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February 24, 2003 Issue of PRWeek

Burson to tackle challenge of redeeming USOC's tarnished image

WASHINGTON: John Naber, president of the US Olympic Alumni Association, told Sports Illustrated last week that even Jesus couldn't redeem the damaged image of the ...

PR budgets cut by 39% as corporate woes continue

NEW YORK: Despite cautiously positive predictions from the industry, PR budgets plummeted by 39% last year, according to the PRWeek/Biz360 Corporate Survey 2003.

Medicare reform has pharmacists readying to lobby

WASHINGTON: As Congress prepares to reform Medicare, a coalition of advocacy groups is looking to remind legislators of the vital role pharmacists play.

Home Depot to pick firms for PR rebuild

ATLANTA: The Home Depot is revamping its PR arrangements, and looking for two AORs: one for corporate reputation, and another for merchandising and marketing communications.

OHS introduces its much-anticipated public ed initiative

WASHINGTON: The Office of Homeland Security (OHS) debuted the Ready Campaign last week, its first long-term public-education initiative "to build a more prepared nation."

Weather Channel's experts storm media as snow falls

ATLANTA: Before the first white flake hit the ground and paralyzed the East Coast, the Weather Channel's weather swat team sprang into action.

Rogers wins CA deal as Ogilvy withdraws

LOS ANGELES: Rogers & Associates has won final approval for a multimillion-dollar state contract after the Sacramento office of Ogilvy PR withdrew a protest over ...

Minorities targeted in new cancer awareness effort

NEW YORK: The American Cancer Society (ACS) has teamed up with the Ad Council to reach African-American and Hispanic/Latino audiences with messages about the prevention ...

Lollapalooza tour returns under PR guidance of Lippin

LOS ANGELES: Lollapalooza, the multi-stage music festival that rocked the country throughout the '90s, has chosen The Lippin Group to do PR for its 2003 ...

NEWS IN BRIEF: Deadline for filing March 3

NEW YORK: The deadline for filing your 2002 revenue numbers with the Council of Public Relations Firms is Monday, March 3. Only PR agencies filing ...

NEWS IN BRIEF: Calfee to manage campaign

SAN FRANCISCO: Mayoral candidate Tony Ribera has hired Patricia Calfee, founder of marketing and PR firm Calfee Group, to manage his campaign. Calfee, who has ...

NEWS IN BRIEF: Joint venture created

ORLANDO, FL: Yesawich, Pepperdine, Brown & Russell and Hispanic marketing specialist Yapor have created a joint venture to provide an expanded range of marketing services ...

NEWS IN BRIEF: Starkman hires managing director

NEW YORK: Starkman & Associates, a public relations and investor relations firm, has hired Steven DiMattia as a managing director. DiMattia, 31, was previously a ...

NEWS IN BRIEF: Ambient selects Keating PR

BROOKLINE, MA: Ambient has selected Keating PR as its agency of record. Keating will support all branding and communications efforts for Ambient, which designs and ...

NEWS IN BRIEF: Primedia names events director

NEW YORK: Penny Bushell has been named director of events and communications for Primedia. In this newly created position, Bushell will coordinate public relations for ...

NEWS IN BRIEF: SKY Computers picks Topaz

CHELMSFORD, MA: SKY Computers has picked Topaz Partners to provide support for the company's PR and marketing communications efforts. SKY Computers specializes in developing high-performance ...

NEWS IN BRIEF: Fowler joins KEF Media

ATLANTA: Rod Fowler, veteran broadcast journalist, has joined KEF Media Associates as SVP of technical services. In his new role, he will oversee day-to-day media ...

NEWS IN BRIEF: Rosenberg joins Feinstein Kean

CAMBRIDGE, MA: Ronald Rosenberg, former biotechnology and business reporter for The Boston Globe, has joined Feinstein Kean Healthcare to lead its strategic media relations practice. ...

NEWS IN BRIEF: Weber Shandwick agency of record

WORCESTER, MA: Worcester Polytechnic Institute has selected Weber Shandwick as its agency of record. The 137-year-old college will work with the agency to raise national ...

NEWS IN BRIEF: Obituary - Henry Eaton

CLEVELAND: Henry Eaton, cofounder and retired chairman and CEO of Midwest firm Dix & Eaton, died on Saturday, February 8 at his home in Beachwood, ...

Hollywood agency CAA hires founder of Latina magazine

LOS ANGELES: Creative Artists Agency (CAA), one of Hollywood's top talent and literary brokers, has hired Latina magazine founder Christy Haubegger as a marketing consultant.

Media group says small companies provide best news

WASHINGTON: According to recent findings by a media watchdog group, smaller media companies produce better local television news.

Boeing keeps its Columbia analysis quiet

HOUSTON: Boeing plans to stay in the background as the investigation of the Columbia space shuttle disaster proceeds.

Jaguar and Land Rover help dealers engage in local PR

CHICAGO: Jaguar and Land Rover have rolled out a national program to encourage US dealers to act as local PR people.

Antiwar protests aided by internet, grassroots push

NEW YORK: A mix of hi-tech communications and grassroots advocacy was responsible for the massive turnout at last week's antiwar protests, organizers said.

PR firms brought in with El Paso proxy battle heating up

HOUSTON: The two sides in the proxy fight for control of energy company El Paso have each retained PR counsel for what will certainly be ...

Incepta and Sard bosses complete new earn-out deal

NEW YORK and LONDON: Incepta and the management of its Citigate Sard Verbinnen unit are reconfiguring the earn out that was agreed to when the ...

