PR Week (UK) articles from November 2008

PR Week (UK) archives from November 2008

Jaguar Land Rover seeks to regain iconic 'British' status.
November 7, 2008... Portland PR hired to boost corporate credentials of foreign-owned manufacturer. Jaguar Land Rover is planning a major campaign to position itself as an iconic UK brand. The move comes after its recent foreign buyout and in the face of job...

Ross turns to Farrow.(British Broadcasting Corp's Jonathan Ross has been suspended)(Brief article)
November 7, 2008... Jonathan Ross has been receiving advice from The Corporation chairman Gary Farrow in the wake of the 'Sachsgate' scandal, it has emerged. Ross spoke with Farrow, his former manager, after he found himself under intense media glare, senior...

360 Comms sells big stake to Exposure.(360 Communications )(Brief article)
November 7, 2008... Exposure has bought a majority stake in the agency 360 Communications and will use it to pitch for clients who would have caused conflict problems otherwise. Exposure, the creative marketing services group, bought the FMCG and brand...

LBS snares ex-FT editor.
November 7, 2008... Andrew Gowers, ex-Lehman Brothers comms head and former Finanical Times editor, has landed a new PR role at the London Business School (LBS). Gowers will serve as the school's interim head of external relations, reporting directly to Dean...

PRCA awards announced.
November 7, 2008... Cow PR scooped the award for Consultancy of the Year at this week's PRCA Awards. Other big winners included Eulogy picking up Specialist Consultancy of the Year and GolinHarris nabbing the International Consultancy prize. The black-tie...

The Week.
November 7, 2008... - The Cabinet Office is understood to be close to appointing a successor to Howell James as permanent secretary for government comms As PRWeek went to press, names understood to be in the frame included Matt Tee, Sian Jarvis and Lucian Hudson....

Tribal identity.(Survival International to protest against CO3 for its contract with Vedanta Resources PLC)(Brief article)
November 7, 2008... Survival International has threatened to protest outside the offices of CSR agency CO3 unless it resigns its account with mining giant Vedanta. The NGO for tribal people has previously protested outside Vedanta's retained PR agency Finsbury....

Labour set to mimic Obama style.
November 7, 2008... Historic election - UK strategists and consultants visit US to pick up comms tactics and campaign tips. Labour MPs, party strategists and UK public affairs professionals have been picking up comms tactics and campaigning tips from the...

'Obama stuck to core message, stayed true to his brand'.
November 7, 2008... Analysis - UK industry praises outstanding event management, impeccable messaging and media mastery. Barack Obama's campaign has been hailed by the UK PR fraternity as groundbreaking. Election night saw many UK PR professionals follow...

Glenfiddich brief for GH.
November 7, 2008... GolinHarris will promote leading whisky brand Glenfiddich across the globe after winning a three-way pitch for an international brief from distiller William Grant & Sons. The agency will work on the firm's flagship Glenfiddich Single Malt...

London attraction enlists agency help.(contract with Captive Minds)(Brief article)
November 7, 2008... The London Bridge Experience has called in Captive Minds as it aims to establish itself as one of London's top ten tourist destinations. Captive Minds won the 12-month account after a three-way pitch. It will handle both consumer and trade...

'Diplomacy is key' - IPRA.
November 7, 2008... The International Public Relations Association (IPRA) is demanding PR professionals become more globally focused. The body has also slammed the lack of intercultural skills on display in the industry. Coinciding with the IPRA world congress...

Healthcare: On the Agenda - Male menopause could be screened.
November 7, 2008... - In a nutshell Some experts now believe that a lack of testosterone in men may be at the root of problems such as tiredness, depression and lack of libido Recommendations have been made by groups such as the International Society for the...

Healthcare: Virgin beauty head moves to Pegasus.
November 7, 2008... Healthcare PR specialist Pegasus PR has signed up the head of communications at Virgin's cosmetics arm as it attempts to bolster its beauty division. The agency has recruited Jo Taylor to spearhead the five-strong division, taking the...

Healthcare: The Week in Healthcare.
November 7, 2008... NMC appoints Geronimo Geronimo Communications has been appointed by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) to run its 'Make a Difference, So They Can' campaign Through the campaign, the NMC aims to recruit people with a broad range of...

