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May 26, 2003 Issue of PRWeek

Wag Ed to open in Boston despite slump

BOSTON: Waggener Edstrom is the latest agency to take a gamble in Boston, betting on the area's hi-tech and bioscience companies despite the downturns in ...

General Mills pours PR into launch of its new Cheerios

Minneapolis: General Mills will stage a major PR event this week when it rolls out its new Berry Burst Cheerios with the help of former ...

BK plans to tie its image to backyard 'fire grilling'

Miami: Burger King is launching a new brand-building campaign that has plans to include a major PR component.

3Com will search for new comms VP after moving East

SANTA CLARA, CA: 3Com's decision to relocate to the East Coast has left the company looking for a new VP of corporate branding and communications.

Moschino lures in Versace's Raiter as its new head of PR

NEW YORK: Italian fashion house Moschino has appointed former Versace PR director Amy Raiter as its US PR chief.

JMPR hired to push Tokyopop cartoon into US auto media

LOS ANGELES: Tokyopop, a Japanese anime distributor, has chosen automotive boutique agency JMPR to introduce its latest entertainment property to US consumers.

GCS to help boost discount dental plan

SAN DIEGO: First Dental Health, the largest independent dental PPO in California, has chosen Gable-Cook-Schmid (GCS) to promote its reduced-fee network to consumers.

Bank One to promote biking in Windy City

Chicago: Bank One, hoping to fend off new competition in its hometown, has launched a $15 million advertising, marketing, and PR campaign in the Chicago ...

News Briefs

Conservative think tank launches new quarterly journal

WASHINGTON: The New Atlantis, a journal inspired by the vexing questions surrounding the role of technology in American life, launched last week.

PR firm at center of public policy controversy in CA

SACRAMENTO, CA: PR firm Runyon Saltzman & Einhorn (RS&E) has found itself in the middle of a public-policy battle that has become political.

Sports tie-ups should look beyond traditional values

New York: Agencies and clients hoping to use sports as a PR tool must look beyond demographics to determine the best fit in picking which ...

Chip maker picks Text 100 as global AOR

CAMBRIDGE, UK: ARM Holdings, one of the largest semiconductor design companies in the world, has appointed Text 100 as its agency of record in the ...

Editorial shake-up at UPI also brings coverage changes

WASHINGTON: United Press International (UPI) announced editorial changes last week that will bring a focus on in-depth analysis and technology to the struggling news agency.

Famous TX litter effort to embark on highway tour

AUSTIN: The venerable "Don't Mess with Texas" campaign this summer is hitting the highways it endeavors to keep clean in a 25-city road trip.

Companies process quick responses to mad cow find

WANHAM, AB: An infected cow in Canada sent communicators into a flurry of action last week as they tried to tamp concerns about the first ...

Burson gets work on Latin Grammys after Miami move

MIAMI: The Latin Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences has chosen the Miami office of Burson-Marsteller to promote the 4th Annual Latin Grammy Awards.

Fleischer leaves a legacy of fierce loyalty

WASHINGTON: Ari Fleischer, the Presidential press secretary who for two years enforced the thin line between a reticent White House and a voracious press corps, ...

Access lands AOR deal with Epiphany after losing Siebel

SAN MATEO, CA: Just a few months after losing its Siebel Systems account, Access Communications has rebounded by becoming AOR for Epiphany, a competitor to ...

APCO task force to help firm's clients get Iraq contracts

WASHINGTON: APCO Worldwide is launching a new task force to help clients land US contracts for Iraq's rebuilding.

Sproule lured from Jaguar to take on VP spot at Nissan

Torrance, CA: Nissan North America has hired Simon Sproule away from Jaguar to become its new VP of corporate communications.

Siebel probed for possible second violation of Reg FD

SAN MATEO, CA: Siebel Systems is in jeopardy of becoming the first company to be cited twice for Reg FD violations.

Novartis research arm picks Steele as new head of global comms

CAMBRIDGE, MA: Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research (NIBR) has named Fintan Steele VP and global head of communications. The former scientist and journalist will lead ...

