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Vol. 24, No. 6June 2010

AADDVVEERRTTIISSEERRSS

18

CONTENTS

COLUMNS

9 In Memory of Lee Levitt, 1930-2010.

PPRR BBUUYYEERR’’SS GGUUIIDDEE

PPRR MMAARRKKEETTPPLLAACCEE

PPRROOFFEESSSSIIOONNAALL DDEEVVEELLOOPPMMEENNTTFraser Seitel

FFIINNAANNCCIIAALL MMAANNAAGGEEMMEENNTTRichard Goldstein

GGUUEESSTT CCOOLLUUMMNNArthur Solomon

OOPPIINNIIOONNJack O’Dwyer

323334

3839

35

Axis...............................................9Fleishman-Hillard..........................5Footsteps......................................7KEF................................................3Log-On........................................17

NAPS.....................INSIDE COVERNYU.............................................11Omega Travel..............................27Ruder Finn...................................15Synaptic...................BACK COVERTV Access...................................26

22001100 LLIISSTT OOFF GGLLOOBBAALL PPRR PPAARRTTNNEERRSS20

WWAASSHHIINNGGTTOONN RREEPPOORRTT36

PPRROOFFIILLEESS OOFF IINNTTEERRNNAATTIIOONNAALLPPRR FFIIRRMMSS23

PPRROOFFIILLEESS OOFF MMUULLTTIICCUULLTTUURRAALLPPRR FFIIRRMMSS30

EEDDIITTOORRIIAALLSocial media thrives at the expenseof user privacy.

6NNEETTWWOORRKKSS TTRRAADDEE JJAABBSSOOVVEERR PPRRIIVVAACCYY BBLLUUNNDDEERRAs Facebook apologizes for recentprivacy gaffes, MySpace takes advantageof the backlash.

8

AAPPPPLLEE FFAACCEESS AANNTTIITTRRUUSSTTMMUUSSIICC IINNQQUUIIRRYYApple faces charges that it alleged-ly persuaded record labels from partici-pating in Amazon music promotions.

8

LLEEEE LLEEVVIITTTT DDIIEESS AATT 8800O’Dwyer’s remembers PR pioneerLee Levitt, Co-Founder of PR AIDSand the Publicist tabloid.

9NNEEWW TTEECCHHNNOOLLOOGGIIEESS RREE--DDEEFFIINNEE GGLLOOBBAALL BBUUSSIINNEESSSSHow new tools of creation canchange how we view products, servicesand new global markets.

10

TTIIPPSS FFOORR BBEETTTTEERR PPRRIICCIINNGGThough often underutilized, theart of pricing remains one of themost powerful strategies currently avail-able for business.

12

BBPP WWOORRKK TTOO MMIITTIIGGAATTEE OOIILLSSPPIILLLL EEFFFFEECCTTSSBP has promised to pay for PR feesto help coastline states wheretourism has been affected by April’s oil spill.

13

TTAALLEENNTT CCLLAASSHHEESS WWIITTHHLLOOYYAALLTTYY IINN BBUUSSIINNEESSSS The dynamics of today’s economywill inevitably put more compa-nies on a global stage.

14

HHOOWW DDIIGGIITTAALL CCHHAANNGGEEDDBBUUYYEERR//SSEELLLLEERR DDYYNNAAMMIICCSSTechnology’s ability to assist andinform customers and marketers haschanged the way the world does business.

16

NNEETTWWOORRKKSS GGRROOWW DDEESSPPIITTEEEECCOONNOOMMIICC OOPPPPOOSSIITTIIOONNThe “Big Four” global PR net-works show signs of continued growth inthe wake of recession.

18

PPRR’’SS GGRREEAATTEESSTT ‘‘TTRRIICCKKSS’’ RREEVVEEAALLEEDDMany clients enter a PR campaign

with the misconception that communicatorscan yield “magic” results.

26

AARRIIZZOONNAA BBIILLLL ‘‘AALLIIEENNAATTEESS’’LLAATTIINNOO VVOOTTEERRSSIf marketers can see the

inevitable influence of Latino consumers,why can’t U.S. lawmakers?

28

RREESSOORRTTSS BBEEGGIINN AASSIIAANNAAMMEERRIICCAANN OOUUTTRREEAACCHHA Pocono resort that recently

opened a casino is gearing up for a majorAsian American marketing push.

29

She votes with her thumbs,and her social network follows her lead.Where does she stand on your issues?

We can get you there.

www.fleishman.com

be there.

In Memory of Lee Levitt, 1930-2010.

Social media thrives at expense of user privacy

EEDDIITTOORR--IINN--CCHHIIEEFFJack O’[email protected]

AASSSSOOCCIIAATTEE PPUUBBLLIISSHHEERRKevin [email protected]

EEDDIITTOORRJon [email protected]

SSEENNIIOORR EEDDIITTOORRGreg [email protected]

CCOONNTTRRIIBBUUTTIINNGG EEDDIITTOORRSSFraser SeitelRichard GoldsteinChristine O’Dwyer

AADDVVEERRTTIISSIINNGG SSAALLEESS

John O’DwyerAdvertising Sales [email protected]

Joshua FiermanNational Advertising [email protected]

Jack FogartyNational Advertising [email protected]

O’Dwyer’s is published monthly for $60.00 a year ($7.00 for a single issue) by the J.R. O’Dwyer Co., Inc., 271 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10016.(212) 679-2471Fax (212) 683-2750.

© Copyright 2010J.R. O’Dwyer Co., Inc.

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JJaacckk OO’’DDwwyyeerr’’ss NNeewwsslleetttteerr � An eight-page weekly with general PR news, mediaappointments and placement opportunities.

OO’’DDwwyyeerr’’ss DDiirreeccttoorryy ooff PPRR FFiirrmmss � haslistings of more than 1,850 PR firms through-out the U.S. and abroad.

OO’’DDwwyyeerr’’ss PPRR BBuuyyeerr’’ss GGuuiiddee � lists 1,000+products and services for the PR industry in 54categories.

jjoobbss..ooddwwyyeerrpprr..ccoomm � O’Dwyer’s online job center has help wanted ads and hostsresume postings.

6 JUNE 2010 � WWW.ODWYERPR.COM

EDITORIAL

Studies show that while the Internet is growing each minute, its users are becomingincreasingly stationary. Facebook, YouTube and Wikipedia aren’t the only Web sitesout there, but each year they’re becoming the only sites people visit. Web 2.0’s cross

pollination of content has enabled social media to limit users’ range of motion, thus servingas a sort of one-stop-shop for content. These social habits run contrary to the core principles espoused during the Web’s incipi-

ence, which hailed the Internet as a wild west of anything-goes content. Users with no cod-ing experience (and less design savvy) built personalized Web pages catered to any range oftopics, igniting the public on a never ending URL quest for the newest thing. It introduced usto some bad content, but nonetheless offered for the first time a virtually endless library at ourfingertips. In sociological terms, this is known as the “The Strength of Weak Ties,” or the idea that

information we receive on the periphery of our social contacts is more likely to be novel orinformative than what we receive from our closest peers. The more immobile users stay on the Web, the less likely they are to be introduced to new

information. Closed, centralized systems like Facebook reinforce a strong confirmation bias:we begin viewing the same news sources, recycling the same anecdotes, connecting with thesame people. Even when offered an endless sea of content, we eventually find and fill nich-es, defaulting on content that reiterates our preconceived perceptions. We seem to enjoy our new self-made cyber cubicles so much that we reward companies

that turn users into marketing metric lab rats. Much oftoday’s online profit structure is built on amodel of loading brand messages on users’backs in the guise of content, at theexpense of our privacy and every princi-ple upon which the Web was founded.Facebook, which initially touted

itself as a safer alternative to compet-ing social networks, has since pulled ablatant bait-and-switch, increasinglysoftening the terms of its privacy prac-tices so it can monetize the growing data-base of information it stores on its users.Facebook turns its users into brand ambassa-dors, allowing site advertisers to poach personalconversations, contacts, employment history, preferencesand identity so they can later be targeted for marketing messages. The site has also madenumerous undisclosed attempts to share users’ personal information with third parties, eitherby surreptitiously adding browser habits to user profiles without their knowledge or even byleasing personal information abroad when users visit third-party partner sites.Google isn’t far behind. This year the company debuted its Buzz application, a social media

tool that allows users to integrate third party network updates into the company’s Gmail serv-ice. As a user default, Buzz presumptuously populates profiles with fellow Gmail contactswhom users connect with frequently. Interestingly enough, it’s Google’s oldest networkingtools that take cyber intrusion to the ultimate level: Google logs every search you’ve madeinto a massive database along with your IP address. Google’s Gmail service even mines thecontents of users’ personal emails so they can later be pitched corresponding ad copy. It amazes me that these practices are knowingly permitted by users. It’s as if we allow con-

tent providers the right to snoop into our private business simply because we’re getting some-thing free, or if we just surrender our privacy altogether because a pornographic transparen-cy is de rigueur in the Internet age, as if a new technology somehow permits a separationbetween what’s on our hard drives and what’s in our bedroom closets. It doesn’t. In a May Washington Post op-ed, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg promised he’d make

it easier for users to opt out of having their information given to third parties. Note he did notsay Facebook would not give away users’ information unless we ask them to. The Internet is where the glut of our future conversations will take place. Continuing to

allow these practices sends the message that we don’t care about our privacy, that new tech-nologies are an excuse to rewrite existing social permissions, that we’ll allow being takenadvantage of in return for a free service. Contrary to a crop of recent terms that claim other-wise, nothing is “free” on the Internet. We’ve simply been getting what we’ve paid for. �

— Jon Gingerich

212 336 9743

Footsteps is an agency devoted to the process of MOTION; the MOTION of consumers and brands as they move through culture, gender, age and environment.


Social network giant Facebook isoffering a mea culpa in response toa series of highly criticized users

privacy gaffes, leaving rival networkMySpace to capitalize on the backlash asthe company searches to fill a top commu-nications post.Facebook admitted it “missed the mark”

in addressing the protests of those criticalof the social network’s privacy policy,according to a May 24 op-ed piece by CEOMark Zuckerberg published in theWashington Post. In April, Facebook debuted its “Instant

Personification” program, which sharesusers’ personal information with a selectpartnership of third-party web sites, auto-matically customizing sites visited byFacebook users to fit that user’s preexistingprofile data. Third-party sites are fed theuser’s account name, friends list and aboutas much information as the social networkhas on the user, regardless of whether theyplanned to divulge this data to the site ornot.The social network is also currently crit-

icized for making it impossible to hide cer-tain profile details, such as user name andlocation. An online movement slated May30 as a mass exodus from Facebook inprotest over its use of personal data.Zuckerberg noted that Facebook, which

serves more than 400 million people, ischallenged to keep its customer base satis-fied with “new ways to connect with thesocial web and each other.”

The company sometimes moves “toofast — and after listening to recent con-cerns, we’re responding,” wroteZuckerberg.The No. 1 lesson learned: “People want

easier control over their information.”Zuckerberg said many thought

Facebook’s “controls were too complex,”noting the company supplied “granularcontrols: but that may not have been whatmany of you wanted.”Zuckerberg promised, over the coming

month, to add “privacy controls that aremuch simpler to use” and an “easy way toturn off all third-party services.”In the op-ed piece, Zuckerberg made it

clear that Facebook does not share “per-sonal information with people or servicesyou don’t want.” It neither sells nor pro-vides advertiser access to personal data. Zuckerberg vowed that his company will

“keep listening and we will continue tohave a dialogue with everyone who caresenough about Facebook to share theirideas.”

Myspace seeks to fill gapNews Corporation-owned social media

rival MySpace announced it wouldstreamline its privacy settings to enableusers to protect information with a singleoption — a move to gain back users it lostamid Facebook’s rapid rise.“MySpace’s core value of allowing self-

expression and representation of yourselfremains true, without the fear that yourunique contribution to MySpace will beunknowingly used for an alternative pur-pose,” said MySpace Co-President MikeJones in a May blog post, in an apparent

swipe at Facebook.Los Angeles-based MySpace is current-

ly searching to fill its top corporate com-munications post following a high-profiledeparture last month, as the social networkworks to woo back users of its disgruntledrival.VP Dani Dudeck left the company for

Zynga, which develops applications popu-lar on Facebook. MySpace is looking for apro with eight to 10 years of experience tofill the senior VP post, which oversees ateam of 10, in addition to its PR agencies,which include Weber Shandwick.A public backlash isn’t Facebook’s only

problem. The Wall Street Journal reportedthat regulators are also eying the network.“The company can’t afford not to act,”wrote the Journal’s Jessica Vascellaro.“The Federal Trade Commission is takinga close look at how online social networksare using people’s data, and people closeto the matter say it is increasingly focusedon Facebook.”Facebook similarly drew fire in 2007

when it debuted its infamous Beacon pro-gram, an advertising platform that pub-lished users’ purchases from other sites onindividuals’ profile news feeds. Publicbacklash to the program was high, andseveral class action lawsuits were filedbefore Facebook removed the service in2009.MySpace, which revamped this year to

focus more on entertainment and gaming,was the top social network and still grow-ing when News Corp. bought it for $580million in 2006. Facebook surpassed itsuser base in April 2008. �

Social networks trade jabs amid privacy PR blunderBy Kevin McCauley and Greg Hazley

MEDIA NOTES

The Justice Department is looking intoclaims that Apple pressured recordlabels to stop engaging in online

music promotions with iTunes competitors,according to a May 25 New York Timesreport. The incident marks the second time in a

month that Apple has been the focus of afederal antitrust inquiry. In 2008, Amazon launched its promotion

“The Daily Deal,” where the site sold full-length MP3 album downloads of popularartists at a fraction of their standard pricefor a single day.Finding the venture successful, Amazon

upped its promotional ante last year, andbegan working with record labels to secure

albums exclusives, releasing them via theDaily Deal one day before they were sched-uled to be released to the general public.Fans could download an anticipated albumearly, for a fraction of the price they’d payelsewhere. The idea has since proved popular.

Vampire Weekend’s recently releasedalbum “Contra,” participated in Amazon’spre-released date exclusive, and debuted atNo. 1, with 60% of sales comprised of dig-ital downloads, according to NielsenSoundScan.iTunes officials caught wind of the idea,

and in response allegedly began urgingrecord labels to cease participating inAmazon’s promotion, allegedly going sofar as to threaten the removal of all futureiTunes marketing support if they continuedgiving Amazon music exclusives.

The story, first broke by Billboard inMarch, claims that executives at labels likeCapitol Records and Sony’s Jive compliedwith Apple’s requests, turning down offersto participate in the Daily Deal.The Billboard article also claims that

Amazon had worked to retool the exclusiv-ity arrangements of its Daily Deal promo-tion in an attempt to quell Apple’s ire.The news comes on the heels of another

recent Apple antitrust inquiry, when it wasannounced in May that the JusticeDepartment and Federal TradeCommission were looking into claims thatApple prohibited software developers fromusing outside programming tools when cre-ating applications for Apple’s iPhone andiPad.iTunes is currently the largest music ven-

dor in the U.S., comprising an estimated70% of the digital download market andnearly 27% all U.S. music sales. �

Apple faces antitrust music inquiryBy Jon Gingerich

Lee Levitt, Co-Founder of PR Aids,which pioneered in a system that sort-ed out editors by numerous cate-

gories, died May 19 in New York.Levitt was stricken with Parkinson’s last

year and died from complications of thedisease, said his wife Marian Fay Levitt.PR Aids, co-founded with Richard

Toohey in 1958, created a system for track-ing editors by specialty, circulation, geog-raphy and other characteristics. It initiallyused Addressograph metal plates fittedwith tabs to sort the editors into differentcategories. It switched to an electronicdatabase with the advent of computers.The company was for many years the

leading source of information on editorsalong with Bacon’s (now Cision), whichpublished the Publicity Checker. It hadoffices in eight cities and served more than4,000 clients. Its database initially includedmore than 50,000 editors.Offices of PR Aids at 305 E. 45th St.

became the central meeting place for NewYork PR pros from the 1960s through theearly 1980s. The company hostedPRSA/New York workshops and also pro-vided its own regular PR training sessionswhich drew upwards of 100 people.Such frequent gatherings of New York

PR pros disappeared about two decadesago with the purchase of many big PRfirms by the advertising conglomerates.The security-conscious culture of the pub-licly-held ad agencies came to dominateNew York PR life. Major PR firms nolonger purchased tables for PRSA/NewYork monthly lunches which regularlydrew more than 300 to the Waldorf-Astoria.

Met at Biltmore HotelLevitt and Toohey, both public affairs

officers of the U.S. Air Force Reserve, metduring meetings of the Reserve in theBiltmore Hotel, New York.Levitt’s background was in industrial

and business PR while Toohey had theatri-cal clients.Levitt founded the PR Aids monthly

tabloid, Publicist, and the newsletterPublicity Break, which gave tips for deal-ing with editors.Disagreements over computerization of

the editorial database led to a split-upbetween the two men.Levitt proposed in 1984 to dissolve the

company and sought a buy-out fromToohey. A court in 1988 recommended thatToohey pay Levitt $1.27M plus $400,000in interest. Toohey argued that Levitt's

stock was worth only between $200K and$309K in 1984 and claimed PR Aids lost$1.5M between July 31 and Oct. 31, 1984.Media Distribution Services, founded by

Hy Wagner, former employee of PR Aids,offered $3M for the company in 1984.MDS purchased the company in1988 and both Levitt and Tooheyexpressed satisfaction with thedeal. MDS itself was sold in2008 to Log-On, which contin-ues to offer computerized lists ofseveral hundred thousand edi-tors.

