined Global Consulting Group as executive V-P and public affairs practice head)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2003... NEW YORK: Former US vice-presidential candidate Geraldine Ferraro last month joined Global Consulting Group, a Huntsworth Group subsidiary, as executive V-P and public affairs practice head. Ferraro, who was formerly president of management...

INTERNATIONAL BRIEF: Don Quijote Airport launch.(Brief Article)
July 4, 2003... MADRID: Bassat Ogilvy & Consejoros de Comunicacion has scooped the PR contract for the launch of Don Quijote Airport, a pounds 763m project that will see the first international airport in the Castilla-La Mancha region of Spain. A six-strong...

INTERNATIONAL BRIEF: Q4 launched.(Brief Article)
July 4, 2003... DUBLIN: Jackie Gallagher, a former adviser to Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, and Martin Mackin, a former general secretary of Fianna Fail, last month launched a corporate PR consultancy called Q4. Gerry O'Sullivan, a former director of corporate and...

INTERNATIONAL BRIEF: 'Two-tier information market'.(European Commission draft transparency directive)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2003... STRASBOURG: PR Newswire director Mark Hynes last week said the European Commission's draft transparency directive would result in a 'two-tier information market and, ultimately, a loss of investor confidence within and outside the EU'. The...

INTERNATIONAL BRIEF: Citigate Global appoints.(Citigate Global Intelligence & Security appointed J. Graham Joscelyne as global practice leader)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2003... WASHINGTON DC: Business intelligence firm Citigate Global Intelligence & Security last month appointed J Graham Joscelyne as global practice leader and senior MD of the global governance and risk management practice. Joscelyne was formerly...

INTERNATIONAL BRIEF: Ong joins Ogilvy & Mather.(Larry Ong)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2003... SHANGHAI: Larry Ong last month joined Ogilvy & Mather Shanghai as group executive creative director. Ong - who is to work across all comms disciplines, including PR - joined from D'Arcy Shanghai, where he was executive creative director.

MEDIA: Men's Fitness set for fashion angle to close ABC gap.(hires Tara Kavanagh-Dowsett as fashion editor)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2003... Men's Fitness has recruited Tara Kavanagh-Dowsett as its first fashion editor as it bids to narrow the gap in the ABC figures with main rival Men's Health. Editor Peter Muir, who concedes that 'our fashion content was slapdash before',...

MEDIA: This Morning hires Dean.(Emily Dean appointed features editor of ITV1 show)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2003... Emily Dean has been appointed features editor of ITV1's This Morning. In the newly created role, Dean will oversee news and showbusiness content on the weekday show. Formerly editor-at-large at the Evening Standard's ES magazine, she...

MEDIA: Trash aims to become pop culture bible.
July 4, 2003... Trash, the Conde Nast and Ministry of Sound joint venture that hits newsstands today, is 'a cross between a Sunday supplement and (Emap's) Heat', according to editor Paul Flynn. Focused on what he called 'disposable pop culture', the title...

MEDIA BRIEF: Hodges editor of Jack.(Michael Hodges appointed editor of men's magazine)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2003... JACK: Michael Hodges has been appointed editor of men's magazine Jack. The title, which was founded by ex-Loaded editor James Brown, transferred to Dennis Publishing with its acquisition of Brown's company, I Feel Good. Brown himself quit the...

MEDIA BRIEF: Your Home to close.(National Magazine Company to fold title)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2003... YOUR HOME: Interiors title Your Home is to close, three years after it was acquired by The National Magazine Company as part of a deal with Gruner + Jahr. NatMags said it will now concentrate its attention in the sector on House Beautiful...

MEDIA BRIEF: Showreel to launch.(new magazine for independent film makers )(Brief Article)
July 4, 2003... SHOWREEL: A new magazine for independent film makers is to launch at the end of July. The first issue of Showreel, which is backed by the UK Film Council, will be sent to 18,000 people working in film and TV, including directors,...

MEDIA BRIEF: Muzik to be last.(dance magazine to be discontinued)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2003... MUZIK: Next week's issue of dance magazine Muzik will be the last. IPC ignite! said Muzik was 'no longer economically viable' and is closing it with ten redundancies. The monthly title's demise is a mirror of the grave financial problems which...

MEDIA BRIEF: Digital Creative Arts launched.(Brief Article)
July 4, 2003... DIGITAL MAGAZINES: Digital Creative Arts, a new magazine from Paragon Publishing, has been launched to target readers interested in a range of applications for digital technology, such as video, imaging, audio and 3D design.

MEDIA BRIEF: Dennis reveals new magazine.(Dennis Publishing launches new computer magazine called Custom PC)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2003... CUSTOM PC: Dennis Publishing has revealed its new computer magazine, formerly known as Project X (PRWeek, 13 June). Custom PC will go on sale at the end of August and is aimed at male readers in their twenties and thirties with a high...

MEDIA BRIEF: Jeremy Mark to join Now.(joining celebrity magazine as associate editor)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2003... NOW: Jeremy Mark is joining celebrity magazine Now next week as associate editor. A former editor-in-chief of teenage projects at BBC Magazines, Mark was involved in the launches of Live & Kicking and Star. He has recently been working as...

EDITORIAL: Campbell's attack is a risky strategy.(political spin doctor Alastair Campbell)(Editorial)
July 4, 2003... Any CEO who has found himself in the line of media fire, and who saw Alastair Campbell's performance on Channel 4 News last Friday, will have wished they had had Campbell by their side fighting off their critics. It was, as has been noted...

