PR Week (UK) articles from May 2006

PR Week (UK) archives from May 2006

TUI revamps top UK comms remit.(United Kingdom )(appointments)(Brief article)
May 5, 2006... Europe's largest travel firm, TUI, has installed Rachel O'Reilly in a redefined top UK comms role. The PR manager has had her post expanded under the title head of comms, to include corporate and internal communications. Crucial to her...

Tesco growth harming public image, says poll.
May 5, 2006... Tesco could face a consumer backlash if its relentless expansion continues, according to a poll commissioned by PRWeek. Thirty-eight per cent of shoppers said they would consider boycotting a supermarket if it negatively affected local...

Disney draws up kids' mobile brief.
May 5, 2006... Disney is to bring in consumer agency support as it prepares to launch a kids' mobile phone service. The service is due to roll out in the US next month and in the UK later in the year. Disney has already been working with Porter...

ABTA's Betton to launch agency.
May 5, 2006... Keith Betton, the most widely recognised spokesman for the UK travel industry, is leaving the Association of British Travel Agents to create his own PR agency. When he steps down in December, he will have been ABTA's director of corporate...

Prince Charles aide: republican media 'skew debate'.(public relations firms)(Brief article)
May 5, 2006... The Prince of Wales' comms adviser has blamed an overly republican national media for 'skewing debate' on the merits of the Royal Family. Paddy Harverson said the 'disproportionate' number of anti-monarchists in the media meant reporting...

Text 100 surprises staff with West redundancy.(Text 100 Group PLC appoints Andy West )(Brief article)
May 5, 2006... Technology agency Text 100 has made executive V-P for business development Andy West redundant after 14 years with the firm. His role has been dissolved as part of a restructure aimed at focusing resources on client-service staff, said EMEA...

Carnival bids for younger clientele.
May 5, 2006... Rooster PR has signed a deal to promote Carnival's European brand Costa Cruises as it bids to lure more affluent young professionals. The agency will promote the spa facilities offered by Costa as the company seeks to break away from...

Q1 global revenues rocket across WPP agencies.(company sales reports)(Brief article)
May 5, 2006... First-quarter revenue at WPP's PR and PA businesses rose by 20 per cent on last year. The global marcoms group said growth was notably strong in entertainment, financial services, healthcare and telecoms. Q1 revenue from PR and PA rose...

FH nets Premium Bonds promotion.(Fishburn Hedges)(National Savings and Investments)(Brief article)
May 5, 2006... National Savings and Investments (NS&I) has appointed Fishburn Hedges to a three-year account, as it gears up to promote the 50th anniversary of Premium Bonds. The activity will demonstrate that Premium Bonds - founded by the government in...

LU to reach staff via internal TV channel.
May 5, 2006... London Underground is mulling the introduction of an internal TV channel to help communicate with its 12,500 employees. The channel would help managers engage more effectively with drivers and station staff, who are typically hard to reach,...

Gunmaker moves to extend brand.
May 5, 2006... Exclusive gunmaker James Purdey & Sons has called in Brian MacLaurin Associates to raise the brand's profile among sporting and non-sporting audiences. Although the company - which was founded in 1814 - is well known in the shooting world,...

Liberty brings in first PR agency.
May 5, 2006... Iconic London retail emporium Liberty has called in agency support for the first time. Camron PR, formerly Selfridges' agency of seven years, will advise Liberty on strategic comms as it seeks to capitalise on its heritage. The store's in-house...

News Brief: Clifford retained.
May 5, 2006... MEDIA RELATIONS: Max Clifford has been retained by Middlesbrough FC manager Steve McClaren, the frontrunner to be named England's next football coach as PRWeek went to press. McClaren used him to manage last weekend's front-page revelation that...

News Brief: Reading FC press officer.
May 5, 2006... SPORT: Newly promoted Reading FC is recruiting for a press officer as the Berkshire club prepares to join the Premiership. The postholder, to be appointed by July, will report to head of comms Andy West.

News Brief: Changing role survey.
May 5, 2006... SURVEY: PRWeek and Brands2Life are seeking corporate comms directors to complete a survey investigating the changing role of the communications director. Brands2Life will donate pounds 1 to charity Tommy's for each respondant....