Son of newspaper editorLevitt was the son of Joseph

Levitt, longtime editor of theKnoxville News-Sentinel.He was a graduate of the University of

Tennessee-Knoxville, where he became anational college debating champion.Unable to work at his father’s paper

because of Scripps-Howard rules againstnepotism, Levitt worked on PR and writingassignments in the Knoxville area beforemoving to New York.After leaving PR Aids, Levitt built an

international consulting practice in PRmanagement, mergers and sales strategies.He authored Levitt’s Manual of PR Sales

Strategy and Tactics, which was sold

worldwide. It became the basis for work-shops conducted for clients.He was a member of the Counselors

Academy of the PR Society and chair of itsTechnology Section. He was a Councilmember of the International PR Assn. andchaired its Golden World Awards.He also designed and conducted training

programs for the Publicity Club of NewYork, the American Mgmt. Assn.,and national and local not-for-profit organizations.Marian, a jewelry designer and

lecturer at the Fashion Institute ofTechnology, who accompaniedLee on many of his trips, saidLevitt’s demeanor was that of a“Southern gentleman.”She was hired by Levitt in June1959 as an editorial researcherafter graduation from Cornell.

They were married in October of that yearand celebrated their 50th anniversary lastyear.Jack O’Dwyer’s Newsletter was first

printed at PR Aids. Levitt showed its editorhow to save production costs by supplyingcamera-ready text prepared on a carbon-ribbon typewriter.Survivors include his daughter Lisa

Levitt, a corporate marketer in LosAngeles, and a brother, Joseph Levitt, Jr.,an attorney in Knoxville.A service will be held later this year. �

By Jack O’Dwyer

JUNE 2010 � WWW.ODWYERPR.COM 9

Lee Levitt, PR pioneer, dies at 80

+ los angeles

+ new york

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www.theaxisagency.com

cultureconnecting with the

multicultural consumerthrough

Lee Levitt

We’re in an era of technology-driven transformation. Thatmeans you can use technology

to redefine your products, your services,and how your industry works.Unfortunately, most companies are using

technology only one way — to lower costsand become more efficient. They viewtechnology as a way to “do more with less,”“streamline the workflow,” and “trimexpenses.” Sound familiar?While that’s certainly one good use, tech-

nology can also become a tool of creation.You can create new products, new services,and entire new markets, which then createsnew jobs and careers.Why is this important? Currently the

United States is digging out of the worstrecession since the 1930s, and the globaleconomy is suffering its worst setback indecades. The key to recovery is all aboutjobs and how to create them. You don’t cre-ate jobs by increasing productivity; you cre-ate jobs by creating new products, services,and markets. So even though we have a sta-tistical recovery, we have a human reces-sion. As such, recovery can’t be jobless.The bottom line is that we can use tech-

nology to eliminate jobs or create them. It’stime for businesses to focus on redefiningas a tool for job creation. If you’re ready tostart redefining your company so you cangrow your business and stay profitable asyou create jobs for years to come, considerthe following guidelines.

Know where you’re goingLook at your product, service, or industry

and see how you can use technology toreimagine it. The classic example isAmazon.com. When they first started, theyused technology to redefine how people sellbooks. But they didn’t stop there. Theyexpanded to other products and redefinedhow nearly everything is sold. Then theyredefined again: they developed a large IT,logistics, and warehouse system and theyrented out their enterprise IT platform andwarehousing space to other companies.They’re not only redefining an industry,they’re also redefining themselves. Another example is Apple. Back in early

2000, before they launched the iPod andiPhone, most thought Apple was quicklygoing out of business. That’s when the com-pany redefined themselves around music.Later they redefined again with the iPhone,which is telecommunications. Now they’redoing it again with the iPad, which will

launch another revolution as they redefineebook readers and media players. LikeAmazon.com, Apple has redefined them-selves as well as their industry.When it comes to your company and

your industry, ask yourself some key ques-tions:What’s growing and what’s shrinking?Where’s the direction of the future going

based on technology? (For example, gettingmore energy efficient and going green areboth long-term trends. Virtual marketingand social networking also represent long-term trends.)Based on where your customers and your

industry are going, is there a way to usetechnology to create new opportunities?

Technology affects customersLook at how technology is affecting con-

sumers in your industry right now. Don’tjust look at productivity: look at the overallcustomer experience as well as who is buy-ing your offerings. For example, in the late1970s, when ultra light aviation was born,the first ultra light aircrafts were basicallyhang-gliders with engines. The FAA decid-ed, due to the size and weight of the plane,people didn’t need a pilot’s license to fly anultra light aircraft. As a result, the first ultralight manufacturers targeted that demo-graphic — people who wanted to fly butwho didn’t have the time or money to get apilot’s license. One company, UltraSports,thought they could attract a better customer,so they asked, “Why not redefine the prod-uct, the customer, and the market?”Rather than target those who wanted to

fly but didn’t have a license or the incometo afford buying an aircraft, UltraSportsdecided to target commercial jet pilots andflight instructors for their “ultra light” air-crafts. After all, these pilots were the bestpilots, they loved to fly and had money.UltraSports then went one step further andredefined the ultra light aircraft itself byadding a stick and rudder, and made it flylike an airplane rather than a hang-glider.UltraSports went on to become a nationalleader in their first year, all because theyredefined who their customer was and thenmade product changes accordingly.When it comes to your customers, ask

yourself some key questions, such as:Is there a better customer? Maybe you’re

selling to a customer who can only affordlow-margin products and services.Who’s your ideal customer?Is there a customer you don’t have but

should?Could you redefine your product and

attract that customer?

Is there a way to use technology toenhance your product or service in someway that opens up a market or creates a newmarket for you … and thus new jobs?

Take competition seriouslyLook at the specific ways in which you

compete in the marketplace as well as whatmakes you unique. Then decide how tech-nology can redefine the way you compete.For example, when was the last time youbought something from the Polaroid Co.?At one time, they were the king of instantphotography. But then technology and dig-ital photography changed the industry …and Polaroid didn’t change with it. Instead,they made the mistake many businessesdo: they used technology to get more effi-cient and lower costs.The Kodak Co. had been failing for over

a decade. Finally, they looked at how theycompeted in the past as well as what itwould take to compete in the future. That’swhen they embraced digital photography.And while they still have some traditionalfilm labs across the country, it’s their digi-tal products division that’s profitable today.The moral: the longer you wait to redefinehow you compete, the harder it is to sur-vive. When you pinpoint a way to use tech-nology to create new products and servic-es, you add new revenue streams and newjobs.When it comes to competing in a tech-

nology-driven age, ask yourself some keyquestions, such as:Is there a way you can use technology to

redefine how you compete?Is there a way you can use technology to

change your product or how you servicepeople?Is there a way you can use technology to

redefine your customer’s experience?A (Re)defining momentStaying ahead during a technology-driv-

en transformation is indeed possible. It’s allabout looking at where your customers aregoing rather than where they’ve been. It’sabout looking at where technology is evolv-ing and how it is shaping the market, notwhere it used to be. When you ask the rightquestions and take action on what theanswers reveal, you can use technology toredefine your company, create new jobs,and experience higher profits than ever. Daniel Burrus is the Founder and CEO

of Burrus Research, a research and consult-ing firm that monitors global advancementsin technology driven trends. He is theauthor of six books, including“Technotrends,” which has been translatedinto over a dozen languages. �


FEATURE

By Daniel Burrus

New technologies redefine global business economy

New York University is an affirmative action/equal opportunity institution. ©2010 New York University School of Continuing and Professional Studies

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ork University School of Continuing and Professional Studies


FEATURE

McKinsey & Company’s study ofthe Global 1,200 found that ifcompanies increased prices by

just one percent, and demand remainedconstant, on average operating profitswould increase by 11 percent. Using aone percent increase in price, some com-panies would see even more growth inpercentage of profit: Sears, 155 percent;McKesson, 100 percent, Tyson, 81 per-cent, Land O’Lakes, 58 percent,Whirlpool, 35 percent. Just as important,price is a key attribute that consumersconsider before making a purchase. The following 10 pricing tips can reap

higher profits, generate growth, and bet-ter serve customers by providing options. Stop marking up costs. The most

common mistake in pricing involves set-ting prices by marking up costs (“I need a30 percent margin”). While easy toimplement, these “cost-plus” prices bearabsolutely no relation to the amount thatconsumers are willing to pay. As a result,profits are left on the table daily. Set prices that capture value.

Manhattan street vendors understand theprinciple of value-based pricing. Themoment that it looks like it will rain, theyraise their umbrella prices. This hike hasnothing to do with costs; it’s all aboutcapturing the increased value that cus-tomers place on a safe haven from rain.The right way to set prices involves cap-turing the value that customers place on aproduct by “thinking like a customer.” Customers evaluate a product and its

next best alternative(s) and then askthemselves, “Are the extra bells andwhistles worth the price premium (organ-ic vs. regular) or does the discountstripped down model make sense (privatelabel vs. brand name). They choose theproduct that provides the best deal (pricevs. attributes). Create a value statement. Every com-

pany should have a value statement thatclearly articulates why customers shouldpurchase their product over competitors’offerings. Be specific in listing reasons -this is not a time to be modest. This state-ment will boost the confidence of yourfrontline so they can look customerssquarely in the eye and say “I know thatyou have options, but here are the reasons

why you should buy our product.” Reinforce to employees that it is

okay to earn high profits. I’ve foundthat many employees are uncomfortablesetting prices above what they consider tobe “fair” and are quick to offer unneces-sary discounts. It is fair to charge “whatthe market will bear” prices to compen-sate for the hard work and financial risknecessary to bring products to market. Itis also important to reinforce the truismthat most customers are not loyal — if anew product offers a better value (moreattributes and/or cheaper price), manywill defect. Realize that a discount today doesn’t

guarantee a premium tomorrow. Manypeople believe that offering a discount asan incentive to try a product will lead tofuture full price purchases. In my experi-ence, this rarely works out. Offering peri-odic discounts serves price sensitive cus-tomers (which is a great strategy) butoften devalues a product in customers’minds. This devaluation can impedefuture full price purchases. Understand that customers have dif-

ferent pricing needs. In virtually everyfacet of business (product development,marketing, distribution), companiesdevelop strategies based on the truismthat customers differ from each other.However, when it comes to pricing, manycompanies behave as though their cus-tomers are identical by setting just oneprice for each product. The key to devel-oping a comprehensive pricing strategyinvolves embracing (and profiting from)the fact that customers’ pricing needs dif-fer in three primary ways: pricing plans,product preferences, and product valua-tions. Pick-a-plan, versioning, and differ-ential pricing tactics serve these diverseneeds. Provide pick-a-plan options.

Customers are often interested in a prod-uct but refrain from purchasing simplybecause the pricing plan does not workfor them. While some want to purchaseoutright, others may prefer a selling strat-egy such as rent, lease, prepay, or all-you-can-eat. A pick-a-plan strategy activatesthese dormant customers. New pricingplans attract customers by providingownership options, mitigating uncertainvalue, offering price assurance, and over-coming financial constraints. Offer product versions. One of the eas-

iest ways to enhance profits and betterserve customers is to offer good, better,and best versions. These options allowcustomers to choose how much to pay fora product. Many gourmet restaurantsoffer early bird, regular, and chef’s tableoptions. Price sensitive gourmands comefor the early-bird specials while well-heeled diners willingly pay an extra $50to sit at the chef’s table. Implement differential pricing. For

any product, some customers are willingto pay more than others. Differentialpricing involves offering tactics thatidentify and offer discounts to price sen-sitive customers by using hurdles, cus-tomer characteristics, selling characteris-tics, and selling strategy tactics. Forexample, customers who look out for, cutout, organize, carry, and then redeemcoupons are demonstrating (jumping ahurdle) that low prices are important tothem. Use pricing tactics to complete your

customer puzzle. Companies shouldthink of their potential customer base as agiant jigsaw puzzle. Each new pricing tac-tic adds another customer segment pieceto the puzzle. Normal Normans buy at fullprice (value-based price), NoncommittalNancys come for leases (pricing plans),High-end Harrys buy the top-of-the-line(versions), and Discount Davids are addedby offering 10 percent off on Tuesday pro-motions (differential pricing). Startingwith a value-based price, employing pick-a-plan, versioning, and differential pricingtactics adds the pricing related segmentsnecessary to complete a company’s poten-tial customer puzzle. Offering consumerspricing choices generates growth andincreases profits. Since pricing is an underutilized strate-

gy, it is fertile ground for new profits. Thebeauty of focusing on pricing is that manyconcepts are straightforward to implementand can start producing profits almostimmediately. What better pricing windfall can your

company start reaping tomorrow morn-ing?Rafi Mohammed, Ph.D, has been work-

ing on pricing issues for the last 20 years.He is author of “The 1% Windfall: HowSuccessful Companies Use Price to Profitand Grow.” Mohammed is the Founder ofCulture of Profit LLC, a Cambridge,Massachusetts-based company that con-sults with businesses to help develop andimprove their pricing strategy. �

New profits, fast growth: tips for better pricingPricing remains one of the most powerful — yet underutilized — strategies currently available for businesses.

By Rafi Mohammed

BP has pledged $70M in tourismand promotion grants to fourstates along the Gulf of Mexico,

where the company is scrambling tostanch the flow of oil after a platform itoperated exploded and sank last month.BP has pledged $25M to Florida and

$15M each to Alabama, Mississippi andLouisiana for those states to promotetourism to offset the negative PR fromthe oil spill. The grants are on top offunds the company is already paying forthe cleanup and response to theDeepwater Horizon accident.

Florida takes lion’s shareFlorida had formally asked BP to fund

a large campaign to counter the negativePR it believes will affect tourism.Gov. Charlie Crist had requested

$34.75M from the oil giant, including$24.75M for an emergency campaign tobegin immediately and run through July.The $25M BP agreed to give Florida

will fund an emergency PR campaignunder the direction of the state’s tourismentity, Visit Florida, and is on top of anadditional $25M already given to thestates by BP for contingency planningfor the spill.An additional $10M would be used at

the county level through September,Crist said.In a statement following BP’s

announcement, Crist said he’s “grateful”to BP CEO Tony Hayward and the com-pany for its “commitment to protect ourbeaches, business and communitiesaffected by the Gulf oil spill.”Hayward said: “We understand the

Governor’s concerns for the impact on

the tourism industry,and are makingfunds available sothat they can supportthe industry’s effortsto provide accurateinformation aboutthe state of thebeaches across theregion.”Visit Florida could

not be reachedregarding how thefunds will be spent.It works with M.Silver & Associatesfor PR but the firmsaid that it was notengaged in the oilspill response. A spokeswoman said adagency DDB Miami is handling itsaccount.Tourism accounts for 21 percent of the

state’s taxable sales and returned about$3.9B to Florida, the state said.Visit Florida launched Florida Live, a

section of its website for travelers to postphotos via Facebook and get socialmedia updates like Twitter feeds onbeach conditions, webcams and otherinformation.“Florida is alive and well, and open for

business,” said Will Seccombe, thestate’s chief marketing officer. “A pictureis worth a thousand words, and a realperson’s view is worth a thousand paidphotographers ... Visitors want to seewhat’s really happening, not just whatthe ‘marketing guy’ is posting.”

Alabama gets LuckieAlabama kicked off a $1.5M cam-

paign with help from Birmingham-based Luckie & Company, to tout itsbeaches and coastal areas in the face ofreports of oil-related debris washingashore there.Two TV spots posting online ran May

15 to promote Alabama Gulf beachesand charter boat fishing across 50 sta-tions in the Southeast and Texas. Thestate’s Dept. of EnvironmentalManagement is also monitoring waterquality and posting updates online atGulfShores.com.Luckie’s PR division works with the

state’s Dept. of Conservation and

Natural Resources but all PR for the oilspill is being coordinated by the gover-nor’s office, said Luckie senior VP anddirector Brian Pia, who noted that isstandard operating procedure for a hur-ricane, as well. “We’re keeping a close eye on the oil

spill on a daily basis and we’re ready tomove into action if necessary,” he toldO’Dwyer’s. “This is a little like a slow-moving hurricane.”Herb Malone, tourism director for the

state’s Gulf Shores region, said in astatement that he anticipates hotel book-ings to be on par with last May. One of the new ad spots, entitled

“Alabama Beaches Open for Business,”features a little girl playing in the surfwith a voiceover noting “Alabama’scoast is absolutely clear.”

Mississippi ‘Open for Business’Mississippi’s tourism agency posted a

YouTube video on May 12 featuringtourism director Mary Beth Wilkersondeclaring the state “open for business.” Officials from the Harrison County

Tourism Commission, which covers theGulf coast region of the Magnolia State,had asked BP to shell out $7.5M a monthfor a national campaign focused on itscasinos and entertainment.While the commission’s website

declares the state’s coast “tar ball and oilfree,” commission member BeverlyMartin told the local Sun Herald, “It’shard to put a price on that negative pressthat’s out there.” �

Tourism officials work to mitigate oil spill effectsWhile asking BP to fund marketing efforts to protect Gulf Coast tourism, states in the region areforging ahead with PR and marketing pushes on their own as the summer travel season fastapproaches and the national media remain fixated on a growing oil slick approaching shores.

