ARMY CITES URGENCY IN NO-BID PR PACT

The U.S. Army said in late February that it would award a four-month bridge contract without competition to PR contractor Lincoln Group in Iraq because of “unusual and compelling urgency,” according to a procurement document, as elections took place on March 7.

Lincoln Group, which has changed leadership over the past few years, now does business as Fulcra Worldwide but has handled Iraq PR work since the U.S. invasion in 2003, when the firm was known as Iraqex. It has also worked with the military in Afghanistan.

Fulcra supports various strategic communications tasks for the U.S. military in Iraq, including media monitoring and PR consulting. The value of the latest pact is not known.

“The need for this requirement remains critical and a lapse in service would be severely detrimental to the Strategic Communications Division mission during the critical time period following Iraqi elections due to be held on March 7, 2010,” reads a procurement document from the Pentagon.

A contracting official could not be reached about the value of the add-on contract.

The Army said Fulcra’s contract is set to expire on March 22 and a four-month bridge contract is required to avoid interruption of service.

It had initially planned a competitive proposal process, but Fulcra claimed proprietary rights to information and processes that would have been turned over to the winning firm (whether or not it was the incumbent, Fulcra).

A new RFP is being worked out to include the need to develop a database or purchase the current database from Fulcra.

GM CHIEF BRINGS IN TRUSTED PR HAND

PR executive Selim Bingol will be re-joining his former AT&T boss Ed Whitacre, now head of GM, as VP of communications for the car maker.

Bingol has been a senior VP of corporate communications at Fleishman-Hillard and took up the GM slot on March 8 as it’s vacated by Chris Preuss, who has been named a VP of the company and president of its OnStar division.

The 49-year-old Bingol joined F-H from AT&T, where he was senior VP of corporate communications under Whitacre.

Whitacre, who was chosen to lead GM out of bankruptcy in 2009, said in a statement that Bingol has his “trust and respect.”

He was earlier a VP at SBC Communications.

MINUS SIGNS DOT PR FIRM RANKINGS

Eight of the ten largest O’Dwyer-ranked independent PR firms were in the minus column for 2009. Also reporting negative years were 15 of the top 25 and 32 of the top 50.

Edelman, by far the largest PR firm, only had a 2% dip to $440M from $449M in 2008.

The only firms on the positive side in the top 10 were Allison & Partners, San Francisco, a generalist firm, which grew 12% to $14.6M, and Cooney/Waters Group, New York, specializing in healthcare PR, which grew 18% to $12.3M.

A total of 128 independent firms took part in the rankings, which was a decline from the 157 that took part last year.

Total revenues of PR firms in this year’s ranking is $1,210,033,688.

Last year, which was also a difficult year for many PR firms, saw 50 firms drop off the list rather than report their numbers. A number of firms similarly decided to duck the rankings this year rather than report declines. Newsletter editor Jack O'Dwyer said the firms that reported their figures, whether up or down, have done credit to themselves and the industry.

They will be in the 12 specialist categories (healthcare, tech, financial, etc.) that are ranked, he noted.

Nine major firms that were in last year's rankings, all of them members of the Council of PR Firms, were not allowed in this year rankings because attempts to sell them O’Dwyer website licenses to replace their one or two O’Dwyer subscriptions were unsuccessful.

O’Dwyer said he doubts that only one or two people in these firms are accessing the website as dictated by the website contract terms.

The nine firms had 2008 fees of $223 million, employed 1,486 PR people, and paid $112,000 in dues to the Council of PR Firms. But they only had a total of eleven $295 O’Dwyer subscriptions.

Waggener Edstrom, with $119 million in fees in 2008 and 843 employees, has one subscription, O'Dwyer noted.

“None of the principals of these firms will meet with us or even talk to us on the phone so we have concluded they don't have the right to call themselves PR firms since PR means debate, discussion and dialogue,” said O’Dwyer.

Full Table of PR Firms Ranked by 2009 Revenue is inside on page 7.

CALIFORNIA REVIEWS $4M AUTO PR PACT

California’s state-run consumer protection entity focused on the automotive sector is reviewing its $4M public outreach account, including PR and advertising, with an RFP through April.

The Bureau of Automotive Repair, set up in 1972 to protect drivers in the car-loving Golden State, runs campaigns on emissions – Drive Healthy and Smog Check are two such programs – as well as consumer rights and responsibilities when it comes to auto repair.

