April 28, 2003 Issue of PRWeek

Archive

DoJ press secretary Corallo to join US' PR efforts in rebuilding of Iraq

WASHINGTON: Department of Justice (DoJ) press secretary Mark Corallo will become the latest member of the US PR team overseeing reconstruction in Iraq when he ...
 

Mercedes hires Magnet in plan to attract new buyers

MONTVALE, NJ: Mercedes-Benz is beefing up its US PR efforts in a big way, hiring Magnet Communications as its first agency of record in the ...
 

Epiphany takes up new search after dropping Applied

SAN MATEO, CA: Enterprise software firm Epiphany has begun another PR agency search, just seven months after selecting Applied Communications.
 

Vella assumes chief of staff role at Ford

DEARBORN, MI: Jim Vella, VP of public affairs at Ford, is taking on the additional title of chief of staff to chairman William Clay Ford.
 

June conference to examine role of PR in marketing mix

NEW YORK: Marketing and PR executives from such companies as Unilever, Bad Boy Entertainment, and FedEx will offer a glimpse into their marketing programs during ...
 

Comms team trying to help American avoid Chapter 11

DALLAS: In the days of uncertainty leading up to the results of American Airlines' labor-concession negotiation votes, the carrier's communications team was working flat-out to ...
 

Gordon to oversee film promos for MPAA

LOS ANGELES: The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) has promoted Marilyn Gordon to director of advertising administration.
 

Fahlgren buys fellow OH firm Lord, Sullivan & Yoder

COLUMBUS, OH: Ad agency Fahlgren is buying Lord, Sullivan & Yoder, a marketing communications and PR firm that reported $6.3 million in gross income last ...
 

Marcus leaves FAO Schwarz for VP job at Bratskeir & Co

KING OF PRUSSIA, PA: Alan Marcus, VP of PR for toy retailer FAO Schwarz, is leaving to become a VP at Bratskeir & Co., a ...
 

NEWS BRIEF: Michael McKeon joins Mercury Public Affairs

NEW YORK: Michael McKeon, New York Governor George Pataki's former director of communications, has joined Mercury Public Affairs as a managing director. McKeon was a ...
 

NEWS BRIEF: Jim Dyke takes over as communications director

WASHINGTON: Jim Dyke has taken over as communications director at the Republican National Committee. A former principal with lobbying firm Quinn Gillespie Associates, Dyke had ...
 

NEWS BRIEF: Gruner & Jahr USA hires Meghan Phillips

NEW YORK: Gruner & Jahr USA has hired Meghan Phillips, formerly of Workman Publishing, as senior publicist for Family Circle magazine and the Parents Media ...
 

NEWS BRIEF: Budget Mini-Storage signs the Treister Murray Agency

MIAMI: Budget Mini-Storage has signed the Treister Murray Agency as AOR for its self-storage facilities throughout South Florida. Treister will develop consumer-focused marketing, special events, ...
 

NEWS BRIEF: Armstrong Kendall adds InTime Software to client list

BEAVERTON, OR: Armstrong Kendall has added InTime Software as its latest client. The agency will provide PR counsel and services to the Cupertino, CA-based company, ...
 

NEWS BRIEF: Madame Tussaud's hires James Monahan

NEW YORK: Madame Tussaud's, the world-famous wax museum, has hired James Monahan, a former account supervisor at Wills Communication, as PR manager. Stacy Shuster, the ...
 

NEWS BRIEF: Revolution PR adds two clients to its hi-tech roster

SEATTLE: Revolution PR has added two clients to its hi-tech roster - MetaInfo, which develops network and IP address management software, and StudyDog, a supplier ...
 

NEWS BRIEF: Julie Franklin joins Honeywell Automation

ST. LOUIS PARK, MN: Julie Franklin has joined Honeywell Automation and Control Solutions as director of employee communications, and Lawrence Splett has joined as director ...
 

NEWS BRIEF: R/West adds two new clients to its PR practice

PORTLAND, OR: R/West has added two new clients to its PR practice - Maryhill Winery and Integra Telecom. R/West will develop a PR program for ...
 

NEWS BRIEF: Progressive Strategies names its AOR

NEW YORK: Progressive Strategies has named Ellsworth Kaye as its AOR. Ellsworth Kaye will help communicate the company's services to its customer base, as well ...
 