By Greg Hazley

BP has agreed to dole out PR dollars to combat tourism losses after thecompany’s Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico onApril 20, killing 11 and washing oil onto U.S. marshlands.



FEATURE

T h e A m e r i c a s • E u r o p e • A s i a P a c i f i c • M i d d l e E a s t w w w . r u d e r f i n n . c o m

rfrelate@ruderfi nn.com

socialstorytelling

socialnetworking

socialactivationShortly before the economic cri-sis, I was truly amazed at theamount of talent that was flow-

ing between communications compa-nies. Many friends and acquaintancesof mine, single or married, took on thechallenge of leaving Barcelona to workin other European countries, in theUnited States or Asia, or simply beganchanging jobs once every year. Theirprofessional profiles ranged from busi-ness management, publishing, IT prosand industrial production. Current eco-nomic challenges may have temporari-ly slowed down this trend but it will notstop the global realities of today’s busi-ness climate.In Graham Greene’s famous novel

“The Human Factor,” a man who worksin the Foreign Office finds himselfforced to choose between being faithfulto his family or betraying his country.He abandons his country, which hasbecome both his employer and socialcommunity, for the sake of being trueand loyal to his family.The parallels that exist between this

story and today’s global business worldmake for a profound understanding. Outstanding professionals are ulti-

mately more loyal to their professionaland personal priorities than to those ofthe company that employs them. Hencetheir continuous flight. Again, this mayhave changed considerably due to thecredit crunch, but after the crisis, talentwill fly again, and even more so. These dynamics will be reinforced by

many important factors, which will putcompanies before the need to retain anincreasingly international talent. First, among developed countries, it

is very likely that the economies thatbest reward talent will be the ones tofirst emerge and recover from the cri-sis. And that is particularly significantconsidering what EuropeanCommissioner Androulla Vassiliou saidlast April in Barcelona: one in everythree new jobs created in the EUbetween now and 2020 will be a highlyqualified working position.Second, there is a growing competi-

tion among cities to attract both talentand investment. For instance, cities likeBarcelona and Paris have started a raceto boost a knowledge-based economywhile reinforcing each destination’s

enjoyable and attractive assets. Thatwill give further reasons for outstand-ing professionals to fly and give newplaces a try. My third argument is based on the

astounding fact that 70 percent ofwomen end up leaving their profession-al area of expertise between age 30 and40. The main reason is maternity. Thelack of corporate planning and supportforces them to abandon the boat aftertheir maternity leave. This representsan unbearable loss of talent, whichcosts a fortune to both employers andemployees. Fortunately initiatives suchas maternity coaching are becomingmore frequent and allow a “maternitytransition” that avoids both businessand career disruption. However, thecompanies offering these incentives arestill a great minority.Yet another point to consider is the

prediction that the European work forcewill diminish from the current 330 mil-lion people to 240 million within thenext 15 to 20 years. These numberswere given by Javier Solana, formerMr. PESC in the EU, former NATOSecretary General and now brand-newpresident of the Center for GlobalEconomy and Geopolitics in theSpanish business school ESADE. Thefigures could seem fatalistic if the manwas not a well-known optimist.In addition, the growing economic

globalization keeps getting stronger: inorder to survive and stay competitive,companies build alliances abroad, seekclients globally and are involved inmulti-national mergers and acquisi-tions. At a recent seminar in Gaudí’sfamous Barcelona building La Pedrera,a Schneider Electric official talkedabout the company’s huge communica-tive challenge when trying to unify 150corporate cultures from 150 differentbranches in 150 different countries. Yet, facing and overcoming that chal-

lenge is a necessity for the company.Another example is how Claire Pédini,HR EVP at Alcatel-Lucent, drove awide-reaching organizational change tocreate a more horizontal structure inorder to ease internal communicationand personal interaction. Pédini seekedto enable each director to be closer totheir employees and thus give aprompter response to their concernsand engagement. Alcatel-Lucent has76,000 employees in 130 countries, andas Pédini explained in the Spanish eco-

nomic newspaper Expansión, the com-pany brought about this change in orderto best retain talent. They had noted, forinstance, that it only takes new genera-tions of employees three years to startplanning, and straightforwardly so, acareer change.On the one hand,

we are facing therisk to lose our com-pany’s most excel-lent professionals,and on the otherhand, we find our-selves with anincreasingly interna-tional staff. In myopinion, this situa-tion requires astronger and finereffort both in internal and externalcommunication. More than ever, man-aging people means taking care of themand being aware of their professionalconcerns and challenges. It may eveninclude some insight on their personalones. As Graham Greene’s book shows,a mismatch between these two realitiesoften leads to an escape. Having a moreholistic understanding of our employ-ees would mean making our compa-nies’ borders blurrier and taking thecommunicative effort beyond them. The first stage of this cultural change

has been addressed by Anglo Saxoneconomies a lot more than we have inEurope and in Spain. That’s what theusual quote from Dave Ulrich is allabout: “HR must give value.”Generally, Human Resource depart-ments have transformed themselvesfrom being a mere administrative unitto assessing each department leader forthe sake of intellectual and human cap-ital management, but have they, really?But the second stage is, for most

companies, a blank page. And I wouldregard that as a reason for worry. Howmany companies really try to profilethemselves as a pleasant working envi-ronment? The website of the GreatPlace to Work Institute underscores that“In high trust cultures, employees makedecisions and take risks”, and that“When your employees trust you, cus-tomers know they can trust you aswell”. Who can possibly think that itwill not make a difference, especiallyin the aftermath of the credit crunch?Pau Herrera is CEO and Founder of

Grupo BPMO, in Barcelona, Spain. �

Talent clashes with loyalty in global business cultureBy Pau Herrera

Pau Herrera

T h e A m e r i c a s • E u r o p e • A s i a P a c i f i c • M i d d l e E a s t w w w . r u d e r f i n n . c o m

rfrelate@ruderfi nn.com

socialstorytelling

socialnetworking

socialactivation

JUNE 2010 � WWW.ODWYERPR.COM16

FEATURE

The recent 40th anniversary celebra-tion of Earth Day is a good time toreflect on how marketing communi-

cations has gone green in a big way. Overthe last several years, electronic communi-cations, including e-mail, websites andblogs have become established methodsfor reaching out to customers, particularlyin business-to-business markets. Thesetechniques have supplanted traditionaltrade advertising, direct mail andbrochures at most organizations.But the green revolution isn’t just about

replacing ink with links. Green consider-ations are just one part of the sea changeregarding the way we deliver informationand interact with customers. The Internet has enabled business-to-

business buyers to be more informedbecause they can gather information with-out the aid of sales people. The availabil-ity of information and greater pricingtransparency has shifted power to thebuyer. This is revolutionary, because itmeans sales peoples’ persuasion powernow has less effect on buyers. At the sametime, the Internet has created new methodsfor marketers to have one-to-one dialoguewith customers rather than relying onmass marketing methods.

B-to-B requires focusBusiness-to-business marketing has

always been about focused efforts, oftenover an extended period of time. There areonly so many companies out there that canuse your products or services. Whetheryour universe of possibilities is 5,000companies or 50,000, you can identifyyour target market based on industry,number of employees or sales volume.Note that you usually need to engageprospective buyers longer because of pro-tracted buying cycles. Fortunately, you can create dialogue and

build momentum with prospects through-out the sales process using technologicallyefficient, “green” marketing tactics. Youcan move beyond static “one-way” cus-tomer communications by using technolo-gy to personalize content or focus on acustomer’s specific needs. Some exam-ples include setting up systems to trackprevious orders and establishingreminders for reorders, or segmentingdatabases to make very specific offers toselected prospects. Even traditional trade media are capital-

izing on the Internet’s capabilities to assist

you in reaching highly segmentedprospect lists. While most of these mediahave always concentrated on vertical mar-ket segments for their print publications,many are now offering online newslettersor other targeted communications thatreach specific subsets of their audience.As a marketer, you benefit from thesetools in several ways. Your message canbe even more tightly focused to specificprospects. Plus, the costs are significantlylower than print advertising, with theadded bonus of being “green” becauseelectronic distribution has replaced send-ing paper newsletters.

Adding value remains importantRegardless of the communication chan-

nels you choose, your message must havevalue for your audience. That’s alwaysbeen an important factor in business-to-business marketing communications, butit’s even more critical today due to theimportance of search marketing. As the buyer/seller paradigm has shifted,

customers are less responsive to outboundmessages and instead have turned the sell-ing organization into the “prospect” bysearching for companies they want to dobusiness with. That creates a new chal-lenge for sales and marketing people: howdo you become a viable vendor “prospect”for the buying organization?The answer is to show how your product

or services adds value, and ensure that yourvalue proposition is easy for your cus-tomers to find and understand. One of thebest ways to emphasize your value propo-sition is through stories. These can takemany forms — from simple customer tes-timonials to more detailed case histories ortechnically oriented white papers.Whatever form they take, stories are aneffective way to illustrate how your prod-uct or service helps the customer.Customers are looking for solutions toproblems, and good examples of howyou’ve solved problems for others arememorable.All of the content created to describe

your value proposition should be opti-mized for search engines. Explaining thenuances of search engine optimization(SEO) requires far more space than I haveavailable in this column. At a basic level,however, SEO requires effective use ofkeywords, links, website design and simi-lar factors to make your information visi-ble to Google, Yahoo!, Bing and othersearch engines.Company websites, e-newsletters, blogs

and press releases are among the many ele-

ments of your marketing communicationsprogram that can be optimized to help yourcustomers find you when they are seekingsolutions. These are all “green” communi-cations solutions that will not only proveyour sense of environmental awareness,but improve your effectiveness in reachingcustomers.Norwin A. Merens is Managing Director

of NM Marketing Communications, Inc., inGlenview, Illinois. �

How digital changed global buyer/seller dynamicsBy Norwin A. Merens

Corporate investor relations salariesand IR budgets remained relativelyunchanged from ’08 despite the financialcrisis that rocked the sector, but morebonuses of lesser amounts were doledout, according to a study of mostly sen-ior IR pros by the National InvestorRelations Institute and executive searchfirm Korn/Ferry International.While salaries and budgets held

steady, bonuses were affected as 65%reported a reduction in that compensa-tion. But the number receiving bonusesactually increased in 2009 comparedwith ’08 from 82% to 86%, the studyfound, noting a median bonus rangefrom $30-$39K. The base salary for IR officers is in the

$126-150K range, NIRI and Korn/Ferryreport, while salaries max out at about$700K.Eighty percent receive equity com-

pensation, as well, in the form of stock,options or long-term incentive plans.Notably, fewer reported getting stockoptions (63%, down from 71%), whilemore are getting restricted stock (75%,up from 63%). The survey “paints a pic-ture of modest belt-tightening,” accord-ing to a summary.A large majority reported no change in

staffing levels last year. NIRI and Korn/Ferry found a distinct

regional difference in compensation withthe Mid-Atlantic region posting signifi-cantly higher salaries than the Pacificregion, which includes the West Coast,Alaska and Hawaii. The survey also found that 53% of

IROs have responsibilities in addition toIR with half of that group handling cor-porate communications, as well. Otherduties included financial media relations(41%) and PR (40%).

Study: IR’s modestbelt-tightening

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With new communications mar-kets popping up almostovernight in regions as diverse

as the Middle East, Africa, South Americaand Asia, at a cursory glance the currentroster of global network partners resemblesless of your run-of-the-mill communica-tions consortium and more like a UnitedNations dossier. If nothing else, it revealsthe truly international spread of today’sbusiness realities, and one that is testamentto a communications renaissance currentlytaking place on the international stage.

Worldcom leads despite setbacksAs the world’s largest global PR net-

work, Worldcom’s turbulent year, both itsstruggles and its impending recovery, canbe seen as a barometer for the industry. Notunlike most businesses across the globe,Worldcom’s combined total revenuesslipped in the past year, down to $214 mil-lion from its record-breaking $244 millionin 2009 (Worlcom revenues had been con-sistently growing for the past five years —from $190 million in 2006 to nearly $230million the following year). There’s a silver lining to the slump.

According to Stefan Pollack, Chair ofWorldcom’s Americas region and Presidentof Pollack PR Marketing Group in LosAngeles, these numbers, tallied at the endof last year, reveal both the financial reali-ties of the recession and hint at an underly-ing growth that missed many larger over-seas shops that fared far worse during thesame period. “Since December there’s been a kind of

euphoria among our partners, about wherewe’re going and a general uptick in newbusiness,” he said. “From a trend perspec-tive, clients are looking for firms that candeliver immediate impact with sustainablevalue. Clients want to be able to communi-cate more effectively in their markets. Ourfirms are fiercely independent and entrepre-neurial; they’re able to retain the originalreason why their clients wanted to hirethem in the first place.”Worldcom still managed to add five part-

ner firms in the past year, recovering from aslight (though still comparatively strong)

ebb in member activity that began in 2007,boasting new partner firms in NorthAmerica, Europe and Asia. Perhaps mosttelling about the future of the global com-munications market, Worldcom experi-enced notable growth in the Middle East,where they added offices in Beirut, Istanbuland Cairo.“It’s a maturing market, it’s maturing

before our eyes,” Pollack said. “We see thisas another example of businesses just fol-lowing the globalization trend. As commu-nications barriers break down, there’s agreater need to communicate and educatemarkets, and Worldcom has always beennot just about dots on a map but stars,where the best and brightest partners addmeaningful messages about what we do asa group.”Pollack said Asia remains a particular

source of interest for Worldcom. Networkleaders recently convened from a partnermeeting in Shanghai where they discussedthe maturity of the Asian market and out-lined plans on how to continue successfulventures in the region. Incidentally,Worldcom added a new Shanghai partner toits roster this year (a Taiwan partner wasalso recently added).“It has always been an important market

to us. As Chinese and Asian manufacturersbuild brands in their own right and takethose brands abroad into the world, we’veseen that evolutionary process take ongreater numbers,” he said. “With firmsworking through a global partnership,we’re finding clients are looking not onlyfor efficient and effective results, but firmscan deliver transformational value as theycontinue to grow and engage in those mar-ketplaces. A global partnership likeWorldcom can really deliver on the originalintent of why a client hired that company,and retain that relationship as business andglobal presence grows and enables us tothrive.”

IPREX takes new territories All things considered, no global PR net-

work braved the economic downturn aswell as IPREX. Founded in 1983, the net-work has consistently brought in new part-ners and increased revenues in recent years.The past year was no different, when thenetwork — the world’s second largest —

took in combined annual revenues of $137million, a big increase from their equallystrong $117 million in 2009, showing that aworldwide recession has done little to slowthe network’s growth.“Things are good. Overall the sense is

we’re in a good place relative to the recov-ery. Organizations likeours went into thedownturn early andcame out early,” saidIPREX WorldwidePresident KathyTunheim, who is alsoPresident and CEO ofTunheim Partners inMinneapolis.For the past several

years, IPREX’s growthseemed to largelyrevolve around NorthAmerica. This year however, the networkexpanded its global reach, adding partnersin Asia, Europe and North America. IPREXalso saw the addition of an entirely newmarket, South America, and added two newpartner firms in theregion: one in SãoPaulo and another inBuenos Aires. “It’s not because we

want numbers for thesake of having num-bers — it’s what areasour agencies are goingto be successful thatcounts,” Tunheim said.“It’s less about geogra-phy, and more andmore about where youneed that deep sectorinsight. The focus of our growth is reallyabout asking who can add to our collectivevalue. We’re not just looking at dots on amap — we’re asking ‘where does the busi-ness need to go?’”IPREX currently has 70 partners in 90

offices in North and South America,Europe, the Middle East and Asia Pacific,with a combined roster of 1,290 communi-cations professionals.With the exception of a slight dip in

member numbers between ’08 and ’09,IPREX has experienced consistent membergrowth in the past five years. The networkadded five partners in the past year.At a recent annual meeting of network

partners in Düsseldorf, IPREX discussedthe specifics of its strategic growth plans.Tunheim said Asia remains an important


New frontiers, markets emerge on global PR stage

By Jon Gingerich

REPORT

Stefan Pollack,Worldcom

America’s Chair.

Kathy Tunheim,IPREX Worldwide

President.

Despite historic economic challenges, strained campaignbudgets and industries racked by recession, the “Big Four”global PR networks have surfaced, not exactly unscathed butnonetheless victorious, revealing record-high revenues,padded member ranks and new frontiers the world over.

�Continued on next page

market for the network, and said SouthAmerica continues to become a source ofimmense interest. “Increasingly, from a global commerce

perspective, these markets matter. Wespend a lot of time touching on how we canmake sure our clients have the resourcesthey need when they move into new mar-kets, and to make sure we all understandhow to make that transition as seamlessly aspossible,” she said.

The growth of variouscommunications indus-tries in IPREX’sNordic region, and anincrease in clientdemand for core prac-tice areas like publicaffairs, has also beenconsiderably strong.Tunheim said the net-work is interested inconsumer product mar-kets, as well clean techand multicultural

industries, all areas that have been hit by theeconomy but are prepped for a full recovery.“Both on the consumer side and in busi-ness-to-business areas, all these marketshave many facets,” she said. “We’re in a

very fragile place and Ithink we tend to look atthings and believeeverything willimprove. They will, butit won’t be a straightline up or across theboard. Economiesrecover when the econ-omy starts to spend.The markets that aredoing best are the onesthat can pace them-selves.”

