Facebook avoids early IPO-filing pitfalls

February 02, 2012

MENLO PARK, CA: Facebook's initial public offering filing brought the company a slew of media attention, but it also gave the public a closer look at the social media heavyweight.
 

LendingTree names Peppercom AOR

February 01, 2012

NEW YORK: LendingTree has hired Peppercom as its AOR with the goal of providing greater support for its consumer and financial communications.
 

Everett to depart News Corp. next month

January 30, 2012

NEW YORK: Teri Everett, SVP of corporate affairs and communications at News Corp., will leave the media company February 10.
 

Hamp to leave top PepsiCo comms position

January 26, 2012

PURCHASE, NY: Julie Hamp, SVP of consumer relations and CCO of PepsiCo, has resigned her position. She will leave the food and beverage giant on March 2.
 

Ketchum's crisis work for Penn State ends

January 25, 2012

NEW YORK: Penn State University has confirmed that it is no longer working with Ketchum for crisis communications services.
 

Trust in media up, says Edelman Barometer

January 23, 2012

NEW YORK: Informed consumers trust the media more than they did last year, while trust in businesses, government, and non-governmental organizations all dropped slightly from 2011, according to the 2012 Edelman Trust Barometer.
 

Di Maria, DeNicola launch The 10 Company

January 17, 2012

NEW YORK: Former Peppercom director Valerie Di Maria and Clare DeNicola, former CEO of technology provider Ivans, launched agency The 10 Company on Tuesday.
 

California High-Speed Rail Authority to expand in-house staff, end agency search

January 12, 2012

SACRAMENTO, CA: The California High-Speed Rail Authority's board has voted to nix the search for an outside agency and move forward with a proposed expansion of its internal communications team.
 

With shareholder activism up, robust IR more valuable in proxy wars, says panel

January 12, 2012

MIAMI: Shareholder activism is increasing the need for financial communications professionals to serve as advisers beyond investment, M&A, and legal issues, said Michael Fox, president of the corporate communications group at ICR.
 

Makovsky hires ex-Burson chair Goldberg as EVP

January 06, 2012

NEW YORK: Makovsky & Company has hired former Burson-Marsteller chair Andrew Goldberg as EVP and leader of a new corporate practice unit.
 

Coach America taps Perry Street for Chapter 11 comms

January 04, 2012

DALLAS: Charter bus operator Coach America has hired Perry Street Communications to support its Chapter 11 restructuring.
 

Brands in need of a comeback in 2012

PRWeek Staff December 29, 2011

Brands that have been left for dead sometimes stage dramatic comebacks - or sometimes they fade, or explode, into oblivion. Here are five companies we believe must stage a comeback in 2012.
 

Corporations focus on career development: study

December 15, 2011

NEW YORK: Multinational companies are evolving their employee programs to focus more on career development and brand mission versus on-site perks, according to a study conducted by the Great Place to Work Institute and Burson-Marsteller.
 

Saab NA explains reorganization

December 07, 2011

DETROIT: Saab Cars North America has rolled out specific communications for its dealer, supplier, and customer bases following the decision by an administrator this week to end the voluntary reorganization of parent company Saab Automobile.
 

Coty taps Euro as corporate comms AOR

December 02, 2011

NEW YORK: Beauty brand Coty has named Euro RSCG Worldwide PR its corporate communications AOR.
 

Edelman debuts CEO transition offering

November 30, 2011

NEW YORK: Edelman's corporate practice has launched a CEO transition offering to emphasize the importance of communications in the process of changing executives.
 

American Airlines names Backover VP, corporate comms

November 17, 2011

FORT WORTH, TX: American Airlines has promoted Andy Backover to VP of corporate communications, replacing Roger Frizzell.
 

Former MF Global chief of staff joins MWW

November 16, 2011

NEW YORK: MWW Group has hired Josh Zeitz, former chief of staff at bankrupt brokerage MF Global, as SVP of corporate affairs.
 

Comms team, trustees must work closely in Penn State crisis response

November 10, 2011

STATE COLLEGE, PA: Penn State University's crisis situation may only worsen if its communications team and board of trustees don't work closely together to respond to the sexual abuse scandal rocking the college.
 

Comms departments must focus on external events

November 09, 2011

NEW YORK: As corporate communications professionals are more frequently invited to the C-suite table, PR departments should keep a sharp eye on current events, said Paul Gottsegen, CMO of Infosys.
 

O.co CEO Byrne says Occupy Wall Street not on message

November 08, 2011

NEW YORK: Patrick Byrne, CEO of O.co, formerly Overstock.com, who's known for incorporating his own ideals and convictions to his leadership strategy, said Occupy Wall Street needs to be on message if it wants to continue its momentum.
 

