PR Week (UK) articles from October 2008

PR Week (UK) archives from October 2008

Public sector chiefs attack Tory plans to slash costs.
October 3, 2008... High-quality comms is the key to engaging residents, insist local government PROs. Local government PROs have hit back at Tory plans to cut PR spend that emerged this week. The Conservative Party conference saw both shadow communities...

Ex-TfL man resurfaces.(Transport for London's Dan Hodges )(Brief article)
October 3, 2008... A senior Transport for London (TfL) PR professional who was allegedly fired last year has resurfaced as campaign director for the Manchester congestion charge 'Yes Campaign'. Dan Hodges left TfL in December after issuing a joke press...

PRCA plans to deal with adviser bullies.
October 3, 2008... The PRCA is calling for a 'whistleblowers' charter' to protect civil service PROs from bullying special advisers. In a 1,400-word response to an ongoing inquiry by the House of Lords communications committee, PRCA chief Francis Ingham...

Visa Europe briefs H&K.(contract with Hill and Knowlton UK)(Brief article)
October 3, 2008... Hill and Knowlton has fought off rival agencies to land a sought-after three-year account with Visa Europe. The brief covers corporate media relations and press office support. Hill and Knowlton will focus on promoting Visa debit cards...

ITV cuts will restrict PROs.
October 3, 2008... Swingeing cuts to ITV's regional news output poses fresh challenges for PROs, according to charity comms chiefs. 'There is less airtime to target, but there may be advantages,' said RSPCA's head of press and media Henry Macaulay. ...

The Week.
October 3, 2008... - Tesco has hired Golley Slater to handle a six-figure PR project for its development arm Spenhill. The agency will be running community and media relations for the pounds 300m Welwyn Garden City scheme in Hertfordshire. - Fleishman...

Reach for the stars.
October 3, 2008... Former S Club 7 member Rachel Stevens has hired PR support as she aims to further her acting career. Liz Matthews PR will capitalise on Stevens' appearance in this year's Strictly Come Dancing. The firm will target broadsheets to reach casting...

Cameron hits all the right notes.
October 3, 2008... Conservative Party conference - Tories pleased with overall media sentiment at Birmingham event. Conservative Party strategists are privately viewing this week's conference as a 'major success' as they managed to avoid negative headlines...

Coulson and Hilton 'played a blinder' at Birmingham.(Steve Hilton and Andy Coulson )(Brief article)
October 3, 2008... Agency verdict - Conservatives praised for getting their message across amid doom-and-gloom headlines. David Cameron's PR chiefs 'played a blinder' at this week's party conference, according to Bell Pottinger Public Affairs chair Peter...

Red to boost Lego brand.
October 3, 2008... Lego UK has handed a retained account to The Red Consultancy with a brief to promote its educational benefits. It is the first time in ten years that the Danish toymaker has embarked on a campaign to strengthen its brand credentials rather...

Citigate picks luxury as credit crunch hits.
October 3, 2008... A new boutique private jet airline that aims to be the 'most desirable private club in the sky' has called in Citigate Dewe Rogerson. At the same time, Citigate has landed a brief to launch an exclusive private members club in London. ...

3 Monkeys in digital plan.
October 3, 2008... 3 Monkeys Communications has announced plans for a 20-strong digital comms agency that claims to give brands 'more bang for their buck'. The new venture, to be called Galileo, will get off the ground next year. It is currently recruiting...

Home drinkers to be target of campaign.(Paratus Communications' campaign for Drinkaware Trust )(Brief article)
October 3, 2008... People who drink alcohol at home are to be the focus of a new PR campaign by the drinks industry. The Drinkaware Trust is about to launch its biggest campaign to date to educate people about 'unhealthy drinking habits' in the home. ...

Ferrari calls in help for UK store opening.
October 3, 2008... Sports car manufacturer Ferrari has brought in PR support as it prepares to open the first Ferrari store in the UK. Jori White PR won a three-way shoot-out to land the six-figure account with Ferrari ahead of its first foray into the UK...