Pinnacle stabilizes lossesThis time last year, things weren’t

looking so good for Pinnacle. The firstand oldest of the global PR networks hadlost 14 partner firms between 2008 and2009, a blow that came only after losingan additional dozen firms the year before. In the time since however, Pinnacle has

managed not only to curb further membercuts, but to strengthen their roster andeven grow in several markets, an unlike-ly turn of events given the realities of therecent global economy.With 36 current member firms,

Pinnacle reported combined total rev-enues somewhere between $75 and $100million, earnings on par with last year’s. Pinnacle lost several partners in Asia

but added new shops in the Middle Eastand North America. The network haseven added three firms since May, and is

currently in negotiations to add anotherforeign member, one that will “substan-tially extend” the network’s global cover-age, according to Pinnacle PresidentDonna Vandiver, who is also Presidentand CEO of The Vandiver Group in St.Louis.Vandiver said that while the network

doesn’t view a single region of emergingcommunications shops as having morecurrent urgency than others, she notedthat several practice area groups — socialmedia, sustainability, healthcare, energyand public affairs — are present focusesof attention for the network, the result ofa recently completed member survey. “I think we’re seeing more interest in

areas of the world where maybe we had-n’t taken a close enough look at before,”Vandiver said. “The downturn was a realone-two punch for a lot of firms.Thankfully, we’re seeing a light at theend of the tunnel and it isn’t a train.”

Steady growth for PRGNPRGN’s combined revenues for the past

year were slightly over $100 million, amodest dip from 2009’s $110 million. PRGN gained one partner in North

America and lost one in Asia, keeping theirtotal roster of partners — 42 — the same aslast year. Overall, the network has experi-enced modest growth, adding a total of adozen partners in the past three years. PRGN’s recently elected President,

Patricia Perez of Los Angeles-based multi-cultural agency VPE, told O’Dwyer’s thatwhile the network’s growth has been con-sistent, it has played out in various ways

across the globe as a result of the recession.“The interesting thing about global com-

munications is that it takes a while for aregion’s problems to reach the global mar-ket. When the U.S. was reeling, the rest ofthe world was on easy street. Now it seemsto be going around.”When placed in the purview of the net-

work’s specialty focus, Perez said Europeremains an area of attention for PRGN. Shealso noted that Asia (China and India,specifically) have become growing sourcesof interest for the network. “It’s not just the concept of having com-

munications, it’s the concentration and thevery specific differences that exist in thosemarkets that have been important,” shesaid.“The interesting part is that you don’t

know what markets are going to be criticalfor clients. But when you have an estab-lished global communications team it givesyou seasoned professionals with on-the-ground ability, local expertise, and entre-preneurial drive at the same time. It’s thebest of both worlds for people who want tobe independent but at the same time havethe opportunity to take advantage of globalcampaigns.”“Communications truly is global,” she

continued. “Everything is based not onlyon engagement but also personal engage-ment. When choosing a firm, the marketand the capabilities are important. If youonly have two dollars, one should go intocommunications. When times were hardour members were still consistent in seeingthe value that communications gives.” �


Organizations remain cautious onPR spending in 2010 as the indus-try emerges from a tough ’09,

according to a biennial study by theUniversity of California’s AnnenbergSchool for Communication andJournalism. A survey of spending by the school

shows that while ’09 wasn’t as painful toPR as previous recessions, budgets areexpected to increase only incrementallythis year.Jerry Swerling, director of PR studies

and the Strategic PR Center at USC, saidthe recent recession wasn’t as calamitousas the downturn that leveled tech PR at theturn of the last decade. He said the indus-try came out of last year in relativelydecent shape for a recovery.“The dot-com phenomenon was really a

PR bubble that, when it finally burst hit theprofession the way this recession hit the

housing industry,” he said. Swerling notedthat PR is much better established today asa key strategic player (“rather than just ahype machine”) and added that socialmedia and the “fishbowl” environmentplay to PR’s strong suits.The USC study, known as GAP, an

acronym for Generally AcceptedPractices, found that nearly 21 percent ofPR budgets rose last year while 42.5% fell.A large percentage — 36.6 — saw little orno change, the study found.Swerling said solid numbers reported in

the first quarter of 2010 by ad/PR holdingcompanies are a good sign for the year, buthe noted the GAP study’s finding thatclients expect budgets to increase a mere1.6% this year. Corporate respondents tothe study cited an expected 1.9% increase.Nearly 29% said they expect budgets to

increase in 2010 over 2009, while halfexpected no change. About 21% expect adecline, according to the GAP study. �

PR sector spending ‘cautious’ for 2010

Donna Vandiver,PinnaclePresident.

Patricia Perez,PRGNPresident.

Bitner Goodman — Ft. Lauderdale, FLBitner Hennessy — Orlando, FLBliss PR — Chicago, ILBliss PR — New York, NYBohle Co., The — Los Angeles, CABrickell & Partners — Virginia Beach, VACarreño Group — Houston, TXCASACOM — Montreal, QC, CanadaCerrell Assocs. — Los Angeles, CA Corporate Ink — Boston, MADelta Media — Ottawa, ONT, CanadaDeveney Communication — New Orleans, LADonoghue & Assocs. — Calgary, ALB, CanadaGrossman Group, The — Chicago, ILHermanoff Public Relations — Detroit, MIHolt & Germann PA — Trenton, NJJohn Adams Assocs. Inc. — Washington, D.C.Katcher Vaughn & Bailey Public Relations — Nashville, TNLiggett Stashower — Cleveland, OHLinhart Public Relations – Denver, COM. Silver Assocs. — Ft. Lauderdale, FLM. Silver Assocs. — New York, NYMarina Maher Comms. — New York, NYMBS Value Partners — New York, NYMcGrath/Power PR — Santa Clara, CA McRae Comms. — Atlanta, GA

Michael A. Burns & Assocs. — Dallas, TXMorgan & Myers — Milwaukee, WINuffer, Smith, Tucker, Inc. — San Diego, CA OEB Enterprise — Toronto & Niagara Region, ONT, CanadaOff Madison Ave — Tempe, AZPace Group Communications — Vancouver, BC, CanadaPadilla Speer Beardsley Inc. — Minneapolis, MNPadilla Speer Beardsley Inc. — New York, NYParallax Communications Group — Indianapolis, INPetersGroup Public Relations — Austin, TXPollack PR Mktg. Group, The — Los Angeles, CAPublic Comms. Inc. — Chicago, ILRichmond PR — Seattle, WARLF Comms. — Greensboro, NCRoberts Comms. — Rochester, NYSandy Hillman Communications — Baltimore, MDSchneider Assocs. — Boston, MASimon PR Group — Philadelphia, PASt. John & Partners — Jacksonville, FLStanding Partnership — Charlottesville, VAStanding Partnership — St. Louis, MOStrategic America — Des Moines, IAStryker Weiner & Yokota PR — Honolulu HISturges Word Communications — Kansas City, MOTech Image — Chicago, ILTravers Collins & Co. — Buffalo, NY

Business Press S.p.A. — Milan, ItalyCBO Srl (Communications by Objectives) — Milan, ItalyCoxit Public Relations — Oslo, NorwayDi@log Company — Ljubljana, SloveniaGellis Communications — Brussels, BelgiumGlaubicz Garwolinska Consultants — Warsaw, PolandGrupo Albion — Madrid, SpainHBI Helga Bailey GmbH — Munich, GermanyImago-Imagem e Comunicacao Lda — Lisbon, PortugalJanev & Janev — Sofia, BulgariaKaizo — London, England, UKKeima — Paris, FranceKestrel Worldcom UK — London, England, UKkomm.passion GmbH — Dusseldorf, GermanyL & W MarCom — Zurich, Switzerland & Vienna, AustriaLF Channel — Barcelona, SpainLigaris — Paris, FranceMedial Kommunikation AB — Stockholm, SwedenPR Leaders — Beirut, LebanonPRAM Consulting — Prague, Czech RepublicPrimeTime Kommunikation — Copenhagen, DenmarkPRNet Baltic — Tallinn, Estonia; Riga, Latvia; & Vilnius,

LithuaniaProbako Comms. — Budapest, HungarySpona Communications, Ltd. — Zagreb, CroatiaWinningtons Financial — London, England, UK

Wisse Kommunicatie/Worldcom — Arnhem, NetherlandsWPR Finland — Helsinki, FinlandYA Corporation — Moscow, RussiaYucatan — Paris, France

Asia-Pacific Connections, Pte. Ltd. — SingaporeA-World Consulting Ltd. — Admiralty, Hong KongAZ Worldcom Japan Co. Ltd. — Tokyo, JapanBeyond Group — Taipei, TaiwanFortune PR Strategic Comms. — Jakarta, IndonesiaGlocal Strategy Consulting — Shanghai, ChinaHPR & Company — Seoul, KoreaParadigm Communications — Beijing, ChinaPhillips Group — Brisbane & Sydney, AustraliaTOCS — Tokyo, JapanTQPR Co. Ltd. — Bangkok, Thailand & Ho Chi Minh City, VietnamTQPR Sdn Bhd — Kuala Lumpur, MalaysiaWrights — Melbourne, Australia

Kutadgu Comms. Consulting — Istanbul, TurkeyMajlis PR & Comms. — Dubai, United Arab EmiratesRada Research & Public Relations — Cairo, Egypt

Arvizu Comunicación Corporativa — Mexico CityC Square Group — San Juan, Puerto RicoInfomedia Consulting — Buenos Aires, ArgentinaMilenium Desarrollo Corp., C.A. — Caracas, VenezuelaPlanin — São Paulo, Brazil

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Antenna Group — San Francisco, CABarkley — Kansas City, MOBeuerman Miller Fitzgerald — New Orleans, LABorshoff — Indianapolis, INBridgeman Communications — Boston, MA Carolyn Grisko & Associates — Chicago, ILCasey & Sayre — Los Angeles, CACBR Public Relations — Orlando, FLThe Communications Group Inc. — Toronto, ONCommunications Pacific, Inc. — Honolulu, HICrown Communications — Charlotte, NCDesautel Hege Communications — Spokane, WAEisbrenner Public Relations — Detroit, MIEric Mower and Associates — Albany, Buffalo,

Rochester & Syracuse, NYFahlgren Mortine Public Relations — Columbus, OHFineman PR — San Francisco, CAFlowers Communications Group — Chicago, IL French/West/Vaughan — Raleigh, NCGable PR — San Diego, CAGreat Communicators, Inc. — Miami, FL

Hedlin Lauder Comms. Ltd. — Calgary, ALB, CanadaJohnstonWells Public Relations — Denver, COJSH&A Public Relations — Chicago, ILKortenhaus Communications — Boston, MALandau Public Relations — Cleveland, OHLaurey Peat & Associates — Dallas, TXMakovsky & Company, Inc. — New York, NYMullen Public Relations — Phoenix, AZPeak Communicators Ltd. — Vancouver, BC, CanadaPreferred Public Rels. & Marketing — Las Vegas, NVRountree Group, Inc. — Atlanta, GASahlman Williams, Inc. — Tampa, FLSaxum | PR — Oklahoma City, OKScheibel Halaska, Inc. — Milwaukee, WISusan Davis International — Washington, DCTunheim Partners, Inc. — Minneapolis, MNUlum Group, The — Eugene & Portland, ORVehr Communications — Cincinnati, OHVollmer Public Relations Inc. — Austin & Houston, TXWertheim & Company, Inc. — Toronto, ON, Canada

Abchurch Communications — London, England, UKACA/JES Communicatie — Amsterdam, NetherlandsArenalia Comunicacion — Barcelona, SpainB&K Media and Comms. Cons. — Vienna, AustriaThe Communications Business — Edinburgh, ScotlandConsilio Kommunikasjon — Tonsberg, Norwaydcp Public Relations Ltd. — Belfast, Northern IrelandLead Communications — Milan, Italym/e brand commn. GWA — Dusseldorf, GermanyManifesto Consulting Oy — Helsinki, FinlandOperate A/S — Copenhagen, DenmarkPaper Comms. — Prishtina, Kosovo & AlbaniaPaver Smith and Co. — Liverpool, England, UKPoliticsDirect — London, England, UKPrime Time Ltd. — Sofia, Bulgaria

Reliant Communications — Athens, GreeceSpotlight PR — Stockholm, SwedenSurrey House Corporate Comm. – Surrey, EnglandWalsh Public Relations — Dublin, Irelandwbpr Public Relations — Berlin, Germany

Item Comunicacao Ltda. — São Paulo, BrazilMGH Communication Management — Buenos Aires

Chayun Public Relations – Seoul, KoreaConcept PR — Mumbai, IndiaPead PR — Auckland, New ZealandRantau PR — Selangor, MalaysiaWilkinson PR — Sydney, Australia

Lone Star Communications — IsraelNettResults — Saudi Arabia & United Arab Emirates

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A. Brown-Olmstead Associates — Atlanta, GAAllison & Partners — Santa Monica, CA Anne Klein Communications Group, LLC — Mt. Laurel, NJBailey Gardiner, Inc. — San DiegoBond PR and Brand Strategies — New OrleansCarr Marketing Communications Inc. — Buffalo, NYColes Marketing Communications — Indianapolis, INConkling Fiskum & McCormick — Portandde La Garza Public Relations, Inc. — Houston, TXGogerty Marriott, Inc. — Seattle Griffin and Associates — Albuquerque, NMHanser & Associates — West Des Moines, IAHoggan & Associates — Vancouver, BC, CanadaLevenson & Brinker Public Relations — DallasLVM Group, Inc. — New YorkMorrissey & Company — Boston, MANorthstar Counselors, Inc. — Wayzata, MNPinnacle Worldwide Headquarters — Wayzata, MN

Potomac Communications Group - Washington D.C.Red Sky Public Relations — Boise, IDReputation Partners, LLC — Chicago, ILShazaaam! LLC — Southfield, MIStrategic Objectives — Toronto, ONT, CanadaVandiver Group, Inc., The — St. Louis

Gabrielle Shaw Communications — London, England, UKINSIDERS — Moscow, RussiaPanthere Consulting -- Munich, GermanyPanthere Consulting / MZ Comms. — Wöllstadt, Germany

BASSO DASTUGUE & ASOCIADOS — Buenos AiresSPMJ Communicacoes — São Paulo, Brazil

Crabtree Associates Ltd. — Auckland, New Zealand FBI Communications, Inc. — Tokyo, JapanVirtusio Public Relations Inc. — Manila, Philippines

Adam Friedman Assocs. – New York, NYAker Partners, The – Washington, D.C.Buchanan Public Relations – Philadelphia, PACastle Group, The – Boston, MAContemporary Comms., Ltd. – Vancouver, BC, CanadaCooperKatz & Co. – New York, NYDye, Van Mol & Lawrence – Nashville, TNFantail Comms. – Toronto, ONT, CanadaFearey Group, The – Seattle, WAGroundfloor Media – Denver, COHarrell Group, The – Dallas, TXHMA Public Relations – Phoenix, AZJMC Marketing Comms. & PR – New York, NYL.C. Williams & Assocs. – Chicago, ILLandis Comms. Inc. – San Francisco, CALedlie Group, The – Atlanta, GAPacifico – San Jose, CAStevens Baron Comms. – Cleveland, OHVan Vechten & Co. – Miami, FLVPE PR – Los Angeles, CAXenophon Strategies – Washington, D.C.

Guerra Castellanos & Asociados – Mexico City, MexicoIdentia PR – Buenos Aries, ArgentinaMirabal & Associates, Inc. – Mayaguez, Puerto RicoS2 Comunicação Integrada — São Paulo, Brazil

Athenora Consulting – Brussels, BelgiumBeyond PR – Oxford, England, UKCoast Communications – Stockholm, Swedencometis AG – Wiesbaden, GermanyCullen Communications Ltd. – Dublin, IrelandEvident PR – Amersfoort, The NetherlandsGreenwich – Paris, FranceIndustrie-Contact – Hamburg, GermanyMulti Communications – Warsaw, PolandSCR – Barcelona & Madrid, SpainSound Public Relations – Milan, ItalySPA Way, The – London, England, UK

Aspire PR – Pune, IndiaCosmo Public Relations Corporation – Tokyo, JapanCurrie Communications Pty Ltd. – Melbourne, AustraliaMileage Communications PTE Ltd. – Shanghai

HWB Communications – Cape Town, South Africa

Global PR Partners 2010

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COOPERKATZ &COMPANY, INC.

205 Lexington Avenue, 5th FloorNew York, NY 10016917/595-3030Fax: 917/[email protected]

Andy Cooper, PrincipalRalph Katz, PrincipalAnne Green, President, COO

CooperKatz & Company, Inc.is an independent, full-servicemarketing/public relations firmwith strong strategic, creativeand social media credentials.Founded in 1996 by AndyCooper and Ralph Katz, twosenior PR agency executives,CooperKatz is headquartered inManhattan in New York Cityand serves a prestigious clientbase across a broad range ofindustry sectors. CooperKatz isa member of the PublicRelations Global Network(PRGN), a consortium of morethan 40 independent memberagencies based in the UnitedStates, Central and SouthAmerica, Europe, Canada,Pacific Rim, South Asia and theCaribbean. PRGN member firmsall meet stringent selection andperformance requirements andare therefore able to offer clientsaccess to high-quality, entrepre-neurially-led international repre-sentation. CooperKatz capabili-ties include brand positioning,communications training, mediarelations, product introductions,meeting/event production andsupport, social media, videoproduction and collateral mate-rials. Visit www.cooperkatz.comand www.prgn.com for moreinformation.