Lambert Edwards acquires Atlanta-based IR Squared

November 01, 2011

GRAND RAPIDS, MI, and ATLANTA: Lambert Edwards & Associates has acquired Atlanta-based firm IR Squared.
 

Exelis, Xylem to promote own identities

October 31, 2011

MCLEAN, VA and WHITE PLAINS, NY: ITT Exelis and Xylem, the former defense and water businesses of ITT Corporation, respectively, debuted as independent companies Monday with robust in-house communications teams.
 

NASDAQ OMX acquires Glide

October 24, 2011

NEW YORK: NASDAQ OMX Group has acquired Glide Technologies, a London-based software-as-a-service provider that specializes in corporate communications and reputation management.
 

Dell rolls out corporate social assessment tool

October 20, 2011

ROUND ROCK, TX: Dell has released an assessment tool that will help companies compare how well they use digital media to listen to and engage consumers.
 

Former HP CCO Wohl exits tech company

October 18, 2011

PALO ALTO, CA: Bill Wohl, former CCO of Hewlett-Packard, said yesterday via Twitter that he is no longer with the company and "pursuing new opportunities."
 

MassMutual debuts Facebook campaign

October 17, 2011

BOSTON: MassMutual Financial Group has boosted its social media work with the launch of "Why Life Insurance?," a consumer awareness campaign on Facebook.
 

RIM CEO apologizes for service outage

October 13, 2011

NEW YORK: Research In Motion (RIM) boosted its customer communications efforts on Thursday, following widespread outages and disruptions to its BlackBerry service this week.
 

Whirlpool joins 'It Gets Better' LGBT effort

October 12, 2011

BENTON HARBOR, MI: Whirlpool has joined a campaign to fight bullying of LGBT youth.
 

Netflix nixes Qwikster spin-off plan

October 10, 2011

LOS GATOS, CA: Only a month after Netflix said it would spin-off its DVD-by-mail service into a separate operation called Qwikster, the company has scrapped the idea.
 

Press to lead new Kwittken corporate strategy group

October 10, 2011

NEW YORK: Kwittken & Company has launched a corporate strategy group and named David Press, a former FTI Consulting executive, managing director.
 

Merck gave $1.2B to CSR initiatives last year

September 30, 2011

WHITEHOUSE STATION, NJ: Pharmaceutical giant Merck increased its total giving to $1.2 billion in 2010, up from $923 million the prior year, via philanthropic programs focused on health, education, and community involvement, according to its 2010 global corporate responsibility report.
 

Coinstar taps MWW as corporate comms AOR

September 28, 2011

BELLEVUE, WA: Coinstar, the owner of automated retail platforms including Redbox, has hired MWW Group as its corporate communications AOR after a competitive review.
 

Allstate hires Kaminsky for SVP, corporate relations role

September 27, 2011

CHICAGO: Allstate has hired Marci Kaminsky for the newly created role of SVP of corporate relations, in an effort to further formalize its public affairs function.
 

Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia hires SVP, comms

September 27, 2011

NEW YORK: Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia has appointed Jeanne Meyer SVP of communications. She will report to Lisa Gersh, president and COO.
 

Eli Lilly steps up diversity efforts for clinical trials

September 21, 2011

INDIANAPOLIS: Pharmaceutical firm Eli Lilly and Company is strengthening its communications efforts for its clinical trial diversity strategy.
 

Lincoln Financial taps DePeau as CMO

September 20, 2011

RADNOR, PA: Jamie DePeau has been hired by Lincoln Financial Group as corporate CMO, where she will head up corporate communications and branding, effective immediately.
 

Cigna green-lights consumer-facing biz strategy

September 19, 2011

BLOOMFIELD, CT: Cigna, a worldwide health insurer, is rolling out an integrated media campaign based on its new global business strategy, targeted at individual consumers with a customization twist.
 

Fleishman rolls out integrated AlixPartners work

September 15, 2011

NEW YORK: Fleishman-Hillard has unveiled a comprehensive integrated marketing campaign, including paid ads, for AlixPartners, a consulting firm that specializes in operational improvement and financial advisory work.
 

Green transfers from MillerCoors to Chicago Cubs

September 13, 2011

CHICAGO: The Chicago Cubs have hired Julian Green, former director of media relations for MillerCoors, to the newly created role of VP of communications and community affairs.
 