Baby Milk Action website incurs wrath of Nestle.
October 3, 2008... Nestle is attempting to shut down a nascent website run by campaign group Baby Milk Action. The food giant's comms team is concerned that the website could trigger a fresh bout of damaging comments in the blogosphere should it launch as...

Banking industry Insider's Guide: UK banks' reputation managers.
October 3, 2008... The turmoil afflicting the global financial markets took another twist this week as Bradford & Bingley followed Northern Rock into the Government's hands. With the glare of the UK media fixed on the banking sector, Alec Mattinson outlines the...

Healthcare: On the Agenda - Flu jab for mums of unborn babies.
October 3, 2008... - In a nutshell Pregnant women could be offered flu jabs to protect the health of hundreds of thousands of babies. A new study has found that the seasonal vaccination can benefit both the mother and newborn baby. - Media coverage ...

Healthcare: Campaign to banish pharma advertising.
October 3, 2008... Consumer campaign group Which? is spearheading a PR and lobbying drive to prevent pharma firms from advertising direct to consumers. Which? has teamed up with nine groups representing consumers, patients and medical professionals. The...

Healthcare: The Week in Healthcare.
October 3, 2008... Inverness calls in Virgo Inverness Medical has hired Virgo Health to launch a new women's health product. The agency will introduce Balance Activ in the UK. Meanwhile, Kamiqua Pearce joins the agency as senior account executive from...

Public Affairs: Agencies warm to register.
October 3, 2008... Lobbying register - Lobbyists are preparing to sign up 'in coming weeks'. Public affairs firms are set to perform a collective u-turn and sign up to a controversial new register for Brussels-based lobbyists. Agencies have so far been...

Public Affairs: Lobbying Target - Jeremy Hunt, shadow culture secretary.
October 3, 2008... Jeremy Hunt narrowly beat fellow Conservative Julie Kirkbride to be named 'most fanciable MP' in a recent poll by Sky News. - Ten-second biography A successful businessman, Hunt entered the Commons in 2005, succeeding former health...

Public Affairs: The Week in Lobbying.
October 3, 2008... GPlus Europe has hired a long-serving top German civil servant as partner. Peter Witt was Germany's deputy permanent representative to the EU for the past seven years. He has represented Germany on policies ranging from emissions trading and...

City & Corporate: In the News... EDF, British Energy.
October 3, 2008... - Bring us up to speed French energy firm EDF has agreed to buy British Energy, the UK's largest electricity producer, in a pounds 12.5bn deal. EDF returned with an improved bid for the British firm after its initial approach was blocked...

City & Corporate: Hedge funds 'must improve look'.
October 3, 2008... Agency bosses have insisted that hedge funds can no longer afford to treat external comms as an optional extra following the 'PR buffeting' they have received in recent days. The collapse of Lehman Brothers and other banks' share-price...

City & Corporate: The Week in City & Corporate.
October 3, 2008... Broadgate appoints Murray, OnTrack PR brought in by airport Broadgate has appointed Jamie Murray as account director for Broadgate Alternatives, a new division dedicated to PR and digital comms for hedge funds, private equity and property...

City & Corporate: FD to advise Kuwait bank.
October 3, 2008... Kuwait's biggest investment bank has turned to FD for comms support as it focuses on growth in Europe and North America. Global Investment House has brought in the agency to provide retained global financial comms consultancy on both sides...

City & Corporate: Big City bonuses need explanation.
October 3, 2008... The British have never been particularly good at talking sensibly and rationally about executive pay. The press whip up the baying crowd, and pour petrol on the flames of envy rather than promote reasoned debate on the issues. As a result,...

Voluntary Sector: Charities face tough questions on funds.
October 3, 2008... Changes to the way the public can access financial information about charities online may leave charity PROs facing more questions about funding, the Charity Commission has warned. The independent charity regulator has made sweeping changes...

Voluntary Sector: Senior hire at Child Soc.(Children's Society has appointed Paul Eastham)(Brief article)
October 3, 2008... The Children's Society has turned to a former Daily Mail journalist for media relations management as its senior publicist joins law firm DLA Piper. Paul Eastham, the former deputy political editor of the Daily Mail and most recently head...