NEWS BRIEF: PR21 promotes Charlotte Wray

NEW YORK: PR21 has promoted Charlotte Wray to head of the healthcare division. Wray has been with PR21 for two years. Current PR21 healthcare clients ...
 

Astle quits Applied to run FitzGerald's Silicon Valley arm

REDWOOD SHORES, CA: VP Stephen Astle is leaving Applied Communications in mid-May to join FitzGerald Communications as SVP and head of its Silicon Valley office.
 

Burger King drops WS for new AOR Coltrin

MIAMI: Burger King is ending its relationship with Weber Shandwick, shifting its marketing communications to Coltrin & Associates, a New York-based agency. Coltrin is also ...
 

Gay-rights groups team up for response to Santorum

LOS ANGELES: Gay-rights groups reacted with a cohesive and powerful media relations response last week to Sen. Rick Santorum's (R-PA) anti-gay remarks, highlighting their evolving ...
 

US Supreme Court hears arguments in Nike PR lawsuit

WASHINGTON: The Supreme Court heard arguments April 23 for Nike v. Kasky, Nike's appeal of a California Supreme Court ruling that PR is not free ...
 

ABC expects attention for first Presidential debate

COLUMBIA, SC: This weekend, ABC News will host the first debate of the 2004 Presidential election above the grousing of many political commentators that the ...
 

Spectrum Science touts discovery of gene for Progeria

WASHINGTON, DC: Elated by the discovery of the gene that causes Progeria, a disease that causes accelerated aging in children, the Progeria Research Foundation called ...
 

Key3Media in bid to show Comdex is still alive and well

LAS VEGAS: Key3Media is set to launch a multimillion-dollar, multifaceted marketing campaign to buoy the brand of its troubled trademark hi-tech trade show Comdex.
 

Lewis forges alliance with Burson for lobbying efforts

AUSTIN: Recognizing the growing importance of PR in politics, Texas icon Gib Lewis has selected Burson-Marsteller for a strategic alliance.
 

Women business owners will soon get new magazine

HENDERSON, NV: There may be pink on its website, but there's nothing girly about Female Entrepreneur magazine, a new bimonthly for women who own small ...
 

UK looks to lure more American tourists

LONDON: The British Incoming Tour Operators Association (BITOA), the trade group for tour operators bringing tourists into Britain, has hired UK agency Brighter PR to ...
 

Ford gears up PR for 100th anniversary push

DEARBORN, MI: Ford will work with two PR firms as it launches a 100-city tour and plans a June weekend of events at its headquarters ...
 

EDITORIAL: IPG can learn from Paster's work at WPP

For the past nine months, since vacating the chairman and CEO position at Hill & Knowlton, Howard Paster has been scrutinizing WPP's PR agencies, helping ...
 

US Cellular makes Johnson new head of public relations

CHICAGO: US Cellular, in a management reorganization, has put Karen Johnson in charge of its public relations.
 

TSA explains role of CAPPS II to reporters

WASHINGTON, DC: The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is working with reporters to correct misinformation about its newest antiterrorism airline-passenger screening program, Computer-Assisted Passenger Prescreening System ...
 

New Line promotes four in its PR staff after $900m year

LOS ANGELES: New Line Cinema has made a quartet of promotions in its publicity department.
 

Novartis educates patients about IBS for drug launch

EAST HANOVER, NJ: Novartis, in partnership with the Society for Women's Health Research (SWHR), has developed a campaign to educate the public on irritable bowel ...
 

Ketchum hired to help tech awards win global notice

SAN JOSE, CA: Hoping to give its annual awards more of an international flair, the Tech Museum of Innovation has hired Ketchum to increase global ...
 

Meat trade editor picked for PA job at AMI

WASHINGTON: The American Meat Institute has hired a veteran trade magazine editor as its new VP of public affairs. Dan Murphy, former editor of Meat ...
 

Philadelphia portrayed as gay-friendly tourist spot

PHILADELPHIA: The Philadelphia Gay Tourism Caucus has kicked off a PR campaign designed to portray the city as a gay-friendly destination.
 

Innovation helps PR's stature keep changing for the better

What does an organization do when faced with the most challenging business environment in decades? Under the current economic microscope, some may choose to magnify ...
 