The RFP, issued on March 1, sets an April 1 deadline for proposals. A one-year contract is planned with two options that could stretch it to three years and $12M.

The state agency wants pitches for advertising, PR and marketing. To pitch, firms must have at least $2M in gross annual billings in California and have an office within 60 miles of Sacramento.

Download the RFP at odwyerpr.com/rfps.

CONE EXITS CONE

Carol Cone, who founded and led Cone for nearly 30 years, will leave the Omnicom-owned firm at the end of March.

The cause marketing pioneer is stepping down to “pursue new interests,” the firm said in a statement.

Cone, who has been chairman of the firm for the last five years, said in a post on her personal blog that following and meeting the Dalai Lama at a conference last year inspired her to pursue ventures in social issues.

“I will be developing social issues related programming for big and small screens, will counsel new clients, industry trade groups and organizations and continue speaking to audiences around the world,” she said.

Cone also noted that she’ll work on finishing her first book due in September, “Breakthrough Nonprofit Brands,” with three co-authors.

Jens Bang, a veteran of Rockport, Reebok and Nordica, has been Cone president and CEO since 2005.

EDELMAN SNAGS H&K HEAVYWEIGHT

Edelman has recruited Michelle Hutton, CEO of Hill & Knowlton’s Australasia operation, to head operations in Australia. She moves to Edelman on June 1.

Hutton, a 15-year veteran of H&K, was responsible for tripling of the WPP unit’s Australia business during the six years of her leadership. She worked with blue-chip clients such as Ford, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Sony Ericsson, Coca-Cola, Unilever and Canon.

Hutton is taking over for Amanda Little, who was managing director/Australia. Looking for more time to spend with her family, Little will now launch a sustainability practice in Australia.

Edelman also has hired Alexandra Kelly for the general manager/Sydney slot. Kelly joins from Weber Shandwick, where she headed client services for Australia. The consumer marketing pro has repped Nestle, Johnson & Johnson, Unilever, Singapore Airlines and Olympus Imaging.

Alan VanderMolen is president of Edelman/Asia Pacific.

H&K RIDES ‘BULLET TRAINS’ ACCOUNT

Hill & Knowlton is repping the US High Speed Rail Assn., a non-profit that advocates for construction of a 17K-mile state-of-the-art “bullet train” network by 2030, to spur economic development, create green jobs and reduce dependence of foreign oil.

A national high-speed network would result in 30M fewer car trips and a cut in 500K plane flights each year, according to the Clean Air Policy and the Center for Neighborhood Technology.

The Obama Administration has allocated $8B for high-speed rail, including a $1.25B grant for Florida to connect Tampa with Orlando in phase one of a plan that ultimately will link Miami to the network.

The Sunshine State’s Dept. of Transportation unveiled details of its plan and procurement procedures March 4/5 at a USHSRA conference set for Orlando.

H&K sponsored that event that included executives from Bechtel, Bombardier, Shaw Group, Fluor, Sumitomo, Siemens, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon and others. H&K’s transportation expertise is led by vice chair Norm Mineta, ex-Congressman and Sec. of Transportation. Michael Kehs, head of H&K/D.C. and U.S. PA chief, calls high speed rail a “catalyst for solutions” like economic development, reducing traffic congestion and greenhouse gas emissions.

CAPLAN WORKS HAITI RELIEF

Caplan Communications handles the Lambi Fund of Haiti, a non-profit chaired by Marie Marthe Saint Cyr, who held a Capitol Hill briefing last week on relief efforts.

The Lambi Fund is one of a handful of organizations that is focusing relief effort beyond Haiti’s capital of Port-au-Prince.

Many of those rural communities have been destroyed, but received a fraction of the media attention that has been devoted to Port-au-Prince. Compounding the problem is a massive exodus to the countryside, which lacks an adequate infrastructure.

Saint Cyr, who lost five family members to the earthquake, left for Haiti on March 8 and will provide real-time reports via satellite phone of the rural devastation and the effort to distribute supplies and cash payments for food, cooking oil and medical aid.

Aric Caplan heads the firm in Rockville, Md.