News Brief: Norwich Union appoints.
May 5, 2006... CONSUMER: Norwich Union is to use The Television Consultancy to provide broadcast support for its sponsorship of UK Athletics until the 2012 Olympics. It is the first time the firm has retained a broadcast agency.

News Brief: Cubitt brought in.
May 5, 2006... CORPORATE: Procurement firm The Achilles Group has brought in Cubitt Consulting on a global PR and lobbying brief. Cubitt partner Ross Gow heads the account. The agency won the work after a five-way pitch.

News Brief: BGB hired.
May 5, 2006... CONSUMER: Spanish hotel chain Occidental has hired BGB Communications to promote its luxury all-inclusive resorts in the UK. In particular, the chain is keen to drum up UK custom for its new Cayo Ensenachos resort in Cuba.

News Brief: Clownfish launch.
May 5, 2006... CONSUMER: Marcoms agency Clownfish is launching The Cities Book - a 'coffee-table' title - for Lonely Planet by holding breakfast events in London, Manchester, Edinburgh and London over the next fortnight. A campaign will encourage consumers to...

Magellan secures Turks & Caicos job.(Magellan PR)(Third Turtle Inn)(Brief article)
May 5, 2006... Magellan PR has secured a contract to promote the Third Turtle Club, a planned luxury development in the Turks and Caicos Islands in the Caribbean. The London agency is promoting the 17-acre site, which will comprise around 220...

Call-centre firm Sitel picks Firefly.
May 5, 2006... The world's largest call-centre company, Sitel, has changed its UK agency as it bids to raise its corporate profile. The firm, which deals with around two million customers a day from its 85 contact centres around the world, has replaced...

Ex-BBC man Johnson debuts entertainment shop.(British Broadcasting Corp.)(Ian Johnson)(Brief article)
May 5, 2006... Former BBC PR man Ian Johnson launched his own agency this week with a slew of programmes and actors on his books, including a forthcoming drama starring Jane Horrocks. Johnson, a former BBC head of special projects, is promoting...

H&K in Beijing 2008 task to deflect negative media.(Hill and Knowlton Inc.)(Brief article)
May 5, 2006... The organising committee for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games this week confirmed its appointment of Hill & Knowlton. The agency will advise the committee on comms as it battles critics of China's human-rights record. The agency's...

Feeney joins new Mission division.(Michelle Feeney appointed at Mission)(Brief article)
May 5, 2006... Michelle Feeney, a former V-P of global comms at MAC - part of Estee Lauder - has joined London consumer agency Mission. She will act as a figurehead for a new beauty arm. Feeney has become non-executive chairman at the three-year-old...

Sexual-health campaign on hold in DoH cash freeze.(Department of Health )(Brief article)
May 5, 2006... The Department of Health has frozen spend on new PR campaigns - but denied the move is related to the NHS cash crisis. The planned multi-million-pound adult sexual-health drive has been put on hold pending the outcome of a spending review....

Ketchum advises Kremlin on G8 role.
May 5, 2006... LONDON/MOSCOW: Ketchum's London office is providing the Russian government with media advice for its presidency of the G8. Ketchum heads a multi-agency Omnicom team comprising GPlus (the Euro PA consultancy acquired in March); Gavin...

Tate brings in Shawe to woo corporate sponsors.
May 5, 2006... Art gallery group Tate has taken on former Sainsbury's PR chief Jan Shawe to help boost corporate backing. Shawe, who spent four years as the supermarket's director of corporate relations (PRWeek, 7 Aug 2004), has joined Tate as acting...

S-W tourism and investment pitch.
May 5, 2006... South West Tourism and the local Regional Development Agency are on the hunt for a consumer PR shop. The brief includes publicising activities such as surfing in the region, which stretches from Bath to the Isles of Scilly. McCluskey...

Public Sector: Campaign urges women to take engineering jobs.
May 5, 2006... The European Social Fund is backing a campaign to woo more young women into the construction and engineering industries. Canterbury-based agency DTW has been appointed to handle the 18-month long drive, under way in higher education and...

Public Sector: Bucks initiative for commuter cycling.
May 5, 2006... Buckinghamshire County Council is asking residents in the town of Aylesbury to cycle more via a year-long pounds 150,000 campaign. Using Yorkshire-based local government specialist TaylorSyms, the council wants to increase the percentage of...

