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Jack
O'Dwyer's Newsletter
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Edition, July 23, 2008, Page 1 |
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H&K SIGNS
$240K QATAR PACT
Hill &
Knowlton expects to earn $240K through the end of the year
as PR representative for Qatar Financial Centre Authority.
Located in
Doha, the QFCA seeks to attract global financial companies
and multinationals eager to invest in the region. It boasts
of “best of breed” standards and world-class legal
support.
Forbes
(April 21) anointed Qatar as the world’s top tax cutter.
A recent cut in its corporate tax enabled Qatar to leapfrog
“nearby Dubai as an enticing spot for entrepreneurial
wealth creation.”
H&K also
represents Saudi Basic Industry Corp. in the Middle East.
That client kicked in $416K during the six-month period
ended May 31.
PhRMA RETAINS BREAUX LOTT
The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America
has hired Breaux Lott Leadership Group to do its bidding
on Capitol Hill. Former Senators John Breaux (D-LA) and
Trent Lott (R-MS) spearhead the effort.
PhRMA made news July 10 with a revision of its marketing
code to “ensure that pharmaceutical marketing practices
comply with the highest ethical standards.”
Billy Tauzin, PhRMA CEO, said the measure fortifies his
group’s “commitment to ensure medicines are marketed
in a manner that benefits patients and enhances the practice
of medicine.”
He hopes “all companies that interact with healthcare
professionals” will adopt PhRMA’s voluntary standards.
PhRMA critics say the code is an effort to fend off tighter
regulation of the drug industry’s marketing practices,
such as a Senate bill requiring companies to publicly disclose
payments to doctors of $500 or more.
Tauzin is a former Republican Congressman from Louisiana.
FLAHERTY NAMED NO. 2 AT KETCHUM
Rob Flaherty, senior partner, global practices and New
York managing director, becomes president of Ketchum on
Aug. 1. The post has been empty since Ray Kotcher, 56, assumed
the CEO title in `00.
Flaherty's promotion is part of a Ketchum re-org put into
place by Kotcher to face challenges posed by rapid globalization,
heightened demand for transparency and digital revolution
during a period of "ongoing economic ambiguity."
Kotcher, in Ketchum's release, claims the shop enjoyed
a strong first-half, "putting the agency's performance
in the upper echelon of the industry."
CITI CUTS OMC’S RATING
Citi Investment Research downgraded its rating on Omnicom
shares from “buy” to “hold” because
the “economic environment is making us more bearish
on ad spending through `09.”
OMC’s price target has been slashed from $60 to $47.
The ad/PR combine is now trading at $42.30, near its $40.86
52-week low. The stock traded as high as $55.45 during the
past 12 months.
Though Citi calls OMC a “core media holding,”
the “downturn means that it is likely to stagnate for
the time being.” It credits OMC’s “disciplined
management team,” but feels it is battling sharp declines
in the U.K./Euro markets and slower organic growth on the
U.S. front.
Citi analysts David Rose and Catriona Fallon wrote: “Omnicom
is susceptible to declines in revenue when there is a recession.
We do not expect that Omnicom will always curb its own expenses
during a downturn, so the company could have sharp declines
in operating margin when it sees declines in revenue.”
Citi reaffirmed its “hold” rating on Interpublic,
which has a price target of $8.50. IPG stock trades at $7.73.
Its 52-week range is $11.85-$7.22.
NIKE’S BOETTCHER SHIFTS
TO WS
Chad Boettcher, who was global director of Nike’s
corporate responsibility programming, has moved to Interpublic’s
Weber Shandwick. As senior VP-CR, he is to develop campaigns
with a focus on digital and social network applications.
At Nike, Boettcher was noted for leading its global “4C’s
(compliance, community, climate change and considered design)
effort.
Earlier, he worked at MTV as senior director for strategic
partnerships and PA. He helped create the “Choose or
Loose,” “Fight for Your Rights,” and “Alternative
Spring Break” campaigns.
PRS SECRETARY CANDIDATE INTERVIEW
Prof. Vincent Hazleton of Radford Univ., candidate for
secretary of PR Society, answers questions from O'Dwyer's.
1.
Should directors sign a "confidentiality" agreement
at first meeting? Yes. The current policy does not
discourage leaders from expressing their personal opinions.
The need to distinguish between personal opinions and the
policies of PRSA is made clear.
2.
Remove APR requirement for national board, nominating committee?
The APR credential signifies that a member has acquired
a specific body of knowledge and has a commitment to professional
development within the profession. These are important attributes
that members should expect from leaders.
There are only two attributes
that are currently privileged in selection to the nominating
committee and board of directors: The APR credential and
district membership.
(Continued on page 7)
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Edition, July 23, 2008, Page 2 |
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5W
SNAGGED IN BLOG MESS
5W
Public Relations CEO Ronn Torossian told O’Dwyer’s
that senior VP Juda Engelmayer is still employed at the
New York-based firm that is embroiled in a fake blogging
mess concerning kosher meat giant Agriprocessors, target
of a federal round-up of illegal workers.
The
Jerusalem Post, July 12, reported that 5W is accused
of “posting comments on the Internet under fraudulent
names to promote its client.” Those comments were uncovered
by the blogger of FailedMessiah.com, who traced the postings
to 5W computers.
Another
posting, according to Forward.com, came from a computer
that appeared to be from Engelmayer’s home. Engelmayer
runs the Agriprocessor account.
5W’s
IT unit investigated the accusations, which “we have
now learned to be true,” said Torossian. The 5W CEO
believes “growing companies often have problems in
their expansion.” He notes that 5W has been in business
since January `03 and “according to O’Dwyer’s
2007 rankings our revenues exceeded $11.5M, and we are the
21st largest independent PR firm in the U.S.”