APCO ADDS ISSUES PRO

APCO Worldwide has hired Lisa Carr, co-founder of Nine Dot Strategies, as VP in its issues management group. The D.C. firm hired Jennifer Swint, Nine Dot’s other founder last month.

Carr has 15 years of experience, working with companies, coalitions and non-profit groups.

Prior to Nine Dot, she was with Swint at Atlantic Media Co., parent of National Journal, The Atlantic and Government Executive. Swint served as president of Atlantic Live, which manages special events and explores brand-extension opportunities. Carr was chief of staff. The duo also worked at Powell Tate|Weber Shandwick.

PUBLISHERS PROMOTE POWER OF MAGS

Conde Nast, Hearst, Time Inc., Meredith and Wenner Media slate a marketing campaign themed “Magazines, The Power of Print” to kick off in 100 titles beginning next month to promote the vitality of magazines to advertisers, shareholders, influencers and consumers.

The titles include food, shelter, sports, entertainment, fashion and news magazines that reach a combined audience of more than 110M readers a month. The effort runs through the rest of the year.

WPP’s Y&R created the color spread ads that will carry headlines such as as “We Surf the Internet. We Swim in Magazines” and “Will the Internet Kill Magazines? Did Instant Coffee Kill Coffee.”

The effort, backed by the Magazine Publishers of America, wants to “challenge misperceptions about the medium's relevancy and longevity, and reinforce magazines' important cultural role,” according to the kick-off announcement.

The campaign will make its point by playing up rising readership numbers (up 4.3 percent during the past five years), strong penetration of the vital 18-34 aged market and high “ad recall.”

Cathie Black, president of Hearst Magazines, calls magazines the “most cost effective and consistent mediam at both ends of the purchase funnel.

They drive consumer attitudes and intended behavior more effectively and efficiently than viewing TV advertising alone, or when TV is combined with online advertising.”

Ann Moore, CEO of Time Inc., wants to “change the conversation about magazines and share what we in the business know to be true: magazines are relevant, play an important role in society and have a strong future ahead.”

DOW JONES BUYS OUT HEARST

Dow Jones has bought out Hearst Corp., its former 50 percent partner in Smart Money, the Wall Street Journal magazine that was launched in 1992. The franchise includes the SmartMoney.com and a custom publishing operation.

Todd Larsen, president of Dow Jones, considers Smart Money a “natural fit” with Dow Jones.

Larsen believes many people in the tough economy will look to the magazine for “long-term guidance on managing a variety of personal finance issues.”

Smart Money also covers technology, automotive and lifestyle tops in the areas of travel, fashion and wine.

Taps Chief Comms. Officer

Bethany Sherman, senior VP for corporate comms. for Nasdaq OMX Group, is slated to join Dow Jones & Co. as its chief communications officer at the end of the month.

Sherman has been with Nasdaq for the past eight years guiding global comms. and reputation management, including during the $3.7 billion acquisition of Sweden-based OMX, which closed in 2008. She was previously at Middleberg Euro RSCG, where she was chief client officer.

At DJ, she’ll oversee PR, media relations and internal communications for the News Corporation unit. She reports to CEO Les Hinton, who noted in a statement that the “story of Dow Jones at the vanguard of the news business in the digital age is only beginning to be told.”

SMITH TAKES ‘WEEK IN REVIEW’ ED SLOT

Sam Tanenhaus is handing over the editor job of the New York Times’ “Week in Review” to his deputy Dave Smith.

Tanenhaus will continue editing the “Book Review” and will contribute pieces to the Times’ “Arts & Leisure” section.

Bill Keller, NYT’s executive editor, lauded Tanenhaus for “writing enough sage prose of his own to fill one book, grace an acre or so of newsprint in our own paper, and lend a little intellectual heft to a few other publications.”

Smith has been at the Week in Review for the past seven years, serving as assistant and deputy editor. He joined the NYT as a copy editor in sports.

FT TAPS TETT FOR U.S.

The Financial Times has tapped Gillian Tett as U.S. managing editor in charge of both print and online editions. The current assistant editor responsible for the paper's markets coverage will move to New York to assume her new duties on Sept. 1.

Tett takes over for Chrystia Freeland, who is shifting to Thomson Reuters. She joined the FT in ’93 and has worked as capital markets editor, deputy editor of the Lex column, Tokyo bureau chief, economics editor and reporter in Russia and Belgium.