Voluntary Sector: Taking Action... People Before Profit Charter vs British Gas.
October 3, 2008... Protesters: People Before Profit Charter Location: British Gas HQ, Cardiff Date: 27 September - The lowdown Members of the People Before Profit Charter gathered outside the British Gas HQ in Cardiff to protest against energy...

Voluntary Sector: The Week in Charities.
October 3, 2008... Addaction is launching a campaign on 6 October to challenge the perception that drug and alcohol treatment is an unfashionable cause to support. 'People don't think of charities when they think of drug and alcohol treatment. It is certainly not...

Technology: Agency advice for NebuAd.
October 3, 2008... Controversial American online advertising company to launch services in the UK. A controversial US online advertising company has turned to agency support to launch its services in the UK. NebuAd analyses the websites people visit, so...

Technology: The Week in Technology.
October 3, 2008... Paramount Pictures brings in Way to Blue Paramount Pictures UK is using Way to Blue to handle the online PR campaign for Madagascar 2: Escape to Africa. The animation film, which will be released in December, features the voices of Ben...

Technology: Best of the tech blogs.
October 3, 2008... - Social media top tips Posted by Katie Rocket prnowandthen.typepad.com/pr_nowandthen 28 September - Here is my take on how to get started in understanding social media: 1. Set up google alerts for terms of interest - even generic...

Public Sector: Campaign breakdown - Yorkshire Gold.
October 3, 2008... Agency: Weber Shandwick Client: Yorkshire Culture Timescale: Now - November 2009 Budget: Undisclosed Yorkshire Culture is the Department for Culture, Media and Sport's body responsible for promoting and developing culture in the...

Public Sector: New identity.(United Kingdom. Home Office)(Brief article)
October 3, 2008... The design of the UK's controversial identity cards was revealed by the Home Secretary last week. The Home Office issued pictures of a sample card on behalf of executive agency the Identity and Passport Service. A spokesman said that PR...

Public Sector: FCO advises Dubai on comms.(Foreign and Commonwealth Office)(Dubai Executive Council )(Brief article)
October 3, 2008... The government of Dubai has called on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) for advice on communications strategies. The FCO has been providing ongoing advice following a visit to London by the Dubai Executive Council in June. ...

Public Sector: The Public Sector Week.(Portsmouth City Primary Care Trust's health promotion)(Scottish Centre for Healthy Working Lives' contract with The BIG Partnership Group Ltd.)(Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council has appointed David Reid )(Brief article)
October 3, 2008... UK Border Agency seeks views on comms activity, Portsmouth PCT launches awareness drive. The UK Border Agency is currently undertaking reviews of both its stakeholder engagement activity and regional communications activity and is seeking...

Public Sector: 'Unfair' attack on council angers LGA.(Local Government Association )(Brief article)
October 3, 2008... The Local Government Association (LGA) has hit out at PR agencies for poorly researched attacks in press releases that view local government as an 'easy target'. The news follows a council-baiting press release issued by Citigate Dewe...

Public Sector: Frontline staff are key messengers.(United Kingdom. National Health Service)(Personal account)
October 3, 2008... It is rare to find yourself at the receiving end of the very public services you are promoting. But that is what happened to me last week when, during an otherwise painless house move, I dropped the corner of a PC base unit on my hand. ...

Media: Global rejig creates comms opportunity.(Global Radio S.A.)
October 3, 2008... Global Radio is set for the biggest rebranding exercise in commercial radio history. The owner of the Heart, Classic FM, XFM and Galaxy brands has decided to scrap its 42-station One Network. Stations such as Chiltern Radio, Power FM and...

Media: Hit or Miss.
October 3, 2008... Tories announce plans to scrap Heathrow expansion and introduce high-speed train. Railway rumble The Conservative Party grabbed a few more column inches this week by announcing that it would scrap plans for a third Heathrow runway in...

Media: Space Barons ASOS magazine.
October 3, 2008... What is it? Magazine that accompanies fashion site asos.com Circulation: 429,406 Deadline: Three months before issue Frequency: Monthly Staff: 12 The editor of asos (full name: as seen on screen) is Rebecca Holman, with Gemma Exley...