MINNEAPOLIS LOOKS FOR WATER
BOOSTER
Minneapolis plans to hire
a firm to a $180K contract to convince people that its tap
water is “pure, safe, great-tasting and environmentally
friendly,” according to an RFP.
Steve Berg, columnist
for the Star-Tribune, believes a key problem for
the firm is to overcome the fact that sometimes the “water
stinks to high heaven.”
That’s because the
city’s state-of-the-art filtration system is not sophisticated
enough to eliminate odors from leaves, algae and other organic
matter that build up in the Mississippi River as the weather
gets warmer.
Minneapolis has invested
$140M to insure that its tap water exceeds federal standards.
The RFP, which closed July 11, says the new plant is the
“largest of its type in the Western Hemisphere and
can filter out particles as small as some viruses.”
Minneapolis spokesperson
Matt Laible told Berg that the city receives hundreds of
complaints about its water, but emphasized the smell is
a “temporary but perennial problem.”
Berg believes the winning
shop has its work cut out. The job ranks with “convincing
consumers that New Coke was better than Classic Coca-Cola
or that Richard Nixon wasn’t a crook.”
SEIGENTHALER JOINS FAMILY’S
FIRM
John Seigenthaler, who
anchored “NBC Nightly News Weekend” from `99 to
`07, has joined Nashville-based Seigenthaler PR as partner
and will open SPR New York.
The PR shop was started
in `72 by the late Tom Seigenthaler, John’s uncle.
It is run by Tom’s daughters, CEO Elizabeth Seigenthaler
Courtney, President Amy Seigenthaler Pierce and chief marketing
officer Katie Seigenthaler.
AS CEO of SPR New York,
Seigenthaler will provide media strategy/training and crisis
services.
The New York Daily
News famously dubbed Seigenthaler “the thinking
man’s broadcaster.”
GAY MARRIAGE OPPONENTS TAP
KERNS
Interest groups backing
a statewide November referendum in California to halt gay
marriages have brought in a veteran GOP political PR pro
to direct communications for the effort.
Jennifer Kerns, who runs
K Street Communications in San Diego and has been press
secretary for several Republican officials in California,
has been named communications director for the groups, operating
as ProtectMarriage.com.
The group is pushing for support of Proposition 8, known
as the California Protect Marriage Act and slated for the
November ballot in the Golden State to limit marriages to
only those between a man and woman.
Kerns was recently press
secretary for Steve Francis, who ran unsuccessfully for
mayor of San Diego despite spending nearly $5M. She previously
was senior press secretary for California Insurance Commissioner
Steve Poizner after directing communications for his campaign.
Earlier, Kerns was Assistant
Secretary of State and spokeswoman for California Secretary
of State Bruce McPherson.
ProtectMarriage declared
a small victory last week when the state’s supreme
court tossed out a petition to remove the California Protect
Marriage Act from the November ballot.
Jeff Flint, former VP
at Russo Marsh + Rogers, and Frank Schubert, ex-Goddard
Claussen Porter Novelli executive, are also working with
ProtectMarriage.com through their firm, Schubert Flint Public
Affairs.
On the flip side of the
PR fight, WPP units Ogilvy PR Worldwide and Dewey Square
Group are working to defeat the ballot initiative.
OGILVY LANDS $190K TRINIDAD
PACT
Ogilvy PR Worldwide has
a two-month $190K project to promote Trinidad and Tobago’s
international finance center, which opens for business next
month with the hope of positioning as an investment gateway
for worldwide funds headed for Latin America and the Caribbean.
Karen Nunez-Tesheira,
T&T’s Minister of Finance, has been making the
rounds in the Middle East and New York promoting the venture’s
commercial banking and investment opportunities in her country’s
energy, transportation and tourism sectors.
She wants to duplicate
the success of IFCs in Singapore, Dubai and Dublin, while
competing with smaller “neighbor” financial facilities
in Bermuda, Bahamas and Cayman Islands.
Ogilvy works as a subcontractor
to Washington-based Ainsley Gill Assocs., which reps T&T.
Eric Rosenberg, an Ogilvy
VP in Washington, is project manager. He is supported by
Lisa Ross, Tony Bullock and Rory Davenport.
The WPP unit’s duties
include communications planning, message development, “talking
points” for government officials, website development,
press materials, and media/blogger outreach.
Ogilvy bills its client
on an hourly basis. The rates range from $75 for an intern,
$250 for a VP and $400 for a managing director.
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Edition, July 23, 2008, Page 3 |
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| MEDIA
NEWS |
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LAT’S
HILLER, TRIB’S LIPINSKI EXIT
David
Hiller, publisher of the Los Angeles Times for the
past two years, has resigned the Tribune Co. property. He
led the aggressive cost-cutting program, which triggered
the departures of editors Dean Baquet and James O’Shea.
In
a note to staffers, Hiller wrote that Tribune CEO Sam Zell
is the boss and should get his choice to “pick his
own quarterback.”
Zell
expects to name a replacement to Hiller by the end of the
summer.
In
another big personnel move, Ann Marie Lipinski exited as
editor of the Chicago Tribune. She said the job is
“not the fit that it once was.” Gerould Kern takes
Lipinski’s spot. He vowed to make the paper more “fun
to be with.”
The
Tribune is eliminating another 80 journalists, cutting the
newsroom count to a little more than 575 people.
The
cuts will be in place by the end of August and are in line
with the plan to reduce the number of pages printed each
week by about 15 percent.
The
Trib had 670 newsroom staffers in `05.
More
cuts in other departments are expected as Zell works to
reduce debt tied to his takeover of the media combine.
AJC CUTS 8% OF WORKFORCE
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
is cutting its 2,300 workforce by eight percent, or
by 189 jobs, by dropping its “geographically targeted
news sections.”