Public Sector: Greenwich takes Fairtrade status.(awards)(Brief article)
May 5, 2006... Greenwich Council has been awarded Fairtrade Borough status. The Fairtrade Foundation rewarded the council for its local media campaign over the past year to encourage cafes in the district to sell fair-trade products. It also...

Public Sector: Tourism body reviews relations in East Midlands.
May 5, 2006... East Midlands Tourism (EMT) has brought in local authority specialist Grant Riches Communications Consultants to review its stakeholder relations. The Brighton-based agency will spend the next two months interviewing and surveying policy...

Public Sector: Norfolk Police scraps top PR role.
May 5, 2006... Norfolk Police has axed its top PR role, following the resignation of director of communications Philippa Winterburn. She leaves a year after being reprimanded for 'inappropriate behaviour' with a police officer in a hotel bar. A...

Public Sector: St Helens' lollipops get cross.
May 5, 2006... Merseyside's St Helens Council is asking 'impatient' and 'reckless' motorists to slow down to help protect its lollipop-people. The local press and broadcast campaign follows complaints from an undisclosed number of the authority's 50 school...

Public Sector: Audit Commission lures Grey to top comms role.
May 5, 2006... The Audit Commission has poached National Patient Safety Agency director of communications and strategy Jenny Grey for its most senior PR role. She will become MD for comms and public reporting at the council watchdog in July. Grey will be...

Public Sector: Surrey promotes Hills to tourists.
May 5, 2006... Guildford is bidding to attract tourists from outside the country via a link-up with the Surrey Hills Partnership. Guildford Borough Council and promotional body Surrey Hills have teamed up to produce a tourism guide - 'The Bigger Picture'...

Public Sector: DoH in consumer lifestyle bid.(United Kingdom. Department of Health)(Brief article)
May 5, 2006... The Department of Health wants more organisations to get involved in its healthy lifestyle campaign. Those already signed up to 'Small Change Big Difference' include the British Heart Foundation, Sainsbury's and Unilever. The charities,...

Public Sector: Some old lessons for new councillors.(city councils)
May 5, 2006... In a CIPR newsletter last month, Buckinghamshire Council's head of comms Carl Welham wrote that 'we ditch spin as a tool of our trade at our peril'. Following the local government elections, I find this assertion worrying. Why?...

Voluntary Sector: Animal welfare groups in bid to block calf exports.
May 5, 2006... Two animal charities are to launch high-profile campaigns for calf welfare ahead of the resumption of live beef exports. The RSPCA and Compassion in World Farming are calling for alternatives to what they call the 'callous' calf export...

Voluntary Sector: RSPB to highlight green initiatives.(Royal Society for the Protection of Birds)(Brief article)
May 5, 2006... The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) has expanded its press team as it strives to raise awareness of its climate change and conservation work. Ex-journalist John Clare has taken a new role as media officer in the...

Voluntary Sector: Royal Commonwealth Society in London club drive.
May 5, 2006... The Royal Commonwealth Society has appointed the former comms chief of Cape Town's Anglican church as its head of public affairs. Miles Giljam's brief is to increase activity at the society's club, headquartered in London. He reports to...

Voluntary Sector: Reflexology body bolsters comms.
May 5, 2006... The Association of Reflexologists (AoR) has brought in its first external PR support to help 'demystify' the therapy. Director of PR Pippa Tucker-Brown said the restructured association hired Republic PR after deciding to invest more in...

Voluntary Sector: Cancer charity CLIC in text appeal.
May 5, 2006... Children's cancer charity CLIC Sargent is using text messages in a bid to reach a pounds 2.5m fundraising target. It has earmarked the cash for a centre, London Home from Home, which it plans to build by August 2007. Donors will be...

Voluntary Sector: Red Cross Week.(advertising campaigns)(Brief article)
May 5, 2006... Blue Peter presenter Konnie Huq is one of the names signed up to promote Red Cross Week. Next week's campaign will also feature actors Christopher Eccleston and Art Malik and presenter Richard Bacon in broadcast activity. Pictures of England...