Dorton opens own firm after PR work at Arthur Andersen

WASHINGTON: After receiving a crash course in crisis PR at his previous employer, Arthur Andersen, Patrick Dorton has founded his own PR firm, Rational Public ...

US to put $60m into Arab-language TV

WASHINGTON: President Bush is dedicating $60 million to what some are calling America's most ambitious public diplomacy initiative in years: an Arab-language satellite TV network ...

EDITORIAL: You may criticize Fleischer for not serving PR, but you have to credit him for serving his boss

(Julia Hood and Paul Holmes debate Ari Fleischer's legacy.) It's easy to play Monday morning quarterback and criticize Ari Fleischer, especially when a few incidents made ...

OP-ED: Reputation is now a tangible measure of corporate value

Reaction to corporate scandals has led to new governance rules that demand more transparency - not only about financials, but about corporate behaviors. One result ...

ANALYSIS: Employee lawsuits can hurt regardless of the outcome

Wal-Mart escalated its PR efforts in the face of a discrimination suit, as winning public opinion can be just as important as winning in the ...

PAUL HOLMES: Ari Fleischer may have some admirers, but his track record shows little more than lies

How do you know when a White House press secretary is lying? Easy. His lips are moving.

CORPORATE CASE STUDY: Bally works out reputation woes by committing to PR

Determined to overcome its poor image, Bally Total Fitness now employs an intense PR plan that has seen it form relationships with everyone from Howard ...

MEDIA WATCH: The New York Times gets its share of the blame for Blair fiasco

The scandal at The New York Times regarding reporter Jayson Blair has been a nightmare for the US' newspaper of record. Blair's May 1 resignation ...

MEDIA ROUNDUP: Plugged-in PC press focusing more on functionality

The media lost much of its enthusiasm for the PC when the dot-com era ended, so it can be tough to pitch computers - but ...

MEDIA PROFILE: Lifetime magazine offers a lighthearted look at everyday life

If your pitch is suitable for most women's magazines, you might want to think again before sending it to Lifetime. This is the title for ...

PROFILE: Dragon-slayer Lewellen sees PR's business value

Crisis PR acumen helped Michael Lewellen land Black Entertainment Television's top communications role - a post he believes contributes to every facet of business.

Now showing: Diversity

Ethnic grassroots campaigns have created such a big buzz around some low-budget multicultural films that Hollywood has been forced to take notice.

PRWEEK REGIONAL FORUM: Los Angeles

Leading PR professionals from a variety of agencies, corporations, and nonprofits participate in a roundtable discussion about the PR issues that affect them and their ...

PR TECHNIQUE: How to reach for the right stars

Big spending on big stars will not guarantee the right spokesperson. Anita Chabria learns that smaller celebs with stronger ties to a client can be ...

CAMPAIGNS: Sirona unveils new dental device with a powerful display

PR Team: Sirona (Charlotte, NC) and Lanmark Group (Eatontown, NJ) Campaign: CEREC 3D Time Frame: March 2003-present Budget: About $100,000

CAMPAIGNS: Eco-Depot effort to educate RI citizens enjoys clean start

PR Team: Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation (Johnston, RI) and RDW Group (Providence, RI) Campaign: Eco-Depot Campaign Time Frame: July 2001-ongoing Budget: $132,000

THE PUBLICIST: Lakers' early playoff exit spurs LA publicists into state of panic

Publicists all over LA held their breath as our beloved Lakers fought for survival against a superior San Antonio Spurs team. Unimaginable! The three-time NBA ...

PR PLAY OF THE WEEK: Sorenstam supporters top PR leaderboard

FORT WORTH, TX: Regardless of how well Annika Sorenstam plays at the Bank of Colonial tournament (PRWeek went to press before the event began), those ...

TOY BOX: Logitech io is well worth writing about

If you have a computer, I suggest spending $200 on a Logitech io, rather than $2000 on a tablet PC. Why? Let me explain.

BOOK REVIEW: There's much to gain from Spin to Win

Media relations specialist Anthony Mora has put together a well-organized primer on media relations for business people not all that familiar with the field.