OPINION: Campbell gives masterclass in client protection.(UK political spin doctor Alastair Campbell)
July 4, 2003... At Gordon Brown's party to celebrate 20 years as an MP last weekend, one famous Scot was absent. The fact that Alastair Campbell was not on the guest list wouldn't surprise anyone; it was, after all, the Prime Minister's spin doctor who is...

ANALYSIS: Consumers want news on demand.(public relations U.K.)
July 4, 2003... New research into media consumption in the UK has highlighted how the public receives news. Mark Johnson looks at ways in which the results may help PROs to target specific groups Latest research by MORI has for the first time examined the...

ANALYSIS: Music festivals deliver lasting PR to sponsors.(public relations at Glastonbury U.K.)
July 4, 2003... Last weekend's Glastonbury marked the start of the main music festival season. Chris Scott looks at the commercial opportunities being exploited by PROs Among the big summer music festivals, Glastonbury is still widely perceived to be...

EVENT MANAGEMENT: Going live.(public relations U.K.)
July 4, 2003... Live events may provide a stage to convey client messages to key audiences, but must be carefully thought out, writes Mary Cowlett As audiences increasingly expect organisations to communicate with them on a direct and individual basis, so...

Sega Europe hires H&K to promote games.(Hill & Knowlton)(Brief Article)
July 11, 2003... Hill & Knowlton has won a two-way agency shoot-out against Nelson Bostock Communications to become the retained corporate and consumer agency for video games giant Sega Europe. Company head of PR Asam Ahmad said H&K would also handle press...

Boots restructures PR after key departures.(director of corporate affairs Alastair Eperon resigns, will not be directly replaced)(Brief Article)
July 11, 2003... Boots has reshuffled its top PR line-up, following the resignation of director of corporate affairs Alastair Eperon after 12 years with the high-street chemist. It has been announced that Eperon will not be replaced directly. Instead,...

'Box-ticking' CSR agenda attacked as BITC issues list.(Business in the Community and corporate social responsibility standards)(Brief Article)
July 11, 2003... Business in the Community (BITC) this week published a list of 27 basic CSR indicators, amid criticism from a think-tank that firms are following a cursory, 'box-ticking' agenda. The BITC's Indicators That Count is the culmination of a...

CDR handling PR for Chelsea takeover.(Citigate Dewe Rogerson Ltd. retained by Roman Abramovich)(Brief Article)
July 11, 2003... Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich has called in Citigate Dewe Rogerson to handle the financial PR surrounding his takeover of Chelsea Village and Chelsea Football Club. Following the announcement of Abramovich's pounds 140m takeover...

Fishburn Hedges triumphs at IPR's award ceremony.(Institute of Public Relations U.K., www.ipr.org.uk)(Brief Article)
July 11, 2003... The prestigious Outstanding Achievement by a Consultancy IPR award was this week handed to Fishburn Hedges for consistent growth and excellent results. Among other award winners announced at a gala dinner in London were Woolworths, for...

Scottish Water bids to turn around negative publicity.(journalist Atholl Duncan retained)(Brief Article)
July 11, 2003... Scottish Water has drafted in senior BBC journalist Atholl Duncan to spearhead attempts to turn around the public body's fortunes in the media. Duncan, until recently managing editor for BBC current affairs TV programme Reporting Scotland,...

Internal comms failing to capture hearts and minds.(employee communications research U.K.)(Brief Article)
July 11, 2003... Internal communications is failing in its mission to generate staff engagement, according to responses from 55,000 employees across industry sectors. The survey of staff at 15 large companies found less than one third had both high...

Pegasystems has Europe in sight as it appoints Pirate.(retains Pirate Communications)
July 11, 2003... US-based business management software firm Pegasystems has hired Pirate Communications for a six-month pan-European PR push. The hire follows a three-way, three-stage pitch that began six months ago, and will see Pirate handling media...

Govt skills body to pitch for PR support.(U.K. Sector Skills Development Agency public relations)(Brief Article)
July 11, 2003... The Sector Skills Development Agency, the non-departmental government body set up to address the UK's skills gap, is to stage a pitch for PR support. This is the first review of external support since the body's creation a year ago. QBO...

STOP PRESS: Award deadline passed.
July 11, 2003... AWARDS: The deadline has passed for entries to the 2003 PRWeek Awards. Those who missed it can still enter, up until July 18, on payment of a pounds 30 plus VAT premium. Application forms can be downloaded from www.prweek.com/events/index.cfm?...

STOP PRESS: MORI to launch fresh research.(how journalists perceive beauty brands U.K.)(Brief Article)
July 11, 2003... RESEARCH: MORI is to launch fresh research to gauge how journalists perceive high-street beauty brands. A series of surveys is to be carried out among fashion, lifestyle, health and beauty editors this summer. The results are due to be released...

STOP PRESS: Paramount Home Entertainment UK appoints Shine.(to promote its DVD and VHS releases)(Brief Article)
July 11, 2003... CONSUMER: Paramount Home Entertainment UK has appointed Shine Communications to promote its DVD and VHS releases. Shine, which won the account following a six-way pitch, replaces Countrywide Porter Novelli. Titles to be promoted include Sex in...

STOP PRESS: mj2 appointed to handle account.(public relations account of the Association of Property Units Trusts)(Brief Article)
July 11, 2003... FINANCIAL: mj2 has been appointed to handle the Association of Property Unit Trusts' PR account after a three-way pitch. Christopher Joll and Sara Murshed will lead the PR efforts for the association.