Public Affairs: GCG hit by staff losses in wake of Citigate merger.(Citigate Public Affairs)(Global Consulting Group)(Brief article)
May 5, 2006... Global Consulting Group, the Huntsworth-owned firm that last year merged with Citigate Public Affairs, has suffered an exodus of staff. Three further people have quit, to add to MD of EU PA Stephanie Lvovich's move to a director role at...

Public Affairs: Cicero hires Small for financial drive.(Cicero Consulting recruited Malcolm Small)(Brief article)
May 5, 2006... Cicero Consulting has recruited Malcolm Small, chair of the Investment and Life Assurance Group, to an associate director role. Small is briefed to win the agency clients in the financial institutions sector. He will continue to chair...

Public Affairs: Interel in sale to UK holding group.
May 5, 2006... BRUSSELS: PA consultancy Interel has been acquired by Hasgrove, a recently created British holding company, for an undisclosed sum. The Interel brand will be retained and executive chairman and founder Jean-Leopold Schuybroek will join the...

Public Affairs: Ford reviews lobbying as ministerial cars go green.
May 5, 2006... Ford, the motor group that owns the gas-guzzling Jaguar and Land Rover marques, is staging a review of its UK public affairs account. The move comes at a time when senior politicians are desperate to demonstrate their environmental...

Public Affairs: Media Strategy in wider Capio role.(Capio Healthcare UK)(Brief article)
May 5, 2006... Capio Healthcare, the Swedish-owned company that provides operations to the NHS, has illustrated its faith in retained PR agency Media Strategy by putting it in charge of its UK advertising strategy. The move comes as Capio reveals plans to...

Healthcare: At a Glance - Pfizer slams NICE for diabetes decision.
May 5, 2006... WHAT'S GOT PFIZER STEAMED UP? Its new product Exubera is an inhaled form of insulin, which combats both type-1 and type-2 diabetes. But the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) has refused to recommend it for NHS patients,...

Healthcare: Smeeth start-up bags Barnet NHS trust job.
May 5, 2006... Michael Smeeth, who left Fleishman-Hillard's UK healthcare arm after just six months last autumn, has re-emerged with his own agency. The ex-Good Relations Healthcare MD's venture - iCommunicate Consulting - has landed Barnet & Chase Farm...

Healthcare: Organon hires Ward to fill top UK comms role.
May 5, 2006... Organon Laboratories has brought in Emma Ward, associate director at Pope Woodhead & Associates, to its top UK PR job. Ward has joined Organon - the firm behind contraceptives such as Cerazette and popular hormone-replacement therapy Livial...

Healthcare: Tierney exits Red Door for H&K post.
May 5, 2006... Hill & Knowlton has lured Tamsin Tierney from healthcare specialist Red Door Communications as the former bolsters its UK senior healthcare team. Tierney started at H&K last week in a senior account director role, having moved from Red...

Healthcare: Biss Lancaster's Mitchell follows Forni to Tonic.
May 5, 2006... Tonic Life Communications has raided Euro RSCG Biss Lancaster for the second time in as many months with the hire of Yvonne Mitchell. Mitchell - who was at Biss Lancaster for more than six years - becomes a senior account director. Her...

City & Corporate: Finsbury and Citigate top table as deal values drop.(rankings)
May 5, 2006... Finsbury leapt from third to first in April's Deal Watch but saw the value of deals dip in a month that failed to match March's heights. Finsbury advised Vodafone on the sale of its Japanese arm to Softbank for pounds 8.7bn. The successful...

City & Corporate: Hogarth wins Wellington job.
May 5, 2006... The new controller of Hunter Rubber Company, owner of the Wellington boot brand, has turned to The Hogarth Partnership to steer media coverage surrounding the deal. Conservative Party treasurer Jonathan Marland's consortium, which includes...

City & Corporate: Gresham secures brief for tech shell.(Netb2b2)(Gresham Public Relations)(Brief article)
May 5, 2006... Technology holding group Netb2b2 has brought in Gresham PR to attract stronger 'institutional investors' to the AIM-traded shell. Gresham won the account through links with Netb2b2 chairman Keith Young, who was a founder shareholder in...

City & Corporate: Too few PROs are of use to journos.(Public Relations officers)
May 5, 2006... One of my most enjoyable public speaking engagements over the years has been as a member of the team of journalists put together by Nick Van Zanten for his 'Meet the Press' series. This began in 1984 and has run every year since. He runs...

