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July 22, 2002 Issue of PRWeek

San Francisco and DC push for Olympic hosting rights

SAN FRANCISCO - Bids to host the 2012 Olympic Games have entered the critical stages, with Ketchum PR hosting the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) ...

GE and Microsoft are world's most valuable brands, says report

STAMFORD, CT: General Electric, Microsoft, and Wal-Mart are the world's most valuable brands, according to a recent survey produced by Stamford-based brand consultancy CoreBrand.

NEWS IN BRIEF: Ascribe Newswire appoints CEO

OAKLAND, CA: Ascribe Newswire - a public interest news-wire service and publisher of the e-newsletter AdvanceEdition - has appointed Victor d'Allant as CEO. D'Allant was most ...

NEWS IN BRIEF: Marina Maher elects EVP of healthcare

NEW YORK: Marina Maher Communications has elected Jorge Del Mazo as EVP of healthcare. Del Mazo arrives with 15 years' experience in the healthcare industry, most ...

NEWS IN BRIEF: KVO Public Relations hires Matt Reid

PORTLAND, OR: KVO Public Relations, a Fleishman-Hillard company, has hired Matt Reid as VP of its corporate leadership practice. Reid joins KVO with 17 years' experience ...

NEWS IN BRIEF: Cylix named agency of record

ROCKVILLE, MD: Cylix Communications has been named agency of record for NERCP, a manufacturer of solid plastic speed bumps and parking blocks, located in Garrettsville, OH. ...

NEWS IN BRIEF: Parrot Jungle names Conroy Martinez as agency

MIAMI: Parrot Jungle, a bird sanctuary, wildlife habitat, and gardens, has named the Conroy Martinez Group as its PR agency to promote the attraction's 2003 Watson ...

NEWS IN BRIEF: Zimmerman Agency wins business

TALLAHASSEE, FL: The Zimmerman Agency has won the global branding, PR, and internet communications business for HBA/Hirsch Bedner Associates, a hospitality interior design firm that designs ...

NEWS IN BRIEF: Software AG selects DDB PR to support PR

SEATTLE: Software AG has selected the tech practice of DDB PR to support its PR efforts in the US. Software AG supplies XML-based solutions for the ...

NEWS IN BRIEF: Former head to sit on Fleishman-Hillard Board

ST. LOUIS: John Onoda, formerly head of communications for The Charles Schwab Corporation, will sit on Fleishman-Hillard's International Advisory Board. Onoda will focus on helping the ...

NEWS IN BRIEF: EPA named agency of record

BALTIMORE: Eisner Petrou and Associates (EPA) has been named agency of record for the Baltimore City Public School System and the Maryland Child Support Enforcement Administration. ...

Zimbabwe opposition group taps Chelgate to help push for reform

HARARE, ZIMBABWE: Zimbabwe's opposition group, Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), has launched its first global PR and lobbying effort.

Beleaguered Qwest snaps up former Ameritech execs

DENVER, CO: The new CEO of Qwest Communications has brought in three senior executives from his days at Ameritech - including a new SVP of corporate ...

IT body to rebuild US' image of India

NEW DELHI, INDIA: India's association of software companies, the National Association of Software Service Companies (Nasscom), is looking to hire an international PR firm to sell ...

Cordiant renames finance operation

NEW YORK: In the latest of a long series of changes, IR firm Morgen-Walke has undergone a rebranding, and will now be known is FD Morgen-Walke.

Fair-trade group gains PR boost from coffee conflict

OAKLAND, CA: Transfair USA enjoyed a major awareness boost last week following the introduction of a controversial ballot measure in Berkeley that would make it illegal ...

Forrester unveils evaluation system

CAMBRIDGE, MA: Forrester Research, an emerging-technology research company, has created a new standard for presenting its data on competing vendors.

Ketchum assists online info effort

SAN FRANCISCO: Ketchum and client The Liberty Alliance Project have announced the first specifications for a proposed open, federated network-identity solution.

Pataki hires Arcos to win Hispanic vote

NEW YORK: Governor George Pataki's reelection campaign has hired a Latino-focused PR and marketing firm, Arcos Communications, to help its message reach Hispanic voters in New ...

Chandler Chicco opens Biosector

NEW YORK: Chandler Chicco Agency (CCA) has launched a new company, Biosector 2. It will be led by global director Gloria Janata, and headquartered in both ...

Kmart takes steps toward increasing worker morale

TROY, MI: Kmart, seeking to bolster employee morale as it works to emerge from bankruptcy, has started a series of luncheons where workers can chat with ...

DC lobby shop Quinn Gillespie warming up to idea of acquisition

WASHINGTON: After a few years of steadfast independence, public affairs shop Quinn Gillespie & Associates (QGA) is becoming serious about getting acquired. And some are pointing ...

H&K enhances its IR unit's offerings

NEW YORK: Hill & Knowlton has launched a corporate transaction and restructuring specialty team within its IR practice. The team will focus on providing communication support ...

Coca-Cola's shift in accounting practice attracts positive press

ATLANTA: The Coca-Cola Company grabbed headlines last week by becoming the first major public company to announce that it was heeding calls for reform, and abandoning ...

Island Def Jam taps DKC to promote forthcoming Bon Jovi album

NEW YORK: Island Def Jam Music Group has hired Dan Klores Communications (DKC) to handle publicity for the upcoming album by old-school New Jersey rockers Bon ...