Tett is author of “Fool’s Gold: How Unrestrained Greed Corrupted a Dream, Shattered Global Markets and Unleashed a Catastrophe.”

Lionel Barber, editor of FT, believes Tett is “ideally placed to lead the next phase of FT’s editorial development in the U.S.” She is to "play an important ambassadorial role in the region and strengthen our growing influence in the North American market," according to Barber’s statement.

Freeland reported from London and Moscow before moving to the U.S. in 2006.

FT has a daily circulation of 400K. Its website has more than 1.8M registered users.

DENNY’S PULLS IRISH FAMINE AD

Denny’s has pulled an ad that promotes offer of free refills of french fries and pancakes through the end of the month in “celebration” of end of the Irish Famine.

The ad said Denny’s promotion was honoring the 150th anniversary of the end of the Great Hunger that was triggered by potato blight and intensified by British misrule and land policies.

Denny’s has received a ton of protests and calls of boycott over the spot that was created by Goodby Silverstein & Partners.

Hill & Knowlton is distributing Denny’s apology. It reads: “Denny’s has a history of using humor in its television advertising. It is certainly not the intention of the company to offend anyone or any group and we apologize if this spot has in any way.”

(Media news continued on next page)

PUSH TO SUSPEND CLIMATE LAW GETS PR

Goddard Claussen has been hired by a push to suspend California’s ground-breaking climate change law, which is being targeted by Republican lawmakers and conservative groups, as well as, according to one report, at least two Texas-based oil refiners.

California’s 2006 law, A.B. 32 or the Global Warming Solutions Act, is aimed at air pollution and mandates stringent greenhouse gas cuts by 2020.

Critics say the measure will cost the state jobs by placing tough new regulations on business in a struggling economy. That opposition has organized as “Suspend AB 32” and is gathering signatures (they need 435K) to put suspension of the law on the November ballot in the Golden State.

GC is based in Sacramento and is best know for the “Harry and Louise” ad campaign that helped derail healthcare reform during the Clinton administration.

The Los Angeles Times reported that Attorney General Jerry Brown – a Democratic candidate to succeed Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who signed the law – has oversight over the official wording of any ballot initiative. The Times said his office discarded the “jobs initiative” title of the proposed measure in favor of the title “Suspends Air Pollution Control Laws Requiring Major Polluters to Report and Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions That Cause Global Warming Until Unemployment Drops Below Specified Level for Full Year.”

ClimateWire, citing unnamed sources, said two San Antonio-based oil refiners – Valero Energy Corp. and Tesoro Corp. – are the funders of the ballot initiative.

Steven Maviglio, who heads public affairs firm Forza Communications and was communications director for ex-Gov. Gray Davis, is helping to defend the law.

QUINN GILLESPIE COVERS KILLINGER

Quinn Gillespie has signed on as D.C. representative for Kerry Killinger, the ousted chief of Washington Mutual, which collapsed under his watch from a portfolio of toxic mortgages.

Killinger was removed as WAMU chairman in June 2008 and CEO in early September. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. seized WaMu’s assets in late September and then sold to JPMorgan Chase.

Via an e-mail to Seattle Times, Killinger expressed sorrow for the downfall of the bank. “The impact of the takeover of Washington Mutual was a devastating occurrence for everyone affected including the employees, shareholders and communities in which Washington Mutual did business; and I am exceedingly sorrowful at the personal toll it has taken on all of the employees,” he wrote in an e-mail. Killinger pledged to work one-on-one to help former WaMu staffers to find new jobs.

Quinn Gillespie stands ready to support Killinger on issues related to any Congressional probe of the financial crisis and bank failures.

Jack Quinn, President Bill Clinton’s former counsel and Vice President Al Gore’s chief of staff, leads the effort.

Quinn Gillespie was hired by Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, Killinger’s law firm.

CALIF. WATER ENTITY SEEKS PR HELP

The public water agency for a 200-mile swath of Los Angeles and Ventura Counties in California has an RFP out for its six-figure PR account.

The Castaic Lake Water Agency, the water wholesaler for the Santa Clarita Valley, wants to hear pitches through March 18 to enhance its reputation as “water champions” for the region.

It maintains a presence at events like Emergency Expo, and the Lexus of Valencia Jazz and Blues Concert Series, uses social media like Facebook, and hosts an open house during Water Awareness Month each year.

