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April 15, 2002 Issue of PRWeek

Argentina calls on Kissinger associate to repair financial reputation

BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA: With hopes for recovery pinned to a bailout package that has so far garnered scant outside support, the Economics Ministry of Argentina has hired ...

NEWS IN BRIEF: PR Newswire launches Online MEDIAtlas en Espanol

NEW YORK: PR Newswire has launched Online MEDIAtlas en Espanol, an online database of Hispanic and Latin American media. The company has taken its English version of ...

NEWS IN BRIEF: SignalSoft picks Metzger as agency of record

BOULDER, CO: SignalSoft has picked Metzger Associates as its agency of record. The company develops emergency- and commercial-location-based services for mobile operators.

NEWS IN BRIEF: Dan Klores retained to publicize Radio Project

NEW YORK: Dan Klores Communications has been retained to publicize the National Public Radio series The Yiddish Radio Project. The series offers a window into Jewish immigrant ...

NEWS IN BRIEF: Joan Hammel joins Weber Shandwick Worldwide as VP

CAMPBELL, CA: Joan Hammel has joined Weber Shandwick Worldwide as VP in the firm's Campbell office. Hammel will be responsible for developing new business opportunities for the ...

NEWS IN BRIEF: Ogilvy PR Worldwide appointed by Virgin

NEW YORK: Ogilvy PR Worldwide has been appointed by Virgin Atlantic Airways to handle media relations for its US road show. The 68-foot display truck, "Virgin Across ...

NEWS IN BRIEF: Verizon hires Thomson as agency of record

WOBURN, MA: The New England division of Verizon Wireless has hired Thomson Communications as agency of record. Thomson will devise and execute both short- and long-term communication ...

NEWS IN BRIEF: Rubenstein hires Scott Tagliarino as EVP

NEW YORK: Rubenstein Associates has hired Scott Tagliarino as EVP of its business and financial group. Tagliarino, who counts stints at Edelman, Hill & Knowlton, and, most ...

NEWS IN BRIEF: Gross elected to board of directors

NEW YORK: Michael Gross, president of Robinson, Lerer & Montgomery, has been elected to the board of directors of Volunteers of America-Greater New York.

NEWS IN BRIEF: O'Keefe chosen as US agency of record

MCLEAN, VA: O'Keefe & Company has been chosen as US agency of record for Polycom, a manufacturer of voice- and video-communications software.

US figure skating body wants to improve sport's tarnished image

WASHINGTON: The US Figure Skating Association (USFSA) is working on a communications program to give figure skating a more positive image.

Companies pressure Hill to consider reinsurance role

WASHINGTON: The push to turn the federal government into the nation's ultimate insurance company is reaching critical mass on Capitol Hill, as policyholders split from insurers and ...

Keogh takes over top comms spot at Mercedes USA

MONTVALE, NJ: Scott Keogh has moved up to GM, corporate communications at Mercedes-Benz USA. He replaces Jeff Fisher, who is now GM of corporate communications for truck ...

OSU soon to offer strategic comms degree program

COLUMBUS, OH: Ohio State University will begin offering a new strategic communications program next fall that will combine PR and business courses.

HP and Merrill on defensive over internal comms leaks

PALO ALTO, CA and NEW YORK: Electronic and telephone communication between staff that was thought to be private caused major PR problems for two high-profile companies last ...

Today show book club idea attracts publisher interest

NEW YORK: The Today show's new book club does not debut until June. But publishing houses, jilted by Oprah Winfrey's decision to scale back her endorsements, have ...

CA teachers take heat for pushing school-policy bill

BURLINGAME, CA: The California Teachers (CTA) Association has launched a media and lobbying campaign to promote new legislation.

Experts say Cablevision brand suffering

NEW YORK - While the New York Yankees and cable company Cablevision continue to be locked in a game of hardball, brand and reputation experts ...

PR push downplays crop duster threat

WASHINGTON: The National Agricultural Aviation Association has launched a national grassroots campaign to reassure people that terrorists cannot use crop-dusting planes to spread anthrax or other harmful biological ...

Owens brought to Burson to lead IR and financial unit

NEW YORK: Burson-Marsteller has named Ted Owens as a managing director to lead its investor relations and financial services unit.

Euro RSCG betters four rivals to grab Michelin tire work

LONDON: Michelin, the French tire manufacturer, has appointed Euro RSCG Marketing Services to its European marketing account after a four-way pitch.

