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June 28, 2004 Issue of PRWeek

Drug suit plaintiffs taking case to media

WESTON, FL: Plaintiffs in a high-profile drug-marketing lawsuit are reaching out to the media to challenge a motion that would seal documents that are central ...

Davis starts Food Fete to match up firms, journalists

DALLAS: A tech PR veteran has started a new firm to bring a technology PR tool to the food and beverage business.

Southwest reaches out to journalists during NY flight

NEW YORK: Southwest Airlines' recent flying press conference in New York gave national consumer reporters a taste of what they're missing.

Study reveals awareness about clinical trials is up

ROCHESTER, NY: More people are aware of opportunities to participate in clinical trials, but participation rates have stayed steady, according to a study by market-research ...

Survey unveils 10 patterns of success for top PR pros

TUSCALOOSA, AL: While every accomplished PR executive has taken a unique career path, graduate students at the University of Alabama have conducted a survey that ...

Weber Shandwick to oversee PR for Genentech's drug

SAN FRANCISCO: Genentech has hired Weber Shandwick to oversee all PR support for its cancer drug Rituxan.

CA firm loses legal battle over its name

LOS ANGELES: A Sacramento-based PR company has lost another round in a six-year legal battle over the use of the word "entrepreneur" in the name ...

Dole taps Golin's LA office to direct its crisis comms

LOS ANGELES: The Los Angeles office of Golin Harris has won an increase of its Dole business to include crisis communications.

NEWS BRIEFS

USDA begins hunt for agency to tout new food pyramid

WASHINGTON: The US Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Center for Policy and Promotion is looking for an agency to help launch its revised Food Guide Pyramid ...

Rumor about sale prompts Network Associates CEO to speak out

SANTA CLARA, CA: Network Associates took the unprecedented step last week of commenting on a rumor that Microsoft was buying the security technology firm, which ...

White House yields memos to stop abuse accusations

WASHINGTON: The Bush Administration pulled a PR about-face last week, releasing a two- and-a-half-inch-thick stack of formerly classified documents in an attempt to knock down ...

Corn refiners group hires CRC to fight obesity claims

WASHINGTON: The Corn Refiners Association (CRA) has retained Creative Response Concepts (CRC) to help battle growing accusations that it’s a major contributor to the obesity ...

Democratic convention to pose travel troubles for Boston PR firms

BOSTON: The upcoming Democratic National Convention is presenting Boston businesses – including PR firms – with logistical nightmares.

Newswire plans to deliver releases in convention cities

WASHINGTON: US Newswire plans to distribute clients’ press releases directly to the sites of this year’s political conventions.

Texas power firms make updates to their IR programs

HOUSTON: Two energy firms with former ties to George W. Bush and Dick Cheney have made changes to their IR capabilities.

PRWeek Corporate Survey reveals how global change has buoyed PR's company-wide value

Most respondents in PRWeek's Corporate Survey have been in their current jobs for fewer than three years, some for less than one.

Sports wins one, loses another on PR front

On June 13, Nick O'Brien, 4, was attending a St. Louis Cardinals-Texas Rangers game when a foul ball came at him.

Offshoring issue is a real threat to corporate reputation

For decades, US companies have exported work to the benefit of shareholders and the economy. But today, offshoring is not viewed rationally; it's emotional.

IPG looks to better serve its clients by linking resources

In spring 2003, Weber Shandwick CEO Harris Diamond was handed oversight of Interpublic Group's PR holdings. Matthew Creamer talks to Diamond about the new role.

HOLMES REPORT: LIP's rise shows that advertising is inferior to PR at building relationships with consumers

Listen carefully and you'll hear the death rattle of traditional advertising, as some of its practitioners embrace a desperate and cynical idea called low-involvement processing ...

Corporate Case Study: Us Weekly wins credibility by putting celebrities first

Us Weekly seeks to shed the negative image surrounding the high profile of its former editor and position itself as a leader in celebrity journalism ...