The paper says publishing
the community sections is now cost prohibitive due to rising
newsprint/fuel prices during a time of slumping advertising
revenues.
The AJC is committed to
maintaining news bureaus in the outlying areas, and promises
that the daily metro and sports sections are going to expand
coverage beyond the core Atlanta market.
NYT STOCK TANKS
The New York Times Co.
stock hit a ten-year low of $12.08 last week following a
blistering report by Lehman Brothers analyst Craig Huber.
He slashed NYTC’s
price target to $8 a-share from $12, calling the stock the
most expensive of the newspaper group.
Huber urged CEO “Pinch”
Sulzberger to cut the dividend and earmark the cost-savings
to reducing the $1B debt load of the $3.2B company.
NYT shares traded at $50.11
on Oct. 21, `02. They traded as high as $23.88 during the
past year.
The NYTC will release
its second quarter financials on July 23.
NBCU TEAMS WITH WAL-MART
NBC Universal has inked
a multi-million-dollar deal with Wal-Mart in which the retailer
sponsors “momtourage” material on NBCU programming
to help mothers to become better parents, teachers and neighbors.
The deal is part of Women@NBCU,
a unit that provides advertisers opportunities to gain access
to female-friendly outlets such as the “Today”
show, Bravo and Oxygen cable outlets and the iVillage website.
The NBCU/Wal-Mart tie
kicks off during the third-quarter. Lauren Zalaznick is
president for women and lifestyle entertainment at NBCU.
GREGO SHIFTS TO B&C
Melissa Grego, an editor
at the Hollywood Reporter, has moved to Broadcasting
& Cable as executive editor. She handled the re-launch
of THR’s website and was in charge of all its digital
offerings.
Earlier, Grego was managing
editor of Television Week, and wrote “Mel’s
Diner,” a blog about dining out with some of the movers
& shakers in the business.
She joins B&C on July
28, reporting to editor Ben Grossman.
KWITTKEN TAPPED BY U.S. NEWS
Kwittken & Co. is
handling the overhaul of U.S. News & World Report
as the No. 3 weekly revamps as a more service-oriented,
information you can use-type publication.
Aaron Kwittken’s
shop was initially hired by USN&WR in `07 on a project
basis to promote its “America’s Best” series
of lists covering topics such as cars, high schools, colleges,
hospitals and civic leaders.
Brian Kelly, editor of
USN&WR, is expanding K&C’s duties to cover
its transformation from print to a multi-platform publisher.
The firm will coordinate
efforts with the magazine’s in-house staff in support
of the recently launched U.S. News Media Group and work
to promote its editorial talent as experts in their respective
fields.
K&C was founded in
`05.
KELLY CO-ANCHORS ‘GOOD
DAY NEW YORK’
Greg Kelly has signed
on as co-anchor of “Good Day New York,” which
airs on WNYW/Fox 5.
He had been a correspondent
for Fox News since `02. Kelly was White House reporter for
Fox News and was embedded with the Army’s 3rd Infantry
during the `03 invasion of Iraq. He is credited with providing
the first live shots of U.S. forces entering Baghdad, and
exclusives of the storming of Saddam Hussein’s presidential
palace.
The Marine Corps veteran
flied nearly 160 missions during “Operation Southern
Watch,” the U.N.-imposed “No-Fly Zone” over
Iraq following the Gulf War.
Kelly teams with Jodi
Applegate on GDNY.
USAT’S KECK TUNES INTO
TVG
Will Keck has shifted
from covering celebrity entertainment news at USA Today
to TV Guide.
As senior editor in its
Hollywood bureau, Keck will launch a weekly column about
news, shows and stars. He also will do some feature writing
and report from the red carpet.
Keck has filed stories
for the Los Angeles Times, Entertainment Weekly,
US Weekly and People. He also was an on-air
contributor to the TVG’s program, “Hollywood 411.”
(Media
news continued on next page)
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Edition, July 23, 2008, Page 4 |
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| MEDIA
NEWS/CONTINUED
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WSJ
SLICES 50 EDIT JOBS
Wall
Street Journal editor Robert Thomson is closing the
paper’s South Brunswick, N.J., editing facility that
opened shortly after the Sept. 11 attacks. The retrenchment
is set for next month, costing 50 jobs.
Thomson’s
memo says the revamp means that reporters and bureau chiefs
must submit copy that is “clean, to length and conforms
to our style.”
New
Jersey staffers are encouraged to apply for editing jobs
at the WSJ’s news hub in New York. Those with the “highest
skill levels and the enthusiasm to acquire new skills will
have a distinct advantage during the selection process.”
Thomson
paints a rosy picture for the WSJ, which has “invested
in a significantly larger newshole contrary to industry
trends, and filled long-vacant reporting positions in many
bureaus.”
The
News Corp. property plans an “ambitious expansion”
of web and international operations.
Thomson
claims the Journal and Newswires expect to add 95 journalists
over the coming months. “There is good reason for optimism
at Dow Jones amidst the pessimism prevailing in our industry,”
he wrote.
CLEAR CHANNEL’S HUDES
JOINS IPG
Michael Hudes, who was
global director of digital media for ClearChannel, has joined
Interpublic Group to become president-diversified media
services and strategic development at its Mediabrands collection
of media assets.
Prior to CC, Hudes was
president/COO at AdSpace Networks, which develops software
to manage ads/promotions. He also headed Organic, the global
digital marketing services outfit.
Hudes says his goal is
to apply technology to create new tools, media channels
and business models for IPG clients.
SNOW DIES AT 53
Tony Snow, former press
secretary for President Bush, died July 12 of colon cancer.
He was 53.
He joined the White House
in April `06 after believing that he had beaten the disease.