Technology: Unisys swaps C&W with FD to target company chiefs.(Cohn & Wolfe)(Financial Dynamics)(Unisys Corp)(Brief article)
May 5, 2006... IT service provider Unisys has replaced Cohn & Wolfe on its UK account with City comms specialist Financial Dynamics. The move comes as Unisys seeks to boost boardroom-level awareness of its offering. 'In large companies with big IT...

Technology: Ask.com in agency talks after Brands2Life split.(contracts)(Brief article)
May 5, 2006... Search engine Ask.com is reviewing its PR as it looks to distance itself from its question-and-answer heritage. A pitch process is in the early stages and follows an 'amicable' split with incumbent agency Brands2Life. Ask Jeeves...

Technology: Bond called in for file-sharing brief.(ProjectLounge)(Bond Public Relations Firms)(Brief article)
May 5, 2006... Web hoster ProjectLounge has recruited tech specialist Bond PR as its first agency. The company lets businesses securely share files with clients or associates via the internet. Bond's media relations campaign will focus on ten...

Technology: Propeller's Loat in mobile venture.
May 5, 2006... Martin Loat, the founder of Propeller Communications, has set up a venture that sends motivational messages to sales teams' mobiles. Grasswhispers uses voicemail software to deliver up to one minute of audio content. It will target workers...

Technology: Edelman creates US-based new-media practice.(Richard Edelman)(Brief article)
May 5, 2006... NEW YORK/CHICAGO: Edelman has set up a global division through which to channel its new-media investment. Me2 Revolution is being overseen by Chicago-based Rick Murray as president. Previously general manager of diversified services,...

Technology: NRPR to promote aftercare market.(Neil Reading Public Relations Firms)(iCare)(Brief article)
May 5, 2006... Computer aftercare firm iCare has brought in its first PR agency. NRPR - the offshoot of London-based celebrity specialist Neil Reading PR - has been tasked with raising awareness of the aftercare market. It will also promote iCare's...

Media Relations: What The Papers Say - Harry revived by Aids charity work.
May 5, 2006... Press aides in the royal households must be basking in a rosy glow. Last week's launch of Prince Harry's Aids orphans charity, following his passing out from Sandhurst, produced a slew of good headlines: 'Harry is prince of hearts' (The...

Media Relations: Contact Book Update.(Financial Times Ltd. appointed James Harding)(Wall Street Journal appoints Michael Williams)(The Spectator appoints Sarah Standing)
May 5, 2006... PRESS James Harding, Washington bureau chief for the Financial Times, has been appointed business and City editor of The Times. Harding, previously the FT's media editor, replaces Patience Wheatcroft, now editor of The Sunday Telegraph. He...

Media Relations: 2 Minutes with... Brian Attwood, editor, The Stage.(Stage Media Group)(Interview)(Brief article)
May 5, 2006... The Stage unveiled the most radical relaunch in its 125-year history last week. So what has changed? Although The Stage remains very much a newspaper, we have gone further down the magazine route, with less of a focus on sheer quantity of...

Reputation Check: Tesco hits back at 'behemoth' tag.
May 5, 2006... Tesco's retail juggernaut rolls on. But its image may lag behind its margins, as Alex Black reports. Tesco last week announced it made pounds 2.2bn profits in the previous 12 months, cementing its dominance in the UK supermarket sector....

News Analysis: Shining a light on clinical research.
May 5, 2006... Contract research organisations are increasingly coming under media scrutiny and need to step up their comms efforts, warns a healthcare PR expert. The tragic clinical trial at London's Northwick Park Hospital by Parexel/TeGenero in March...

Media Analysis: How does Indy Extra compare to G2?(Independent News & Media PLC)(Guardian Newspapers Ltd.)
May 5, 2006... The Independent has relaunched its daily feature supplement as Extra, going head-to-head with The Guardian's G2. David McCormack compares their offerings and looks at the opportunities for PROs to gain coverage. Can it really be over two...