Sharon Merrill to help Somanetics raise its IR profile

BOSTON: In an attempt to gain investment-community visibility, Somanetics Corporation has retained Sharon Merrill Associates to handle its IR services. The medical-device company is the maker ...

Chicago schools hire H&K for Head Start expansion

CHICAGO: The Chicago Public School system has hired Hill & Knowlton to work on its Head Start early childhood education program, with a fee in the ...

ConAgra gives ex-H&K MD its PR rein

OMAHA, NE: ConAgra Foods has hired Chris Kircher, former senior MD of Hill & Knowlton's corporate practice, in an effort to change public perception of what ...

OBITUARY: Paul Werth

Friends, family, and colleagues are mourning the death of PR pioneer Paul Werth, who died in Columbus, OH on July 1. He was 84.

EDITORIAL: Coke shows substance in transparency stand, and will reap benefits

With the President again relying on rhetoric over regulation in last week's "strengthening the economy speech, it's good to see another leader take a more substantive ...

COMMENT: Thought Leader - How the latest comms technology can help restore trust in big business

Opinions abound on how to restore trust and confidence in corporate America. From President Bush to SEC chief Harvey Pitt to Goldman Sachs chairman Hank Paulson ...

ANALYSIS: Press Embargoes

Ethical debate builds up as embargoes are neglected - The Detroit Free Press' handling of a recent story raised questions as to whether embargoes should be ...

ANALYSIS: Yum may face unsavory consequences over refusal to get involved in third-party dispute

"We are not now nor ever going to get involved in a labor dispute between third parties, says Jonathan Blum, SVP of Yum, parent company of ...

Corporate Case Study: World-class aspirations fuel Volvo's branding efforts

Volvo's PR group balances creativity with measurement not just to sell cars, but to be first-rate communicators. And having a consistently strong brand and message ...

WSW and Edelman win from Unilever agency reshuffle

CHICAGO: Consumer-products giant Unilever has been slowly unveiling its PR agency reshuffle as both Edelman and Weber Shandwick Worldwide have recently announced that they are servicing ...

ANALYSIS: MEDIA WATCH - Bush speech fell short according to most media reports

It seems that no matter which company is in the headlines in recent weeks, the bottom-line issues boil down to the need for reform in corporate ...

MEDIA ACTION SPORTS: Media Roundup - Daredevil athletes pursue leap into the mainstream

Action sports participants are amazing athletes who thrive on challenges, which is a good thing since mainstream media acceptance has proven to be a difficult obstacle ...

MEDIA PROFILE: Spin invites pitches that help it stay in tune with music's latest

Though it may sound like a PR title, Spin sticks to the spinning of CDs, rather than ideas. But, finds Melanie Shortman, PR pros will ...

RESTORING TRUST

It is undeniable that investors are losing faith in big business. What can PR do to help restore public confidence?

The long-term implications of WorldCom

We are experiencing a crisis of confidence in the business world. Even though each accounting incident has a different set of facts associated with it, the ...

REGIONAL FOCUS - SAN DIEGO & ORANGE COUNTY: A brand-new ball game in SoCal

Clients control the field as agencies try to survive a down economy

TECHNIQUE: Inbox of tricks for sending a pitch

E-mail is fast becoming reporters' preferred method of contact. But it's still necessary to follow up, and to remain more professional than personal

CAMPAIGNS: Scooby-Doo discovers value of early hype - Tepid reviews didn't derail Scooby-Doo's trip to top-dog movie status, thanks to early, multigenerational PR tactics. Anita Chabria unravels the mystery of the box-office boom

Scooby-Doo is the surprise hit of the summer movie season, bringing in an astounding $54.2 million on its opening weekend, and grossing over $100 million to ...

CAMPAIGNS: Cingular climbs high on Spider-Man's back

An on-screen appearance is just a tiny part of Cingular's alliance with Spider-Man. Anita Chabria reports on a PR union that extends to cell phones, ...

CAMPAIGNS: Bombardier goes on lengthy trek to secure 007 tie-in

Whether it's the gadgets in Q's laboratory or the watch on Pierce Brosnan's wrist, the James Bond franchise always promises to impress audiences with the latest, ...

San Francisco and DC push for Olympic hosting rights

SAN FRANCISCO and BALTIMORE: Bids to host the 2012 Olympic Games have entered the critical stages, and among the US cities bidding, the action is particularly ...

CAREERS: Pandora's Problem Page

Q The company I work for has been in business for 38 years. Only recently has it sought the help of a communications professional. As ...

CAREERS: My Big Break

I got my big break years ago as I was roaming the streets of downtown Chicago during lunch hour. I had just graduated from the University ...

CAREERS: Where I Work - Marina Nicola, Technology practice director, Olson Ballard Communications

How long have you been working there? Since fall of 2001.

TALES FROM TINSELTOWN: Film production problems force unit publicists to put on best act

Unit publicists have the enviable task of being able to pitch not a movie, but the promise and potential of a movie. Unlike studio publicists, who ...

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS: Nicole Koebrich - For one day only, she was the best-dressed roller-coaster rider at Paramount's Great America in California. Meet Nicole Koebrich, PR operations manager of the park, and friend of Scooby-Doo

Describe the company you work for Paramount's Great America is Northern California's most thrilling theme park. We are the eighth-largest park in California. Our offices are ...