It reoccurred in March `07. He returned to the podium after
surgery, but left the White House in September to raise
more money to support his family.
Snow joined the Bush Administration
from Fox News. He was a speechwriter for President Bush
I. Snow had replaced Scott McClellan at the White House.
GUARDIAN BUYS AMERICAN CONTENT
The U.K.-based Guardian
News & Media company has purchased ContentNext Media,
which covers digital media, entertainment and technology
sectors, for reportedly $30M.
Rafat Ali, founder and
editor of CNM, and Nathan Richardson, will continue to run
the company that has co-headquarters in Santa Monica and
New York.
Carolyn McCall, CEO of
Guardian Media Group, said Rafat and his team “personify
the values of editorial independence and integrity that
are core to the Guardian.”
ContentNext was founded
in `02, receiving funding from Greycroft Partners. The Guardian
website generated 18.3M unique visitors in May.
WEBB TAKES PROPUBLICA PR POST
Michael Webb, who was
deputy director of communications & strategy at the
Brennan Center for Justice at New York University’s
School of Law, is now PR director for ProPublica, the non-profit
newsroom the produces investigative pieces in the public
interest.
He joined the Brennan
Center in Jan. `07, after handling publicity and syndication
for The Nation.
ProPublica editor-in-chief
Paul Steiger, the Wall Street Journal alumnus, now
oversees a news staff of 28 journalists.
The latest additions include
Los Angeles Times veterans Charles Ornstein and Tracy
Weber. They combined for the “The Troubles at King/Drew”
hospital series that won a Pulitzer Prize for Public Service.
Other reporters to join
are Tom Detzel, ex-editor at the Oregonian, Marcus
Stern, Copley News Service veteran, and Mosi Secret, staff
writer for the Independent Weekly in Raleigh/Durham.
AILES BECOMES PRESS MOGUL
Roger Ailes, chairman
of Fox News, has purchased Putnam County News and Recorder,
which has a circulation of about 3,000.
Elizabeth Ailes, Roger’s
wife, is publisher of the paper, which is about 60 miles
north of New York City. She worked at NBC and CNBC.
The Aileses said the paper
reflects the community, and will not change much. They really
liked PCN&R, which is why they bought it.
The Aileses are looking
for a general manager to run the paper on a day-to-day basis.
Brian O’Donnell, who has published the paper for the
past dozen years, is staying on as a consultant.
OSBERG GOES DIGITAL
Greg Osberg, who assumed
the president post at Newsweek last year, is giving
up that post in the fall to pursue opportunities in the
digital world.
He had been Newsweek’s
worldwide publisher. The magazine, which is part of Washington
Post Co., does not plan to replace Osberg.
Newsweek’s ad pages
are down more than 20 percent for the first-half of `08.
VETERAN NEWSMAN COUNSELS LEACH
Charles Feldman, who was
an investigative reporter at CNN, is now “of counsel”
to Leach Communications.
He plans to offer businesses,
trade groups and high-profile personalities a full-scale
“forensic investigation simulation” to ensure
they are fully prepared to deal with a crisis.
Al Leach notes that Feldman
covered courtroom dramas revolving around O.J. Simpson,
Michael Jackson and the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over
Lockerbie, Scotland.
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Edition, July 23,
2008, Page 5 |
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| NEWS
OF PR FIRMS |
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THE
LIMITED TRIES ON PR AGAIN
The
Limited Stores, the women’s clothing retailer sold
to private equity firm Sun Capital Partners in 2007, has
brought in its first PR firm in recent years after a search.
New
York-based lifestyle firm Alison Brod PR has picked up the
account to reconnect the mall-centric brand with its customers.
“Our
main goal is to remind people why they love The Limited,”
said Jennifer Bayley Guerra, PR manager for the company.
She said TL, which had not recently worked with an outside
firm, met with numerous agencies and credited ABPR with
reflecting a “fun, sophisticated and professional aesthetic”
of the brand.
Guerra
said ABPR is handling long lead and buzz media, special
events, product launches and celebrity outreach.
Jill
Borkan, fashion director at ABPR, heads the account.
TL,
based in Columbus, Ohio, has 226 mall locations in the U.S.
In the past, when it was under the ownership of Limited
Brands (Victoria’s Secret, Bath & Body Works),
TL worked with Badger Worldwide.
U.K’S MULBERRY HITS THE
WEST COAST
Mulberry Marketing Communications,
London, is slated to open a San Francisco office in early
September under the direction of Dan Brown, an MMC account
director currently in London who is a native Californian.
The firm said it wants
to improve its reach for U.S. media for its North American
clients and further develop its tech PR practice with the
outpost.
Clients for the office
include Quantum Retail Technology and InsuranceMadeSimple.org.
The 13-year-old firm also
has a Chicago office in the U.S.
SMG ACQUIRES LIVINGSTON SM
SHOP
Social Media Group, a
Toronto-based firm, has acquired Washington, D.C.-based
Livingston Communications, a boutique firm focused on social
media communications.
Geoff Livingston, who
heads LC, said on his blog, “Basically, I will serve
major accounts as a lead strategist, head the D.C. office,
market the company and continue blogging at the Buzz Bin
(which will get a resulting content upgrade). “In a
list of the top 10 reasons he sold his agency, Livingston
noted, “I can’t stand watching the large agencies
of the world continue to guide large social media programs,
often ineffectively.”
SMG says the acquisition
makes it the largest independent social media shop in the
world.
Qui Diaz, a former digital
strategist at Ogilvy PR Worldwide, is director of strategy
at LC. The firm has worked with dozens of blue chip companies
and clients like the Washington Nationals, Verizon Wireless,
and AT&T Government Solutions.
