top tv producers share pitching tips with ......fast forward to 2012. many of those big spending...

D e c e m b e r 2 0 1 2 | w w w . o d w y e r p r . c o m

HOW THE MEDIA TOOK OBAMA OVER THE FINISH LINE

HOW SOCIAL MEDIA BECAME A PLAYGROUND FOR ENTERTAINMENT PR

SPECIAL REPORT: A RARE GLIMPSEINSIDE THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

THE RISE OF THE‘BREAKOUT’ BRAND

WHY ALL ENTERTAINMENT PR CAMPAIGNSMUST HAVE A MOBILE COMPONENT

TOP TV PRODUCERS SHARE PITCHING TIPS WITH PUBLICISTS

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January: Crisis Comms. / Buyer’s GuideFebruary: Environmental & P.A.

March: Food & BeverageApril: Broadcast & Social Media

May: PR Firm RankingsJune: Global & Multicultural

July: Travel & TourismAugust: Financial/I.R.

September: Beauty & FashionOctober: Healthcare & Medical

November: High-TechDecember: Entertainment & Sports

EDITORIAL CALENDAR 2013

Vol. 26, No. 12

December 2012

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25RANKINGS OF ENTERTAINMENT& SPORTS PR FIRMS

18PROFILES OF ENTERTAINMENT& SPORTS PR FIRMS

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OPINIONJack O’Dwyer

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EDITORIAL“Fiscal Cliff,” now playing at a the-ater near you.

6

U.S. RESTAURANTS FRY INOBAMACARE PR BATTLEPopular U.S. eateries have comeunder fire after making threats in lieu ofthe passage of the Affordable Care Act.

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STUDY: TRAVELERS TURN TOSOCIAL MEDIA, FRIENDSA recent study by Text 100 showedmore Americans are now influenced byonline reviews of travel destinations.

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POLL: MEDIA TOOK OBAMAOVER THE FINISH LINE A recent Pew survey showed themedia gave President Obama favorablepress coverage before the election.

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FALSE PROMISES, LIES ARETV DEAL-BREAKERSWhen pitching a show idea to TVproducers, make sure you don’t makepromises you can’t keep.

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CONTENT STRATEGIESMEET MOBILE TARGETINGHow the growth of tablets, smart-phones and other devices for accessingcontent and communicating has openednew doors for PR firms.

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BEING QUICK ON THEENTERTAINMENT BEATDuring a recent New York presspanel, a group of entertainment journal-ists told PR pros what they’re looking for inentertainment pitches.

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ADVANCING PR WITH‘SOCIALTAINMENT’ As the lines between sports andsocial media blur, PR should be poised toembrace a new genre in entertainment.

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15THE RISE OF THE ‘BREAKOUT’BRANDWhy today’s consumers are looking forexperiences to define their purchases,and are responding more emotionally tomarketing messages.

16PANEL OFFERS RARE GLIMPSEINSIDE ASSOCIATED PRESSA recent PRSA event took PR pros behindthe scenes at the Associated Press’ NewYork headquarters.

17THE PSYCHOLOGY OF SPORTSFANATICISMUnderstanding the psychological behav-iors behind sports fanatics can lead to anunderstanding of their motives.


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This seems to happen every year. Like the eternally appending storyline of a dumbhorror film franchise, the much-anticipated “Fiscal Cliff” hit network headlineswith the same freight-train furor as its blockbuster prequel, “Debt Ceiling.” Bigger.

Badder. This time, it’s personal.This is what we know about the “Fiscal Cliff” storyline thus far. Last year, Congress

was ensnared in a months-long deficit standoff where financial crisis became so immi-nent the nation’s credit rating was downgraded. During a weird spat of partisan bickeringthat resembled more performance art than political maneuvering, Republicans begandelivering a clap-trap “no” for every Democrat spending request, until Obama became theone who wanted to cut taxes while House Republicans actually voted down payroll taxcuts for the middle class. Thankfully, tempers cooled long enough for a compromise tobe reached, and the U.S. ultimately avoided default when Congress agreed to raise theU.S. debt ceiling and keep the middle class cuts while slashing a severe amount of gov-ernment spending that will affect more than 1,000 government programs.

Fast forward to 2012. Many of those big spending cuts proposed during “Debt Ceiling”— about $500 billion worth — are set to begin automatically in January. Concurrently, anumber of tax benefits for businesses are set to expire, and the onset of taxes related tothe Affordable Care Act are going to kick in later in the year. If an agreement isn’treached, the cocktail of higher taxes and austere cuts could bump unemployment num-bers back up, knock our GDP down as much as 4%, and as a result, our economy couldsteer back into the doldrums of another recession. Are you on the edge of your seat yet?

I forgot to mention another element afoot in all this drama: those Bush-era tax cuts onthe wealthy are also set to expire in January, and Democrats want to take the opportuni-ty to raise taxes on that group if they’re going to agree to those deep spending cuts.Predictably, Republicans want to slash spending but don’t want to raise taxes on the rich.Democrats want to raise taxes on the wealthy but want to curb spending cuts. Currently,Obama’s bargaining chips to avoid a fiscal cliff include a plan to close several loopholes,to limit a few deductions, and of course, to return tax rates for wealthy Americans to pre-Bush levels that, along with several other tax measures, he claims would bring $1.6 tril-lion in new revenue. He also has some new spending ideas in mind: he wants to extendthe middle class payroll tax cuts he began during “Debt Ceiling,” he wants to extendunemployment insurance benefits, and he has a new home mortgage refinancing plan toaid our ever-disappointing housing numbers. Oh, and he has plans for another stimulus.Yes, another stimulus.