But the RFP says that when people hear the CLWA in the news it’s usually regarding water shortage threats or rate increases. “The residents don’t always connect the good work that the employees do through the Valley with the organization they see in the news,” reads a copy of the RFP.

PR Consulting budget for 2009-2010 is listed at $220K. It spent $241K last year.

O’Rorke PR, Los Angeles, is the incumbent and was invited to participate.

The water agency said in the RFP that it wants a firm to produce a “redefined” outreach program emphasizing the “social marketing of a water use efficiency theme” in 2010.

Download the RFP at odwyerpr.com/rfps.

MGP REPS DETROIT’S EMBATTLED EX-MAYOR

Kwame Kilpatrick, Detroit’s embattled former Mayor, has reached out to MGP & Assocs. PR as his legal woes mount.

After resigning in September 2008, Kilpatrick spent 99 days in jail for perjury and other charges and agreed to pay Detroit $1M in restitution over five years. Kilpatrick is currently battling charges that he violated probation.

Kilpatrick failed to make a nearly $80K restitution payment last month, and prosecutors say that he has been untruthful about his personal finances, according to an Associated Press report. Another $240K payment is scheduled for April.

MGP president Mike Paul told O’Dwyer’s that he was personally contacted by Kilpatrick for PR help. The firm is providing Kilpatrick with “strategic reputation management counsel, national media relations, crisis PR and litigation support,” according to Paul.

STANTON HANDLES BAIN’S DOW DEAL

Stanton Public Relations & Marketing handled Bain Capital Partners’ successful $1.6B bid for Dow Chemical’s Styron plastics business.

Styron provides chemicals and plastics to the automotive, appliances and packages sectors. Its 1,900 workers chalked up sales of nearly $4B in `09.

The Midland, Mich.-based giant has an option to take a 15 percent stake in Styron. The Wall Street Journal noted that stake could be “beneficial if Bain decides to publicly offer Styron.” The partners also signed $400M worth of supply and service agreements.

Dow had ’09 revenues of $45B. Bain has $65B in assets under management. Alex Stanton heads SPR&M.

BIZ SCHOOL WANTS TO BUILD PROFILE

Arizona State’s W.P. Carey School of Business, one of the largest biz schools in the U.S., wants PR help in being viewed as a “top-of-mind, top-tier” institution nationally, according to an RFP for PR services open this month.

The 56-year-old school, which serves 1,900 graduate and 8,900 undergraduate students, wants to build its “brand” among faculty and administrators at other business schools, as well.

Debbie Freeman, communications manager for the school, told O'Dwyer's that it does not currently work with a firm.

The PR work will not include local and state media coverage, which the school sees as adequate. The PR RFP is one of three being issued by the institution – the other two cover media buying/planning and search engine marketing.

A one-year contract with four option years is planned. Pitches are due March 31.
The school was renamed after New York investment banker William Polk Cary in 2003.

Download the RFP at odwyerpr.com/rfps.

SORRELL SEES ‘STABILITY’

WPP CEO Martin Sorrell has updated his "less worse" economic forecast to an outlook that sees "stabilization, if not growth, as yet" as the Dublin-headquartered company closes its financial books on 2009.

WPP saw "like-to-like" revenue drop 8.1 percent, though overall revenues advanced 16 percent to $13B, powered by the acquisition of Taylor Nelson Sofres. Pre-tax profit dropped 11.3 percent to $994M.

WPP’s PR and PA units showed steady improvement during 2009. Led by Burson-Marsteller and Hill & Knowlton, PR registered a 6.7 percent like-to-like revenue drop during the second-half compared to an 8.2 percent decline in the first part of the year.

PR/PA closed out the final quarter down less than five percent. Operating margins fell by 1.2 percent as "action was taken to reduce costs, with average headcount down significantly." There were 98,759 WPP employees at yearend `09, a number down 12.3 percent from the year ago period.

WPP predicts 2010 to be a "more stable year." It has budgeted for growth for the second- quarter, the first time that it has done so in six quarters.

WPP expects full-year results to be bolstered by the Vancouver Olympics, Asian Games in Guangzhou, FIFA World Cup in South Africa and the World Expo in Shanghai. The U.S. Congressional elections also will kick in a percentage point to industry growth.