Maggie Fox, who heads
SMG, said the addition of LC’s social PR practice makes
her agency’s services rival every traditional agency’s
SM practice.
A letter of intent was
signed last week. The cash and stock deal is expected to
close in August.
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ACCOUNTS |
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New York
Area
Bullfrog
& Baum, New York/Zwilling J.A. Henckels, cutlery
maker, for media relations, strategy and consumer programming
for three brands in the U.S. – Zwilling cutlery, Staub
cast iron cookware, and Demeyere stainless steel cookware.
G.S.
Schwartz & Co., New York/Duplicate (2007) Inc.,
online poker community, and Smart Talk Media, women’s
live programming and subscription speakers series, for PR.
Geoffrey
Weill Associates, New York/Algodon Mansion, luxury
boutique hotel in Buenos Aires, and Algodon Wine Estates,
real estate development in Argentina wine country, for PR.
KCSA
Strategic Communications, New York/Kyp Systems, paper-based
marketing tool developer, as AOR for PR. The tool, called
iKyp, is designed to make information easier to understand
and use and has been used by American Express and AstraZeneca,
among others.
RF|Binder,
New York/Gather, social network geared for adults, following
a search that included several New York and Boston-based
firms. RF is handling research, creative programming, writing
and media relations. Gather was launched in 2004 for the
30-plus demographic.
Rubenstein
PR, New York/StoneCastle Partners, investment manager
in community banks, for PR touting its strategy and funds.
Richard Rubenstein sees opportunities in the community banking
sector amid the troubles of large investment banks and financial
institutions.
Wordhampton,
Riverhead, N.Y./Squadeco Premium Spring Water, for PR for
its national launch this year, and Montauk Yacht Club, as
AOR for PR amid a multimillion-dollar renovation and 80th
anniversary celebration over the next two years.
East
Public
Strategies Inc., Washington, D.C./Pilgrim’s
Pride Corp., food marketer, for public and legislative affairs
regarding federal fuel standards, commodity and farming
price supports, and environmental law and regulation.
GolinHarris,
Miami/Convenient Care Assn.; American Cancer Society, Florida
Division; Jackson Memorial Foundation, for its philanthropic
program, International Kids Fund, and the Alberta Cancer
Board, a tobacco control and cessation advocate. The Miami
office recently wrapped up a project for BBC Mundo, the
BBC’s Spanish American online and radio service.
South
Red
Square Agency, Mobile, Ala./Stewart Enterprises,
funeral services giant, as AOR for advertising and PR following
a search of 11 agencies. The publicly traded company is
based in Jefferson, La, and claims to be the second largest
company in its sector in the world.
West
Tsantes
Consulting Group, Campbell, Calif./Samplify Systems,
data compression start-up, for messaging, positioning and
communications.
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| NEWS
OF SERVICES |
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FEATURES
SERVICES QUANTIFIES HITS
ARAnet,
which places features in newspapers and on websites, some
of which it owns, has unveiled a metric to assign advertising
dollar value to articles posted online.
Scott
Severson, president of the company, says he’s seen
an increasing demand to quantify its service, which the
new application, called Online Ad Value, does.
The
service takes into account banner ad rates, word count,
site audience metrics and other factors to rate placements.
It is added on to its existing online reporting service
for clients.
The
Hopkins, Minn.-based company provides features on topics
like home improvement, finance, and health to media. It
also has its own group of websites that carry many of the
ARA features.
PUBCLUB N.E. RINGS BELLS
Cone won the Publicity
Club of New England’s Super Bell Award at its annual
Bellringer Awards. Cone took home that top prize for a community
service campaign with the American Heart Assn.
Steve & Paula Mae
Schwartz, founders of Waltham, Mass.-based Schwartz Communications,
were honored with the John J. Malloy Crystal Bell for lifetime
achievement.
Among the Bell winners
were Schneider Assocates and client ESAC/Boston 2010, which
won for advocacy advertisement; Schwartz Comms. with ResMed/Respironics
and Kelliher Samets Volk with Crane (online feature or commentary
placement), and Schwartz with OkCupid and Racepoint with
One Laptop per Child for TV news placement, national.
In the bylined article
category, Bell winners were Racepoint Group with Helicos
BioSciences; O’Neill and Associates with the Massachusetts
Commission on Compulsive Gambling; PAN Communications with
JANA Software, and Thomson Communications with Boston Private
Bank. Winners list is at pubclub.org.
FOOD MARKETERS MISSING HEALTH
PROS
Food makers are not communicating
the health benefits of their brands to healthcare professionals,
according to a survey by PULSE Health & Wellness Initiatives,
a marketing firm that works with major food and health companies.
The firm polled 896 health
pros to rate their perceptions of how well products and
brands meet health needs and 60 percent said the companies
don’t give enough information for consumers to make
healthy choices.
Brands scoring well among
the participants included natural food line Kashi, Fiber
One Cereal and Bars from General Mills, and Kellogg’s
All Bran.
Ninty-six percent of the
healthcare pros surveyed said they recommend specific brands
to patients.
PULSE co-founder and CEO
Linda Leikin said marketers may be investing in mass media
to increase consumer awareness but are missing a chance
at earning a valuable endorsement of healthcare pros.
“Manufacturers need
to educate healthcare professionals about the health benefits
of their brands just as much as they need to educate consumers,”
she said.
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Joined
Chris
Winans, VP of media relations at American International
Group, to AXA Equitable Life Insurance Co., New York, in
the newly created post of senior VP, external affairs. He
is slated to start on July 29 and will serve as chief spokesperson
for the insurance company. A former equity analyst and journalist,
he was a VP at Lehman Brothers and held a similar post at
Williams Capital. He joined insurance rating agency A.M.
Best Co. after serving as national news editor in a 10-year
career at the Wall Street Journal.
