Mobile Version Subscribe Issue Archive Contact Us About Us Advertise

December 09, 2002 Issue of PRWeek

Key partners quit Qorvis during time of controversy over Saudi work

WASHINGTON: Last week, Qorvis Communications said good-bye to three founding partners, welcomed two aboard, dodged accusations from congressmen, and launched a revamped international campaign for ...

AARP looks to extend reach of aging issues beyond US

WASHINGTON: The AARP is ramping up to become a major player in the global debate over issues related to the aged and elderly.

Siebel issues RFP to several firms in expansive review

SAN MATEO, CA: Under new media relations VP Patrick Dillon, Siebel Systems has just issued its first RFP in four years to more than a ...

Airline pilot lands in government affairs

WASHINGTON: American Airlines has appointed a veteran pilot to fill its number-two government-relations post, vacated when Ananias "Andy" Blocker was poached by the New York ...

Visa USA brings in Michelman to take on vacant EVP role

SAN FRANCISCO: Visa USA has named Douglas Michelman as its EVP of corporate relations, replacing Barie Carmichael, who resigned in late November.

Wenner PR team captures attention for Us' comeback

NEW YORK: Editor Bonnie Fuller is on a winning streak, and Us Weekly's PR pack wants everyone to know about it.

Fleishman to take on homeland security

WASHINGTON: Fleishman-Hillard launched a new practice last week to address the communications side of homeland-security issues.

Public affairs community mourns loss of Christian

AUSTIN, TX: Public affairs elder statesman and former Presidential press secretary George Christian lost a long battle with lung cancer the day before Thanksgiving.

Cheval hires McGill to promote show's three-year US tour

DALLAS: McGill Associates has been named agency of record for Cheval, a touring theater production from the former creative director of the world-famous Cirque du ...

NEWS BRIEFS: Witness Systems selects Porter Novelli

ROSWELL, GA: Witness Systems has selected Porter Novelli as its global agency of record. Witness Systems develops performance optimization software and services. Porter Novelli's Atlanta ...

NEWS BRIEFS: Biogen retains Schwartz Communications

CAMBRIDGE, MA: Biotech company Biogen has retained Schwartz Communications for media relations, corporate branding and messaging. Biogen focuses on discovering and developing healthcare drugs through ...

NEWS BRIEFS: CSG System selects Hoffman Agency for PR

ENGLEWOOD, CO: Customer care and billing software firm CSG System has selected The Hoffman Agency to drive its PR efforts in North America. The Hoffman ...

NEWS BRIEFS: Wildwood retains Straus Communications

WATSONVILLE, CA: Wildwood Harvest Foods has retained Straus Communications to handle all aspects of the health food company's consumer and trade PR. Wildwood produces organic ...

NEWS BRIEFS: Mass eComm names Sterling Hager as agency of record

BOSTON: Mass eComm has named Sterling Hager as its agency of record. Mass eComm is a non-profit business association that brings together buyers and sellers ...

NEWS BRIEFS: Appointment at LaBreche Murray

MINNEAPOLIS: LaBreche Murray has hired Rich Sharp as managing director to oversee new business development while providing strategic communications counsel to clients. Sharp had been ...

NEWS BRIEFS: Antenna Group signs France Telecom Research

SAN FRANCISCO: The Antenna Group has signed France Telecom Research and Development as its latest client. With a lab in South San Francisco, France Telecom ...

NEWS BRIEFS: Appointment at L.C. Williams & Associates

CHICAGO: Mary Moster has joined L.C. Williams & Associates as a senior consultant. Moster had been VP of communications with Comdisco, and had overseen communications ...

NEWS BRIEFS: Lovio George to handle 2004 Ryder Cup

BLOOMFIELD, MI: Lovio George will handle community relations, event management, and media relations for the 2004 Ryder Cup matches to be held in the Detroit ...

NEWS BRIEFS: Appointment at Burson-Marsteller

CHICAGO: Hilary Crnkovich has joined Burson-Marsteller as a managing director in its brand marketing practice in Chicago. She had been a VP of business development ...

NEWS BRIEFS: Telehouse America selects Trylon Communications as agency of record

NEW YORK: Telehouse America, a provider of neutral co-location telecommunications space and services with facilities serving New York, Los Angeles, and Silicon Valley, has selected ...

NEWS BRIEFS: New PR agency for Viking River Cruises

LOS ANGELES: Viking River Cruises has appointed Yesawich, Pepperdine, Brown Russell as the company's new PR agency for North America. YPBR will serve Viking River ...

Collaboration key as HP reorganizes comms hierarchy

PALO ALTO, CA: Hewlett-Packard has altered its communications chain of command to ensure more collaboration and clarity.

McAfee win gives PN entire Network Associates PR job

SANTA CLARA, CA: Network Associates has tapped Porter Novelli to handle PR for its consumer division, McAfee Security. PN has worked with Network Associates for ...

PRN brings Chinese market data to the West

BEIJING and NEW YORK: PR Newswire (PRN) has invested $6 million in the Xinhua Financial Network to aid Chinese companies in attracting investments from Europe ...

WA Lottery fights fraud by spotlighting real winners

OLYMPIA, WA: It's not every day that a man dressed in drag tries to steal $93 million.

Internal comms boosted in America West revamp

PHOENIX: America West Airlines announced an executive restructuring last week that leaves the head of communications with direct access to the CEO.

UDate taps Stanton Crenshaw to grow presence in the US

NEW YORK: Stanton Crenshaw Communications has been selected by uDate.com, a London-based online dating service, to handle consumer marketing and corporate communications in the US.

