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March 24, 2003 Issue of PRWeek

War in Iraq prompts US agencies to emphasize long-term projects

CHICAGO: With US and British troops poised to march on Baghdad, media tours and other PR-related activities were being placed on hold across the US ...

White House prepares to feed 24-hour news cycle

WASHINGTON: The eruption of war in Iraq last week set in motion a massive global PR network, cultivated by the Bush administration during the months-long ...

Cunningham and Incepta part ways after three years

PALO ALTO, CA: Andy Cunningham has left Citigate Cunningham, three years after Incepta acquired the tech-focused Cunningham Communication.

PRWeek survey reports salary rebound

NEW YORK: Salaries are up 5.2% on average, according to the results of the PRWeek 2003 Salary Survey. The data shows a significant increase over ...

Interpublic Group SEC filing hints at a breakup of AMS

NEW YORK: Interpublic Group stated in a recent SEC filing that it may break up the operating group Advanced Marketing Services (AMS), which runs its ...

PR veterans and students mourn loss of Adams, 62

NORTH MIAMI: William Adams, former associate professor of advertising and public relations at Florida International University, will be remembered as a consummate PR professional and ...

CIT picks MWW for its core businesses

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ: CIT, the giant commercial and consumer lending and leasing company, has retained The MWW Group to handle PR and media relations for ...

H&K fills void by bringing in Reineke to run DC office

WASHINGTON: Hill & Knowlton's Washington, DC office will receive its fifth GM in the past three years when Gene Reineke takes over April 1.

French's mustard shows its US roots to stem backlash

WAYNE, NJ: French's mustard has turned to its PR agency - Bender Hammerling Group (BHG) - to get the word out that its brand is ...

NEWS IN BRIEF: NIRI elects new chairman

VIENNA, VA: The National Investor Relations Institute (NIRI) has elected Mark Aaron, VP of IR, Tiffany & Co., as the 2003-2004 chairman of NIRI's board ...

NEWS IN BRIEF: RFBinder Partners chosen for campaign

NEW YORK: The Electronic Stability Control Coalition, the coalition of Continental Teves and Robert Bosch Corporation, has selected RFBinder Partners to conduct a consumer PR ...

NEWS IN BRIEF: Appointment at Ogilvy PR

NEW YORK: Ogilvy PR has hired Linda Rosenbaum as a VP in its health and medical practice. Her main responsibility will be leading the firm's ...

NEWS IN BRIEF: Appointment at NPR

WASHINGTON: National Public Radio (NPR) hired Rodney Huey earlier this month as VP, communications. Formerly VP of PR for Feld Entertainment, whose ventures include the ...

NEWS IN BRIEF: Appointment at Gannett

McLEAN, VA: Gannett has named Tara Connell VP of corporate communications. Formerly director of media/government relations, Connell will be responsible for media and public affairs, ...

NEWS IN BRIEF: Antenna Group chosen by Solaicx

PALO ALTO, CA: Solar power startup Solaicx has tapped the Antenna Group to provide PR services. Signing Solaicx as a new client is part of ...

NEWS IN BRIEF: Financial Insights chooses Weber Shandwick as AOR

FRAMINGHAM, MA: Financial Insights, an IDC company providing research services to financial industry technology users and developers, has selected Weber Shandwick as its AOR. WS ...

NEWS IN BRIEF: SheaHedges Group signs new clients

McLEAN, VA: The SheaHedges Group has signed several new clients, including security companies e-Security and V-One, business services companies BulkRegister LLC, Ease Technologies and the ...

NEWS IN BRIEF: Peter Arnold Associates hired by security alliance

RICHARDSON, TX: The DFW Homeland Security Alliance has hired Peter Arnold Associates for media relations and strategic communications. The nonprofit alliance of public- and private-sector ...

NEWS IN BRIEF: Bailey Gardiner hired to manage PR at racetrack

SAN DIEGO: Bailey Gardiner has been hired to manage a national PR campaign for the Del Mar Racetrack. The agency will work in conjunction with ...

NEWS IN BRIEF: Appointment at Mad Catz Interactive

SAN DIEGO: Video game accessory developer Mad Catz Interactive has named Aimee Mabe as PR manager. Mabe will oversee all PR functions. Previously, Mabe was ...

Goddard Claussen founders leave PN to launch new firm

WASHINGTON: Ben Goddard and Rick Claussen have left their namesake Goddard Claussen Porter Novelli (GCPN) to launch a new venture, GC Strategic Advocacy.

New comms VP at MSNBC hit with ad boycott, war in Iraq

SECAUCUS, NJ: It's been a baptism by fire for MSNBC's new VP of communications Jeremy Gaines.

Smart return boosts missing-child groups

SALT LAKE CITY: The recovery of Utah teenager Elizabeth Smart has given missing-child organizations a media relations boost and ammunition to pressure the US House ...

Comms measurement not high priority, survey shows

NEW YORK: Most companies measure their communications efforts infrequently and informally, if at all, according to a recent study conducted by human-resources consulting firm Towers ...

Donor service gets crisis help after 60 Minutes item

DURHAM, NC: French/West/Vaughan (FWV) is providing crisis communications counseling to Carolina Donor Services (CDS), a key player in the botched organ transplant that killed a ...

Firms hired to help Gateway's b-to-b and consumer PR

POWAY, CA: Gateway, which typically handles its PR in-house, has tapped Ketchum and Schwartz Communications to handle its consumer and b-to-b PR, respectively.

Xenophon tapped to convey airlines' troubling outlook

WASHINGTON: In the face of war in Iraq and financial ruin for the airline sector, the Air Transport Association (ATA) has been working with Xenophon ...