FEINTUCH COMMUNICATONS

245 Park Ave., 39th FloorNew York, NY 10167212/[email protected] www.feintuchcommunications.comwww.ecpglobal.com www.jumpstartglobal.com

Henry Feintuch, President

Feintuch Communications is astrategic relations firm. Weenjoy decades of experience indeveloping and implementingsuccessful public relations pro-grams for organizations of alltypes and sizes. Our specialtypractices include healthcare andlife sciences, advertising andmedia, technology, financialservices and energy.The firm is a member of ECP

Global, an international allianceof premier independent commu-nication consultancies which areparticularly adept at coordinat-ing multinational projects andprograms.For start-ups and multi-

nationals targeting the U.S., ourJumpStart Global Advisors sub-sidiary provides a set of turnkeyservices that allow them to enterthe market quickly and efficient-ly — everything from entity for-mation, legal, accounting,administrative, HR and recruit-ment to business development,public relations and broad mar-keting initiatives to generateinquiries.

FLEISHMAN-HILLARD

200 North BroadwaySt. Louis, MO 63102314/982-9166Mobile: 314/267-0549Fax: 314/982-8642

Digital. Integrated. Global.Those three words live at theheart of Fleishman-Hillard’sunmatched ability to make a realdifference for clients. The firm

delivers truly integrated commu-nications solutions that leverage afull range of digital channels —solutions that play out on aworldwide scale, thanks to a net-work of 80 offices across six con-tinents.Just as important, Fleishman-

Hillard brings to those solutionsthe consistently high levels ofclient service, teamwork and cre-ativity that have been at the heartof its reputation for more than 60years.The agency offers a full range

of services and capabilities,backed by a global standard ofquality that is world-class. Thisindustry leader’s bluechipInternational Advisory Board, itsglobal array of 31 practicegroups, international training andother initiatives all come togetherto reinforce one mission: “Tomake ourselves as valuable to ourclients as they are to us.”

HOGGAN & ASSOCIATES

510-1125 Howe StreetVancouver B.C. V6Z 2K8Canada

604/739-7500www.hoggan.com

Jim Hoggan, PresidentShafiq Jamal, Executive VicePresident

For more than 25 years,Hoggan, a renowned full-servicepublic relations firm, has assisteda wide range of global compa-nies, organizations, and publicagencies with best-in-class repu-tation management services, gov-ernment and media relations, cri-sis communications, influencerengagement, and more.We employ a research-based

methodology. We believe anorganization cannot develop aneffective communications strate-gy without first understanding itstarget audiences. The approachdelivers results: Hoggan is aSilver Anvil award winner — thePRSA’s highest honor — forhelping a U.S.-owned natural-foods company navigate a high-profile public-health crisis. Theengagement is still cited as a casestudy in “doing the right thing.”Our strengths lie in energy,

Profiles

INTERNATIONAL PR FIRMS6.10

O’Dwyer’sGuide to:

In April 2010, Feintuch Communications launched JumpStart GlobalAdvisors, focused on providing broad business services to compa-nies entering the North American market.


The July issue of O’Dwyer’s will profilePR firms that specialize in travel andtourism. If you would like your firm to belisted, contact Editor Jon Gingerich at646/843-2080 or [email protected]

�Continued on page 24

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healthcare, financial services andtechnology, with particularexpertise in sustainability com-munications. Our ongoing workwith leading environmentalorganizations and influencers —in combination with our market-leading proprietary research —places us at the forefront of sus-tainability communications.

KETCHUM

1285 Avenue of the AmericasNew York, NY 10019646/935-3900www.Ketchum.com

Ray Kotcher, Senior Partner andCEO

A communications innovatorwith more than 100 offices andaffiliates in 70 countries worldwide,Ketchum ranks among the largestglobal public relations consultan-cies, and leads the industry in theU.K. and Europe as KetchumPleon. With five global practices —

Brand Marketing, Corporate,Healthcare, Food & Nutrition andTechnology — and specialty capa-bilities including AccessCommunications (high-tech andconsumer-tech PR), ConcentricCommunications (experiential mar-keting, events and meetings), MMG

(clinical trial recruitment), KetchumGlobal Research Network andKetchum Sports and Entertainment,Ketchum’s best-teams approachallows it to swiftly mobilize itsglobal resources to produce mean-ingful results for clients wherevertheir needs exist. Widely recognized for its creativ-

ity and innovation, Ketchum has atotal of more than 200 PRWeek,SABRE, and Silver Anvil awards. Ketchum has also won more

CLIO Award than any other PRagency, and was named the HolmesReport’s 2010 North AmericanLarge Agency of the Year. For more information on

Ketchum, a unit of OmnicomGroup Inc. (NYSE:OMC), visitwww.ketchum.com.

MAYO COMMUNICATIONS

7248 Bernadine Ave., 2nd Fl.West Hills, CA 91307818/340-5300Fax: 818/340-2550www.mayocommunications.com

Aida Mayo, PresidentGeorge McQuade, VicePresident

MAYO Communications, basedin LA with offices in New York,San Diego and Bern, Switzerland,has been serving government, busi-ness, entertainment and environ-mental clients for more than adecade.

Last April, MAYO’s ClientLAEDC and World Trade CenterAssn. (WTCA) Los Angeles/LongBeach launched a campaign to con-vince BYD Company Limited, oneof China’s fastest growing automanufacturers, to establish the U.S.headquarters in Los Angeles. Thiswould create up to 2,000 jobs.MAYO’s client garnered severalthousand international media arti-cles. In May, MAYO earned$500,000 worth of national mediaplacement a WTCA LA/LB andLAEDC media campaign onChina’s economic impact. RecentlyInternational Trade EducationPrograms (ITEP), a MAYO client,honored Port Executive DirectorGeraldine Knatz with the “2010Keeper of the Flame Award” at its10th Annual Scholarship Awardsand Fundraiser Dinner in SanPedro, CA.ITEP helps train financially dis-

advantaged students to obtain a col-lege education and high payingjobs in the Maritime industry. Thanks to MAYO ITEP’s 10 YearAnniversary Scholarship dinnerwas sold-out at 600+ RSVPs, anevent planned for 500. ITEPExecutive Director Carol Rowenwas featured in the Los AngelesTimes.

PORTER NOVELLI

75 Varick StreetNew York, NY 10013212/601-8000Fax: 212/601-8101www.porternovelli.com

Gary Stockman, CEO

Porter Novelli is one of theworld’s leading public relationsfirms with a network of officesspanning North America, LatinAmerica, EMEA and Asia Pacific.Porter Novelli combines the powerof immersion with the rigor of datato create deep human insights thatenable us to transform the opin-ions, beliefs and behaviors of thosewho matter most to our clients.Founded in Washington, D.C. in1972, the agency’s practice areasinclude brand marketing, corporateaffairs, food & nutrition, healthcare, public affairs, social market-ing, technology and Hispanic mar-keting. Specialty services spaninternal communications, issuesand crisis management, business-to-business, cause marketing, cor-porate social responsibility, mediarelations and media training. PorterNovelli has a track record of deliv-ering consistent quality across theglobe, building the right team foreach client by tapping expertise

from throughout the organization,regardless of geographic bound-aries.

PUBLIC RELATIONSGLOBAL NETWORK

(PRGN)

East1422 Euclid Ave. Suite 645Cleveland, OH 44115216/621-6800 ext. 18Fax: 216/621-6806www.stevensbaron.com

Edward Stevens, APR,President, Stevens BaronCommunications, Inc.

West1388 Sutter Street, #901San Francisco, CA 94109415/561-0888 ext. 2308Fax: 415/[email protected]

David Landis, President, Landis Communications, Inc.

Connected Thinking. Globally.More than 1,000 clients across sixcontinents depend on the com-bined resources of the PublicRelations Global Network(PRGN) to deliver targeted publicrelations campaigns in more than80 markets around the world.With revenues of more than $100million (U.S.), PRGN is amongthe world’s top four public rela-tions networks. PRGN harnessesthe resources of 40 independentpublic relations firms, 50 officesand more than 800 communica-tions professionals to connectinternational companies andorganizations with individual andculturally diverse markets global-ly. Visit PRGN online at:www.prgn.com.

ROGERS & COWAN

PACIFIC DESIGN CENTER8687 Melrose Ave., 7th FloorLos Angeles, CA 90069310/854-8117inquiries@rogersandcowan.comwww.rogersandcowan.comwww.rogersandcowan.co.uk

Tom Tardio, CEONikki Parker, EVP

Rogers & Cowan is the leadingentertainment marketing and PRagency with offices in LosAngeles, New York and London.We offer significant experience indriving and managing interna-


PROFILES OF INTERNATIONAL PR FIRMS

(L-R) Omar Franco (GESA Speaker), Geovanna Valenzuela (ITEPScholarship Winner from ITA Academy), Jessica Ortiz (Mojave XPSpeaker), Monique Romo (GBAC Speaker), Greta Armenta (ITASpeaker, ITEP Scholarship Winner), Geraldine Knatz, exec. dir., Portof Los Angeles, Cassandra Garcia (SPEA Speaker), Hugo Arreguin(GSS Speaker), Ruby Bueno (ITEP Scholarship Winner), JesusMendez (180 Degree Student from GESA) at ITEP’s 10th AnnualScholarship and Fundraising Dinner campaign handled by MAYOCommunications, Los Angeles.

Photo by John Stephen

HOGGAN & ASSOCS.�Continued from page 23

tional PR campaigns for clients inthe entertainment, lifestyle andtechnology industries, includingU.S. and international film com-panies, international celebritiesand recording artists, worldwideconcert tours, fashion/lifestylebrands, instrument manufacturersand global technology brands.Our team manages globalaccounts working in conjunctionwith our international Rogers &Cowan and IPG family offices toexport and adapt PR, sponsorshipactivation, strategic alliances,influential seeding, event market-ing and social media strategiesfor use worldwide. Our International Film division

works with filmmakers, produc-ers, financiers, distributors, filmcommissions and filmmaking tal-ent around the world to spearheadtheir international publicity cam-paigns throughout the lifetime oftheir film. We provide clientswith extensive knowledge of theinternational film market andclose relationships with leadingdistributors and media around theworld. We execute corporate PRcampaigns to position our clientswithin the film industry, manageinternational PR of theatricalfilms, promote foreign produc-tion facilities and manage mediaactivities at major film festivalsand markets, including Cannes,Edinburgh, Zurich, Tribeca Doha,Venice, AFM, Mifed and MipTV.

RUDER FINN

301 East 57th StreetNew York, NY 10022212/593-6400www.ruderfinn.com

David Finn, ChairmanKathy Bloomgarden & PeterFinn, Co-CEOs

Ruder Finn is one of the world’slargest independent PR agenciesemploying 600 people worldwide.The firm is organized around fourstrategic pillars that reflect theagency’s key areas of leadership:Health & Wellness, Corporate &Public Trust, Global Connectivityand Life + Style. Expertiseincludes reputation management,branding, cultural and social issues,and intent driven social mediathrough its digital practices, RFRelate and RF innovation studios.Clients include: Air France,

APEX, Bayer, Brazil, Audi, BristolMyers Squibb, Canadian TourismCommission, Chanel, Citigroup,Emirate Airlines, Hermes, IEEE,Govt. of Bahrain, Jamaica TouristBoard, L’Oreal, Microsoft, Moet

Hennessy Diageo, Merck,Novartis, Pfizer, PepsiCo, VisaInternational. Ruder Finn has a global footprint

with wholly-owned offices in NewYork, Chicago, Los Angeles, SanFrancisco, Washington, DC,London, Paris, Berlin, Basel,Jerusalem, Beijing, Hong Kong,Guangzhou, Shanghai, Singapore,and affiliates in all other majorcities in the US, Europe, LatinAmerica and Asia-Pacific. Thefirm’s offices in New York and inChina are among the largest in theindustry.

WEBER SHANDWICK

919 Third AvenueNew York, NY 10022212/445-8000www.webershandwick.com

Harris Diamond, CEOJack Leslie, ChairmanAndy Polansky, PresidentJill Murphy, Chief BusinessDevelopment Officer

Weber Shandwick is a leadingglobal public relations agency withoffices in 76 markets around theworld. The firm’s reputation is builton its deep commitment to clientservice, creativity, collaborationand harnessing the power of advo-cates — engaging stakeholders innew and creative ways to buildbrands and reputation. Weber Shandwick provides

strategy and execution acrossworld-class practices such as con-sumer marketing, healthcare, tech-nology, public affairs, corpo-rate/financial and crisis manage-ment. Its specialized servicesinclude digital/social media, adver-tising, market research, and corpo-rate responsibility. In 2010, Weber Shandwick was

named Global Agency of the Yearby the Holmes Report for the sec-ond year in a row, an ‘Agency ofthe Decade’ by Advertising Age,Large PR Agency of the Year byBulldog Reporter, and TopCorporate Responsibility AdvisoryFirm by CR Magazine. The firmhas also won numerous ‘best placeto work’ awards around the worldincluding “Best Multinational Firmto Work For in EMEA” by theHolmes Report and a “Top Place toWork in PR” by PR News.Weber Shandwick is a unit of

The Interpublic Group ofCompanies (NYSE:IPG), which isamong the world’s largest advertis-ing and marketing services organi-zations. �

PROFILES OF INTERNATIONAL PR FIRMS


odwyerpr.com is unrivaled for its hard-hitting coverage of all areas of marketing,communications, PR and media news.With PR and media in a state of upheaval,it’s more important than ever to keep ontop of the buzz in the industry.


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Gloria BohanPresident & Founder

So, in a recent RFP, when the com-pany asked what PR “tricks” ouragency had up our sleeves, I came

to the stunning realization that there real-ly are people out there who expect publicrelations professionals to yield resultsnothing short of magical.Believe me, if this were possible, all

PR practitioners would operate from thebeach. Clients could check in at thesmoothie stand every so often; we couldwave our wands a couple times a day forgood measure.That sounds much more attractive than

fighting winter rush-hour traffic inCincinnati, but if you want to know thereal secret about PR that everybody onthe inside wants you to know, here it is:

journalistic perspective. A good agencypractitioner is able to objectively look ata company and see which messages willbest strike a chord and motivate prospectsto action, and how these ideas can beapplied to trends in media or pop culture. The problem is, companies have the

tendency to become so wrapped up intheir own mission statements and ethere-al ideals that they fail to see how theycould be using their strengths to capital-ize on current trends. This is why we sooften see epically long releases about abusiness offering the triumvirate of theobvious: quality, service and value. These same companies also wonder

why they aren’t achieving the desiredresults. The difference must be that wand.And for my Next Trick: Getting that

story in the paper!Even some of our most well inten-

tioned clients sometimes forget that wecan’t get every story placed every time.It’s been said that if placements were thateasy to attain, all you’d read about wouldbe PR firms. And it’s true — you’ll neverfind an industry of companies moreenraptured with declaring their love ofthemselves. If there really were a magicPR “trick,” you can bet you’d be hearingabout it everywhere.Magic implies illusion and deception,

and at the end of the day, wouldn’t yourcompany rather be recognized for some-thing you know a lot about over some-thing that was concocted just to get you inthe paper? No magic wand. No smokeand mirrors. And absolutely no tricks.Just a good eye, a little tenacity and a pas-sion for news. You see, there is no “trick” to good

public relations. It takes consistency, hardwork and a little flair. Allison Brinkman is Public Relations

Manager of the Eisen Marketing Groupin Cincinnati. �

By Allison Brinkman

The marketing arena can easily be compared to a three-ringcircus. A few clowns, a few death-defying leaps and a ringleaderwho’s expected to single-handedly bring it all together. Of course,we can’t forget the one person everyone expects to see — thegreat magician, shrouded in mystery, quite dramatic and neverwithout ability to manifest greatness from thin air at the drop ofa hat.

PR’s greatest ‘tricks’ revealed

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animalsplans to educate the winning PR firm in thepitch for the six-figure Ringling Bros. andBarnum & Bailey Circus account that "it's intheir best PR interest" to cancel the deal, DavidPearle, senior media coordinator toldO'Dwyer's.

That doesn't sit well with FeldEntertainment, parent company of RinglingBros. Steve Payne, VP-corporate communica-tions at Feld, called PETA's move an "absurdattempt to impose themselves" into the PRselection process.

"We have received excellent proposals froma number of quality firms that have done theirown due diligence on PETA," he said. None ofthose firms have quit the competitive pitch,Payne told O'Dwyer's.

According to Pearle's e-mail, PETA plans toshare "backstage video footage showingRingling trainers beating elephants, behind-the-scenes photos showing the inherent cruel-ties involved in training baby elephants."

PETA has already sent emails to CEOs of topfirms calling Ringling Bros "a PR nightmarewaiting to happen."