Briefs: Nearly twice as many companies on the Fortune Global 100 list have active Twitter accounts than corporate blogs – 65% vs. 33% -- according to Burson-Marsteller’s “Social Media Check-up” among the Fortune list. Full story at odwyerpr.com. ...The three-year-old, $3 billion Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas has suspended an RFP process for its six-figure PR account after proposals were submitted by firms, citing budget constraints.

CISION SELLS GERMAN BIZ

Cision said it has inked a deal to unload most of its German business to Infopag International, a media monitoring and analysis company, for about $4M in cash and other considerations.

The deal, expected to close at the end of March, includes Euro 2.85M in cash ($3.9M) due on Sept. 30, 2012, as well as restructuring costs of Euro 250K ($339K) and a loan of $2.7M to be paid back by June 2011.

Cision said it will retain its current German customers of its CisionPoint PR software as well as its five-person sales force in the market.

Revenue of its German business in 2009 was EUR 18M, Cision said, but operating loss was EUR 1.6M, excluding restructuring costs.

The company said media monitoring services will be provided to Cision customers through Internet sources, electronic feeds from aggregators, and a reseller agreement with Infopaq.

Cision last month reported a 35% slide in fourth quarter revenue, down 17% for all of 2009. It has been divesting businesses in Europe and Scandinavia as part of an ongoing cost-cutting plan.

Wins Canadian Account

Cision won a $37K pact this month to handle media monitoring for Nova Scotia Liquor Corp., the state-run sole distributor for alcoholic beverages in that province. Annual sales top $500M.

The state-run company, which is active in social media like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, issued an RFP in February to track "all platforms" of media.

PITCHENGINE PREPS SERVICE

PitchEngine, an online PR distribution platform, said it has partnered with tech news/social media site Technorati and media contacts database MyMediaInfo to develop new components for the forthcoming "Pitch Platform" service.

Jason Kintzler, founder and CEO of PitchEngine, said the service will aim to cut down on blanket pitching of releases. "It used to be acceptable to just blindly send press releases to media, but these days there's just too much junk out there," he said.

Pitch Platform will incorporate Technorati List, a blog outreach service, while MyMediaInfo users will have access to the Pitch platform to receive content.

PE said media will be able to follow and filter only they desire via the new service. They can interact privately, one-to-one with the content creator via the platform and can also pitch story needs to brands and organizations from within the same categories of interest.

BRIEFS: D S Simon Productions has partnered with web/video conference provider BeaconLive to allow the New York-based digital and broadcast company to play its videos during PR presentations. President Doug Simon, a frequent speaker and presenter in the PR sector, called the BeaconLive service the best he's seen for incorporating video content into live meetings and presentations.

O’Dwyer’s Ranking of Independent PR Firms With Major U.S. Operations

Click here for ranking.

We finally smoked someone out at Waggener Edstrom.

I guess calling them “cheapskates” got under the skin of VP/marketing and CC Kent Hollenbeck.

What else would you call a “PR” firm that had revenues of $119 million in 2008 and 843 employees but could afford only one $249 subscription to us?

Hollenbeck’s March 1 blog linked to gawker.com where former PR Week reporter Hamilton Nolan huffed that we were “on crack, ethically speaking.”

That pleased Hollenbeck no end.

We asked Wagged to pay $10K for an odwyerpr.com website license so all its employees can legally access the site.

This is a pitiful sum compared to the $40K Wagged pays to the Council of PR Firms each year not to mention tens of thousands of dollars for the PR Week awards banquet for sponsorships and tables.

Wagged is one of the $15K sponsors of the PRW banquet this Thursday.

What the firm does is give lots of money to the PRW and CPRF and the publicity to us.

That sort of thing helped to kill our old newspaper, the New York Journal American. It got the press releases while TV got the ads.

We had been giving Wagged No. 2 ranking on our list of PR firms but it doesn’t act like a PR firm so we’re removing it. Unlike Wagged execs, ranked PR firm principals talk to us and let all their employees access our website. They’re not afraid of knowledge.

We regard Wagged’s harsh attitude to reporters (PRW apparently excepted) to be the antithesis of PR.

Seattle Times columnist Jonathan Martin was ordered by a Wagged employee last October not to use her name or suffer being called “inaccurate.”