Vidal ups Century 21's Hispanic efforts

PARSIPPANY, NJ: Century 21 Real Estate Corporation has appointed The Vidal Partnership to serve as agency of record to lead the company's Hispanic marketing and PR efforts.

Levi's sweetens plant closure with $2.8m community relations plan

SAN FRANCISCO, CA: Levi Strauss has implemented an extensive community and employee relations plan to coincide with its decision to close six US manufacturing plants.

O'Keeffe entrusted to rebrand and introduce Aquilent in the US

MCLEAN, VA: PR firm O'Keeffe & Company has won both the advertising and PR assignments for Aquilent, a technology company that integrates channels, trading partners, and customers.

DGA hires Oliver to get Dems elected

WASHINGTON: The Democratic Governors Association (DGA) has brought aboard a new director of communications in time for the 2002 midterm elections.

Sex groups and Southern Baptists in HoJo standoff

ST. LOUIS: An Associated Press article claiming that one of the nation's largest Baptist groups is asking members to boycott Howard Johnson hotels "misrepresents

Crisis vet tapped by Directors Guild

HOLLYWOOD: The Directors Guild of America (DGA) has appointed Keith Karpe as its new national executive for communications.

COMMENT: Thought Leader - PR industry must reconstruct media relationships, one reporter at a time

Just over a year removed from the greatest bull market in US history, much has changed in the relationship between the press and the corporation.

EDITORIAL: Glocalization is more than a bad buzzword

Not unlike February's World Economic Forum, the theme of the recent Arthur Page Society spring seminar for corporate communications leaders was Globalization: Stop or Go? A more ...

ANALYSIS: Investor Relations - Tyco sets a clear standard in curing case of Enronitis - Tyco has deluged investors with information. And with subsequent stock price rises, more, clearer reporting is fast becoming a norm on Wall Street

Tyco's CFO Mark Swartz used the opening statement for his company's eighth consecutive weekly investor teleconference as a victory lap. Three months earlier, Tyco had caught Wall ...

ANALYSIS: Partners and shareholders cannot be immune from responsibility for corporate malfeasance

Andersen's employees seem to have better PR instincts than its PR pros. If sources near the situation are right, recent employee demonstrations supporting the company - or ...

ANALYSIS: Client Profile - San Francisco Ballet strides toward solid reputation

The San Francisco Ballet has faced many PR challenges. But remaining focused on growing the audience and sponsorship has paved the way for the development of the ...

ANALYSIS: Media Watch - Qwest's credibility slides as media attacks accounting tactics

Much of the telecom industry is in tatters, hit by a "perfect storm

Nortel continues PR overhaul with an agency review

RICHARDSON, TX: Nortel Networks is reviewing its PR agency relationship with Fleishman-Hillard.

MEDIA GAMING: Media Roundup - Business stories trump jackpots in gaming coverage

Legalized gambling is on the rise across the US, and media coverage along with it. And gaming's economic impact is being paid more attention than jackpots and ...

MEDIA PROFILE: Quirky pitches still work on a more proper Improper Bostonian

While The Improper Bostonian has put on a new face, it's still free, it's still the place to go to learn about everything happening in Beantown, and ...

PROFILE: Byrum set to steer the PRSA toward greater diversity - Reed Byrum's drive has enabled him to effect real change at several companies. And the PRSA expects him to do the same when he takes over as national president next year

Reed Byrum drives fast, both in his Porsche and his career. And as national president-elect of the PRSA, he plans to make increased diversity his number-one goal ...

THESE VNRS HAVEN'T HURT A BIT: Healthcare leads VNR resuscitation after 9 11-induced slumber

It came as little surprise that the VNR industry took a huge hit during the months following September 11, when TV stations were running non-stop news coverage ...

HI-TECH ROUNDTABLE: Hi-tech audit: Where do we go from here? - The latest West Coast hi-tech roundtable delivered some frank opinions on how PR can increase its relevance to the bottom line

That's a difficult question to answer, as more companies are reviewing international accounts, and PR firms are scrambling for substantial, long-term clients. "As an industry, we are ...

PR TECHNIQUE CONTACT MANAGEMENT AND PR AUTOMATION SYSTEMS: Automatic for the pro - The advent of task automation in PR has seen numerous all-in-one solutions hit the market. Kimberly Krautter runs through a few of the options

Changes in media, the marketplace, and the PR industry since the mid-1980s have demanded shifts in the way contacts and constituencies are mapped. Media directories, such as ...