Public Affairs: Cracknell widens alliances.(David Cracknell's partnership with Project Associates)
November 7, 2008... Partnership David Cracknell forms strategic links with Project Associates. Former FD-LLM chairman David Cracknell has formed a 'strategic alliance' with the comms firm set up by former Camelot comms director David Rigg. Cracknell said...

Public Affairs: The Week in Lobbying.
November 7, 2008... The Audit Commission is considering hiring its first public affairs support. The body, which regulates the proper control of public finances by local authorities and the NHS, recently appointed ex-Guardian journalist David Walker as MD of...

Public Affairs: Lobbying Target - Jim Murphy, secretary of state for Scotland.
November 7, 2008... The teetotal Scotsman has successfully straddled the Blair/Brown divide and entered the Cabinet in last month's reshuffle. - Ten-second biography A former president of the National Union of Students, Murphy was propelled into...

City & Corporate: In the News ... BP and Shell.
November 7, 2008... - Bring us up to speed The world's financial markets might be falling apart, but someone forgot to tell the oil companies. Despite the global economic turmoil both BP and Shell (as well as US firm Exon Mobile) announced huge profits this...

City & Corporate: Strong Primark sales despite expose.
November 7, 2008... Retailers remain committed to promoting ethical issues, despite new financial results suggesting such considerations may have little impact on profits. A Time/Populus survey last week found that Primark was seen as Britain's least ethical...

City & Corporate: The Week in City & Corporate.(Regester Larkin's new office at Hong Kong)(Buchanan Communications Ltd. has ranked top in the Hemscott AIM PR advisers ranking guide)(Shop Direct has appointed Ann Bryon )
November 7, 2008... NS&I makes changes in its media relations team NS&I (National Savings and Investments) has appointed Gareth Headon, previously Eurostar's media relations manager, as its head of media and PR. Headon spent six years at Eurostar and has also...

City & Corporate: Agency move for Ballymore.(Ballymore Group's contract with Powerscourt Media)(Brief article)
November 7, 2008... The Ballymore Group, one of Europe's largest property developers, has moved its corporate PR account from TTA Group to Powerscourt Media. Powerscourt has previously worked with Ballymore, providing strategic comms advice at a group level....

City & Corporate: Maintain a high profile in a crisis.
November 7, 2008... On one of the recent business programmes about the global economic turmoil, the presenter said they had tried to interview some fund managers on stock markets but had experienced great difficulty finding anyone who was willing to come on the...

Voluntary Sector: Public lacks medical research knowledge.
November 7, 2008... Charity PROs should be bolder in communicating medical research success, the Association of Medical Research Charities (AMRC) has urged. The body, whose members include the Alzheimer's Society, the British Heart Foundation and the...

Voluntary Sector: Greenpeace fills top role.(Greenpeace International has appointed Tamara Spark )(Brief article)
November 7, 2008... Greenpeace has raided its own Chinese office to fill the top comms role in the NGO. Tamara Spark starts on 10 November as director of comms. She previously headed Greenpeace's forests campaign in China and has worked at the NGO for 15...

Voluntary Sector: Taking action... Trident Ploughshares vs AWE/Government.(Brief article)
November 7, 2008... Protesters: Trident Ploughshares Target: Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE)/Government Location: AWE, Aldermaston Date: 27 October More than 30 people were arrested during what The Guardian called one of the biggest anti-nuclear...

Voluntary Sector: The Week in Charities.
November 7, 2008... - Media Trust, the charity that works with the media to help the voluntary sector with comms and PR, has picked Porter Novelli as its media-training partner. The agency will run a series of training events for charities that work with the...

Technology: FH launches digital agency.
November 7, 2008... Fishburn Hedges appoints MRM Worldwide's Mobbie Nazir to head up digital arm. Fishburn Hedges has brought in an online guru from MRM Worldwide to set up a new digital marketing agency. Mobbie Nazir, head of planning at MRM Worldwide,...