Profile: Life of the party - Penny Mordaunt, director of nations, regions and campaigns, Diabetes UK.
May 5, 2006... Penny Mordaunt's desk at Diabetes UK's modern Camden offices is swamped with stacks of papers, magazines and NHS briefing packs. Having this month assumed the rather grand title of director of nations, regions and campaigns for the...

Opinion: Staff comms is not always aided by IT.
May 5, 2006... While the likes of Cristina Odone and Rod Liddle throw their toys out of the pram over their relationships with PROs, the comms industry itself seems more concerned with issues closer to home. Every conversation with corporate comms directors...

Opinion: Ministers' malaise leaves Blair in a pickle.(Tony Blair)
May 5, 2006... Around Westminster this week people have kept asking me what I would recommend the Government does to limit the damage of the triple-whammy of minsterial scandals. The truth is that very little can be done except the obvious - but I still...

Editorial: Royals must redefine public engagement.(Editorial)
May 5, 2006... PRWeek enjoyed a right royal visit earlier this week. Not the Queen or the Prince of Wales, but more appropriately their respective press secretaries Penny Russell-Smith and Paddy Harverson. The rare opportunity to hear from the monarchy's...

Opinion: Letter - Inconsistency is rife in internal comms.(Letter to the editor)
May 5, 2006... Your otherwise excellent piece on the problems of internal communications ('How to bring the workers onside,' 28 April) misses a point. Haven't we all been sceptical about our internal comms, because so often it paints a different picture...

Opinion: Letter - Bad timing for Govt's 'integrity' strategy.(Letter to the editor)
May 5, 2006... Following Patricia Hewitt, Charles Clarke and John Prescott's woes, I found the strategy to champion the values of 'integrity, honesty, impartiality and objectivity' profoundly depressing ('Cabinet Office unveils public trust strategy,' 28...

Opinion: Letter - Tender submissions don't harm creativity.(Letter to the editor)
May 5, 2006... I was surprised to find Verve MD Lorraine Langham expressing alarm that it took her 'a whole day' to complete a pre-qualification questionnaire ('Govt work is great - if you can get it,' 14 April). I was also surprised that as MD of an...

Opinion: Letter - BNP has never held a seat in Oldham.
May 5, 2006... Further to your article ('Community regained,' 14 April) I would like to point out that Oldham Council does not have, and never has had, any BNP councillors. Mark Smith, media and comms officer, Oldham Council.

Opinion: My Best Hire - Alex Duxbury.(Brief article)
May 5, 2006... Brett Gregory-Peake, MD of Frank & Earnest Communications, on the 'diligent' Alex Duxbury. 'Alex joined Frank & Earnest as an account manager in 2004 to work across our luxury goods and travel portfolio. Her confident approach and creative...

Campaign: Rooney adds star power to Coke cup tour - Sponsorship.
May 5, 2006... Campaign: FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour Client: Coca-Cola GB PR team: M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment Timescale: March 2006 Budget: Undisclosed OBJECTIVES To generate interest and excitement around the London leg of Coke's FIFA...

Campaign: Liverpool gears up for 2008 culture status - Public Sector.(In-House Communications Inc.)(Weber Shandwick North)
May 5, 2006... Campaign: Liverpool European Capital of Culture 2008 Client: Liverpool Culture Company PR team: In-house and Weber Shandwick North Timescale: July 2005-March 2006 Budget: pounds 76,500 LCC appointed Weber Shandwick North to position...

Campaign: Arctic Monkeys' cool rubs off on knit brand - Media Relations.(Lyle and Scott)
May 5, 2006... Campaign: Rejuvenation of Lyle & Scott Client: Lyle & Scott PR team: Stephanie Churchill PR Timescale: April 2003-December 2005 Budget: Undisclosed OBJECTIVES To launch the men's Vintage collection by paying homage to the...

Careers: Mentoring - the voice of experience.
May 5, 2006... Though rarely used in a PR context, mentoring can offer many personal and business benefits, says Maja Pawinska Sims. It is common for heads of PR agencies or departments to seek to improve the professional skills of their staff through...

The Top 50 Consumer Consultancies 2006.
May 5, 2006... Robert Gray reports on a year of mixed fortunes in the consumer comms arena. Although 2005 was a largely positive year for PR agencies across the board (see Top 150 Consultancies, PRWeek, 21 April), PRWeek's first Top 50 Consumer...