Kathy
Park, an M.B.A. candidate and former PR manager for
the New York Times Company, to Harper’s Magazine,
New York, as VP of PR. She was previously a publicist for
CNN in New York.
Jim
Cox, an editor, foreign correspondent and business
reporter for 21 years at USA Today, to Agility Defense
& Government Services, Alexandria, Va., as VP of public
affairs. He heads PR, marketing and government relations
for the supply chain management and logistics company for
government and defense clients. It has offices in 100 countries.
Cox was foreign editor at USAT from 2004 until January.
He opened bureaus in Hong Kong and Beijing for the paper.
Paul
Del Colle, previously with Anreder & Company
and former UBS media relations specialist, to Walek &
Associates, New York, as a senior A/E.
Mark
Holoweiko, principal, co-founder and former president
of Stony Point Communications, Hayslett, Mich., to HealthPlus
of Michigan, as director of corporate communications. He
remains corporate chair and shareholder of Stony Point.
Anne Harcus
takes over as president of Stony Point.
Ben
Gardeen, A/E in Porter Novelli’s consumer, healthcare
and sports marketing units, to Carmichael Lynch Spong, Minneapolis,
as senior associate. He manages the Maytag Repairman account.
Promoted
Ana
Varela to senior A/E, Spaulding Communications, Decatur,
Ga. She is fluent in four languages and worked in media
at CNN, FOX 5-WAGA, Discovery Channel and Animal Planet.
Natalie
Stavale to A/C, Marx Layne & Company, Farmington
Hills, Mich. She joined in 2003.
Barb
Jones to senior VP and Brandy
Radey to VP, Schenkein, Denver. Meredith
Stevens has been upped to senior A/E and Zack
Littlefield to A/E.
Patrick
Horgan, former managing director of APCO Worldwide
in China, has been named MD for the firm’s EMEA-Asia
business. He had recently been based in Brussels for the
firm but earlier headed its three China offices and lived
and worked in China since 1989. Tech and telecom are his
specialties.
Yvonne
Koh, who headed public affairs and consumer teams
at Hill & Knowlton Singapore, has been named leader
for Manning Selvage & Lee’s Southeast Asia operations.
That post includes Singapore, her base, Indonesia, Malaysia,
the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.
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Edition, July 23, 2008, Page 7 |
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PRS
CandidateS Respond
(Cont’d
from 1)
Unfortunately
the APR credential is not evenly distributed across districts.
This poses a problem in securing an adequate number of qualified
candidates from each district. This problem can be solved
by making the APR credential less important or making geography
less important. It is my belief that knowledge and motivation
should be more important the geography. This does not mean
that geography should be excluded, merely that it should
be less important.
3.
Have printed as well as online members’ directory?
No. The costs of printing and mailing would far outweigh
the benefits to the small number of people who want a printed
directory. Our resources are better spent improving the
on-line services for members.
4.
Move charter to Delaware which allows electronic meetings?
Face-to-face meetings provide a much richer communication
environment than the linear and time consuming electronic
meeting environment. Electronic meetings work well for small
groups who know each other well. This is not the case for
the large PRSA Assembly. Building community and increased
opportunities for participation are important factors that
might be lost if we switched to electronic meetings.
There
would also be substantial costs involved in creating the
electronic infrastructure for meetings. PRSA does not currently
have such structures in place. This is in addition to the
other additional expenses identified by O’Dwyer. We
already have electronic meetings, such as leadership phone
calls. However our deliberative body, like AICPA, can not
vote electronically.
5.
Remove three-year limit on Assembly service?
There is not a three year limit on Assembly service. The
limit concerns consecutive terms of service. I, for example,
over a period of approximately 20 years served as assembly
delegate 9 times without violating the consecutive term
rule. Generally between 60% and 70% of assembly delegates
each year have prior assembly experience. Having fresh faces
and new voices in the Assembly is important. The mix of
experience and new points of view is good.
6.
Copy governance of ABA, AMA, AICPA (delegates set policy
for board)?
Serving on the by-laws re-write committee, I participated
in a wide ranging comparative study of other association’s
practices. If anyone would review the agendas of assemblies
of the ABA, AMA, and AICPA they would discover that their
focus is on regulating their professions rather than overseeing
the day to day work of the professional staff of the associations.
Their decisions generally focus on issues of professional
practice and public policy. They also meet twice a year
for a least two days per meeting. Since most chapters do
not cover the entire costs of participating in the assembly,
I think it would be difficult to find support for more and
longer meetings.
Involving
the assembly in governing the profession is a good idea.
This would mean more time focusing on issues of ethics and
practice policies and less time on the wording of by-law
amendments. To do this within our current meeting time frame
will require some changes in what the assembly does.
7.
Report conference costs accurately; defer dues income (like
ABA, AMA, etc.)?
Based on my knowledge of staff, how they spend time, and
financial reports from professional staff, I believe that
we do report conference costs accurately. Less than 50%
of revenues comes from membership dues. We could not sustain
the organization if we lost a million dollars a year from
the conference.
PRSA
does defer a portion of dues income like ABA and AMA. We
are required by law to defer those portions of income which
reflect real commitments of services over time (Subscriptions,
for example). There is no accounting standard that mandates
deferring 50% of dues. Both ABA and AMA are much larger
organizations than PRSA and have more resources. Deferring
more income than is required by law poses fewer problems
for those organizations because of their resource base.
PRSA complies with the law and this realistic decision actually
increases the long term financial stability of the organization.
8.
Provide Assembly transcripts as was previous practice?
Having attended as many assemblies as I have, my first response
is to question the sanity of anyone interested in reading
such a transcript. On the other hand, this is also a cost
benefit issue with respect to members and requests for such
transcripts. The benefit was provided for a limited period
of time, 3 years. Given the costs and level of demand the
service is no longer provided.