Taco Bell taps 'Joe Millionaire' butler to boost image of new product

LOS ANGELES: Taco Bell is joining the reality-television craze with a new PR campaign to support its steak quesadilla. The Los Angeles office of Douglas ...

MWW hires former Frist aide Neill for VP role in DC office

WASHINGTON: Jim Neill, former senior aide to Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN), joined The MWW Group's Washington, DC office as a VP last week.

Burson must rebid for road deal as IL faces big deficit

SPRINGFIELD, IL: In a concrete example of how a slew of state budget crises might affect the communications industry, Illinois' budget woes have cost Burson-Marsteller ...

Brocade brings in Text 100 in effort to fight competition

SAN JOSE: Brocade has tapped Text 100 as its agency of record, as the tech company seeks to solidify its leadership position in the face ...

Phase Two shuts down as CEOs launch new shop Connecting Point

SAN FRANCISCO: Tech PR firm Phase Two Strategies has closed its doors after 15 years, with co-CEOs William and Christine Boehlke opting to launch new ...

Novartis Oncology brings in Cook as director for US PR

FLORHAM PARK, NJ: Novartis Oncology has appointed former employee Jeff Cook to the newly created position of director of PR for the US. Prior to ...

Barton Brands hires CKPR to push Caravella liqueurs

CHICAGO: Spirits supplier Barton Brands has picked CKPR to handle a major PR push for the Caravella brand of liqueurs. CKPR will also help Barton ...

Partnership helps get Hispanic print content onto web

MIAMI: Hispanic PR Wire (HPRW), in partnership with the National Association of Hispanic Publications (NAHP), has formed the Hispanic Digital Network (HDN). The network offers ...

EDITORIAL: Reader's call for greater diversity has to be championed by our magazine and industry

Pat Wheeler's "Letter to the Editor" (right) sends a clear and important message to the entire PR industry, and in particular to this magazine that ...

OP-ED: Pharmas must rise to global PR challenge AIDS poses

Late last year, Foreign Affairs magazine published a thoughtful article on "The Future of AIDS." It was an early warning cry that PR practitioners working ...

ANALYSIS: Cure for insurance problem starts at higher awareness

The lack of health insurance for every American is more complex an issue than most people realize. Sara Calabro finds that education is the first ...

PAUL HOLMES: Media companies have an obligation to be transparent, with or without Sarbanes-Oxley

Those PR firms owned by giant advertising holding companies and eager to buy themselves back - by my count, that's almost one-third of them - ...

CORPORATE CASE STUDY: Diebold keeps its comms units well connected

While most companies tout convergence of communications, Diebold actually lives it, taking a holistic approach. And it works because everyone embraces the idea, from the ...

MEDIA WATCH: Press links Blair's future directly to decision on war with Iraq

British Prime Minister Tony Blair has been a steadfast partner of the US in the war on terror, but as debate reaches a fever pitch ...

MEDIA ROUNDUP: Pharma coverage responds to treatment changes

With patients researching treatment options on their own and the media now educated about pharmaceuticals, PR efforts are focusing as much on diseases as on ...

MEDIA PROFILE: Frequent Flyer plots a new editorial course for its relaunch

Much like many of the airlines it covers, Frequent Flyer is recreating itself with a new look, which includes themed issues, new sections, and a ...

PROFILE: Winton injects power of people in drug giants

Jeffrey Winton has carved a reputation as one of the hot properties in pharma PR. Having built up Pharmacia's product team, he must now decide ...

MARKET FOCUS: To the next level

David Ward finds that a few select games are getting the Hollywood treatment.

PR TECHNIQUE: Repairing relationships with reporters

If a relationship with a journalist goes sour, saying sorry is only the first step. Every situation differs, but Matthew Creamer finds that gestures speak ...

CAMPAIGNS: Graco's education push helps drive the TurboBooster

PR Team: Graco Children's Products (Exton, PA) and Coyne PR (Fairfield, NJ) Campaign: Graco TurboBooster child booster seats Time Frame: September - December 2002 Budget: Under $50,000

CAMPAIGNS: CA launches new gift guide lauding recycled products

PR Team: California Department of Conservation (Sacramento, CA) and Riester-Robb PR (Venice, CA) Campaign: Green Holiday Guide Time Frame: October 2002 - December 2002 Budget: $35,000

CAMPAIGNS: NSGC reconnects with the public via 'Kissing Cousins'

PR Team: National Society of Genetic Counselors (Wallingford, PA) and STAR/Rosen (Cherry Hill, NJ) Campaign: Kissing Cousins Time Frame: February 2002 - ongoing Budget: $60,000

THE PUBLICIST: Movie-goers will always get a top performance at ShoWest

Selling toilet partitions may not seem glamorous, but for a guy I met in Vegas (let's call him "John"), it's more than just a job. ...

PR PLAY OF THE WEEK: Word travels quickly about the Azores

CONCORD, NH: On March 15, Jayme Simoes, president of NH-based PR firm Louis Karno & Company Communications, had a scheduled flight to Portugal's Azores islands ...

TOY BOX: Cordless mouse is remotely intriguing

Since watching DVDs on PCs is becoming as common as checking e-mail, it seems like a logical next step is for mice to start resembling ...

BOOK REVIEW: Mathis offers recipe for good publicity

Mark Mathis, ex-TV journalist, provides 12 rules you can consistently rely upon to garner good publicity. The "media beast" is a conglomeration of hungry paper ...

2003 Salary Survey

Base salaries are up, especially on the client-service side, but ethnic, gender disparity and a steady rise in job seekers paints a far more complex ...