Not surprisingly, Republicans are saying “no” all over again: “no” to the stimulus, “no”to the unemployment insurance benefits, and of course, a big, resounding “no” to thosepesky tax hikes for the wealthy (oops, I mean “job creators”). Last year, manyRepublicans even signed a “pledge” promising they wouldn’t budge from party lines onthe tax hike issue, even in the event of economic disaster: a cliff, or any other forebodingfigurative precipice otherwise. Now many of these diehards (like Americans for TaxReform founder Grover Norquist) are making veiled threats to fellow party membersshould they jump ship on this issue for the sake of reaching a deal. Instead, Republicanswant deeper cuts to Medicare and other entitlement programs. They want to close morefederal loopholes. And just like last year, they’re now holding the middle class tax cutshostage — which will affect an estimated 98% of Americans and could hit working classpockets by an average of $2,000 over the course of the year — until Democrats budge onall of the above.

Here’s my quick-capsule prediction for how “Fiscal Cliff” will ultimately end (spoileralert ahead): Just like last year, Congress will make a decision in the eleventh hour. Andjust like last year, they’ll agree to the bulk of those spending cuts, they’ll agree to extend-ing the middle class payroll tax cuts, and they’ll agree to continuing our tradition of giv-ing tax breaks for the wealthy. In other words, they’ll just kick the can further down theroad, ignoring our chronic economic behaviors for the sake of averting disaster, moreshort term solutions for long term problems. Congress would be remiss not to act on thiscrisis, but they wouldn’t be Congress if they did something that actually brought aboutreal change. The good news: next year, when the bump in the carpet catches up with thevacuum, the media can assign another asinine title like “Deficit Storm,” “FiscalBlitzkrieg,” or “Economic Holocaust: the Revenge,” and our needless fretting about theeconomy can start all over again.

Ever get the feeling we’re seeing the same story play out all over again, like we’ve paidfor the same movie twice? This plot hasn’t thickened. It’s only spoiled. £

— Jon Gingerich

“Fiscal Cliff,” now playing at a theater near you



SPECIAL REPORT

Restaurant giant Denny’s and its finan-cial PR agency was working to dis-tance the eatery chain from a franchise

owner who drew national attention afteroutlining plans to raise prices to cover whathe said will be increased costs from theAffordable Care Act,.

Denny’s CEO John Miller, in a state-ment from ICR, said in November that thecomments of franchise owner John Metz,who urged customers to reduce their tips tooffset the increased cost, do not reflect thecompany’s views.

Earlier in November, Metz told mediaoutlets, including Fox News and theHuffington Post, that he will cut backemployee hours and raise prices because ofcosts of insuring employees under theAffordable Care Act. He said customerswill have the choice to reduce the gratuityamount they give their server to cover theincrease.

“I am confident his perspective is notshared by the company or hundreds of

franchisees [and] small business ownerswho make up the majority of the Denny’scommunity,” said Miller. “Specifically, hiscomments suggesting that guests mightreduce the customary tip provided to theirserver as an offset to his proposed sur-charge are inconsistent with our values andapproach to business throughout ourbrand.”

After outrage and boycott threats overhis comments, Metz backed off theremarks somewhat to say his company,West Palm Beach, Florida-based RREMC,which also owns Hurricane Grill andWings eateries, will explore “viable andeffective ways” to offset costs and stressedthat his policies are not representative ofthe Denny’s brand.

“We regret that the statements we mademay have been interpreted as representa-tive of the Denny’s brand or of other fran-chisees, which they are not,” Metz said.

Metz works with Los Angeles-basedKonnect PR.

Restaurants react to healthcare billSince President Barack Obama’s re-elec-

tion virtually assured survival of theAffordable Care Act, leadership and fran-chise owners of chain restaurants havegriped publicly about costs they believewill follow.

John Schnatter, Founder and CEO ofpizza chain Papa John’s, sparked controver-sy in November for remarks he made whilespeaking to a Florida college business class.When asked how Obamacare would affectthe future hiring practices at his franchises,Schnatter posited that many Papa John’soperations may reduce employee workhours so they wouldn’t be required to pro-vide insurance.

Schnatter later articulated his position ina Huffington Post op-ed, where he said hiswords were taken out of context, and thathe was only discussing actions he predictedsome of his company’s franchisees wouldtake.

“Many in the media reported that I saidPapa John’s is going to close stores and cutjobs because of Obamacare,” he said. “Inever said that. The fact is we are going toopen over hundreds of stores this year andnext and increase employment by over5,000 jobs worldwide. And, we have noplans to cut team hours as a result of theAffordable Care Act.”

Schnatter in August made similar com-ments disparaging Obamacare, allegedlyduring a conference call to shareholders.

Also in November, franchise Apple-Metro, which owns about 40 Applebee’srestaurants in the New York City area,made similar comments about the effectsObamacare would have on the company’shiring practices. Appearing on Fox News,Apple-Metro Chairman Zane Tankel saidthe Affordable Care Act would dissuade thecompany from hiring more workers.

His claims drew a quick rebuttal fromApplebee’s President Mike Archer, whoreleased a statement in a company pressrelease that said “because final regulationsand guidance are still pending from govern-ment agencies regarding the AffordableCare Act, exactly how our franchisees willimplement the law when it takes effect in2014 is still uncertain.”

The Supreme Court in June upheld theAffordable Care Act in a 5-4 decision. InNovember, the Supreme Court ordered aRichmond, Va. federal appeals court torevisit the case by Christian college LibertyUniversity, which stated the law violatesthe school’s religious freedoms. £

Several eateries found themselves embroiled in the court of publicopinion after executives or regional management made statementsregarding changes to employee pay or hiring practices they plan toenact to offset costs expected by Obamacare.