Media: The Editor's Desk - Sue Robinson, Sainsbury's Magazine.
October 3, 2008... - Describe your editorial agenda. We are primarily for people who love food and cooking, from very quick meals right through to putting on dinner parties with friends. Half of the magazine is dedicated to lifestyle such as fashion and...

Profile: Antony Tiernan - Playing political football.(Interview)
October 3, 2008... Antony Tiernan loves handling comms for one of England's most notorious NHS trusts. Gemma O'Reilly finds out why. St Helier is 'like the Amy Winehouse of hospitals', according to its director of comms Antony Tiernan. There are parallels -...

Campaigns: City & Corporate - InBev achieves an iconic takeover.
October 3, 2008... Campaign: InBev's takeover bid of Anheuser-Busch Client: InBev PR team: Cantos Communications and Brunswick Timescale: June-July 2008 Budget: Not disclosed, but believed to be c. pounds 130,000-pounds 150,000 Anheuser-Busch prides...

Campaigns: Consumer - Sony Ericsson turns to fashion.
October 3, 2008... Campaign: Sony Ericsson - Maria Sharapova Design Collection Launch Client: Sony Ericsson PR team: Burson-Marsteller & in-house Timescale: April-June 2008 Budget: c. pounds 120,000 Objectives - Establish a credible link between...

Campaigns: Internal comms - Hackney Homes spreads the love.(Brief article)
October 3, 2008... Campaign: Where is the Love? Client: Hackney Homes PR team: In-house Timescale: February-April 2008 Budget: pounds 4,000 Objectives - To encourage more staff to nominate their colleagues for awards - To increase staff...

Opinion: Celebrities follow collapsing banks.
October 3, 2008... London's Evening Standard newspaper reported, apparently without irony, last week that 'star guests at a Berkeley Square Ball included David Beckham's alleged former lover Rebecca Loos, Sir John Major's former daughter-in-law Emma Noble, and...

Opinion: From the Editor - Retailers can take moral lead and go green.(Editorial)
October 3, 2008... As the pillars on which the modern capitalist system is based start to develop serious cracks, one tends to feel rather helpless in the face of such seismic forces. Most people quite rightly respond by simply getting on with the business...

From our readers: Old approaches won't work with bloggers.
October 3, 2008... In Danny Rogers' leader (Opinion, 26 September) he says having real conversations with voters and consumers is a lesson we must all take on board - and he is right. Yet, even as they build the mechanics to interact with bloggers and others...

From our readers: PM needs his wizard's cap to save himself.
October 3, 2008... What planet are the PR bosses living on who said Gordon Brown's speech was a hit (News, 26 September)? Fortunately there was a voice of sanity about Brown's speech in that edition of PRWeek - Tara Hamilton-Miller, who, as usual, hit the...

From our readers: Milk scandal is a lesson for the West ..
October 3, 2008... The PR handling of the recent spate of milk scandals has been praised (News, 26 September). But flustered attempts to distance Western companies from the unjustifiable pause before recall must be addressed. Western businesses are not...

From our readers: ... and brands must restore confidence.
October 3, 2008... As the current milk contamination crisis (News, 26 September) still rages, it illustrates two fascinating macro-dynamics emerging in the global food and drink supply chain that demand excellent communication. The first is the need for...

Opinion: Tory Conference ruined for Clarke.(Mark Clarke)(Viewpoint essay)
October 3, 2008... I pity Mark Clarke, the Conservative candidate for Tooting. His former lover referred to him in the Mail on Sunday this week as a cad, in an article better described as a 'shag and shout' than a 'kiss and tell'. A nurse called Sarah...

29 under 29: Britain's got talent.
October 3, 2008... Despite gloomy economic times, British PR is brimming with creative, ambitious, and above all, young, talent. Alex Black gives the lowdown on the fastest-rising stars. Once a year we put the call out to find the 29 brightest stars in...

Flack: Conferences, parties and interviews.
October 3, 2008... In Birmingham this week, Flack spotted treasonous blogger Guido Fawkes at the Tory conference sporting an eye-catching tartan trouser number before heading off to Bell Pottinger's champagne schmooze-fest 'Not a shadow cabinet member to be...