The Agency Business: Ethics committees give firms guidelines for facing problems

Though many firms do not believe that such panels are necessary, Ruder Finn maintains an ethics committee that helps the agency handle some tough business ...

PR homes in on popularity of décor

As home décor TV shows grow in prominence, David Ward finds that many PR pros are looking to take advantage of the resulting media coverage ...

Lew McCreary

All signs point to a rebound for marketing following the end of an economic downturn that hit the profession particularly hard. The revival is just ...

Image of intelligence agencies worsening

Not long after the 9/11 Commission found evidence of negligence and wrongdoing within intelligence agencies, Colin Powell and the State Department had to admit widespread ...

MEDIA BRANDS: Google defusing Gmail privacy controversy by letting new e-mail offering speak for itself

This column has previously addressed the debate over Gmail, Google's new web-based e-mail service, opining that the soon-to-be public search-engine company had a lot to ...

Scarlett brings nonpartisan respect to Spitzer's office

As press secretary for New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer, Juanita Scarlett tries to help New Yorkers and reporters understand what sets him apart from ...

Corporate Boards: Credibility across the board

Corporate boards need to communicate outward more than ever.

Financial communications in the public eye

When a company files for an IPO, it enters a minefield of cans and can'ts, dos and don'ts. Keith O'Brien discovers what it takes behind ...

Rebranding Effort: USO heralds past to set foundation for future growth

New management took over the United Service Organizations World Headquarters (USO) in the spring of 2002.

Community Awareness: The Force thinks small to make big splash in Atlanta

Though the Arena Football League (AFL) is quickly gaining national attention, it still needed a boost in media coverage to raise attendance at games.

Service Launch: Hospitals ensure there's no waiting for latest initiative

Waiting for the emergency room is rarely a pleasant experience, to say the least.

PUBLICIST: Protests and poses can only maintain interest for so long

What a waste. All those mornings up at the crack of 8am (sometimes 9). Briskly walking to the end of the block. Getting two donuts ...

Tarantino ensures a long life for 'Kill Bill'

The art of movie hyping may have seemed to reach its peak this year when Michael Moore adroitly martyred himself at the twin temples of ...

TOY BOX: New Polaroid offers instant satisfaction

Reviewing products is like easing into a relationship. You must appreciate what you're looking at for what it is, not what it isn't.

'101' will help advance your media skills

This book explains not only how to conduct yourself during interviews, but how to do things like write a press release, pitch a story, and ...

2004 Corporate Survey reports budgets up for in-house PR pros

NEW YORK: PR budgets are on the rise, according to this year's PRWeek Corporate Survey, although in-house communications pros are still very much in the ...

Los Angeles Auto Show moves event to avoid scheduling conflicts

LOS ANGELES: The Los Angeles Auto Show has decided to shift the dates it occurs each year, giving automakers a new chance to reach potential ...

Discord over use of Nielsen People Meters continues

LOS ANGELES: Controversy over Nielsen Media Research's Local People Meters (LPM) heated up this month with the nation's largest Spanish-language broadcaster filing suit to stop ...

Confusion reigns as Tyco begins review of PR firms

PRINCETON, NJ: As it tries to leave behind the corporate scandals that trashed its reputation, Tyco International is conducting an audit of the dozens of ...

EMA acquires Charlotte-based firm to extend East Coast reach

Syracuse, NY: Eric Mower and Associates (EMA), an advertising, public relations and marketing firm, has acquired Charlotte-based PriceMcNabb, an integrated marketing communications agency for an ...

Grey Global reportedly up for sale

NEW YORK: Grey Global Group has hired Goldman Sachs to sell the holding company, according to media reports over the weekend.

Belsito & Co. announces consumer practice

NEW YORK: In a move that reflects the greater voice consumers have in their own healthcare decisions, medical communications agency Belsito & Co. has added ...

Ketchum handling comms for Olympic torch relay

NEW YORK: Ketchum and its affiliates are providing more than 125 personnel for PR support for the Athens 2004 Olympic Torch Relay through its 33-city ...