FD Americas embraces FTI Consulting rebrand

September 12, 2011

NEW YORK: FD, the strategic communications practice of FTI Consulting, has adopted the FTI Consulting brand in the Americas region.
 

Saab NA highlights stability as parent struggles

September 08, 2011

DETROIT: Saab Cars North America's (SCNA) communications team is working to explain that it is business as usual for its division of Saab, while its parent company Saab Automobile has filed and failed to persuade a Swedish court to grant it protection from creditors.
 

Morrell named head of comms for BP America

September 06, 2011

LONDON: Former Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell has been appointed head of communications for BP America, effective immediately.
 

HP's Bill Wohl shifted sideways in comms reshuffle

August 26, 2011

PALO ALTO, CA: Hewlett-Packard CCO Bill Wohl is relinquishing his corporate communications responsibilities and taking on a special assignment for the company's software business following a tumultuous week at the IT giant.
 

Smith to head CSR for Nissan Americas

August 24, 2011

FRANKLIN, TN: Nissan Americas has appointed Vicki Smith as senior manager of corporate social responsibility, a new job title designed to reinforce the automaker's presence in the CSR space.
 

Edelman's Smith moves to AMEX for diversity role

August 17, 2011

NEW YORK: American Express has hired Latraviette Smith, former SVP of global communications for Edelman, as VP of global diversity and inclusion.
 

Provimi to retain brand name after Cargill deal

August 15, 2011

MINNEAPOLIS: The Provimi brand will retain its name following Monday's announcement that Cargill will acquire the global animal nutrition business from private equity firm Permira for $2.1 billion.
 

Edelman launches data security and privacy group

August 11, 2011

NEW YORK: Edelman has rolled out a global privacy and information security unit in response to increased concerns over data breaches and cyber attacks.
 

Survey finds corporate clients want more new media support

August 09, 2011

NEW YORK: More than 77% of PR agencies say that clients building a corporate brand are the main drivers of their social media use, according to a recent survey by StevensGouldPincus, a PR and M&A consulting firm.
 

Cigna selects Fleishman-Hillard as global AOR

July 27, 2011

BLOOMFIELD, CT: Cigna, a worldwide health insurer, has hired Fleishman-Hillard as its global AOR, following a highly competitive review that began in February.
 

News Corp. hires Sard, Glover Park for US comms

July 19, 2011

NEW YORK: News Corp. has hired Sard Verbinnen & Co. and Glover Park Group to support its US comms operations following the phone-hacking scandal that has tarnished the company in recent weeks, according to an insider at the company.
 

WPP agencies merge to form RLM Finsbury

July 19, 2011

NEW YORK: WPP agencies Finsbury Group and Robinson Lerer & Montgomery (RLM) have merged to form RLM Finsbury, a new worldwide strategic corporate, financial, and crisis communications agency.
 

Dow Jones' Larsen steps up, no word yet on comms strategy

July 18, 2011

NEW YORK: Dow Jones & Company president Todd Larsen has stepped up to run the company after CEO Les Hinton's sudden departure late Friday. However, it remains unclear how the company's succession plan will play out.
 

UBS snags Edelman's McKillop as CCO of Americas

July 13, 2011

NEW YORK: UBS has appointed Peter McKillop as CCO for the Americas region, effective July 18. He will report to global CCO Michael Willi.
 

Brunswick leads US M&A advisor list

July 11, 2011

NEW YORK: Brunswick Group advised on $138 million worth of M&A deals in H1 2011, landing it the top US and global ranking in the Mergermarket League Tables of PR Advisors, released today.
 

Two join Ford/WPP blended comms team

June 29, 2011

DEARBORN, MI: Chris Preuss and Sue Carney have been hired as EVP and communications director, respectively, by WPP to work alongside Ford's North American communications team.
 

KFC gets creative with internal comms

June 29, 2011

LOUISVILLE, KY: KFC has created the position of Chief Chicken Officer for the launch of its new cook certification program, intended to help maintain food quality.
 

Ketchum's Culp to exit as partner, NA corporate director

June 24, 2011

NEW YORK: After five years at Ketchum, Ron Culp has stepped down as partner and director of the firm's North America corporate practice to pursue other opportunities.
 

New study reveals "likes" don't always result in sales

June 21, 2011

NEW YORK: Although many consumers say they are more likely to buy a product if the brand supports a cause, a new study reports that barely one in five are putting their money where their mouth is.
 

Cisco launches new comms site

June 20, 2011

SAN JOSE, CA: Cisco has launched a new site that mixes press releases and corporate communications with original editorial content about technology.
 