Technology: The Week in Technology.
November 7, 2008... Carphone Warehouse subsidiary chooses Lucre Opal Telecom, a subsidiary of Carphone Warehouse, has chosen Lucre Communications to be its first retained agency. Lucre beat off Citigate Dewe Rogerson and two other agencies in a competitive...

Technology: Best of the tech blogs.
November 7, 2008... DIGITAL DISTURBANCES Posted by Stephen Waddington www.rainierpr.co.uk/blog 3 November Search agency bigmouthmedia is kicking arse this morning with a wonderful piece of guerrilla PR. It surveyed the top 100 UK PR agencies and says...

Public Sector: Campaign breakdown - UK life sciences.(Fishburn Hedges' campaign for United Kingdom Trade and Investment)(Brief article)
November 7, 2008... Agency: Fishburn Hedges Client: UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) Timescale: April-ongoing Budget: Not disclosed UKTI is the governmental organisation dedicated to helping UK companies succeed internationally and foreign companies to set...

Public Sector: N.Ireland regulator signs agency.
November 7, 2008... The Electoral Commission has brought in Weber Shandwick to boost voter registration in Northern Ireland. The independent regulator for elections in the UK has appointed Weber Shandwick's Northern Ireland office to handle its PR activities...

Public Sector: Santa baby.(Royal Mail Group PLC)(Brief article)
November 7, 2008... The Royal Mail revealed its range of Christmas stamps this week, which for the first time included secular and religious images. The stamps gained positive coverage for recognising that 'Christianity is an essential part of the festive...

Public Sector: The Public Sector Week.(Association of Colleges has promoted Chris Walden and Ben Verinder)(Stockport Council's campaign for heating standard)(Criminal Cases Review Commission has appointed Justin Hawkins )(Brief article)
November 7, 2008... - Promotions at the Association of Colleges, heating initiative for Stockport Council. - The Association of Colleges has promoted Chris Walden to the role of public affairs director and Ben Verinder to comms director. Previously, Walden...

Public Sector: DCMS defends its pounds 50k speechwriter.(Department for Culture, Media and Sport )
November 7, 2008... The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has strongly defended its decision to hire an Olympics speechwriter, after it was attacked by Labour MP Kate Hoey in the House of Commons. The role will be paid pounds 50,000 a year and was...

Public Sector: Learn from the BBC's mistakes.(British Broadcasting Corp.)
November 7, 2008... A new American President offers a positive message of change, but in the UK the mood of this country is 'profoundly pessimistic', according to a prominent pollster. This assertion is supported by survey data on the decline in confidence in...

Media: Target the fulcrum of UK news outlets.
November 7, 2008... What does a PR professional do if they want to get their story out to pretty much every local, regional and national media outlet in the country? They target the sprawling behemoth that is the Press Association (PA). The news agency sends...

Media: Hit or Miss - Prime Minister visits reformed jihadists in Saudi Arabia.
November 7, 2008... Saudi spin On Sunday, Gordon Brown met with former Saudi inmates of Guantanamo Bay as he toured a de-radicalisation facility in Saudi Arabia. In what could have been a PR disaster, the focal point of the visit was the Prime Minister shaking...

Media: Web barons MichaelParkinson.tv.(Brief article)
November 7, 2008... What is it? Sir Michael 'Parky' Parkinson's new website Staff: Three Hits: c.30,000 unique users in the first month Future projects: Regular radio online shows Who are the web barons? Abi Smith, digital project manager at...

Media: The Editor's Desk - Skymag.(Brief article)
November 7, 2008... - You topped the latest ABC figures, so explain the editorial values that have led to your success. We view ourselves as a treat for loyal Sky customers and a monthly TV highlights guide. We want to connect with our customers, helping them...

Profile: Ian Wright - The Wright stuff.(Diageo PLC)(Interview)
November 7, 2008... Diageo's head of corporate relations is highly respected in the PR industry but he has never lost his sense of fun, reports Gemma O'Reilly. Diageo's top communicator, Ian Wright, has 'the best job in the world' He lounges with a company...

Campaign: Public Sector - Fighting the junk food temptation.
November 7, 2008... Campaign: Temptation Town Client: School Food Trust PR team: Geronimo Communications Timescale: March-April 2008 Budget: pounds 10,000 Healthier school meals have been on the media agenda for some time and the falling take-up of...

