People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals plans to educate the winning firm in the pitch for the six-figure Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus account that "it's in their best PR interest" to cancel the deal, David Pearle, senior media coordinator told O'Dwyer's.
That doesn't sit well with Feld Entertainment, parent company of Ringling Bros. Steve Payne, VP-corporate communications at Feld, called PETA's move an "absurd attempt to impose themselves" into the PR selection process.
"We have received excellent proposals from a number of quality firms that have done their own due diligence on PETA," he said. None of those firms have quit the competitive pitch, Payne told O'Dwyer's.
According to Pearle's e-mail, PETA plans to share "backstage video footage showing Ringling trainers beating elephants, behind-the-scenes photos showing the inherent cruelties involved in training baby elephants."
PETA has already sent emails to CEOs of top firms calling Ringling Bros "a PR nightmare waiting to happen."
Executive VP Tracy Reiman is quoted as saying: "There's not a PR team in the world that is slick enough" to overcome the various alleged abuses by Ringling "all for the sake of a few cheap tricks."
Ringling refutes charges of animal abuse. It operates a conservation center for elephants, animals that it refers to as "pampered performers" that star in the "greatest show on Earth."
Hill and Knowlton had the Ringling Bros account for the past six or seven years, but parent company, Feld Entertainment decided to take a another creative direction, according to Payne.
Feld wants a firm with a strong presence in New York, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., to handle strategic counsel, national media relations, celebrity outreach and other services for the company and its brands. Payne said the firm also will "showcase our animal care programs."
A two-year contract with a $30K monthly retainer is planned.
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