Hollenbeck Likes PRW Ranking

What got under our skin is Hollenbeck saying that it is “taking part in other industry rankings that do not require payment…”

There is only one other such ranking and that is PRW’s which requires no tax documents, no account lists and which allows corporate issue ad commissions up to 10% of revenues.

PRW does not collect any revenue totals for specialties such as healthcare, tech, financial, beauty/fashion, food, etc., which is where the PR counseling industry has been for at least a decade. The O’Dwyer specialty PR rankings are the only such rankings on Google.

Our rankings require top pages of corp. income tax returns, W-3s showing total payroll, account lists and other substantiation.

Since Hollenbeck is so effusive in his support of PRW, saying Wagged has advertised in it, we will point out that PRW’s annual Contact directory of data on PR firms, corporations and assns. no longer has any price on it. That price used to be $249.

For years PRW gave away this $249 directory as part of the $198 subscription to PRW in violation of a USPS periodicals rule that says a premium may be no more than 60% of the cover price of the publication.

We took Contact and the PRW subscription offers to the USPS a couple of years ago. The result is Contact only being sold as part of a PRW subscription with no price on it.

Also getting under our skin is Hollenbeck’s statement that Wagged “supports the industry” (in reference to our pleas for PR firms and others to support the rapidly vanishing PR trade media).

If Wagged is so supportive of the trade media then why have seven PR publications disappeared since 1998, the year that the CPRF and PRW were born?

PR Reporter and PR Quarterly both died in their 50th years. Also no longer published are Reputation Management mag and Inside PR NL of Paul Holmes (Inside PR continues as a website), and PR Intelligencer Report and PR Journal of Ragan Communications and the weekly Ragan Report (which continues online).

The weekly PR Reporter carried lots of research reports, many of them written by Boston University grad students. We always read it and got good stuff out of it.

PRQ carried thoughtful pieces by PR professors and PR pros. Its articles were the second most copied by NANA (PR Society) for its information packet business (after O’Dwyer articles). Where were Wagged and all the other big PR firms when these publications were dying?

The ad rep for PRQ told us he pounded on the doors of the big shops for years to no avail. The only ad PRQ ever got was from North American Precis Syndicate. PRQ’s circulation was a pitiful 900.

What happened in 1998 was that a bunch of big firms got together and decided there was only going to be one dominant PR publication in the U.S.—PRW. Millions were thrown into it and other publications put on a starvation diet.

However, after ten years here, PRW’s average paid and requested circulation to Oct. 1, 2009 was 6,155, said its USPS statement in its November 2009 issue. This is a small fraction of the 250,000+ PR people in the U.S. according to the U.S. government statistics.

Total average press run was 9,659 with an average of 1,814 being distributed free and an average of 1,670 copies not distributed at all. What a waste of paper!

It reminds of us another waste—the 20,000 printed copies of NANA’s Tactics and Strategist still being distributed when they should be PDFs. NANA, contradictorily, killed the infinitely more useful annual directory of members, saying it wasted too much paper and postage.

NANA’s two print publications make it almost impossible for any other PR print publication to thrive since NANA’s 20,000 members won’t subscribe to anything else.

PRW publisher Haymarket, which worked closely with NANA when it brought PRW here (using NANA’s membership list for initial circulation), should not have agreed to come unless NANA agreed to stop publishing T&S.

O’Dwyer Ranking Loaded with Minus Signs

The O’Dwyer ranking of PR firms, published in this issue, is loaded with minus signs.

We salute the firms that reported no matter what their results were. This increases the credibility of the PR counseling industry.

Not on the list are nine members of the Council of PR Firms who think they can cheap out on us and still be in our rankings.

The nine, topped off by Wagged, paid about $112,000 in CPRF dues last year for their $223 million in U.S. revenues (dues are .65% of revenues to a max of $40K).

For their total of 1,486 employees they took exactly 11 O’Dwyer subscriptions at $295 each. They accuse us of “selling” the rankings and we accuse them of terminal tightness. We are using the rankings as a club to get these tightwads to cough up their fair share of compiling the rankings and hosting them on odwyerpr.com. Some CEOs ask why should they get an O’Dwyer site license when only one person in the firm (them) sees the website.

Such stinginess with information as well as money disqualifies them to be called “PR” firms.

--Jack O'Dwyer