9.
Tighten bylaws to block return of directors as officers?
There are two important questions relevant to this issue.
The first is do previous directors make bad officers. I
believe the answer to this question is no. The second is
does increasing competition for office decrease interest
in seeking leadership roles. Again I think the answer is
no.
10.
Pass bylaw barring proxy votes?
Allowing proxy votes did not negatively impact on participation
in the 2007 Assembly. If we had meetings of few people casting
many votes it would be a problem. Passing bylaws requires
a 2/3 majority vote.
11.
Open Society website to greater participation by members
and press?
Limiting participation in e-groups actually decreases the
occurrence of irrelevant communication (spam) and increases
the value for participants. E-groups are a membership benefit.
If any member wishes to discuss an issue they have a variety
of ways of engaging with other members and leadership.
12.
Have enforceable Code of Ethics (like U.K. and German PR
groups)? The
claim that German and UK groups have an enforceable code
of ethics is questionable. The German code for example only
allows censure. No one may be removed from membership in
a professional organization, prohibited from joining a professional
organization, or engaging in the practice of public relations
as a result of unethical behavior. In the UK, like it used
to be in PRSA, the code of ethics may only be applied to
members and option of resigning membership makes the code
unenforceable. PRSA’s aspirational code and policies
of speaking out about ethical situations through our advocacy
program has much more potential for advancing the profession
than the old system of enforcement.
13.
Remove bar to O’Dwyer ads in Society publications or
O’Dwyer staffer joining Society?
Anyone practicing public relations should be allowed to
join PRSA. There is no guaranteed right to advertise. Without
knowing the specifics of the advertisements in question,
this question is not answerable.
CANDIDATE VALLBONA RESPONDS
Marisa Vallbona, president
of CIM Incorporated, La Jolla, Calif., chair of the Universal
Accreditation Board in 2007 and a candidate for director
of the PR Society representing the Western district (running
against Donald Kirchoffner), has provided the following
answers to questions posed to her and other candidates by
odwyerpr.com.
1.
Should directors sign a "confidentiality" agreement
at first meeting? I'm willing to sign a confidentiality
agreement if it's asked of me.
2.
Remove APR requirement for national board, nominating committee?
I have always wanted national leaders to hold the APR because
I wanted them to exemplify drive, commitment and dedication
to the profession and PRSA. For me, APR is a symbol of that
commitment. There are highly qualified leaders and practitioners
who don't hold the APR.
As we've seen during this
campaign, PRSA has had challenges finding leaders from various
districts. In districts without candidates, I believe it
would be appropriate to open the field to non-APRs. If the
Assembly votes to decouple, I will follow its wishes.
It doesn't matter that
I was the Universal Accreditation Board chair or that I
am APR.
3.
Have printed as well as online members' directory? I
have found the online information provided to be very efficient
and user friendly. In today's economy and in the effort
to remain environmentally friendly, I think it would be
terribly irresponsible to print a directory.
4.
Move charter to Delaware which allows electronic meetings?
I think this is a good idea in the case of emergency meetings
when the board and/or Assembly can't gather for a meeting
in person.
5.
Remove three-year limit on Assembly service? For
many chapters with challenges finding delegates, removing
the three-year limit is a very good idea. Job responsibilities
and family obligations eliminate too many qualified delegates.
6.
Copy governance of ABA, AMA, AICPA (delegates set policy
for board)? Our profession has long sought to be
on par with others in terms of how we're viewed. I don't
know enough about how the PRSA board is run because I haven't
sat on it so I can't speak to whether governance should
be changed or not.
However, I have served
as an Assembly Delegate for the San Diego chapter two terms
(of six years) and believe that the Assembly does have a
voice and is heard.
If the Assembly feels
it's important to copy governance of the ABA, AMA and AICPA,
delegates can propose it and make it happen.
I currently sit on the
Volunteer Leadership Development Task Force, born from the
2007 Assembly. The national board of directors fully supports
the group. The Assembly does have power. I have seen first-hand
how it works.
If the Assembly wants
something to happen, it can gather a group, build solid
consensus, present a valid case, and get the majority to
vote on it.
7.
Report conference costs accurately; defer dues income (like
ABA, AMA, etc.)? Of course, all costs should always
be reported accurately. Transparency is crucial!
8.
Provide Assembly transcripts as was previous practice?
I'm not sure why PRSA doesn't provide Assembly transcripts,
so without knowing the reason, I can't answer to this.
9.
Tighten bylaws to block return of directors as officers?
I disagree with this because there are some directors who
are extremely valuable to the board and provide energy,
insight and contribute a great deal to PRSA. It would be
a shame to lose them because of a bylaw.
10. Pass bylaw barring proxy
votes?
11. Open Society website
to greater participation by members and press?
12.
Have enforceable Code of Ethics (like U.K. and German PR
groups)? Several years ago, PRSA held focus groups
at one of its international conferences to study how we
can improve the Code of Ethics and make it enforceable.
The result of the focus groups is the current Code of Ethics.
Members spoke up and said they wanted a less detailed Code
of Ethics and that's what PRSA delivered to them.
For decades, PRSA struggled
with the fact that our Code is difficult to enforce.
One could argue that a
less enforceable Code defeats the purpose of having a Code.
As Ethics Officer for the San Diego Chapter for several
years, I encountered a difficult situation involving a colleague
who complied as soon as I pointed out the ethics violation.
As long as chapters stay
on top of the Code, keep an involved Ethics Officer and
encourage their members to tap that Officer for advice and
guidance, ethics violations should be kept to a minimum.
13.