Burrell streamlines operations in effort to highlight its PR offerings

CHICAGO: Burrell Communications, long known for its advertising work in the African-American market, wants to raise the profile of its PR operations.

Former Edelman NYC group leader opens own shop

FRANKLIN LAKES, NJ: Rob Bailey, ex-head of Edelman's consumer lifestyle group in New York, has started his own firm and signed several high-profile clients.

IDOT mulls agency options for latest rebuilding project

SPRINGFIELD, IL: The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) is reviewing proposals from 13 firms for a major communications program that could mean PR spending of ...

Reuters brings in headhunter to find global PR director

LONDON: Reuters has hired London headhunter firm Spencer Stuart to find a successor for its global corporate communications director Peter Thomas, who will retire in ...

Porter Novelli taps Hadley to helm its Chicago operation

CHICAGO: After nearly 10 months without a Chicago GM, Porter Novelli has promoted from within to fill the spot.

International hires Ketchum for work on its truck group

WARRENVILLE, IL: International Truck and Engine has picked Ketchum to handle PR for its truck group. Annual spending will be between $500,000 and $1 million.

Honda targets young buyers in latest push

TORRANCE, CA: Improving customer relations with young buyers is the main focus of a new sales training program American Honda Motor Co. is offering dealers. ...

Genuity's final days showed PR planning

WOBURN, MA: Genuity's pre-Thanksgiving announcement that it was filing for bankruptcy and would be acquired was not something many would be thankful for.

St. Joseph Hospital picks Paine as its AOR

ORANGE, CA: St. Joseph Hospital has selected Paine PR as its agency of record, after being without external PR support for over 15 years.

MWW steps in to help drive traffic to EMP disco exhibit

SEATTLE: From the Village People to the Hustle, there's plenty to love or hate about disco. And MWW/Savitt has been helping spread the word about ...

Reshuffle at CKPR results with Curran landing role of MD

CHICAGO: CKPR, trying to generate new business after a static year, has made several significant new hires and lost one senior manager.

EDITORIAL: One of the few lessons learned from Lizzie's saga is how little the public understands PR

The saga of Lizzie Grubman is over.

EDITORIAL: Diversity training in PR must run deeper

This year's PRSA conference in San Francisco reflected the organization's commitment to diversity with seven workshops focusing on multicultural affairs. More than one attendee mentioned ...

THOUGHT LEADER: Meet the Media events often fail to serve their purpose

There's something masochistic about "Meet the Media" events. How many professions routinely hold forums starring other professionals who invariably insult attendees? Sometimes I think we ...

ANALYSIS: Translation is only the first step in reaching Hispanics

As the Hispanic population grows in the US, newswires are modifying their services. Sara Calabro looks at how their approaches vary in reaching this diverse ...

PAUL HOLMES: The NYSE-NASD proposal is designed to help repair reputations, not skirt the Constitution

The NYSE and the National Association of Securities Dealers (which operates the Nasdaq) have sent to the SEC a proposed regulation that would require analysts ...

CORPORATE CASE STUDY: PR prowess gives LeapFrog a jump on the competition

While the education value of its products helps Leapfrog stand out from the other toymakers, its sales success is aided by a steady PR strategy ...

MEDIA WATCH: Media predicts that IPG's road to regaining credibility will be long

November was a tough month for Interpublic Group (IPG), the world's second-largest advertising group. After the company had to revise its earnings from 1996 to ...

MEDIA ROUNDUP: Massive audience is always hungry for love stories

With 85 million singles in the US, dating is now a national pastime. And even though coverage of the single life is often targeted at ...

MEDIA PROFILE: Relationship between science and pop culture blooms in Seed

While Seed's goal of bringing science into the mainstream will please PR pros, the pitches that make the editors happy are those displaying research of ...

PROFILE: Passion for news propels Dallos' career in media PR

Self-proclaimed 'news junkie' Lisa Dallos has learned the business of promoting a media outlet under war-like conditions. And the likes of Tina Brown and JFK ...

The test of time

Matthew Arnold learns why some longstanding PR accounts are so successful.

REGIONAL FOCUS: Atlanta: Reputation, the Atlanta mantra

Kimberly Krautter finds Atlanta corporations adapting to the new PR climate.

PR TECHNIQUE: Pitching Surveys: Turning a survey into a story

For a survey to get attention, it has to not only be credible, but be of interest to the media. And a touch of quirkiness ...

CAMPAIGNS: Bellagio displays PR flair in drawing art exhibit visitors

PR Team: Bellagio Gallery of Fine Arts (Las Vegas) and Kirvin Doak Communications (Las Vegas) Campaign: Faberge: Treasures from the Kremlin Time Frame: July 2002 - October ...

CAMPAIGNS: Brightmail efforts highlight severity of spam problems

PR Team: Brightmail (San Francisco) and Phase Two Strategies (San Francisco) Campaign: Spam data opt-in newsletter and media outreach Time Frame: May-October 2002 Budget: $50,000

CAMPAIGNS: Magazine unveils Masks to drum up ads and exposure

PR Team: Billian Publishing (Atlanta) and Duffey Communications (Atlanta) Campaign: Masks 2002 Time Frame: March 2002 - ongoing Budget: $10,000-$15,000 per event (eight events in 2002)

THE PUBLICIST: Dishing too much dirt is a sure way to get buried in Hollywood

An admirer e-mails to profess her love for the column and a desire for more dirt. Dish. Salacious details of sordid Hollywood doings. Groupies, drugs, ...

PR PLAY OF THE WEEK: Affinity for Affleck gives power to People

NEW YORK: If anything can get professional gossips, nags, and entertainment wags going even more than celebrity rankings, it's a good old fashioned, bare-fisted, knock-down, ...