By Greg Hazley
Mexican President Felipe Calderon said he is launching an "integral publicity project" that includes plans to hire a PR firm to burnish the country's image and fight perceptions that it's losing a war to drug lords.
"In my government, we are promoting an integral advertising and public relations campaign, for which we have contracted the world's best agencies to promote Mexico's image," Calderon said on Tuesday. "It will explain the problems we have as well as the way we are dealing with them but above all, it will show what our country has to offer visitors from all over the world, which is a great deal."
The same day he announced the effort, a shootout saw Mexican soldiers kill14 gunmen after a shootout in the tourist town of Taxco, known for its silver jewelry. That came a day after 15 Mexican police were killed in Michoacan and Chuhuahua.
APCO inked a $1.4M deal with Mexico's tourism board last year to gauge perceptions of the country and handle "rapid response media relations." Qorvis Communications also had a $330K, one-year contract with the tourism board for an online PR program, covering marketing, new media relations, grassroots/allies outreach and web support.
Miami agency Newlink Communications has also worked with the country's tourism entity to fight the negative crime image.
Calderon made the announcement at the opening of the Barcelo Hotel in Baja Sur California, a key tourism sector, a day after he outlined the country's efforts to fight drug cartels in a lengthy essay posted on his website.
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