Remove bar to O'Dwyer ads in Society publications or O'Dwyer
staffer joining Society? Each organization reserves
the right to decline ads from advertisers, decline income,
and refuse membership from individuals. Refusing the ads
and membership doesn't necessarily make it right, and I
know Jack O'Dwyer and the O'Dwyer staff are being treated
unfairly.
I'm certain PRSA has its
reasons for the decisions just as Jack O'Dwyer has his reasons
for the decisions he makes with respect to what he publishes.
There are two sides to every story.
Without having been an
active participant in what causes the decisions by the Society,
it would be irresponsible of me to give an opinion.
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Page 8
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PR OPINION/ITEMS
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Four
of the 22 candidates for the PR Society national board
have expressed their opinions on 13 issues facing PRS (page
7 for the latest two) and several others have promised to
do so.
It’s
not a great turnout but useful. For one thing, it breaks
the “wall of silence” the Society tries to erect
against us. An information society depends on “dialogue,
discourse and debate,” says Horst Avenarius, chair
of the German Council for PR. Americans should not have
to take lessons in PR from another country.
Based
on these early returns, candidates are showing little sentiment
for removing the APR rule for national office.
Candidate
Don Kirchoffner is for dropping the rule but the other three
(Vincent Hazelton, Marisa Vallbona and Gary McCormick) would
either leave the decision to the Assembly or reduce the
ten districts, thus lessening the role of “geography”
in determining who can be on the national board.
On
the second most important issue before leadership, the possible
return of the printed directory of members, all four are
against it. They either say that online is more up-to-date
and just as good as the printed directory, or that the printed
directory is just too costly to produce.
We’re
still heartbroken over the loss of the directory because
it was such a great research tool for us. It allowed
us to compare one year with another, for instance, and do
lots of other research that is impossible with the online
directory. Looking up members was quick and easy. About
5,000 names are lost forever each year as members fail to
renew. Besides member listings, there were also 200 pages
of other useful materials. O’Dwyer staffers and all
reporters are barred from joining PRS or accessing the member
database so we can’t even use online. We have to ask
members to look up items for us. In contrast, a more liberal-leaning
Society in 2003 gave out 150 copies to the press as a goodwill
gesture.
The directory, a publication
of 50 years standing, was killed in the dark of night. There
was no trial, no weighing of evidence, just an execution
and no wake or funeral. No discussion was allowed on the
PRS website, Tactics & Strategist, nor in the
Assembly.
To
plug this gap, the O’Dwyer Co. is offering prizes of
$500 each for two essays, one that argues the best
for return of the directory and one that argues for online-only.
The 500-word essays (one NL column) will be carried in this
NL and on odwyerpr.com
and must be signed. Deadline: Aug. 8.
Contestants who don’t
have access to this site will be given temporary codes.
They also need codes to the PRS site.
The key question of affordability
needs to be addressed against the fact that PRS has about
$4.9 million in cash on hand and that it describes its financial
situation as satisfactory. We can send the full audit to
anyone who wishes it. Travel/meals/hotels spending was $571,062
in 2007, second highest ever. The 2007 national conference
is said to have made a profit of $569,901. Staff costs on
the conference are reported as $240,039 or 4.67% of total
staff costs of $5,135,245.
An odwyerpr.com
poll on this issue found respondents voting nearly 6-1 in
favor of bringing back the directory and dropping the annual
conference. Almost every PRS leader we talk to favors online-only
while almost every rank-and-file member wants the directory
back.
Gil
Schwartz of the CBS PR staff has attacked CBS-TV’s
Andrew Cohen for critical comments Cohen made about
PR in response to PRS CEO Jeff Julin saying that PR pros
have a code that forbids anything but the “highest
standards of accuracy and truth.” Cohen said this was
like the “Burglars Assn.” having a code against
stealing. Schwartz says that PR pros, “in general,
only lie when we are lied to by our clients.
These are what may be
referred to as ‘secondary lies,’ which are far
less odious, I believe than the primary lies told by the
really big prevaricators-- hedge fund brokers, allegedly
of course; journalists in pursuit of a story; show business
agents, and other lawyers and politicians, plus realtors.”
We don’t think the PR biz can accept lies being told
on a “secondary basis” even as a matter of whimsy…the
5 p.m., Friday July 18 deadline for candidates for the board
of PRS from Tri-State passed without any showing up on the
PRS website. The current rep, Francis Onofrio of Bethany,
Conn., has yet to address his district. Members say that
when they ask him a question, he refers them to CEO Jeff
Julin as the “only spokesperson”…failure
of anyone to show up from New York is evidence of
a “red state/blue state” political divide at PRS—conservatives
vs. liberals. The blue staters don’t want anything
to do with the red staters who dominate PRS. Blue staters
who have been on the board feel they have been treated as
pariahs. They also don’t agree with the red state policies…PR
profs are angry at the $700 “early bird”
fee for the conference in Detroit Oct. 25-28, saying it’s
70% higher than two years ago and 100% higher than three
years ago. It doesn’t include the opening night party,
any meals or any networking events. Educators Academy says
the fees seem “meant to further drive us from the organization.”
This is an odd claim since nine educators are seeking national
office this year (7/16 NL)…PRS
candidates need to have the wording of the “confidentiality”
agreement they will be forced to sign should they get elected
to the board. The wording should be public record. New directors
will be giving up their right of free speech…former
directors say that 15-20 hours a week is required
for the PRS board and not the 4-5 hours described in a leadership
teleconference earlier this year…highly
suspicious is PRS switching from “Big Four”
CPA firms such as Ernst & Young and Deloitte & Touche
to small firms such as Sobel & Co. and PKF (currently).
Sources say D&T quit in 1999 because it disagreed with
the PRS presentation of its numbers.
--Jack O'Dwyer
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