Mould resigns suddenly as SVP of comms at TVA

June 16, 2011

KNOXVILLE, TN: David Mould abruptly resigned as SVP of communications for The Tennessee Valley Authority, a US government-owned corporation that provides electricity to large parts of the Southeast.
 

Aflac taps PainePR for corporate communications

June 15, 2011

COLUMBUS, GA: Aflac has hired PainePR to handle its corporate communications, following a competitive RFP process.
 

AMEC attendees abuzz about latest measurement survey

June 09, 2011

LISBON, PORTUGAL: Measurement practitioners are buzzing about survey findings released today at the third annual AMEC European Summit on Measurement in Lisbon, which canvassed the industry for a global view of the recently adopted Barcelona Principles.
 

US consumers' interest in green brands continues to rise, study says

June 08, 2011

MONTEREY, CA: Seventh Generation, Whole Foods, and Tom's of Maine topped the list of most popular green brands among US consumers this year, according to the ImagePower Global Green Brands Study, which also found that more than 60% of people want to buy from environmentally responsible companies.
 

Buddendeck reappears at Carlson as VP, CCO

Matthew McGevna June 03, 2011

MINNEAPOLIS: Global hospitality and travel company Carlson has hired Alan Buddendeck as VP and CCO.
 

3M Display and Graphics hires Cohn & Wolfe

June 01, 2011

NEW YORK: 3M Display and Graphics has tapped Cohn & Wolfe to introduce a variety of software technologies throughout the next 12 months.
 

McDonald's names Coffing SVP of corporate relations

May 31, 2011

OAK BROOK, IL: McDonald's Corporation promoted Bridget Coffing to SVP of corporate relations. She will report to CEO Jim Skinner.
 

Green Mountain taps Sloane for financial, corporate PR

May 25, 2011

NEW YORK: Green Mountain Coffee Roasters has announced the hire of Sloane & Company to handle its strategic financial and corporate PR, following a competitive RFP that was issued last fall.
 

Cao returns to Ogilvy to lead new China practice

April 11, 2011

NEW YORK: Ogilvy & Mather launched a China practice to be led by Lyndon Cao, former GM of the China Daily.
 

Ricochet PR names Kalson CEO

April 07, 2011

NEW YORK: Ricochet Public Relations appointed David Kalson, former executive MD of RF Binder, as CEO, effective immediately.
 

Amazon tops Most Reputable Companies list

April 05, 2011

NEW YORK: Amazon is the most reputable company in the US, according to the sixth annual list from advisory firm Reputation Institute (RI), in partnership with Forbes Media.
 

Southwest rolled out comprehensive strategy to address fuselage incident, cancelations

April 05, 2011

DALLAS: Southwest Airlines ramped up a "full court press" strategy amidst Friday's fuselage incident and subsequent cancelations, said Linda Rutherford, VP of communications and strategic outreach.
 

E-Trade names CJP Communications as US AOR

April 01, 2011

NEW YORK: E-Trade Financial, a global provider of online brokerage, investing, and related banking solutions, hired CJP Communications as its US AOR, following a review that began approximately four months ago.
 

Southwest talks AirTran, considers fleet expansion

March 30, 2011

DALLAS: Southwest Airlines sees a transformational opportunity in its pending acquisition of Orlando-based AirTran, and may seek agency support once the deal is finalized.
 

Reckitt Benckiser partners with Porter Novelli for brand awareness campaign

March 29, 2011

PARSIPPANY, N.J.: Consumer products company Reckitt Benckiser (RB) has launched a multi-country, multimillion dollar campaign to raise awareness of its corporate name among recent graduates.
 

ICR strengthens presence in Asia

March 28, 2011

NEW YORK: Robert Koepp has joined ICR Asia as SVP, further expanding the strategic financial communications firm's presence in the region. The agency also recently moved its Beijing operation into a new, larger office.
 

Siemens to engage public with online gaming platform

March 24, 2011

ATLANTA: Siemens Industry has greenlit Plantville, a new online gaming platform to engage customers, employees, and prospects, and drive awareness of the company's technologies.
 

Guardian Life Insurance issues RFP

March 11, 2011

NEW YORK: The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America confirmed it has issued an RFP for corporate work.
 

Ogilvy PR grows corporate practice, adds two SVPs

March 10, 2011

CHICAGO: Michelle Press and Drew Ferguson have been appointed to SVP roles at Ogilvy's corporate practice in Chicago.
 

ICR, Affinion partner for data breach response services

March 09, 2011

STAMFORD, CT: Affinion Security Center has teamed up with ICR, an international corporate communications and IR firm, to support companies with preparation and management of data breach incidents.
 