Flack.
October 3, 2008... 1. Nelson Bostock Communications spent last week in the presence of iconic James Bond villain Richard Kiel (AKA 'Jaws'). Jaws was on hand to promote a collection of Swatch watches based on villains in the Bond films. 2. Good news for those...

Flack: On Expenses - Pearl, London WC1.(Restaurant review)(Brief article)
October 3, 2008... Reviewer: Louisa McCarthy, account director, Neville McCarthy Associates - What is it good for? When I'm entertaining clients and really want to impress, my favourite restaurant is Pearl in Holborn. It is lavishly decorated with...

'Recession PR' is the new plan for hard-hit clients.
October 10, 2008... Agencies in race to come up with tailored offerings to capitalise on the credit crunch. Agencies are rushing out 'recession PR' offerings as they look for ways to capitalise on the credit crunch. In the week Mervyn King, governor of...

More change at Number 10.(Brief article)
October 10, 2008... Gordon Brown's shake-up of the Downing Street comms team is set to continue in the next few weeks. The PM's chief of strategy Stephen Carter and top media handler Damian McBride both left their jobs last week. A source close to the PM...

Under-fire Starbucks 'ignored PR advice'.
October 10, 2008... A major UK PR agency warned Starbucks at least two years ago that its policy of leaving a tap running constantly in each of its 10,000 stores was a potential PR disaster. The coffee chain hit the headlines this week when The Sun splashed...

Changes at VisitBritain.
October 10, 2008... VisitBritain is embarking on a radical shake-up of its comms team and starting a trawl for a PR agency after a fundamental review of its cost structure. From next month, director of comms Sandie Dawe will work purely on London 2012...

Sky switches to Hanover.(British Sky Broadcasting Group PLC)(Hanover Communications)(Brief article)
October 10, 2008... Portland PR has suffered a blow with the loss of key client BSkyB after seven years. The broadcaster has pulled its six-figure public affairs account out of Portland, which is headed by Tony Blair's former deputy director of comms Tim...

Hotheads.(Red Hot Chili Peppers' contract with Think Publicity )(Brief article)
October 10, 2008... Think Publicity has secured a worldwide brief to promote a book of photographs of the Red Hot Chili Peppers in action on tours across the globe. The Liverpool-based agency has been hired to publicise Me and My Friends: Red Hot Chili Peppers....

The Week.(McDonald's U.K. has promoted Julian Hilton-Johnson)(Incredibull Ideas has appointed Anthony Moore)(Nickelodeon UK has appointed Charlotte Chisnall )(Brief article)
October 10, 2008... McDonald's has promoted Julian Hilton-Johnson to V-P corporate relations, covering European corporate affairs and human resources. Simon Corbett, former UK account director at Blanc & Otus, has set up a b2b technology agency called Jargon...

Campbell beats McBride in poll.(Alastair Campbell)(Damian McBride)
October 10, 2008... Comms report PRWeek's list of effective comms operators sees Damian McBride finish in last place. Damian McBride has been rated as less effective than other high-profile political comms chiefs of his generation in a damning straw poll...

Despite new role McBride is 'still floating around No 10'.
October 10, 2008... What next? McBride will no longer brief journalists as former Oxfam PR professional takes over. McBride will work closely with newly promoted Cabinet Office minister Liam Byrne in his new role at Downing Street. Downing Street last...

Sainsbury's gears up for market price war.
October 10, 2008... Sainsbury's has brought in a raft of new agencies as it steps up its fight against high street rivals Tesco and Asda. The supermarket has handed key briefs to Hill & Knowlton and Cake as it attempts to build on a rise in sales announced...

PROs can 'learn from Obama and McCain'.(Public relations officers)(Brief article)
October 10, 2008... UK PR professionals have been urged to learn from the digital PR techniques currently being employed by Barack Obama and John McCain in the US presidential election. Daljit Bhurji, MD of Diffusion PR, told PRWeek: 'The US elections are...