U.S. restaurants fry in Obamacare PR battle

By Greg Hazley and Jon Gingerich

Study: travelers turn to social media, friends

Recommendations from friends andfamily are a key factor in vacationdecisions worldwide as social media

has taken a key role in planning, accordingto a study by Text 100.

In the U.S., 43% say friend recommen-dations are a main reason for choosing atravel location. Only 35% of Europeans, bycontrast, rely on friend recommendations.The main reason for choosing a destinationremains value for money. When Americanssearch online for travel information,price/room rates are the most sought infor-mation (58%), followed by surroundingattractions (42%), quality of facilities(37%), cleanliness (36%), and service(30%).

Social media has taken a key role in trav-el planning, as a whopping 87% of peopleunder age 34 said they use Facebook fortravel inspiration, according to the study.

The firm found that 64% overall consid-er recommendations from family andfriends the top factor to spark travel plans,advice commonly sought via social media.

Following friend/family recommendationswere Internet searches (55%), individualprovider websites (49%), sales/promotionsby airlines and hotels (48%), and onlinetravel sites (46%). Only about a third saidmileage/loyalty programs influenced theirdecisions.

The PR firm tapped Redshift Researchfor the survey, which polled 4,600 con-sumers in 13 countries.

Text found social media plays the largestrole in the first and last phases of travel —inspiration and experience. Eighty-eightpercent said they take a mobile device onvacation — 34% of Americans take a lap-top — with 52% posting photos or videosduring travels. Another 25% said they writereviews while away.

In the U.S., 37% said they consider trav-el blogger reviews first and 44% overallsaid they agreed that blogger reviewshelped with an initial decision on a destina-tion. U.S. travelers prefer vacations withintheir country more than the rest of theworld at the rate of 88%, compared with73% in Europe and 74% in the Asia-Pacificrealm, Text 100 found. £

By Greg Hazley


DECEMBER 2012 3 WWW.ODWYERPR.COM 9

Thirty-seven percent of the storieswere positive, while 16% were unfa-vorable. The coverage tone focused

largely on the President’s slim, thoughconsistent, lead over Mitt Romney in thepolls.

Pew found that the leadership thatObama exhibited in the aftermath ofHurricane Sandy did not carry overmuch to campaign coverage. Only fourpercent of election coverage wasSandy-related. The President’s treat-ment was “mostly neutral or mixed,”according to Pew. Obama though atleast did get a mention. Sandy mayhave hurt Romney as the formerMassachusetts Governor was abystander in Sandy relief due to hislack of political office. [Romney wasridiculed for turning a fund-raiser into ahurricane-relief event ].

The Pew survey found MSNBCbecame totally unhinged during the

wind-down of the campaign.Gushy coverage of Obamaincreased from 33% in Octoberto 51% in the last week of theelection. Romney bashing rosefrom 57% to 68% in the finaldays of the campaign.

The Comcast/General Electricunit even outdid RupertMurdoch’s Fox News in outrightpartisanship. Fox’s attacks onthe President rose from 47% to56%. The Fox gang, however,couldn’t whip up much fervorfor moderate Romney. His posi-tives rose from 34% to 42% onFox, which had signed up mostof Romney’s primary chal-lengers as contributors.

On the social media front,Pew found that Romney had hisbest run on Twitter during the finalweek. Obama took the blogosphere,while the number of Facebook conver-sations about Obama were steady, talk

of Romney declined. Just like the election, it was a social

media nail biter. £

The mainstream media rewarded President Obama their most favorable coverage during the lastweek of the election, according to a survey released by the Pew Research Center’s Project forExcellence in Journalism.

Poll: mainstream media took Obama over finish line

By Kevin McCauley

Obama

Romney

Obama received more coverage than Romneybetween October 29 and November 5 — the finalweek of Presidential campaigning — according to asurvey released by the Pew Research Center’sProject for Excellence in Journalism.



REPORT

This virtual water cooler has mademarketers and communicatorsview sports and entertainment

events like they have new eyes. As thelines between sports and social mediablurred more and more this past year,it’s time to ask: Are we poised for a newgenre in entertainment?

The greatest innovators in sportshave, over time, realized a simple truth:it’s all about entertainment. More than40 years ago, NY Jets Quarterback JoeNamath revolutionized the sports land-scape by being the first to embrace thattruth. “Broadway Joe” always treatedfootball as entertainment as much assport. His ubiquitous presence in com-mercials and on late-night talk showsproved to be as important as his on-the-field performance.

Back then, Joe Namath was theexception, but in today’s hyper-con-nected, always-on age, his examplewould be the rule. The social engage-ment built around sporting and enter-tainment events is now as important asthe events themselves — let’s call it“the show around the show.” And withmore than 560 million fans who “like”or follow sports teams online — that’snearly 60% of all Facebook and Twitterusers — it’s clear — social media is thenewest (and very valuable) player onthe field.

Twitter had a blockbuster year. At theSuper Bowl in Indianapolis, Madonna’shalftime performance broke the TweetsPer Second (TPS) record at 10,245,which was broken again just 90 minuteslater during the game’s climactic con-clusion with 12,233 TPS. Equallyimpressive, Twitter also recorded 9.66million mentions during the OpeningCeremony of the London OlympicGames.

In fact, this year’s summer gameshave been dubbed the “social games”— a nickname it lived up to with 116million posts and 102 billion shares onFacebook, not to mention the 12.2 mil-lion “likes” individual athletes receivedto their fan pages. And who can forgetthe 11,000 TPS the Grammys telecastreceived, including the literal stop inactivity while Jennifer Hudson per-formed a tribute to Whitney Houston,followed by an immediate spike in

tweets to discuss herperformance.

