DENVER: After several years of negative potato publicity thanks to low-carb diet enthusiasts, the US Potato Board (USPB) is using PR in a new campaign to both explain how the tuber best fits into a health-conscious lifestyle and reach out to mothers, a key demographic.

SAN FRANCISCO: Watercooler recently named Shift Communications its AOR to help raise its profile in the social networking space.

LONDON: The PR and public affairs sector within WPP Group reported a 9% increase in revenue, excluding effects of currency movements, in its half-year results released last week. For the six months, ending June 30, PR and public affairs revenue was about $653.5 million, compared to about $574.5 million in the year-ago period.

OAK BROOK, IL: McDonald's increased communications efforts for its second year of helping Hispanic high school students prepare for college.

NASHVILLE, TN: TracFone Wireless, with its AOR Interlex, plans to roll out its government-supported SafeLink Wireless program with a national awareness campaign starting this month in Georgia, Florida, and New York. It also introduced the brand, which is available to qualifying, low-income families, in Tennessee on August 15.

NEW YORK: NASDAQ renamed its news distribution service as GlobeNewswire with an awareness effort that began at the opening bell August 22. Its former name was PrimeNewswire.

LONDON: Huntsworth, a London-based PR and healthcare communications company, reported a 3.4% increase in PR revenue for its first half of 2008 on a like-by-like basis, which excludes effects of currency movements, compared with the year-ago period.

ADA, MI: Amway Global, a manufacturer of products such as beauty brand Artistry and vitamin supplement Nutrilite, and direct-seller company, has embarked on a corporate rebranding campaign to raise awareness of the overall brand in the health and wellness category and phase out the Quixtar name and brand.

NEW YORK: Medialink is in danger of a NASDAQ delisting. It filed official forms with the SEC that it received a deficiency notice from NASDAQ on August 14, the 27th day its common stock closed below $1.

BENSALEM, PA: The Bucks County, PA, Conference and Visitors Bureau, working with AOR Oxford Communications, recently launched a series of viral videos with a presidential tie-in to promote the county's tourist offerings.