Executive VP Tracy Reiman is quoted as say-ing: "There's not a PR team in the world that isslick enough" to overcome the various allegedabuses by Ringling "all for the sake of a fewcheap tricks."

Ringling refutes charges of animal abuse. Itoperates a conservation center for elephants,animals that it refers to as "pampered perform-ers" that star in the "greatest show on Earth."

PR Briefs

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Omega Makes the Difference


Gloria BohanPresident & Founder


The force of the Latino consumer iswidely recognized by retailers. Withan estimated buying power of $1 tril-

lion, it’s no wonder department stores carryLatino-influenced product lines sportingeither bright colors and shapely silhouettesor Spanish surnamed celebrities. Grocerystores now devote shelves or aisles to prod-ucts that appeal to a wide Latino audience.In fact, retail recognition of the power of

the Latino consumer has even extended tostores, such as WalMart, acknowledgingthat future growth for their business lieswith the Latino audience.So one has to wonder — if corporate

America sees the inevitable future of Latinoinfluence, why don’t politicians? Or thebetter question may be, why don’t theybelieve it?Elected officials around the country can

hardly wait to announce that they too aredrafting Arizona-like immigration bills fortheir states and communities. It might have something to do with the

fact that every major poll seems to over-whelmingly favor the Arizona immigrationbill. The latest Rasmussen poll regardingArizona’s immigration law says it foundthat 55% of those polled would favor immi-gration laws like Arizona’s in their state.Politicians, however, are not paying

attention to the polls that shows the majori-ty of Arizona’s Latinos are against SB1070. It’s not surprising, given that thefoundation of the immigration legislationenacted thus far is based little on fact and alot on fiction.That’s a serious mistake.Support starts with fear-based adsPoll after poll gauging non-Latinos’ feel-

ings about Arizona’s immigration bill showoverwhelming support for every element ofSB 1070, ranging from seeing nothingwrong with requiring people to produceevidence they’re in the country legally toallowing police to question anyone theythink is here illegally.Are these polls an indication of systemic

racism in this country or is it indicative ofsomething more sinister?Call me optimistic, but I think the better

explanation is that those polled, especiallyin Arizona, are responding out of fear —fear induced by advertisements run fromimmigration restrictionists who want peo-ple to fear hard-working, Spanish-speakers. Three senators, McCain (R-AZ), Kyle

(R-AZ) and Cornyn (R-TX), have intro-

duced amendments to the EmergencySupplemental Appropriations Bill, whichwould ratchet up militarization of the bor-der and immigration enforcement withmore detention beds.Instead of using the tired argument that

these amendments are needed to makeAmerica safer, some immigration restric-tionists are focusing the debate around theissue that instills more fear in people thesedays than fear itself — jobs. Immigrationrestrictionists NumbersUSA characterizesthe proposed amendments as having “anunderlying goal to help create jobs thissummer.”What these groups conveniently fail to

mention is that unless the American workeris low-skilled, chances are he/she didn'tlose their job to illegal immigration but to abad economy.In May, the New Policy Institute released

a report that shows “the recent waves ofnew immigrants have increased the averagewage of native-born Americans in theshort-run, and by even more in the longterm as capital investment has increased.”Reports like these are always quickly dis-

counted by immigration restrictionistsbecause they fear if people did know thetruth, or even deeply thought about theissue, the support base needed to achievetheir mission is lost.

Misinformation misleadsTwo other reasons supporters say that

any kind of immigration bill is needed is dueto escalating crime committed by the undoc-umented and abuse of the healthcare sys-tem.Looking at Arizona, one has to wonder

why the crime portion would be a premisefor SB 1070, when crime rates are actuallyat their lowest in four decades. According tothe FBI, the number of violent crimesreported in Arizona between 2005 and 2008dropped by almost 1,500 while the numberof reported property crimes during the sametime period decreased by 8,000. Data compiled by the Bureau of Justice

Statistics show that violent crime rates inArizona from 2006-2008 are the lowestsince 1983. According to the Department ofHomeland Security, by 2008 the rate of vio-lent crimes had dropped from 577.9 per100,000 to 477 — despite the fact thatArizona’s illegal immigrant population hadincreased by 70% during the same time.According to another piece of often-cited

rhetoric, undocumented immigrants alsotake advantage of our healthcare system andare overburdening our emergency rooms.Yet a new report by the National Center

for Health Statistics shows the majority ofER visitors are senior citizens and AfricanAmericans. Among the three ethnic groups:white, black and Hispanic, Hispanics hadthe lowest rates of emergency room visits.

A segment reunitedThe National Council of La Raza found

that not only has SB 1070 united Arizona’sLatinos, but it’s actually serving as an impe-tus for a heightened interest among Latinosfor the upcoming November election.And if it’s happening in Arizona, it’s hap-

pening wherever there are Latinos. So, whycan’t politicians see the potential in Latinovoters like retailers see with Latino con-sumers?The obvious answer may be because,

unlike voting, every Latino is a consumer.Yet, not every Latino is a voter.

However, the nation’s fastest growingpopulation is also one of the fastest growingparts of the American electorate, accordingto Census figures. Between 2000 and 2008,Latino voter registration grew 54 percentand turnout grew 64 percent. In the 2004presidential race, 7.5 million Hispanicsvoted. In the 2008 presidential race, 10 mil-lion cast ballots. It’s widely known thatLatinos helped Obama win, and evenhelped George W. Bush in 2004. The ideathat Latinos can make a difference at thevoting booth has been proven.From the 2008 presidential election, it

was observed that two things must happenwith the Latino electorate that would ensurea turnout that matches the hype of theLatino vote — a strong emotion generatedby the presence of an issue/candidate andidentifying an issue/candidate as being anti-Latino.A strong emotion exists with the passage

of SB 1070. Any politician that supports anissue that is negatively emotional forLatinos is seen as being anti-Latino. Thistheory is supported in the 2008 presidentialelection where McCain, who previouslyhad been viewed as a Latino ally, was seenas representing the party that oppressedLatino immigrants.We know what happened to McCain

among Latino voters. From the way thingsare going now, it won’t be a big surprise tosee Latinos turn out in record numbers.Marisa Treviño is the President of

Treviño TodaMedia LLC and the Publisherand Founder of the English-languageLatino news site Latina Lista. A 16-yearfreelance journalist, Treviño’s columnshave appeared in USA Today and syndicat-ed in both English and Spanish throughoutthe country. She lives in Dallas. �

Arizona bill “alienates” Latino consumers, votersBy Marisa Treviño

FEATURE


The Poconos, long known as a familyski destination and for its honeymoonhotels with heart shaped bathtubs,

will now see a pioneering initiative under-taken to begin outreach to Asian Americans.A brand new hotel, Mount Airy Casino

Resort, was built on the grounds of theMount Airy Lodge, that quintessentialPocono Mountain hotel known from its hey-day in the ’50s and ’60s. Mention MountAiry to any boomer-aged New Yorker andyou might get a spontaneous rendition oftheir ubiquitous TV commercial jingle, “Allyou need to bring, is your love of every-thing. Come to beautiful Mount AiryLodge.”This summer, a Mount Airy ad is more

likely to have a message in Chinese, beck-oning visitors to the Casino, where, pendingfinal regulatory approval, table games willbe available, including Pai Gow poker, atable game favored by Chinese casino-goers.Pennsylvania in January legalized table

games. Mount Airy had their licensing hear-ing in April, was approved for a table gamelicense and now has an anticipated opening

date of July 1. Since then,Mount Airy has been work-ing with feng shui expertsto make sure the Asiangaming rooms are designedwith cultural cues in mind,such as no use of whitecolor in the design and fish,not birds, as a motif.Multicultural Marketing

News sat down with GeorgeToth, President & CEO,Mount Airy Casino Resort,to learn about marketingplans and structuralchanges to the Casino, alldesigned to attract andappeal to Asian Americans.How did you decide to

target the Asian gamingcommunity? One of the reasons we are

going through this Asianmarket focus is because ofour proximity to New YorkCity. We are about an hourand 20 minutes outside ofthe Lincoln Tunnel, theclosest Casino destina-tion on the East Coast. Inmy past position asPresident of the SandsCasino Hotel in AtlanticCity we had a large Asianplayer community and it isa significant and growingpopulation.How is the Casino

being changed to accom-modate their interests?We are building an Asian

room, which will contain 17 games includ-ing mini baccarat and poker. We are also inthe process of opening a noodle bar whichwill open in the same time frame as the tablegames. Our feng shui consultant has helpedus with the design, letting us know what col-ors are lucky, what symbolism is lucky andunlucky. We will use [suggested design ele-ments such as] fish motifs on the draperies,carpeting, and we’ll have statuettes locatedthroughout [the room]. The dealers in theAsian pit speak fluent Chinese, as do thesupervisors and Asian hosts.How are Asian Americans being tar-

geted?We will have 5 members of an Asian mar-

keting team which primarily goes to Asiancommunities in New York, Flushing andBrooklyn. While we will be marketing allover the country, we will have a significant

position in that market. Specifically,we will be doing a number of things. Wewill have ads in Asian papers. We are doingrelationship marketing. The team we havehas 30 years doing this. They are the bestAsian player development team and nowthey will be working for us. We will haveAsian bus groups from Flushing andBrooklyn and we expect eight to 10 buses aday. And no one else in Pennsylvania willbring it to that level.How are you positioning Mount Airy

against Atlantic City and the ConnecticutCasinos?It is not a question of “Can we compete.”

This property is unique. You can’t experi-ence in AC what you get here. You are in themountains; it’s an active lifestyle. You alsohave tennis, golf, and whitewater rafting. Ithink the product is totally unique in theNortheast. �

Resorts begin Asian American PR outreachBy Lisa Skriloff

The Pocono’s Mount Airy Casino Resort was built on thegrounds of the famous Mount Airy Lodge. The resort wasapproved for a table gaming license in April.

Burson-Marsteller’s Prime Policy Group isrepping the National Immigration ForumAction Fund, which is pressing both theWhite House and Republican leadership tomove on immigration reform.

The Forum says its mission is to “embraceand uphold America’s tradition as a nation ofimmigrants.” It criticizes Arizona’s new immi-gration law as one that “enshrines racial pro-filing” and believes its passage highlightsthe need for national reform before otherstates apply their own band-aid fixes.

The Forum praises Democratic SenatorsReid (NV), Schumer (NY) and Menendez (NJ)for introducing a framework for reform legis-lation. It wants Republicans to review theDemocratic proposal and put forth their ownideas in fixing the system.

Charlie Black, Chairman of PPG, is spear-heading the Forum’s effort on Capitol Hill.The GOP-connected Black advisedPresidents Reagan and Bush I, and served asspokesperson for the Republican NationalCommittee.

PR services briefs

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Los Angeles8687 Melrose Avenue, 7th FloorLos Angeles, CA 90069310/854-8200

The Axis Agency is one of thenation’s leading multiculturalmarketing agencies. An awardwinning IPG agency, Axis pro-vides full public relations, mar-keting, promotions and digitalcommunications that reflect theculture, language and lifestyle ofmulticultural consumers.With offices in Los Angeles,

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areas such as government,healthcare, consumer goods,automobile, retail, entertain-ment, banking and technologyHelp clients discover the right

cultural brand, distributionapproach, communicationschannels and messages toimpact marketsLed campaigns for Absolut

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CREATIVE CONSUMERRESEARCH

3945 Greenbriar DriveStafford, TX 77477877/530-9646281/240-9646Fax: 281/[email protected]

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Whether it’s developing newproducts and services, refiningexisting product offerings, orbuilding new marketing andadvertising campaigns, seniordecision makers across theUnited States routinely relyupon CCR for actionable mar-ket insights. With over 20 yearsof research expertise, specifi-cally focused on Hispanic /Latino consumers and busi-nesses, CCR conducts researchfor clients nationally,statewide, regionally and local-ly.Currently CCR has the

largest Hispanic ResearchDepartment in the state ofTexas. CCR offices in Houstonand Phoenix offer a variety ofresearch methodologies tointerview both acculturated andnon acculturated Hispanics /Latinos. CCR also offersresearchers the opportunity tocontact an array of MiddleEastern and Oriental con-sumers. CCR has large confer-ence-style focus group roomswith one-way mirrors and largeclient viewing rooms for quali-tative research. In additionCCR offers taste tests, tele-phone interviewing, executivesurveys, mall intercepts, door-to-door interviewing, mysteryshops, store audits, and com-puter capabilities.Bilingual interviewing, mod-

erators, and translators are alsoavailable. CCR also offersproject management for multi-city projects. Our extensiveexperience includes a widerange of industries: Health Care,Financial Services, ConsumerProducts, Retail, Food &Beverage, Entertainment,Communications, and Travel,etc. CCR completes over 1,500research projects annually.Whether you need telephone sur-veys, internet surveys, one-on-one interviews, focus groups(large or small), multi-lan-guage capabilities etc., ourstaff of more than 40 full-timemarket research professionalsand 200 interviewers can serv-ice your market research needs.

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Based in Bethesda,Maryland, Equals Three® is anaward-winning agency with a27-year history of developingsuccessful social marketingcommunications campaigns forgovernment agencies, domesticand international, nonprofits,and private sector clients. As afull-service agency, EqualsThree offers research andstrategic planning, creativeservices, advertising, marketingand branding, public relations,social media, grassroots mobi-lization, partnership buildingand a specialization in multicul-tural outreach. Equals Three isone of the leading multiculturalpartners of Worldwide Partners,Inc. and has extensive interna-tional work experience in morethan 50 countries around theworld. For more information visit

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FLEISHMAN-HILLARD /

FH MULTICULTURAL

200 North BroadwaySaint Louis, MO 63102314/[email protected]

Dave Senay, President and CEOJack Modzelewski, PresidentClient Relations

Fleishman-Hillard has beensuccessfully managing multicul-

tural communications for over 30years. Acknowledging that theinfluence, relevance and spend-ing power of ethnic communitiescontinue to grow, Fleishman-Hillard has a network of morethan 100 multicultural experts inthe U.S. focused on the Hispanic,African American, AsianAmerican and GLBT segmentsthat help clients effectively andcredibly reach these audiences. Whether executing one-time

local events or developing long-term, highly visible campaigns,we offer a range of services thatincludes influencer programs;strategic planning and counsel;public affairs and communityoutreach; social impact market-ing; media and blogger relations;alliance networking and grass-roots outreach; research and com-petitive intelligence.For additional information,

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FOOTSTEPS

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The unique position thatFootsteps has enjoyed over thepast decade — researching themyriad of cultural influences onmulticultural and general mar-ket consumer behavior — hasmade us aware of an ongoingredefinition of these concepts.Contributing to the change are:an evolving America; and new,emerging American consumers;and the introduction of newmedia technologies. We have identified an emerg-

ing model that is becomingmore descriptive of consumers.This New General Market isless a reflection of group identi-ty and better defined via indi-vidual journeys. Dr. CharlesJamison, Brand StrategyDirector at Footsteps, calls

Profiles

MULTICULTURAL PR FIRMS6.10

O’Dwyer’sGuide to:


these consumers Polyculturals.To learn more contact VerdiaJohnson, President, @ 212/336-9743. Our clients: Nissan,Infiniti, MassMutual FinancialGroup, Visa Prepaid Debit Card,Lowe’s Home Improvement,Continuum Health Partners,Gillette, MBIB/P&G andDiageo.

INTERVIEWINGSERVICE OF

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Founded in 1982,Interviewing Service ofAmerica (ISA) had become oneof the largest market researchdata collection and processingfirms in the US. To date, wehave conducted multiculturaland multilingual research proj-ects in 67 languages, world-wide. Industries served includeAutomotive, CPG, Healthcare,fast food, entertainment, radioand TV advertising, public rela-tions and universities. We areacknowledged as experts in the

Asian and Hispanic Americancommunities. ISA has officesaround the USA, Canada andIndia with three telephone cen-ters and two focus group facili-ties in Los Angeles. We are theco-owners of the AsianAmerican Marketing Report, aone-of-a-kind, ongoing syndi-cated survey that compares theChinese, Korean, Vietnamese,Filipino, Indian, Hispanic andAfrican American communitieswith the general population.

MULTICULTURALMARKETING

RESOURCES, INC.