Campaign: Public Affairs - Opening up a new insurance market.
November 7, 2008... Campaign: MarketGuard and the 2008 Budget Client: MarketGuard PR team: Lansons Communications Timescale: Oct 2007 - March 2008 Budget: pounds 33,000 OBJECTIVES - To lobby Government to remove tax barriers to the sale of...

Campaign: Voluntary Sector - No leaving out jet planes, please.
November 7, 2008... Campaign: Plane Unfair Client: Friends of the Earth PR team: Unity Timescale: June - July 2008 Budget: pounds 15,000 OBJECTIVES - To create one last big media push ahead of the bill's journey through Parliament. STRATEGY...

Opinion: Print fights back against internet.(British Broadcasting Corp.)(Viewpoint essay)
November 7, 2008... Rarely can events in a single week have provided more eloquent testimony to the wisdom of Mark Twain's advice against picking a fight with the man who buys ink by the barrel. First the Daily Mail virtually single-handedly brought the...

Opinion: From the Editor - Now Obama's comms test really begins.(Editorial)
November 7, 2008... Even the most cynical of us had tears in our eyes on Wednesday morning as Barack Obama delivered yet another incredible address. His 20-minute speech in Chicago was pitch perfect and addressed every important stakeholder group, from opposition...

Opinion: From our Readers - Swindon Council fights back against criticism.
November 7, 2008... Luke Blair is rather optimistic if he believes there is a strategy capable of preventing people from lining up to have a pop at Swindon Council for deciding to stop funding its local speed camera partnership (News, 31 October). As he...

Opinion: From our Readers - BBC shows weakness of PR understanding.
November 7, 2008... Behind the public criticism of the BBC was the astonishing and embarrassing weakness of the corporation's PR (News, 31 October). This was a failure much more fundamental than an inability to manage the crisis. The BBC's PR people obviously had...

Opinion: From our Readers - Expert advice cannot be replaced by a test.
November 7, 2008... Stephen Davies is right to say that a multiple choice tool could not replace a digital PR expert's advice (News, 31 October). That is why the results of our test are vetted by senior PROs. It is a shame your article omitted this so as to...

Opinion: From our Readers - Think of a better hook than the credit crunch.
November 7, 2008... Has the PR industry gone credit crunch mad? In the past few days alone some 10 press releases have winged their way into my inbox, all cashing in on the current media preoccupation with the credit crunch to promote a motley collection of their...

Opinion: Digital campaign won the election.
November 7, 2008... So Barack Obama is finally victorious. The US election has been lengthy and the need for political titillation and humour was essential The Yanks delivered - Palin was a gift-wrapped joy, as were Michelle Obama's shift dresses, the old guy and...

Thought leaders: How to survive the recession.(Huntsworth PLC's Lord Chadlington)(Vodafone Group PLC's Simon Lewis )
November 7, 2008... Two leading industry figures - one agency group head and one FTSE comms director - share their experiences of past economic downturns. LORD CHADLINGTON, CEO OF HUNTSWORTH Alan Greenspan, the legendary former chairman of the US Federal...

Crisis management: The rulebook for crisis survival.
November 7, 2008... There has been no shortage of corporate emergencies this year - not least at the BBC recently. Cathy Wallace pulls together expert views on the importance of planning. A severe crisis for a company used to mean being locked out of the...

Regional Focus: Midlands - Birmingham Mail is moving up in the world.
November 7, 2008... The Birmingham Mail is going places - literally. From mid-November, the paper is taking over the top floor of the landmark Fort Dunlop building, the former tyre factory recently redeveloped by Urban Splash and overlooking the M6. Editor...

Regional Focus: Midlands - Seizing the opportunities.
November 7, 2008... Two Midlands-based agencies focus on rising above the challenges of a tougher market. HASLIMANN TAYLOR Both a generalist consumer and B2B PR shop, Birmingham-based Haslimann Taylor's client portfolio includes house builder Taylor...