Not part of thesocial dialogue? Thenyou’re missing a bigpart of the show.

No surprise thistrend has spurred on acottage industry ofproducts, includingSportsYapper, an appthat lets fans talk asthey watch sports.Billed as the 24/7place for uninterrupt-ed sports talk, it fea-tures Facebook andTwitter cross-postingand designated “yappstreams” for everyprofessional sportsteam as well asNCAA football andbasketball teams. Inless than four monthssince it launched, SportsYapper hasreceived 50,000 downloads, with usersengaging for more than an hour on aver-age.

The second screen experience is hereto stay. According to Nielsen, 86% oftablet users use it as a companion devicewhen watching TV. No longer can youdivorce the two. And with the advent ofproducts like the “Watch with eBay”app, whereby consumers can buy in realtime the merchandise associated withthe program they’re watching, we haveentered into a new world of mobilecommerce — aptly named “couch com-merce.”

This is changing the way brands,sports and entertainment properties, net-works and even athletes and celebritiesuse social media to engage with keystakeholders. No longer can socialmedia be viewed as an add-on or after-thought; it must be at the heart of thebrand’s communications and engage-ment strategy. If done right, it enables abond to be created with the desiredaudiences, growing engagement from aone-time conversation to an ongoingdialogue.

Where the gold standard for PR pro-fessionals used to be a placement in thelikes of The New York Times, more and

more a strategic Tweet from a brandspokesperson, or accumulating and con-necting with more social followers isthe type of engagement that companiescrave.

First-time Team USA sponsor Citi putdigital at the center of the company’sOlympic activation with its Every Stepof the Way program, which engaged theAmerican people to help support localsports programs through simple socialmedia activities, while enabling a dif-ferent dialogue and connection withcustomers and non-customers alike.And, more recently, the 2012 Ryder Cupembraced social media for the first time,amassing 80,000+ followers.

Social media will undoubtedlyevolve, as will the way communicationspractitioners incorporate it into plans,but it’s hard to imagine that it isn’t hereto stay. And with the kind of year 2012has shaped up to be, it feels like it’s onlyjust arrived. As the lines between sports,entertainment and social continue toblur, we need to push ourselves and ourclients to continue to step outside theircomfort zones, and embrace “the showaround the show.”

Mary Scott is Managing Director ofMatter, Inc., a Daniel J. Edelman com-pany. £

How ‘socialtainment’ advances entertainment PRNot long ago we watched the Super Bowl or an episode of Seinfeld and looked forward to Mondaymorning quarterbacking and “water cooler” talk. Now the water cooler has turned digital, and fansare able to express their views in real time, as events unfold. By Mary Scott

SportsYapper, an app that allows sports fans to communicate asthey watch games, debuted in August. On the right is the “GameOn” screen, showing friends who have checked in and arewatching the game. On the left is a social stream from a recentCowboys game.


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REPORT

I’ll fight my way up to protect myguests,” said Chris Fahey, SeniorProducer of “Access Hollywood.”Entertainment is a touch-and-go busi-

ness. Hours are long, time slots are lim-ited, and producers often find them-selves doubling as bookers to landguests they think will make good fits fortheir shows.

And then there are the myriad chal-lenges that lie outside of producers’ con-trol. According to Ramón Parkins,Producer and Entertainment Editor at“CBS Sunday Morning,” it’s a commonpredicament for producers to discover apitch they like, rewrite it for superiorapproval, only to have the idea laterturned down.

In other words, rejection is universalin this buiseiness. Don’t take it personal-ly if your story gets turned down.

“One of the most frustrating thingsabout this job is when our boss turns astory down and we see it later on some-one else’s show,” said Todd Polkes,Coordinating Producer at “Katie.” “Partof why I think I’ve been successful inthis business is because I protect myguests. I’m closely involved with theprocess, and I want to make sure they’reall happy and treated well.”

Then there’s timing. Given naturalscheduling constraints and the fickle,timely nature of the news, Polkes saidmany entertainment shows find them-selves booking on a two-track format: aregular schedule that stretches severalmonths in advance, and another for last-minute guests germane to a late-break-ing news cycle.

The good news is if they like yourpitch and can’t take it, generally theycan help you place it elsewhere.“The earlier we know something is hap-pening, the earlier we can begin thatprocess,” Parkins said. “If you have astory and we can’t accommodate it, ifyou call and say you have somethinggood and we can’t take it, I’ll recom-mend a place where you can take it.”“News is like an echo chamber, and

we’re a 365-day kind of operation.Everyone’s overworked, everyone’s

overstaffed, anda lot of times itfeels like ideasgo into a blackhole,” Parkinscontinued. “Alot of times wesee somethingthat’s reallygreat and wellthought out butwe just can’ttake it.”

The panel wasunanimous inclaiming theyprefer publiciststo pitch with anemail first, butsaid outreachmethods ultimately depend on the natureof the story.

“You can always feel free to call if Idon’t get back with you,” said Polkes.“A phone call is probably the best,”Parkins said. “What’s most important iswhen not to call. Not every story shouldbe pitched.”

While it sounds like a skipping recordfor many members of the industry, theadage remains, and for good reason:know the show you’re pitching. Watchthe show to understand the format; havean idea of what would work and whatwouldn’t before you pick up the phoneor click send.

“It drives me crazy,” Fahey said.“There’s a guy who sends mass emailsto every producer out there, even afteryou tell him to take you off his list. I stillget emails from him. Needless to say, tosend mass emails that aren’t tailored to aspecific audience is a waste of your timeas well as mine.”