MWW hired to assist in LA Air Force move

LOS ANGELES: The MWW Group has been hired by a real-estate development team to conduct a campaign to smooth the way for a land deal ...

Fleishman forges alliance to identify investor concerns

NEW YORK: Fleishman-Hillard and proxy solicitor Georgeson Shareholder are partnering on a corporate-governance initiative designed to help companies identify corporate-governance issues that could influence their ...

Novartis brings in agency to promote livestock vaccines

WATERLOO, IA: Novartis Animal Vaccines, a division of Novartis Animal Health, has selected Morgan&Myers as its PR agency of record. The firm will target vets ...

Jacuzzi spa unit hires Northlich as AOR

CHINO, CA: A division of Jacuzzi has taken on Northlich to handle a seven-figure integrated PR and advertising campaign for its Jacuzzi and Sundance brands ...

Catfish farmers angling for sales boost in $1.1m effort

INDIANOLA, MS: The Catfish Institute is launching a $1.1 million PR campaign to promote catfish among US consumers and retailers.

Hallmark taps new PR head for its film and TV endeavors

NEW YORK: Hallmark Entertainment has hired Beth Nussbaum as VP of public relations.

Hartman takes reins of WS' Atlanta office

ATLANTA: Jumping back to the agency side after 10 years in corporate PR, Ellen Weaver Hartman joined Weber Shandwick's Atlanta office as president last week.

Feminine product turns to PR for relaunch initiative

AUSTIN, TX: The makers of an unconventional feminine hygiene product launched a $1 million marketing test this month in the city often considered Texas' free-thinking ...

Explicitly defining conflict can stem firm-client feuds

Management consultants often work for companies within the same industry. In fact, they are hired for their depth of experience in a particular market sector. ...

EDITORIAL: PR cannot attain its full value when only half of all corporations budget for measurement

Is the glass half-full or half-empty? Fifty-three percent of those who responded to the PRWeek/Biz360 Corporate Survey, which begins on page 17, report that part ...

OP-ED: Rather than look for a new job, it's time to recalibrate

I had lunch with a senior executive from one of the major global agencies about six weeks ago, who told me she "had to get ...

ANALYSIS: US companies need to be locally minded overseas

With anti-Americanism on the rise, it's tough being a US company with overseas interests. But many are working to protect their image and their employees. ...

PAUL HOLMES: White House has only managed to sell duct tape, and not the need to go to war with Iraq

When New Yorkers were advised to go out and buy duct tape so they could seal windows and doors in case of a chemical or ...

CORPORATE CASE STUDY: Molson's PR formula has a distinctly local flavor

Keeping corporate and product PR apart while marketing specifically to each region has proven a winning strategy for Molson in Canada, and one it has ...

MEDIA WATCH: Jacko exacerbates image woes in damaging documentary

ABC's February 6 airing of the British documentary Living With Michael Jackson was a ratings hit, drawing the network's biggest Thursday audience in 10 years. ...

MEDIA ROUNDUP: Turning the tax code into news consumers can use

Tax laws have always struck a cord with Americans, but wading through the jargon can be a daunting challenge. As David Ward reports, this often ...

MEDIA PROFILE: NewsHour lures viewers wanting more than shouting matches

For three decades, Jim Lehrer has pushed the boundaries of broadcast journalism, and his current PBS show is no exception. As Douglas Quenqua reports, there's ...

PROFILE: Navy officer keeps MTA travelers up to speed

Heading PR for either the MTA or the US Naval Reserve is a challenge. Christopher Boylan not only handles both, but he does so in ...

REGIONAL FOCUS CANADA: Bordering on growth

The Canadian economy has stood up to the US recession, with many firms reporting gains, and a number of corporations upping their PR.

THE PUBLICIST: Women gain latest Hollywood victory in 'How To Lose A Guy'

Hollywood gospel holds that a man's movie would always outdraw a chick flick. The thinking was that men decided what film to see on a ...

PR PLAY OF THE WEEK: Mother Nature causes a media whiteout

NEW YORK: Only a true PR genius could divert the country's attention from Iraq, UN acrimony, duct tape, terror alerts, reality shows, and Jacko's inexplicable ...

TOY BOX: Microsoft cleans its Windows nicely

Though I use it daily, I'm not a big Windows fan. Still, I found myself talking up Windows XP when it arrived on my Dell.

BOOK REVIEW: Risk is certain to help all who read it

Do cell phones cause cancer? Am I likely to get sick from air pollution? PR professionals who deal with such questions will certainly want a ...

CAMPAIGNS: Alarm maker gets emotional against carbon monoxide

PR Team: Kidde (Mebane, NC) and Wheatley & Timmons (Chicago) Campaign: "Our Children at Risk" Time Frame: May through December 2002 Budget: Under $300,000

CAMPAIGNS: Soy milk heads to Hollywood to help shed yucky image

PR Team: White Wave (Boulder, CO) and Carmichael Lynch Spong (Minneapolis, MN) Campaign: "Silk Goes Hollywood: Making Soy Cool" Time Frame: June through November 2002 Budget: $470,000

BIZ360/PRWeek Corporate Survey 2003

The news is not good. Corporate PR budgets have plummeted by 39%, and almost half still do not include funds for measurement.

Technique

PR technique: How PR software is revolutionizing workflow

Sara Calabro talks to a half-dozen industry pros about their use of PR software applications, how it has vastly improved efficiency, and ways it can ...