CIPR PRide Awards: Sweet smell of success.(Awards list)
November 7, 2008... Here are the winners of PRide Awards in the Midlands, Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. MIDLANDS BEST EVENT - Speedo LZR Racer launch by S&X Media S&X Media launched the Speedo LZR Racer, the 'fastest swimsuit in the world', to the...

Flack: BlackBerries, waterproof socks, and Cockney rhyming slang!
November 7, 2008... HarperCollins director of comms Siobhan Kenny caused an outbreak of compassion when she emailed a journalist to apologise for not responding earlier. 'My bb died at the weekend' she explained, referring to her packed-up BlackBerry. Lo and...

Flack.
November 7, 2008... 1. Our favourite wonky-faced politician has been up to no good Lembit Opik risked arrest when he illegally rode a Segway scooter on the road at a protest organised by Chelgate PR, to allow the eco-scooters on the streets. 'It's either...

Flack: On Expenses - Dehesa, London W1.(Brief article)
November 7, 2008... Reviewer: Lewis Stagnetto,account executive, The SPA Way - What is it good for? Dehesa infuses original Spanish style with the luxuries of London's finest. The quaint decor hints at an undertone of Mediterranean flare It boasts an...

Most influential comms job in government goes to Tee.(Matt Tee)(communications)
November 14, 2008... Exclusive - Cabinet Office picks Matt Tee as permanent secretary for govt comms. An NHS boss has edged out Whitehall insiders to land the most influential comms role in government. The Cabinet Office's hire of Matt Tee as permanent...

Agency trio in HBOS saga.(Halifax Bank of Scotland)(Brief article)
November 14, 2008... Three top City PR agencies are embroiled in the increasingly controversial takeover of HBOS by Lloyds. Maitland has been called in to work for banking grandees Sir Peter Burt and Sir George Mathewson, who this weekend led calls for HBOS to...

FD nabs BAE brief from Bell Pottinger.
November 14, 2008... Bell Pottinger has lost one of its most prestigious corporate clients after BAE Systems moved its financial and corporate PR account to FD. The multinational defence and aerospace company had been with Bell Pottinger Corporate and...

Sector hit by job cuts.
November 14, 2008... 3 Monkeys is the latest agency to make redundancies as the economic downturn continues to take its toll. The London-based agency has made four redundancies following the loss of its Skype account last month. 3 Monkeys' MD Annabel...

Lexis loses two clients.
November 14, 2008... Lexis Public Relations has sustained a double blow to its income with two big clients cutting major chunks of their business. Norwich Union has put its insurance and RAC consumer business up for repitch - believed to be worth six figures....

Lap of luxury London hotel.
November 14, 2008... The Langham has called in PR support ahead of a refurbishment costing pounds 80m. The luxury hotel, which opened in 1865, has turned to Bacchus PR. The agency has been briefed to establish the hotel as a flagship property of Langham Hotels...

The Week.(briefs)(Beattie Communications)(Propeller Group)(BlondeGorilla)(Brief article)
November 14, 2008... - Euro rscg Biss Lancaster has promoted client services director Holly Ward to MD of its London office. She is now responsible for brands, B2B healthcare and corporate. - EasyJet has taken on Beattie Communications as its first external...

Multiple challenges ahead for Tee.(Matt Tee)
November 14, 2008... Analysis - Experts say combined policy and comms experience will help incoming permanent secretary. Top PROs believe Matt Tee will have his work cut out when he takes over as permanent secretary for government communications next year. ...

Comms job cuts 'perfectly possible' in current climate.
November 14, 2008... Tough times - Government PR jobs could shrink in next 18 months, Cabinet Office minister tells committee. Matt Tee could face a reduced PR headcount when he takes over as permanent secretary for government comms next year. Cabinet...

Downturn prompts PR switch for Dulux.
November 14, 2008... Dulux has pulled a six-figure account out of Ketchum as it embarks on a new PR strategy in response to the credit crunch. The internationally recognised paint brand wants to encourage homeowners who cannot afford to move to redecorate...

Labour starts work on blogging offensive.
November 14, 2008... The Labour Party's plans to develop a new blogging strategy will rest on encouraging a multiplicity of supporters to make Labour's case on the web. An initial meeting of Labour-supporting bloggers and political campaigners took place last...