101 Fifth Avenue, Suite 10BNew York, NY 10003212/[email protected]

Lisa Skriloff, President

Multicultural MarketingResources, Inc.(www.multicultural.com) is apublic relations and marketingconsulting firm working withcorporations, PR firms and themedia. We specialize in promot-ing multicultural marketing anddiversity news to the main-stream media and general newsto the ethnic press. Our clientsinclude the nation’s leadingcommunications firm with

expertise in marketing toHispanic, Asian American,African American, GLBT andother multicultural consumersas well as minority- and women-owned businesses. We also work with general

market public relations firms insupport of their b2c news. LisaSkriloff, previously a MarketingDirector at the New York Timesand Editor/Account rep withCaballero Spanish Radio, found-ed the company in 1994. MMRpublishes MulticulturalMarketing News, our freenewsletter by email, ([email protected])an award-winning, newsletterthat provides executives withresources for targeting ethnicconsumers and journalists withstory ideas and contacts.MMRNews serves as a paid serv-ice, available to public relationsfirms, for distribution of releasesto both journalist and corporatelists. Our annual directory, TheSource Book of MulticulturalExperts, lists companies ownedby or with expertise in marketingto cultural and niche markets,including Hispanic, AsianAmerican, African American,women, people with disabilitiesand GLBT consumers. Paid list-ings are available with repeat inour searchable directory at

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Resources Knowledge Center,serves as a consultant resourcefor professionals in the industryavailable for outsourced help onan hourly or project basis.Multicultural SpeakersShowcase offers trainers andpresenters for conferences andinternal meetings. Through thenewsletter and directory we helpcompanies gain visibility amongexecutives at corporations whooversee multicultural marketingbudgets and journalists whoseek diverse sources. For jour-nalists, we offer a wealth ofresources for Black HistoryMonth, Women’s HistoryMonth, Asian Pacific AmericanHeritage Month, and HispanicHeritage Month, as well as foryear-round coverage of adiverse America. We provideexperts for interviews, alongwith demographic informationand insights into best practicesand trends. Visitwww.multicultural.com to signup for a free subscription to ournewsletter, MMRNews; to viewour Calendar of RecommendedMulticultural / Diversity Events;to meet our Multicultural /Diversity Speakers Showcasemembers and to download ourSource Book. �

PROFILES OF MULTICULTURAL PR FIRMS


Lisa Skriloff is President of Multicultural Marketing Resources, Inc.

PR people demean themselves andthe profession when they resort tovulgarities or offensive language in

what they say and write.First, I’m no prude.

Like GovernorSchwarzenegger, I liftweights (not bigones). Like AttorneyGen. Blumenthal, Iserved in Vietnam(well, during Vietnam... in Missouri … as acook). And eachSunday, at great per-sonal risk to my armand back and mentalstability, I take themound in the OldMen’s SoftballLeague.

So, to borrow an ugly phrase, “I’m nopansy.” That’s why when I suggest that PR and

communications people demean them-selves and their profession when they resortto vulgarities or offensive language in whatthey say and write, I do it more out of asense of sadness than prudishness. PR people are, at base, professional

communicators. Our skill lies in knowinghow to speak, how to write, how to com-

municate better and to a higher standardthan those we counsel. The fact is I hireyou for my company because you writebetter than I do — or should, anyway. That’s why it’s so sad to see PR profes-

sionals resorting to gutter language, justbecause society has been dumbed downenough to “accept” such jargon as legiti-mate. That most PR people are, alas, lousy

writers — poor spellers, clueless gram-marians, lazy and uncreative story tellers— has become the rule in a professionthat should showcase the very best ofwriting talent. Nonetheless, the fact that most PR peo-

ple can’t write doesn’t excuse them fromusing blue and offensive words andphrases when other, equally dramaticsynonyms will do. The practice of PR is already suspect in

some quarters. And using the kinds ofwords and phrases I’ll cite in a momentjust cheapens the individuals who expresslanguage in this way and the professionthey represent. Here, with apologies, are the most fre-

quently used offensive words and phrasesthat have crept into our promotionalvocabulary and which should never beused, except to make a point.Suck.What a coarse term, the derivation of

which can’t be discussed on a familywebsite. (Think Bill Clinton and theintern.)Advertisers, in print and broadcast

commercials, have embraced this offen-sive term to describe everything fromthe economy to paying bills to Nicorettelozenges, as in, “We know quittingsmoking sucks.” Why?What’s wrong with “stinks” or

“smells” or some other descriptor? Answer: Because “sucks” is risqué,

hip, edgy?Puhleeze. When the liberal New York Times

won’t stoop to use the word, neithershould a professional communicator —in any context. Ass.This formerly obnoxious term has, of

course, become accepted throughoutsociety, especially by the 30-somethinggeniuses who run the TV networks andcome up with series like “Dance YourAss Off.” (Evidently, even the stalwarttrail blazers at Oxygen Media have lost abit of backbone, in that new ads for the

show call it, “Dance You’re A** Off.”)As a consequence, movies, ads, late

night comics and even cable talkinghead back-and-forth banter now is spot-ted with references to a body part that ina more respectable day was referred toas “butt” or “derriere” or even“caboose.” Indeed, the writer or speaker who

wishes to distinguish himself from thecrowd today need only to choose amongthese suddenly-archaic terms.Pissed Off.How awful.When some nincompoop PR guy

shows up on CNBC and decries that the“people are pissed off by BP’s actions,”we are in rapid decline. Whatever happened to “mad” or

“angry” or “apoplectic?” Even the slight-ly less offensive, “PO’d,” would be moreacceptable. Using such words in PR copy or ads or

media conversation reveals a limitedintellect, more inclined to accept themediocre standards of modern society,rather than reach for a higher communi-cation standard. Admittedly, few of us are truly “cre-

ative.” But that doesn’t mean that publicrelations communicators can’t try to dis-tinguish themselves from the pack bycoming up with terms that elevate notlower. I can’t even write the word. Even though Sen. Carl Levin, perhaps

the lowest life form in the lowest lifeforum — the U.S. Congress — demon-strated no similar compunction, using theprofanity liberally earlier this month toembarrass Goldman Sachs at a hearing,it’s still a word that is improper and inap-propriate in any form of public dialogue. Frank’s RedHot sauce uses the curse asits come-on theme line in its campaign, “IPut That **** On Everything.” Provocative? Absolutely. Memorable? Maybe. But right? Not hardly. The point is there’s nothing “freer”

than the free speech on the Internet,where you can curse till your blue in theface. Fair enough. But ... that doesn’t mean that PR people

— who ought to represent a higher stan-dard of communication excellence —have to succumb to the Net’s and soci-ety’s lowest common communicationdenominator. In this field, in particular, anybody who

has a modicum of pride in his or her pro-fession ought to watch their language. �

Fraser P. Seitel hasbeen a communicationsconsultant, author andteacher for 30 years. Heis the author of thePrentice-Hall text, ThePractice of PublicRelations.

Watch your languageBy Fraser Seitel

Professional Development


Santa Monica-based PR firm Blaze PRannounced that it has been retained to pro-vide public relations services for EldoradoHotel and Spa in Santa Fe, New Mexico.The AAA Four-Diamond-rated Eldorado is

recognized as one of the most vibrant des-tination hotels within the city of Santa Fe,featuring panoramic guest rooms and aseries of highly-rated suites.Blaze will manage an ongoing public rela-

tions campaign for the company, whichincludes media relations, social media mar-keting and partnerships. With additional offices in Los Angeles,

New York and Washington D.C., Blaze rep-resents leading brands in luxury travel, hos-pitality, and lifestyle industries. The compa-ny is owned by Santa Barbara-based PRfirm Davies.

PR Services Briefs

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OPINION

By way of review, this is the lastpart of a four part series onexpense reduction. Part 1 dis-

cussed the basics of implementation andexpense reduction program, part II

focused the analyti-cal aspects ofexpense reduction,and part III pro-vides specific ideas— specifically legalcosts and mailscosts. This columnfocuses on the envi-ronment of cost cut-ting and saving andsavings for officesupplies.

Office suppliesNo matter how fartechnology has

advanced, whenever I ask for supplies, Inotice an endless supply of paper, pens,pencils, staples, paper clips, etc. in thesupply closet. In 1997, it was estimated that over 120

million office workers in the UnitedStates consumed over $60 billion inoffice supplies annually. I can onlyimagine what the number is today. The office supply market is big busi-

ness and has undergone significantchanges. The channel of distributionbetween manufacturers and end usershas changed. Historically, most goodswere marketed through at least three dis-tribution layers: manufacturer, to whole-sale distributor, to retailer, to end user —each applying its own profit margin tothe cost of the product as it moved downthe line. Today, the distribution processis being consolidated. There are agreater number of office supply super-stores, mail order companies, and con-tract stationers selling their productsdirectly to the consumer at 30 percent to60 percent below retail prices. Reducing overhead on these items is

one way to cut costs. The cost of theseitems can be cut as much as 40 percentor more without impacting the quality ofworker productivity if the purchasingprocess is properly systemized. It is notthat difficult to cut costs of office sup-plies since the competition between ven-dors is fierce.The perception that office supplies are

a small expense and since they are over-head items needed to run the business,

everyone assumes that there is littleopportunity to reduce costs. This is farfrom reality.

Assessing cost reduction potentialIn 1989 (sorry, I do not have 2010

numbers) the average business spentover $500 per employee on office sup-plies. I do not believe this number haschanged much in 2010. The first step inreducing office supply expenses is todetermine how much you firm is cur-rently spending. A systematic approachto understanding office supplies use willidentify areas of potential savings. Asdiscussed in past columns, this approachentails a checklist approach concerningoffice supply use, purchasing practices,current vendor evaluation, and controlof these expenses.

Some questions to askThe process of analyzing office sup-

ply reduction entails reviewing over 125areas with a client. Obviously, we can-not go over all the areas in this column.Nevertheless, the areas we reviewinclude the following: The need forhigher quality supplies; improving effi-ciency to decrease costs; other (freesamples, need for fax machines, blowdryers in rest rooms to replace paper, let-terhead restricted to external correspon-dence, e-mail use of internal correspon-dence, inter-office envelopes that areprinted on both sides, reducing form sizewhen forms are needed to reduce paperand printing costs).

Cost cutting environmentSignificant savings in office supplies

and other expense line items cannot beachieved unless your PR firm fosters acost-savings environment. The tone atthe top influences how employees per-ceive the need to cut costs. If manage-ment does not appear to be concernedwith reducing expenses, then neitherwill the employees. The followingdescribes how to create a cost-savingenvironment for supplies that can beused for any expense line item:Show employees that the firm is seri-

ous about cost cutting. No cost is toosmall to worry about. Therefore, man-agement should consistently scrutinizeevery expense item so that employeesknow that cost reduction is important. Ifmanagement shows they care about sav-ing money on a $10 item, employeeswill look to save money on the largeitems.Get employees involved in cutting

costs. Tell employees to save thingssuch as paper clips and rubber bandsand not to throw them in the trash. Haveemployees go through their desks annu-ally and gather excess office suppliesand return them to the stock area.Challenge the employees to see who canrecover the greatest amount of unusedsupplies. Be careful that this type ofactivity does not get out of hand andtake more time than is warranted by thecost of the supplies recovered.Reduce your office supply budget by

40 percent. Almost all PR firms canstand to have their office supplies budg-et cut at least by 40 percent and not suf-fer in the least. Arbitrarily reduce thefirm’s budget for office supplies and theemployees will adjust accordingly.Don’t stock it. One of the best ways to

reduce office supply expense is simplyto not stock anything other than the verybasic essential supplies. If the item is notavailable they probably aren’t neededand won’t be requested unless reallyneeded.Charge office supply costs to depart-

ments. When department managers orgroups know that the cost of suppliesused will be charged to their budgets,they tend to control theses costs muchbetter than if the costs are simplycharged to their budgets.Reevaluate all internal reports. It has

been estimated that 75 percent of theinternal reports distributed in any busi-ness are a waste of time and money.Reevaluate each report generated byyour firm and determine if it is essential.Institute a forms management pro-

gram. In large PR firms, the number offorms available may be overwhelming.Have an employee or team of employ-ees monitor and manage forms usage.Much of the unnecessary waste can beeliminated.Join or develop a buying group.

Consider joining or developing a buyinggroup with other PR firms. In mostcases the supply needs are very similarand by joining forces, volume savingscan be achieved. For example, firmsthat are members of PRSA NY maywant to consider forming a buyinggroup.This is the final cost savings article. I

trust you found it useful. If you needhelp, just give me a call. I am glad tohelp out or point you in the right direc-tion. �

Financial Management

Richard Goldsteinis a partner atBuchbinder Tunick &Company LLP, NewYork, Certified PublicAccountants.

Expense reduction for PR firms (part IV)By Richard Goldstein

The political louts are at it again,slashing and trashing each other.And as Election Day draws closer,

it’ll probably get much worse. But it’sappallingly bad now. An ill-mannered Congressman kicked

off the year by call-ing President BarackObama a liar duringthe State of theUnion address.Texas Rep. RandyNeugebauer yelled"baby killer" whenfellow Rep. BartStupak was speakingduring the healthcaredebate; Nancy Pelosiwas engulfed bytorches on the

Republican National Committee websiteand Rep. Michele Bachmann wants peoplein Minnesota “armed and dangerous” tooppose the Obama administration.Bachmann also called the U.S. govern-

ment “this gangster government.”When did “civility” get replaced by rude-

ness and crudeness? Who is to blame? Theentertainment sector takes a share ofresponsibility. The advertising industryshares guilt for “anything goes” TV com-mercials. Political PR people are culpablefor not speaking out against uncivil behav-

ior at rallies that they help organize.And what about those crazed TV pun-

dits? American society at large sharesblame for meekly accepting the decay ofgood manners that has pervaded its people.Once upon a time, there used to be civil-

ity between political opponents.Those of us who worked on political

campaigns, before the manufactured newsthat is now passed off as authentic news,remember when we could lunch with theopposition without being considered trai-tors.Alas, much, if not all, of that civility has

vanished. There are many reasons: Specialinterest groups have infiltrated and hold thebalance of power in both the Democraticand Republican parties. Intelligent, success-ful, pragmatic businessmen and others whohave the good of the country in their heartshave decided not to enter the political arenabecause they know that the opposition willattempt to destroy their reputations if anyminor irregularity is found in their past,leaving the Congressional balance of powerto extremists in both parties.As a result of this “gotcha politics,” we

get an intelligent, inexperienced, too-eager-to-compromise former senator from Illinoisand a seemingly unintelligent, half-termgovernor from Alaska, whose attributes arethat she looks cute when she delivers a put-down line, likes tea parties and has incendi-ary comments on her website.But the major culprits for the lack of

political civility are the media, especiallythe round-the-clock cable pontificators andtheir cousins on “hate radio.”

Rambling with gamblingIn New York City, John Gambling speaks

in a courteous tone, but his remarks are notalways as civil. On March 18, talking aboutthe health bill, he called Rep. DennisKucinich “crazy.” And one of his sidekicks,J.J. Kennedy said Obama was using“goons” to round-up votes for the legisla-tion.On March 26, Gambling, referring to

progressive radio/TV host Ed Schultz, saidperhaps it’s time to revisit the FairnessDoctrine because it’s “unfair to hear thisgarbage from Ed Schultz.” On April 7,referring to a news report that the WhiteHouse wanted to use language that says notall Muslims are terrorists, he said, but, “Allterrorists are Muslims.” And on April 8, hesaid people are calling their insurance com-panies asking for the free healthcare nowthat the legislation is law. Just because Gambling isn’t a rant and

rave conservative doesn't mean he does not

have an agenda. And just because he has aradio program doesn’t mean he’s alwaysright, even though his political views arepretty far right. Like many of his right wingTV and radio hosts, Gambling also is notafraid to use his supernatural powers whenhe declares that “Americans don’t wantthat,” etc.But on April 16, speaking about global

warming/cap and trade, he expanded hisomnipotent powers to exclaim “the worlddoesn’t want this.” He will say anything toundermine the Obama Administration,regardless of the facts.MSNBC, the liberal network, and Fox

News, the conservative voice, cement theallegiance of their audiences via yellowjournalism appeal. CNN attempts to be alegitimate disseminator of news, but oftenfails.What passes for fair and balanced on

these cable networks are panels composedof an equal number of “iberals” and “con-servatives” who are, oh, so knowledge-able about every issue that is certain toproduce controversy.Unfortunately, the network news pro-

grams, which mostly play it straight, nolonger have the clout of the past; neitherdo the Sunday morning political talkshows.But people do talk about and unfortu-

nately believe the outlandish statementson the cable shows and hate radio. That’stoo bad. As long as these stir-’em-up,play-loose- with-the-facts shows keeptheir audiences, civility in politics is dead.That’s why so many young people tune

out those shows and turn to Jon Stewartand Stephen Colbert for news. If they aregoing to get fake news, they might as wellget it from programs that admit that mostof what they report is false. (New YorkTimesOp-Ed columnist Ross Douthat saidin his April 5 column that Stewart’s seriesof debates on torture and interrogationpolicy, in particular — featuring John Yooand Marc Thiessen, among others — havebeen more substantive than anything onFox or MSNBC.)What we need are more analysts like

David Gergen and Mort Zuckerman andless like Rush (I’ll leave the country if thehealth legislation wins approval), Sean,Sara, Ann, Rachel, Lou, Keith, Karl, Ed,Michael, Bill and Glenn (whom PeggyNoonan, the conservative columnist of theWall Street Journal, called “crazy.”)Yes, there is civility and voices of reason

regarding politics in the best-of-all coun-tries, but you won’t find much of it on thecable news or hate radio programs. To para-phrase Steven Sondheim, “No need to sendin the clowns. They’re already here.” �

Once upon a time in Washington


OPINION

Arthur Solomon is aformer Senior VP forBurson-Marsteller.

By Arthur Solomon

Guest Column

Publicis Groupe has acquired eight-year-old London-based healthcare firm ResoluteCommuncations and will merge its opera-tions into its Life Brands division.

The France-based ad/PR conglomeratesaid Publicis Life Brands Resolute willemploy nearly 100 staffers. Resolutefounders — Paul Blackburn, former manag-ing director of Fleishman-Hillard’s U.K. oper-ation, and Ketchum alum Anna Korving —were named joint managing directorsreporting to Publicis HealthcareCommunications Group chief Alain Sarraf.