Kaiser Permanente tops DiversityInc list

March 07, 2011

NEWARK, NJ: DiversityInc released its 2011 Top 50 Companies for Diversity list with healthcare provider Kaiser Permanente achieving top honors.
 

Study: BP and Toyota fall in reputation, GM rises

March 03, 2011

SAN FRANCISCO: Prophet's annual corporate reputation study found BP and Toyota tumbled to the bottom of its rankings while General Motors climbed back up the list.
 

BOA online back up, nixes hacker rumors

March 02, 2011

CHARLOTTE, NC: Bank of America's online payment service resurrected yesterday afternoon after some customers began receiving a "temporarily unavailable" message. The company denied hackers were involved in the incident.
 

CJP named North American AOR for Travelex unit

March 02, 2011

NEW YORK: Travelex, a worldwide foreign exchange and payments service, has appointed CJP Communications as its North American AOR for its global business payments division, effective Feb. 1.
 

Hallmark's SVP of corporate comms, Carr passes away

February 23, 2011

KANSAS CITY, MO: Nancy Carr, SVP of corporate communications at Hallmark Channels, passed away at age 50.
 

Guglielmo resigns as HP's VP, corporate comms

, Jason Shuffler February 22, 2011

PALO ALTO, CA: Connie Guglielmo has resigned from her VP of corporate communications post at Hewlett-Packard, according to sources familiar with the matter.
 

Newspaper Guild plans campaign against NY Times

February 18, 2011

NEW YORK: The Newspaper Guild of New York is involved in a labor contract dispute with the New York Times Co., and has set aside $1 million for a potential public campaign.
 

Search underway for HP CMO

February 14, 2011

PALO ALTO, CA: The start of the new year saw Hewlett-Packard unveil a new CCO role for the company with Léo Apotheker's former SAP colleague Bill Wohl at the helm.
 

Ogilvy PR hires Hirsch, others

February 10, 2011

NEW YORK: Peter Hirsch, former global corporate affairs leader at Porter Novelli, has been appointed to EVP and director of reputation risk at Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide.
 

Former Enron exec to lead Brunswick Dallas office

February 08, 2011

NEW YORK: Brunswick Group opened a new office in Dallas that will be led by Jim Wilkinson, managing partner, and Mark Palmer, new partner.
 

Pfizer reorganizes its communications team

February 04, 2011

NEW YORK: Pfizer confirmed that it restructured its communications team, reducing the number of executives who report to Sally Susman and streamlining the communications functions to align more closely with the company's business units.
 

Bausch & Lomb's top comms VP to leave company

January 27, 2011

ROCHESTER, NY: Mike McDougall said he plans to leave his role as VP of corporate communications and public affairs at Bausch & Lomb.
 

KCSA taps Fitch to head new Chicago office

January 14, 2011

NEW YORK: KCSA Strategic Communications opened the doors to its Chicago office and appointed Stephane Fitch, former Chicago bureau chief of Forbes, to head it up as MD.
 

Former Village Voice CEO joins Abernathy

January 13, 2011

NEW YORK: David Schneiderman, who served as the CEO of Village Voice Media from 1995 to 2005, has been named MD of Abernathy MacGregor Group.
 

Airfoil PR lands six-figure NVIDIA account

January 10, 2011

SANTA CLARA, CA: Visual computing powerhouse NVIDIA, known for developing graphic processor technologies, hired Airfoil Public Relations for corporate communications work.
 

Cephalon hires de Vane to lead global corp comms

January 06, 2011

FRAZER, PA: Cephalon restructured its communications function and hired Natalie de Vane to lead global corporate communications for the biopharmaceutical company.
 

Burson's Powell to head comms at Bloomberg

January 06, 2011

NEW YORK: Richard Powell, former chief operating officer of Burson-Marsteller, has been appointed chief communications officer at Bloomberg. Powell will be filling the role vacated by Judith Czelusniak last May.
 

HP CMO exits; Wohl named comms chief

, Jason Shuffler January 05, 2011

PALO ALTO, CA: Sources have confirmed that Bill Wohl, VP of PR at SAP, is exiting the software company to join Hewlett-Packard as chief communications officer.
 

Regulations increase need of IPO comms assistance

December 30, 2010

NEW YORK: Companies looking to list publicly in the US are in need of assistance from communications firms now more than ever, according to a KCSA Strategic Communications study.
 

Corporate America gets bad report card in survey

December 29, 2010

NEW YORK: A survey released by StrategyOne shows that American consumers are not happy with the way corporate America has conducted itself this year.
 
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