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O'Dwyer's Newsletter - May 21, 2012 - Vol. 45 - No. 21 (download PDF version)

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PUSH FOR ENERGY EFFICIENCY SEEKS PR

A global energy efficiency consortium backed by countries and entities like the U.S., Japan, Australia and World Bank wants a firm to develop a communications strategy for promoting more energy efficient products.

A new energy label for products in the European Union.

The Washington, D.C.-based Collaborative Labeling and Appliance Standards Program, known as CLASP, opened an RFP through June 1.

The effort is known as SEAD - super-efficient equipment and appliance deployment and aims to reduce energy consumption and emissions by lowering energy used by everything from refrigerators and televisions to power transformers. CLASP wants a PR strategy and implementation plan to increase SEAD's impact and boost participation, as well as reaffirm commitments from current collaborations. Outreach to supporters, stakeholders and media should be included. PR, messaging, media relations, event promotion and social media are to be incorporated into the plan.

Members of the SEAD initiative include Australia, Brazil, Canada, European Commission, France, Germany, India, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Russia, South Africa, Sweden, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, and United States. China is an "observer."

Proposals are due May 31. RFP: clasponline.com.

GOODMAN REPS SAVERIN

Goodman Media International represents Eduardo Saverin, the Facebook co-founder who renounced his U.S. citizenship ahead of the social network company's initial public offering expected this week.

Tom Goodman told O'Dwyer's he was introduced to Saverin at the time of the debut of The Social Network, the film about the launch of Facebook.

Born in Brazil, the 30-year-old Saverin became an American citizen in 1998. He's now a citizen of Singapore, where he has lived for the past two years.

That city-state has no capital gains tax and a maximum 20 percent personal income tax rate.

Saverin denies charges that he is dodging U.S. taxes. Sens. Chuck Schumer and Bob Casey held a press conference on May 17 to outline a bill to bar Saverin from the U.S.

HUNTSWORTH GREW 3.8% IN Q1

Huntsworth announced May 18 that first-quarter revenues rose 3.8 percent, powered by a 19.4 percent advance by its Red unit, which picked up Symantec, Adobe, Boots and Gatwick Airport during the past year.

Chadlington

CEO Peter Chadlington said management is keeping tight control on costs due to the uncertain economic outlook, especially in Europe. He expects modest full-year growth, but improved profitability.

Huntsworth’s global flagship Grayling, active in more than 40 countries and the U.S. via Atomic PR and Dutko, registered a 3.8 percent gain to its $150M revenue base. Developments in the Middle East paced its performance. Huntsworth Health was up

3.3 percent during Q1, while Citigate declined 2.7 percent.

The company announced that Terry Graunke, cofounder of Lake Capital, has joined its board. LC and Graunke own a 9.8 percent stake in Huntsworth.

CLABO TO HEAD HP MEDIA RELATIONS

Howard Clabo, head of communications for Applied Materials, joined HP to head corporate media relations and executive communications on May 21.

Clabo exits the $10B tech giant Applied after three years as managing director and head of corporate comms.

HP CEO Meg Whitman, the former eBay chief who took the reins in September after the ouster of Leo Apotheker, tapped her longtime PR advisor Henry Gomez as chief communications officer in January.

Clabo previously led media relations for FedEx and worked on the agency side at Citigate and Grey Global Group.

Whitman may cut up to 30K H-P staffers as part of her revitalization program. The company had 350K employees at the end of fiscal 2011.

PIERCE PICKED FOR W20 COO POST

Tom Pierce, who was director of operations and finance at BDO Consulting in New York, has joined W2O Group as chief operating officer, a new position.

He’s in charge of information technology, human resources and corporate services at the parent company of WCG Group, Twist and W2O Ventures.

Prior to BDO, Pierce held financial and operational posts at Marsh Inc., GCI Group and Booz & Co. in a career of more 20 years.

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