“Sometimes it’s frustrating that theydon’t watch the show before they con-tact us,” Polkes said. “We’re looking forcompelling human interest stories.We’re not a celebrity driven show. AndI’ll never be able to do a segment on theopera at The Met, even thought that’ssomething I’d personally want towatch.”

Other pet peeves for the panel include

actors who only want to talk about themovie they’re currently starring in, andpublicists who pitch ideas in the form ofan advertisement instead of the obviousformat — a story.

The panel also warned publicists notto make promises they can’t keep.

“Nowadays I get a lot of pitches fromthird parties. They’re not even from theoriginal publicists,” Polkes said. “Sowhen I’m interested in something thethird party has to check with the originalpublicist to make sure it’s okay. Andsometimes problems creep in becausethat person makes promises they can’tkeep. It should go without saying, butdon’t promise anything unless you haveabsolute authority to do what you say.”

And it sounds like a no-brainer, butthe panel offered another caveat regard-ing a habit that remains present, albeitcomparatively uncommon, in the indus-try: don’t lie.

“We know that you’re in a difficultsituation. Sometimes we’re in difficultsituations too,” Parkins said. “We can gooff the record and talk about it. But don’ttell us something that’s going to comeback to bite you in the ass.”

The November 14 panel was held atthe International CinematographersGuild in New York City. It was moderat-ed by Jordan Fischler, Vice President ofAllison + Partners. £

False promises, lies are entertainment deal-breakers Landing a story all comes down to timing, topic and knowing how to pitch. Also, make sure youconduct your business honestly and ethically. This was the advice offered by producers of someof the most popular entertainment and celebrity TV shows, who sat down to chat with publi-cists during a November panel hosted by the Entertainment Publicists Professional Society.

By Jon Gingerich

“

The Nov. 14 EPPS panel of entertainment producers (L to R): JordanFischler, Vice President of Allison + Partners (moderator); Todd Polkes,Coordinating Producer at “Katie”; Chris Fahey, Senior Producer of“Access Hollywood”; and Ramón Parkins, Producer and EntertainmentEditor at “CBS Sunday Morning.”

Photo by Jon Gingerich


Tardio, as head of a firm with a longhistory of developing strategicmarketing and PR campaigns for

brands in the converging space ofentertainment, technology, consumermarketing and social media, feels thatR&C has the right formula to engageconsumers via the new media.

Hand held tablets and smartphonesincluding Apple’s iPad and iPhone, theSamsung Galaxy Tab 7, HP TouchPad,Nexus 7 Nook and numerous othershave captured the public’s imagination.

“People have an unquenchableappetite for entertainment and stories,”says Tardio, “and they are able to satis-fy that now on mobile devices.”

“Not only are they enjoying theirfavorite films, TV shows and music ontheir mobile devices via Hulu, Amazon,Netflix and Rdio when they want, how

they want and where they want, butthey are eager to share such pleasureswith their friends and families via theirsocial networks and apps,” he says.

“They are watching their favoriteprograms on their tablets and smart-phones when they have a few minutesto spare and consuming content in moresnack size portions,” he added.

Applications designed for mobiledevices are also proliferating andinclude “reward apps” that earn pointsfor watching your favorite televisionprograms that can be redeemed for giftcards and other items, he notes.

PR must tell “compelling stories” R&C, a firm that handles many ofHollywood’s biggest stars and entertain-ment industry companies, has long rec-ognized the “art of storytelling is at theheart of the entertainment industry and a

part of the DNA of thetalented entertain-ment PR and market-ing professional,”said Tardio.

R&C creates cam-paigns for consumerand technologyclients that use a vari-ety of entertainmentstrategies such asdeveloping strategicalliances with enter-tainment and sportsproperties, leveragingcelebrities’ socialmedia profiles, exe-cuting brand ambas-sador initiatives, andfacilitating relation-ship building with thebroader entertainmentcommunity. Both tra-ditional and socialmedia tactics are inte-grated to supportcampaign objectives.

Clients, many whichintroduced innovativeentertainment-chang-ing technologies forconsumers, haveincluded WebTV,Napster digital musicservice, Texas

Instruments DLP cinema and consumerproducts, TiVO digital video recorder,Microsoft Kinect for Xbox 360 gamesystem, Kobo Touch eReader, AmazonStudios digital film/TV studio, ViggleTV app, YouToo social TV, ooVoo videochat, Rdio streaming music service andthe Gossip Girl social game onFacebook for Warner Bros. InteractiveEntertainment.

R&C, notes Tardio, has worked withmany of the top brands in social enter-tainment for clients such as AmazonStudios, Toyota, Kraft, Avon, Cambio,and The Coca-Cola Company.

“Our teams are extremely knowledge-able and adept in howto position thesesocial entertainmentbrands as well as uti-lize the various plat-forms to engage andreach consumers andmedia,” he says.

“We are findingthat brands are part-nering with entertain-ment marketing/PR agencies becausetheir corporate or technology agenciesdo not have the depth of knowledge orrelationships within the entertainmentcommunity or trade and lifestyle mediato navigate this industry and communi-cate their brand stories in this uniquemedia,” he added. New ecosystem emergingNew marketing techniques for brands

include developing original, short-formentertainment content/webisodes as away to engage consumers outside of thetypical TV spot or print campaign, hecontinued.