High street retailers Insider's Guide: Who's who in the retail PR wars.(public relations)
November 14, 2008... With the British Retail Consortium reporting this week that UK retail sales saw their first monthly drop in more than three years, conditions have seldom been tougher on the high street. Alec Mattinson and Kate Magee look at the comms players...

Healthcare: Top-up treatments could mean PR boom.
November 14, 2008... The announcement that NHS patients can top up their treatment could create huge opportunities for comms firms that fully understand the policy's implications, healthcare public affairs specialists have claimed. But agency bosses warned...

Healthcare: The Week in Healthcare.
November 14, 2008... Craegmoor hires Wilson - Craegmoor Healthcare has appointed Jo Wilson as its new head of marketing. Wilson will be responsible for the firm's UK PR. She most recently headed up the UK marketing function at Dore, the treatment programme...

Healthcare: On the Agenda - Drug cuts heart attacks in half.
November 14, 2008... - In a nutshell A major trial has found that the cholesterol-lowering drug Crestor can dramatically cut the number of heart attacks and strokes in healthy people. The drug, made by pharma firm AstraZeneca, was found to slash the rate of...

Public Affairs: MPs hit out at bad lobbying.
November 14, 2008... Lobbying ethics - Policymakers reveal their experiences in a new publication. MPs and other policymakers have lifted the lid on bad lobbying, with one describing 'the most counter-productive campaign ever', which was by the Countryside...

Public Affairs: The Week in Lobbying.
November 14, 2008... The Met Office has taken on Cavendish Communications to provide public affairs support following a pitch process in which only APPC members were invited to take part. The win is a boost for Cavendish, headed by MD Alex Challenor, which earlier...

Public Affairs: Lobbying target - Theresa Villiers, shadow transport secretary.
November 14, 2008... The former barrister and MEP leaped into the shadow cabinet in 2005. But will her star continue to rise? TEN-SECOND BIOGRAPHY Villiers was a well known Eurosceptic MEP for the London region before entering the Commons in 2005 as MP for...

City & Corporate: StepStone offers fillip amid gloom.
November 14, 2008... An online recruitment firm has taken on PR support as it becomes the first company to list on the main market of the London Stock Exchange (LSE) for six months. Hudson Sandler is managing PR on the listing of StepStone, supported by the...

City & Corporate: The Week in City & Corporate.(briefs)(Lawson Dodd Ltd.)(Penrose Financial)
November 14, 2008... Lawson Dodd hires director, Penrose to advise American Century Investments Lawson Dodd has appointed Terence Gibbons as a director. Gibbons moves from College Hill, where he headed the corporate and B2B function. He joins the senior...

City & Corporate: In the News ... Interest rate cuts.
November 14, 2008... - Bring us up to speed The banks have found themselves under the media microscope once more, following their reluctance to pass on the 1.5 per cent interest rate cut to the public. The Daily Telegraph reported that only three of the 88...

City & Corporate: Square 1 will assist sheikh.(Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan)(Brief article)
November 14, 2008... Square 1 Consulting is overseeing PR for the Abu Dhabi royal family's pounds 3.5bn investment in Barclays. The agency is providing media PR support for PCP Capital - the investment firm that brokered Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan's...

City & Corporate: Sunday secret to merger success.
November 14, 2008... It is one of the common strategies in financial PR to attack at the weekend. The Germans discovered in WW2 that there was considerable advantage to be gained from making a move when the opposing leadership was away from its HQ and out of touch....

Voluntary Sector: Shelter to tap older audience.(Bright Young Things Communications)
November 14, 2008... Bright Young Things called in as housing charity Shelter seeks to change its emphasis. Shelter has brought in Bright Young Things Communications as it prepares to launch its Now is the Time campaign, which targets an older audience than it...

Voluntary Sector: Taking Action ... National Union of Students vs UK Government.(Brief article)
November 14, 2008... Target: UK Government Protesters: National Union of Students Location: Nationwide Date: 5 November The National Union of Students (NUS) organised a 'Students in the Red' day of action to protest against the university top-up fee...