W.B. Mason taps O'Neill and Associates as its first-ever PR agency

BROCKTON, MA: W.B. Mason, the largest independent office supply store in the country, has hired Boston-based O'Neill and Associates as its first ever PR agency ...
 

Homeland Defense Journal expands to both print and web

ARLINGTON, VA: Buoyed by the booming domestic security sector, Homeland Defense Journal (HDJ) has expanded from an online newsletter into a monthly print publication and ...
 

ANALYSIS: Explaining healthcare costs will help cure PhRMA's woes

PhRMA has been accused of being ineffective, but its recent shift to performing PR based on hard facts shows an awareness of the issues it ...
 

War-saturated media starts opening up to general news

NEW YORK: With the war in Iraq now in a mopping-up phase, battle coverage has loosened its stranglehold on the media ever so slightly.
 

MP earns support for RSA congress from wider areas

SAN FRANCISCO: McGrath/Power (MP) continues to develop its information security focus with last week's RSA Conference in San Francisco, the second year the agency has ...
 

PAUL HOLMES: Blatant employee comms failure is a major contributor to descent of American Airlines

Ever wonder why Southwest Airlines, the most heavily unionized player in a deeply troubled industry, is the most profitable of all the major US carriers? ...
 

OP-ED: PR is assuming top status in the brand-building arena

The role and power of PR and advertising is flip-flopping. According to a number of experts, including Al and Laura Ries, authors of The Fall ...
 

ORGANIZATION CASE STUDY: PR has essential role in advancing Mormon mission

From the Salt Lake City Olympics to its missionaries, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' commitment to PR has facilitated greater understanding from ...
 

EDITORIAL: It's up to consultants to show the value of the service they provide in PR agency searches

"Conflict of interest" are three little words that excite conspiracy theories and denunciations, even as they prompt smart businesspeople to look to their own practices.
 

MEDIA WATCH: With war in Iraq winding down, media shifts its focus to SARS

The war in Iraq has dominated the US media's attention for more than a month now, overshadowing the emergence in China of a deadly new ...
 

MEDIA ROUNDUP: Broad coverage leaves few hazards for golf pitches

Golf is a mainstream sports topic, offering coverage of the top pros to tips on pieces of equipment and clothes - for men and women ...
 

MEDIA PROFILE: Hot, new celebrities get more than 15 minutes from Interview

Every part of Andy Warhol's brainchild is open to pitches, but Interview likes to stay focused on the individual - especially the hot, new talent ...
 

Firm foundations

There's no such thing as a non-client-serving job at a PR agency.
 

MARKET FOCUS: The middle men

Paul Cordasco looks at the role of consultants in the PR firm selection process.
 

PR TECHNIQUE: Marketing your firm with the help of clients

Client testimonials are a great way to promote our agency. But the size of your firm and its areas of expertise should also play into ...
 

CAMPAIGNS: MAT spreads word about appropriate 'terror' references

PR Team: Padilla Speer Beardsley, The Maccabee Group, and Minnesotans Against Terrorism (all in Minneapolis) Campaign: Speaking Terror's Name Time Frame: March-June 2002 Budget: Under $25,000
 

CAMPAIGNS: National Aquarium takes a bite out of sharks' bad image

PR Team: National Aquarium in Baltimore Campaign: Launching the Shark Quest exhibit Time Frame: February 18 - March 16, 2003 Budget: $15,000
 

CAMPAIGNS: MOTJ introduction builds foundation for media support

PR Team: Ruder Finn Israel (Jerusalem) Campaign: Center for Human Dignity - Museum of Tolerance Jerusalem unveiling Time Frame: September 2002 - ongoing Budget: Approximately $60,000
 

THE PUBLICIST: As intrigue in Iraq abates, eyes turn to Hollywood happenings

Now that interest in Iraq is waning, as are our limited attention spans, it's time to titillate with the real news. The good stuff. Like ...
 

PR PLAY OF THE WEEK: Media anticipation bears fruit for Apple

CUPERTINO, CA: Few companies can garner heavy media coverage of an announcement for a coming announcement. Apple is one of the few and the proud. ...
 

TOY BOX: Sonicare Elite is a brush with greatness

At the risk of sounding like a cliched ad, the Sonicare Elite 7500 really does leave your mouth feeling like you just visited the dentist ...
 

BOOK REVIEW: Dispelling certain market share myths

Jack Welch once said, "Too often we measure everything and understand nothing."
 
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