“Since this original content requirestune-in publicity and a focus on onlinecommunity building, R&C is securing amarketing communications leadershiprole in this category. There is an entiresocial entertainment ecosystem beingformed that incorporates content cre-ators, mobile app developers, sociallyenabled devices, TV specific social net-works and analytics companies. Thesehave been many of the companies R&Chas signed on with in 2012 and whichwe will continue to expand and buildour proprietary skill sets into 2013.” £

The growing popularity of tablets, smartphones and other devices for accessing content andcommunicating has opened new doors for PR firms that know how to exploit these new tech-nologies to reach and motivate audiences, said Tom Tardio, CEO of Rogers & Cowan.


Tom Tardio

Content strategies must expand mobile targeting

By Jack O’Dwyer

will.i.am together with The Coca-Cola Company — both Rogers &Cowan clients — launched the EKOCYCLE brand this summer toencourage sustainability among consumers through lifestyle productsmade in part from recycled material. Above, will.i.am in Octoberappeared at the EKOCYCLE launch event in New York City.

Photo: Kevin Mazur for Getty Images.



FEATURE

Peter Himler, President of FlatironCommunications the PublicityClub of New York, which hosted

the luncheon event, kicked off the pro-ceedings in front of a bubbling crowd atthe Three West Club while moderatorLisa Kovitz, Executive VP for Edelman,kept the panel on message.

As former Executive Editor for OK!magazine, Huffington Post CelebrityColumnist Rob Shuter is known forbreaking new stories on celebs. However,Shuter got his start in public relations,first at BNC (Bragman Nyman Cafarelli,now PMK-BNC) as a receptionist, beforeworking his way up to “head the enter-tainment group” at DKC and then startinghis own PR agency, The Shuter Group. Inthese positions, he worked with celebri-ties such as Jennifer Lopez and othermajors. Shuter knows a good pitch whenhe sees one, and wants “original, interest-ing entertainment stories.”

Saying there are “great celebrity sto-ries everywhere,” Shuter is always look-ing for experts. “If Jennifer Aniston cutsher hair, and you know the hair stylist,”get in touch, Shuter said. He’s alwayslooking for interesting photos andvideos. However, “If it’s on YouTube,I’m not breaking it,” he asserted.

In his hosting gig for AXS.tv —owned by Mark Cuban with partnerRyan Seacrest — he’s looking for storieswith more of an “entertainment focus,”as opposed to breaking news. Celebrityinterviews are welcome. AXS.tv is seenin 35 million homes.

With a readership of 400,000, Life &Style Senior News Editor Kara Feigeleshas 75 pages to fill weekly on fashion,beauty and news in the celebrity world.“We need pitches,” she implored. Emailher.

Feigeles has been at Life & Style forsix years, and before that, was a SeniorEditor at The Star. She said she wants“sneak peeks into the celebrity world,”beauty secrets, videos, photos of “party-ing with the stars,” and shots “with ener-gy, not just a star holding a drink.”

Some caveats. For events, she suggeststhe date be in the subject line of youremail. In fact, if organizing an event, add

Life & Style to your guestlist, because post-event run-downs will not be coveredif they have not attended,Feigeles explained.

She’s also looking forexclusives — “Readers loveexclusives,” she said — andscoops. So, “If you see LeoDiCaprio making out withsomeone in a club, andyou’re texting that to yourfriends,” said Kara, “Textus, too!”

“Give me somethingtotally different,” saidDavid Caplan, the enterpris-ing founder ofGossipDavid.com. Youcould find your story men-tioned on his website, as well as on “TheTalk,” Sirius XM, CNN Headline News,WLNY, and other celebrity TV and printoutlets from Canada to Australia.

Product PR folks can rejoice, becauseCaplan will cover stories with a celebri-ty spokesperson “pegged” to a product,(“All the ‘Real Housewives of NewYork’ have products,” said Caplan)especially if connected to KimKardashian.

He wants photos, gallery photos fromparties, and video. Nothing is too big, hesaid: “We can always work with some-thing.”

How does one snag entertainment sto-ries on the holy grail of morning talkshows? According to Emily Gertler,Entertainment Segment Producer for“Good Morning America,” PR pros needto first watch the program. Second, donot address pitches to her for “TheToday Show,” “The Early Show,” or anyother competing programs. “We get lotsof these,” she sighed.

Gertler works with a team of threeproducers. They book and produce theirown segments. After sending an emailpitch, Gertler encourages a personalphone call to follow-up — an unusualinvitation. And, if you send her a storyfor fashion and beauty, as opposed to acelebrity angle, she will make sure itgets to the right producer.

In covering celebrity stories, she will

consider covering a product endorse-ment. “We can’t spend an entire segmenton a product,” she clarifies. However,“If a celebrity is attached, it takes it to awhole new level.”

Guests are booked three to fourmonths in advance, and sometimes ear-lier than that. Most of all, she wants sto-ries that are “fun.” She said “HDfootage is ideal,” and if lesser quality,GMA can work on it. Slide shows,videos and blog entries are welcomematerials to pitch.

Covering the business of entertain-ment, The Wrap’s New York bureauFilm reporter Brett Lang said he wantsstories such as Netflix earnings asopposed to coverage of, say, KimKardashian. He covers hard news andbusiness stories featuring trends in theentertainment space. The Wrap wasstarted by Sharon Waxman, a New YorkTimes reporter, and is based in L.A.Stories from the site are carried onReuters, MSN, and other outlets.

Lang said he “appreciates if someonereads my work,” and like many editors,can tell if there is a lack of familiaritywith what he covers.

He urges a “crisp, clear message” inthe subject line, to compel him to readit, and specifies that “an exclusive mustbe a true exclusive.” He’s looking forvideos and photos, especially of execu-tives who have been promoted. £

Be quick when working the entertainment beatA fast-talking group of New York entertainment journalists from digital, TV and print outlets toldPR pros in Oct. 23 that they’re looking for pitches for a variety of celebrity-oriented stories.Some even admitted wanting to hear from PR people.