Resolute also has a New York outpostheaded by Porter Novelli vet MichaelDurand, and a "satellite office" inPittsburgh.

Sarraf said Resolute's strategic and PRcapabilities blend well with the Life Brandsunits’ digital and advertising offerings.

PR News Briefs

PPUUBBLLIICCIISS AADDDDSS UU..KK.. SSHHOOPP


The tornado of lies and spin that isJohnson & Johnson/Tylenol issweeping up not only J&J itself but

the slavish media that perpetuate themyths. Johnson & Johnson is up to its

ears in product recallsthese days resultingin a public apology byCEO Bill Weldon.Almost every story

about the currentrecalls mentions whata wonderful job J&Jdid in 1982, whenseven people in theChicago area diedafter taking Tylenol

capsules that had been poisoned withpotassium cyanide. Such characterizations are false. There isnothing wonderful about 1982 mur-ders, or the subsequent murder of23-year-old Diane Elsroth in1986 via poisoned Tylenols.Easily-spiked capsules shouldnever have been mass market-ed in the first place and defi-nitely not after seven peoplewere killed with them.J&J brought them Tylenol to

market knowing the killer wasstill at large and with manyindications that the Tylenolswere poisoned within J&J itself.That is the claim of formeremployee Scott Bartz whoknows a lot about the distribu-tional practices of the company.Several PR professors have written that

the five-day delay in pulling Tylenol cap-sules from the market should never bereferred to as “immediate” or “instant,”and that there is no way of knowing howmuch the profit motive figured in J&J’sdecision to re-market the capsules.The profs, quoted in the online PR

Journal of PRSA hosted by Prof. DonWright, also focus on the rarely men-tioned $100K reward that J&J offered inboth the 1982 and 1986 murders. Theywrite that this small sum was J&J’s wayof claiming it had nothing to do with themurders.To this day, the case remains unsolved. Among other interesting statements to

be brought out in a book by Bartz thissummer called “The Tylenol Mafia,” isthat Arthur Hull Hayes Jr., FDA

Commissioner in 1982, left the FDA in1983 and signed a ten-year $1,000 per-month contract with Burson-Marsteller,PR firm for Tylenol.Records dug up by Bartz show that

Hayes then became vice chairman andmedical director of NelsonCommunications, founded in 1987 byformer J&J executive Wayne Nelson. Thecompany got 39% of its $86 million inrevenues from J&J in 1996. Nelson head-ed McNeil Consumer Products Co., cre-ated to market Tylenol in capsules.J&J’s claim of lack of responsibility is

a legal stance and not one that plays in thecourt of public opinion.We have e-mailed media that reflexive-

ly sing the praises of J&J and are havinglittle luck in getting any of them tochange their minds.

Media reject Tylenol corrections • The Economist, which said April 10

that J&J/Tylenol is the “gold standard ofcrisis management,” blew us off.That remark was in a columncalled “Schumpeter” written byAdrian Woolridge.

Business EditorEdward McBride said that “Inthe context of Toyota’s recentfailings, or Tiger Woods’ infi-delities, or any of the otherepisodes referred to in the arti-cle, J&J’s decision to recallTylenol was very prompt —although the firm may wellhave made subsequent mis-takes.“It also seems unfair to say

that such easily spiked capsulesshould never have been marketed. To thisday, supermarkets and drug stores acrossAmerica and around the world remainfull of products that could easily be tam-pered with.”• New York Times reporter Natasha

Singer has been unreachable. She praisedJ&J on May 3 for its “fast and adept”handling of the Tylenol murders in 1982.• The Christian Science Monitor,

which said Jan. 15 that what J&J did in1982 “is still regarded as a shining exam-ple of corporate social responsibility,”said it will look at the matter more close-ly.• “The Motley Fool (fool.com),”

which on May 6 said that J&J “hasalways been the poster child for how tohandle a crisis,” was sent one of ourcolumns debunking the Tylenol myths.• Fortune magazine, which on May

28, 2007 hailed J&J/Tylenol as the “goldstandard in crisis control,” was sent a col-umn via a general Fortune mailbox. Thewriter was Jia Lynn Yant but there is noway of contacting an individual Fortunereporter via e-mail or phone.• Tactics of PRSA, which praised J&J

in a full page in 2007 for providing “anenduring example of crisis managementdone right,” was also sent a column.Tactics editors should read the Society’sPR Journal. • James Lukaszewski, crisis expert for

the Society, said in an e-mail to us that“The 1982 Tylenol incident remains themost internationally recognized success-ful crisis incident response, even after allthese years.”

U of F flunks usThe University of Florida College of

Journalism and Communications wascontacted because a posting on its web-site called “Effective CrisisManagement” says J&J “conducted animmediate product recall,” “knew theywere not responsible for tampering of theproduct,” and put “public safety first.”We asked College Dean John Wright,

Ph.D., to correct these false or at leastdebatable statements. Replying was David Carlson,

Executive Director, Center for MediaInnovation and Research at the College,who said we offered “nothing but opin-ion.” He said the piece was by a studentwho quoted the Chicago Sun-Times, J&J,and Mark Mitchell of Economic Assn.Int’l, and the piece will be changed whenthose organizations change their opin-ions. �

Tylenol has become PR’s ‘Watergate’By Jack O’Dwyer

Golfweek magazine has appointed JasonRedditt to the position of Publisher.Redditt joined Golfweek as a member of

the magazine’s circulation department beforemoving into ad sales. He also served asGolfweek’s Advertising Director for equip-ment and apparel. Golfweek officials said the hire reflects the

magazine’s “all-encompassing strategy todiversify the Golfweek brand while furthersolidifying its position as the favorite golfweekly among serious golfers.”Redditt succeeds Clayton Morris, who will

continue to oversee the brand’s rapidlyexpanding portfolio of offerings with his pro-motion to group publisher.

Media News Briefs

GGOOLLFFWWEEEEKK’’SS NNEEWW PPUUBBLLIISSHHEERR

Jack O’Dwyer

PR’s Watergate?


Anita McBride, former chief of staff to First Lady LauraBush, has joined APCO Worldwide as senior counselorin its global political strategies operation and member of

its international advisory council.She advised Laura Bush on initiatives such as global health,

literacy, education, historic preservation and youth outreach. McBride also served President George W. Bush as senior advi-sor to the State Dept.’s Bureau of International Organizations, apost responsible for recruiting Americans for service in UnitedNations’ agencies. She also selected members to represent theU.S. in international summits and conferences.McBride worked in the Reagan and Bush I White House and

served as director of the speaker’s bureau for the U.S.Information Agency. She is executive in residence at the Centerfor Presidential and Congressional Studies at the School ofPublic Affairs at American University. �

Burson-Marsteller’s Prime Policy Group unit has signedon with the National Rifle Association to protect theSecond Amendment rights of Washington, D.C. resi-

dents, freedoms that the gun group believes are threatened byover-zealous city officials. The NRA is upset that local lawmakers

have drawn up a series of rules the groupsays makes gun ownership a bureau-cratic nightmare.Those measures include registra-

tion of gun owners, limit on the num-ber of bullets a gun can hold andrestrictions on the types of firearmsthat D.C. residents can purchase.The rules went into effect following the

2008 Supreme Court decision that lifted D.C.’smore than 30-year ban on handguns. The NRA believes the D.C. regulations fly in the face of the

Supreme Court decision.Vickie Walling, Former Chief of Staff to Rep. John Tanner (D-

Tenn.) is handling the account at PPG. She played a role in thecreation of the Blue Dog Coalition, an organization of conserva-tive Democrats. [Tanner is not seeking re-election.]The NRA had used Ogilvy Government Relations, B-M’s sis-

ter firm, for lobbying work. It terminated Ogilvy in January afterpaying $360K in 2009 fees. �

B-M targets D.C. for NRA

Former Bush aide advises APCO

WASHINGTON REPORT

Laura Burton Capps, a veteran Democratic communicationsaide, has moved to Blue Engine Message & Media, a D.C.PR firm.

She had recently been Senior VP for government affairs andcommunications for the Ocean Conservancy and communica-tions director for the Alliance for Climate Protection, Al Gore’snon-profit.Blue Engine is led by Erik Smith, a former aide to Rep. Dick

Gephardt, comms. director for the DCCC, and media advisor tothe Obama-Biden campaign, along with Kathy Roeder, also aformer Gephardt aide who has worked for the AFL-CIO and asa political trainer in Iraq.The firm has worked with Ford, the Major League Baseball

Players Association and Catholic Charities USA.Capps was an aide to George Stephanopoulos and speech-

writer in the Clinton White House and later worked as Iowacommunications director for Sen. John Kerry’s presidential bidand in 2005 began a stint as comms. director for Sen. EdwardKennedy.Capps’ father, Walter, won a House seat in 1996 but died of

heart failure a year later. Her mother, Lois, won the special elec-tion to succeed him in 1997.She is married to Obama White House spokesman Bill

Burton. �

Politico Capps to Blue Engine

The U.S. bid for the FIFA World Cup in 2018 or 2022tapped President Bill Clinton has its honorary chairmanon Monday, adding global heft to the push in its final

months.Fleishman-Hillard has been handling PR since last March for

the campaign, which culminates in a decision at the end of thisyear.“I’m proud to represent the United States in our bid to bring

the World Cup tournament back to American soil, allowing us toinspire action and cooperation on an even greater scale,” Clintonsaid in a statement as he announced his participation from a soc-cer field in Harlem.The event is the world’s largest sporting event and is held

every four years.The 21-month U.S. pitch — which includes 18 cities — is up

against Australia, England and Russia for the two future dates.Several countries have also applied for only ’18 or ’22. WeberShandwick is handling England’s bid for 2018.Bids were formally submitted on May 14. That will be fol-

lowed up by site visits and review by FIFA’s 24-member com-mittee with a decision expected on Dec. 2.The U.S. received a boost in December when Mexico pulled

out and the influential Confederation of North, CentralAmerican and Caribbean Association Football endorsed UncleSam’s pitch. Potential host cities, which would gain an estimated impact of

$400-$600M each from the tournament, include Atlanta,Baltimore, Boston, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Indianapolis,Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, New York,Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Diego, Seattle, Tampa andWashington D.C.South Africa is hosting the 2010 tournament with Brazil to

follow in 2014. �

U.S. World Cup bid adds Clinton


Dubai’s Dept. of Finance signed a $300,000 a month contractwith Brunswick for international PR work in February as thecash-strapped member of the United Arab Emirates restruc-

tured its massive debt load.Dubai World, the emirate’s conglomerate, rocked the financial

markets via its 2009 decision to stop paying interest on its debt. Itreached an agreement May 20, with a consortium of 90 lenders torevamp $23.5B in debt. The New York Times called the deal a “willingness among west-

ern banks to take a short-term hit so as to maintain relationships ina part of the world that, despite Dubai’s debt hiccup, is sure toremain a fruitful place to do business.” Brunswick’s three-month agreement began Feb. 1 and calls for

“immediate scenario planning,” “anticipating potential issue areas,”messaging, positioning, media training and events.

PSI gets Dubai boostPublic Strategies Inc. now receives $25,000 a month to promote

the charitable work of Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein, junior wifeof Dubai ruler and United Arab Emirates Prime MinisterMohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.The original pact inked in October called for a $10,000 monthly

outlay.The Princess chairs the International Humanitarian City in

Dubai, which bills itself as a non-religious/political/profit organiza-tion. IHC serves as a logistical hub for charitable operations.Employees from Novartis’ Middle East operations last month

donated clothes, shoes and magazines to the IHC for distribution inAfrican countries.PSI, under its agreement, provides reputation and media rela-

tions counsel, but it is not to make direct contact with any reporteror editor. It works on a month-to-month basis. �

Gephardt Group Government Affairs, LLC, Washington, D.C., registered May 3, 2010 for Republic of Turkey, regarding providing lobbyingand government relations services.

Hecht, Spencer & Associates, Inc., Washington, D.C., registered May 6, 2010 for Government of Japan, regarding providing governmentrelations and political consulting services in connection with U.S. Government positions, actions, legislation and treaties concerning Japan andJapanese nationals, including corporations.

Hill & Knowlton, Inc., Washington, D.C., registered May 14, 2010 for The Information Technology Industry Development Agency, ITDA,Giza, Egypt, (through Hill & Knowlton London), regarding providing public relations counsel and assistance to promote Egyptʼs information andcommunications technology industry and Egypt as an outsourcing location.

� NNEEWW FFOORREEIIGGNN AAGGEENNTTSS RREEGGIISSTTRRAATTIIOONN AACCTT FFIILLIINNGGSSFARA News

Below is a list of select companies that have registered with the U.S. Department of Justice, FARA Registration Unit,Washington, D.C., in order to comply with the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938, regarding their consulting and commu-nications work on behalf of foreign principals, including governments, political parties, organizations, and individuals.

� NNEEWW LLOOBBBBYYIINNGG DDIISSCCLLOOSSUURREE AACCTT FFIILLIINNGGSSBelow is a list of select companies that have registered with the Secretary of the Senate, Office of Public Records, and the Clerk of theHouse of Representatives, Legislative Resource Center, Washington, D.C., in order to comply with the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995.For a complete list of filings, visit http://sopr.senate.gov. Barnes & Thornburg LLP, Washington, D.C., registered May 17, 2010 for ProtectingAmerica.Org, Washington, D.C., regarding lobbying theU.S. House of Representatives with regard to H.R. 1264, “Homeowners Defense Act.”

Breaux Lott Leadership Group, Washington, D.C., registered May 13, 2010 for Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., Washington, D.C., regardingfinancial services regulatory reform issues and tax issues.

K&L Gates LLP, Washington, D.C., registered May 17, 2010 for Motion Picture Association of America, Sherman Oaks, Calif., regardingissues and proceedings before the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

Dubai awards Brunswick, PSI PR contracts

WPP CEO Martin Sorrell outlined the ad/PR con-glom’s new Muslim marketing initiatives during hispresentation at the “6th World Islamic Economic

Forum” May 18-20 in Kuala Lumpur.The Malaysian conference was themed “Gearing for

Economic Resurgence.”In WPP’s 2009 annual report, Sorrell calls the Muslim world

“another challenger to American dominance.”The conflicts in Afghanistan/Iraq and tension with Iran are a

continuation of the 1950s Suez conflict, the oil crisis of the1970s, and the invasion of Kuwait in the 1990s, according toSorrell.In his view: “Westerners have made little attempt to under-

stand the Islamic mind and assure that Muslims share theirvalue systems.” That is “wrong-headed and short-sighted,” he

said.Sorrell wrote that

Muslims are differentand “it will be increas-ingly necessary to makea serious and sincereattempt to understandthem.” He praised theObama Administrationfor understanding theneed to communicatewith Muslim nations.The 1.6 billion

Muslims account for a quarter of the world’s population. Therewill be 2.1 billion Muslims a decade from now, or 30 percent ofthe globe’s people. �

Sorrell outlines Muslim marketing planInternational PR News

Martin Sorrell


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DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY AFFAIRS AND PUBLIC RELATIONS

Purpose - Lead and direct Rentech’s efforts in establishing and maintain-ing positive and effective community relations. In addition, establish andmaintain effective media relations in support of broad corporate initiatives.

Essential Duties1. Lead the engagement in civic organizations and other activities thatpromote community goodwill in support of Rentech projects2. Identify and develop strategies to combat potential opposition groupsduring permitting process for Rentech projects.3. Create collateral materials for distribution to target audiences andalso maintain materials on project web sites4. Promote and generate media placement of corporate and projectactivities 5. Develop, pitch and plan publicity events with key partners6. Develop press releases and content for media kits and corporatewebsite

Education - Bachelor’s degree is required

Experience1. Minimum 5 years experience in either public relations and/or commu-nity affairs. Strong preference will be given to the candidate with both2. Strong project and event management experiences.3. Demonstrated track record of building and maintaining relationshipswith a broad spectrum of community organizations and media outlets4. Experience in successfully initiating and managing outreach activitiesand events

Skills1. Exemplary written and verbal communication skills2. Strong interpersonal and relationship building skills3. Strong presentation skills using a variety of media

Contact Person: Richard Wesolowski, SVP of Human Resources,[email protected]; www.rentechinc.com.

PUBLIC RELATIONS COORDINATOR

JOB SUMMARYAssist with public relations efforts for Sephora FSC - New York (includ-ing promoting Sephora stores, store events, Sephora.com, SephoraCollection and all corporate initiatives). Support the Public Relationsteam in the execution of objectives to maximize press results. Help infacilitating and managing PR efforts and requests.

POSITION RESPONSIBILITES•Facilitate and manage press materials for company-wide initiatives: -Daily Business Press Report -Quarterly trend report highlighting exclusive beauty stories -Monthy internal marketing newsletter -Bi-weekly trend reports -Press releases, media alerts and eblasts •Attend weekly meetings/presentations for internal and brand marketing •Assist with fielding philanthropy requests •Assist in screening, on boarding and managing PR Internships •Communicate PR updates to the appropriate internal and externalparties (as needed)

QUALIFICATIONS•2 years public relations experience - either in-house or agency; beautyexperience is preferred •University degree •Strong verbal and written communication skills •Strong organizational skills •Self-starter, action-oriented, resourceful •Ability to travel as required •Second language of French or Spanish is preferred

Contact: Blakeley Vaughn, [email protected]

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