'Killer disease' brief for F-H.(Fleishman-Hillard Europe's contract with UK Centre for Medical Research and Innovation )(Brief article)
October 10, 2008... Fleishman-Hillard is to handle comms for a controversial pounds 500m medical research facility in central London that will harbour killer diseases such as cancer and bird flu. The agency has been called in after residents expressed concern...

EasyJet on the hunt for consumer agency.
October 10, 2008... EasyJet has drawn up a shortlist of three agencies as it prepares to hire its first external consumer PR support. Beattie Communications, Paratus Communications and Trimedia have been shortlisted for the UK-wide account. The agencies...

H&K reviews top positions.(Hill and Knowlton UK)(Brief article)
October 10, 2008... Hill & Knowlton is to get a new UK CEO next year as Sally Costerton takes on a wider European remit. Costerton is set to replace the agency's EMEA chairman and CEO Andy Laurence. After five years in the job, Laurence is moving into a...

BA vows to keep on marketing in recession.
October 10, 2008... Britain's biggest airline has pledged to continue marketing and innovating throughout the coming recession. Martin Broughton, chairman of British Airways, said on Tuesday: 'In these testing times, cutting marketing spend is not the...

Healthcare: On the Agenda - Pampers boosts tetanus campaign.
October 10, 2008... - In a nutshell Last week, Procter & Gamble kicked off its global campaign to eliminate tetanus by 2012. P&G's Pampers UK brand is partnering Unicef for the third year to build on the charity's aim to eliminate maternal and neonatal...

Healthcare: Health education events are 'junkets'.(Conference news)
October 10, 2008... A leading GP has infuriated pharmaceutical PR professionals by labelling health educational conferences as 'little more than junkets'. Dr Des Spence was speaking at an Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) debate last...

Healthcare: The Week in Healthcare.
October 10, 2008... CCA appoints Scott Ash Healthcare has been hired by The Organisation for Professionals in Regulatory Affairs to handle its comms support for the next three years The global organisation is aimed at regulatory affairs in the healthcare...

Public Affairs: ScotRail calls in Pagoda PR.
October 10, 2008... Scotland's main train operator has called in public affairs support as the country's rail system is hit by strike action. First ScotRail has handed the brief to Pagoda PR. The agency said it would be 'supporting the company to develop open...

Public Affairs: KFC signs Ketchum for wide-range brief.
October 10, 2008... KFC has turned to Ketchum for a newly created CSR, corporate and public affairs brief. The agency has won a competitive pitch to promote the fast-food restaurant - months after PRWeek revealed that KFC was on the hunt for an agency to...

Public Affairs: The Week in Lobbying.
October 10, 2008... Insight Public Affairs has further bolstered its Conservative credentials with the hire of Louise Abbott, a senior consultant at Morgan Allen Moore and former aide to the Conservative MP David Amess Abbott is the second Conservative to join...

Public Affairs: Lobbying Target - Liam Byrne, Cabinet Office minister.
October 10, 2008... Peter Mandelson was not the only Blairite to land a new job in last week's reshuffle, as Byrne was given a newly created role as 'cabinet enforcer'. - Ten-second biography Byrne was elected as MP for Birmingham Hodge Hill in July 2004,...

City & Corporate: In the News... TK Maxx.
October 10, 2008... - Bring us up to speed Retail chain TK Maxx found itself embroiled in the knife-crime debate last week after stores were found to be selling dangerous weapons. On Friday it was discovered that the firm was selling Swiss-made Strellson...

City & Corporate: Banks fight against Irish pledge.
October 10, 2008... The UK banking industry is fighting a lobbying and PR battle against state guarantees of savings in Europe. The industry wants to highlight the competitive disadvantages in the UK that it believes will result from Ireland's guarantee of all...

City & Corporate: The Week in City & Corporate.(Conduit PR has appointed Gareth Tredway)(Aberdeen Property Investors' contract with PMW Communications)(New England Shutter Company's contract with Wild Card )(Brief article)
October 10, 2008... SHIP to work with The Wriglesworth Consultancy, Mining hire at Conduit PR. Safe Home Income Plans (SHIP) has chosen The Wriglesworth Consultancy as its retained PR agency. The body, which represents 90 per cent of the equity release...