The PCNY entertainment beat panel (L to R): Rob Shuter,Huffington Post; Kara Feigeles, Life & Style Weekly; DavidCaplan, GossipDavid.com; Emily Gertler, 'Good MorningAmerica'; and Brent A. Lang, The Wrap.

Photo: Gayle Goodman.

By Gayle Goodman



Be quick when working the entertainment beat

The most successful brands have natu-rally begun to adopt a strategy that willno doubt be increasingly talked about

and pursued in the coming years. They havebegun to advance what we call “TheBreakout Brand Strategy.”

Over time, organizations have embracedmany different tactics in the quest forgrowth. Years ago, one approach rose upabove the pack — it was called the chal-lenger brand. I’m sure everyone remem-bers: “We’re Avis, we try harder.” It putbeing number-two in the spotlight andmade marketing all about showing why youwere better than the number-one company.

Today, an evolutionary approach to thechallenger brand concept is beginning totake hold — one that focuses on the cus-tomer, not the competition. The develop-ment of this Breakout Brand Strategy canbe traced directly to the dramatic changes incommunication that have defined the lastdecade.

In this time, mass marketing has givenway to fragmented markets of splinter pop-ulations, where the idea of being numberone can change in an instant from one audi-ence to the next. Social media has trans-formed the very concept of brand aware-ness, allowing experiences with productsand services to be shared on a personal levelat lightening speed. With GenY/Millennialaudiences impatiently demanding personal-ization, connectivity and specialization, bigbrand “us vs. them” mantras are quickly leftin the digital dust. Simply put, emotions aredriving purchases like never before, and inthis paradigm, formulaic comparisons withthe competition have lost meaning.

To succeed, a brand must establishunique connections with different audi-ences. Breakout Brands stand out from thepack because they inspire emotional attach-ments that can be measured at the cash reg-ister. What is an emotional attachment? It’sthe passion of those who line up for newApple products that some say are not evenas good as other brands. It’s why — whileDunkin Donuts is the bulk leader —Starbucks fans are more emotionallyengaged as evidenced by their 20% morevisits per month than Dunkin Donuts fans,and 29% higher average spend monthly.

Not convinced that emotions are drivingbrand success? Consider this: According toa survey by the polling firm IBOPE/ZogbyInternational for rbb Public Relations, com-panies have to show consumers the love inorder to attract and keep them in today’sdynamic marketplace.

Of the 2,000 adults surveyed, 83% saythat they are willing to spend more on aproduct or service if they feel a personalconnection to the company. One fifth ofrespondents say they would pay 50% moreor higher if they felt the company put thecustomer first. In fact, the survey found thatto stay competitive, companies are adoptingmarketing strategies that align with today’snew consumer perspective. Instead of chas-ing the competition to become number one,creating powerful customer experiences isthe top priority.

The research indicates that BreakoutBrand companies share a common strategy.They deliver services and products that trig-ger a response — a visceral reaction fromcustomers. That’s what happens withZappos.com and its free return policybacked by a fun-loving customer serviceapproach that delivers “happiness.” Or theanticipation coffee drinkers feel forStarbucks’ limited edition menu options,like the Pumpkin Spice Latte or PeppermintMocha that signal the arrival of the holi-days.

How, then, can organizations movebeyond the focus on competition marketingand break out for themselves? To start, ithelps to understand the different categoriesof companies that can be defined asBreakout Brands. We have identified threetypes:

Established brands, such as IBM, maybe household names but they have to workhard to stay fresh and relevant to audiences.They have the resources to drive constantinnovation and communication.

Engaged brands can be any age andhave begun to develop deeper customerconnections. They distinguish themselvesby growing their category with originality,such as Duncan Hines, which recently rein-vented the frosting category.

Emerging organizations have the bene-fit of no legacy issues and storm on to the

scene to create new markets that make con-sumers’ lives easier or richer. They have thechallenge of managing through theirgrowth — think Pinterest.

What these three categories have in com-mon is the customer. The fact is, BreakoutBrands don’t go into business to fight themarket leader in the old style challengerbrand mold. Instead of comparing them-selves to other organizations, they stake outtheir own ground, shooting always to benumber one in mindshare within a certainspace or among a certain audience. Alwayscustomer-centered, they aim to do more ormake life easier for their audience. Insteadof chasing, they focus on leading, and that’swhat any company must remember if theywant to break out.

To be a Breakout Brand, companies mustbe willing and readyto create the future— and futuredemand. In otherwords, they must bemore than open-minded, anticipatingcustomer needs wellin advance. Whoknew, for instance,that we needed to tellthe world everydetail of our livesuntil Facebook told us we did? Who expect-ed mass retailer Target to offer Missonidesigner clothes and home goods for a frac-tion of designer prices?

Finally, Breakout Brands must master theart and science of communication. Insteadof developing a communications plan afterthey create or advance a product or service,they must integrate the communicationsplatform into the business plan from dayone. They should not expect their integrat-ed communications teams to come in afterthe fact and sell an artificial image or bene-fit. Consider how many companies try topromote customer service as a differentiatorbut are loathe to share a customer supportphone number in favor of pushing onlineFAQ. Ultimately, the message and theentire communications platform must betrue to the very core of the Breakout Brand.

Today, thinking outside the box is a veryinside-the-box concept. Instead of compar-ing their ideas and deliverables to a less-innovative competitor, organizations of allsizes must prove themselves to be incompa-rable in every facet, unique, and connectedin ways that their customers never sawcoming.

Christine Barney, APR, is CEO of rbbPublic Relations. £

The rise of the ‘breakout’ brandToday’s consumers have gotten emotional, and they’ve gottenconnected. They’re looking for products and services thatspeak to them individually. They’re looking for experiences todefine their purchases, and they are responding emotionallyto the things they want to do and to buy.

By Christine Barney

Christine Barney



FEATURE

The PRSA’s New YorkProgramming Committee helpedopen the AP’s doors November 15

with a tour of the news organization’sWest 33rd Street facilities and subse-quent panel discussion, as part of a pro-gram titled “Inside the Media:Associated Press.”

Designed in stark black-and-white,the space expands with a spectacularfarm-like sprawl at 100,000 square feet.Morning meetings take place in “TheFish Bowl,” a bulbous glass-walled con-ference room where, according to APMedia Relations Manager Erin White,the “agenda-setting” happens. With acongestion of work stations, LED read-outs keeping international time, andpiles of books, files and papers, youcould sense the drumming activity inthis 24/7 temple of news.

Panel showed rare glimpse of APA following panel of AP editorial

staff, moderated by Scott Berwitz,Corporate Communications Director ofMindshare, showed off the AssociatedPress, and proved educational.

Technology and Media Editor JohnSimons said he’s looking for stories witha timely focus.

“What are the issues of the day, thatwe might need help with?” he said.“Think sources and data. Those areimportant to us on major news stories.”

Simons said tying into trends will cap-ture his attention. “Most stories we putout are daily news driven stories. Intech, 30 to 40 are trend stories: appdevelopment, small tablets. These aretimely.”

Simons added, “Put us in touch withreal people, consumers who use yourclient’s products.”

Travel and Lifestyle Editor BethHarpaz emphasized her need for storieswith a “national or international focus.We don’t do local stories.” Think big.She gave examples of pitches thatworked. When Lou Hammond,President of New York’s Lou HammondAssociates, pitched a story about acruise on the Mississippi, Harpaz firstsaw this as a local story. But Hammondelaborated on this issue, giving it nation-al interest for the AP. “Hammondpitched the story as a great American

story, about the Mississippi River, aboutMark Twain,” she said. “I got it.”

Harpaz also discussed covering the“crisis of the cruise ship in Italy,” theCosta Concordia which sank. “No onewould talk about it,” she said.

She uncovered a source who wouldgive background, illustrating how PRpeople could assist with a sensitivestory, while building an editorial rela-tionship for the future.

Amanda Barrett, New York City NewsEditor, said stories should point to atrend or situation around the globe. “Weare knee-deep in Sandy stories,” shesaid. “We are looking for people in con-struction. There may be intersectionswhere you or your client may fit in.”

Tips for pitching success The AP editors offered these 10 points

when reaching out to them with a possi-ble story.

• Keep your pitches as short as aTweet. Simons said AP editors areenthusiastic about this pitching style. “Ilove the idea of a pitch boiled down to aTweet,” agreed Harpaz.

• Subject Line. AP editors get hun-dreds of emails a day. It is imperativethat the subject like of an email conveythe news, or “it will go into the ether,”said Harpaz. “I can tell from the subjectline if it’s relevant to me.”

• National angles. AP stories need anational angle, unless you go through alocal bureau. Do not pitch more than oneeditor at a time.

• Don’t call. “Phone calls are not wel-come,” stated Harpaz. “Unless it’sbreaking news, you’re better off with anemail rather than calling us.” Also,Harpaz said to eliminate small talk, suchas, “How are you? And how was yourweekend?” She’s busy. She wants toknow fast, “What is the story?”

• Off the Record. “If you can’t saysomething, don’t say it. Let’s have afree-flowing conversation,” saidSimons. He added, PR staff should makesure “the person you are shepherdingdoesn’t say something that’s sensitive.”Or, like most reporters looking for agood quote, he may print it.

• Respect Breaking News. Recognizewhen reporters will be working on abreaking news story. “Last Friday,” saidBarrett, “I was covering Sandy, trying to

get reporters to Far Rockaway or StatenIsland and get enough gas.” This was notthe time for a PR rep to call and insist onselling “the best story ever,” saidBarrett, but one did. She will rememberwho that is.

• Embargoes. Simons said embargoesare “overused and used in situationswhere there is no need for it.” However,feelings differed amongst the panel. “Ifsomewhat exclusive, we can work withsome limits,” said Harpaz. An embargo,she explained, “Gives me time to planthe story coverage. I’ll play with theembargo, as a thank you.”

Barrett asserted, “I’ll still ask to befirst, and see how early we can get thestory.”

• Sources and Experts. “Be willingto go beyond your client,” suggestedHarpaz. If you’re working on a storywhich fits into a trend, or you knowexperts in the field who may be influen-tial, but may not be clients, providing asource will increase your value to thereporter. “If you help me do my job bet-ter,” said Harpaz, “I’m not going toleave your guy out.”

• Surveys. “Almost no survey a com-mercial entity would do will meet ourstandards,” said Harpaz. “We are notpermitted to use 99% of surveys” sub-mitted. Simons said, “It doesn’t meanwe won’t use anecdotal info.” Barretthad a different take, and said, “We willcoordinate with our polling departmentto evaluate the information before usingit.”

• Editorial Decisions. The first pieceof guidance Harpaz gave to the audiencewas, “Google your subject and AP.”Barrett cautioned, “Stories need to standout to justify doing them. We’re dealingwith smaller staffs and have to have abig bang if I’m putting a reporter andphotographer on it.”

Additional tips included making sureto find the reporter relevant to yourclients’ stories, contacting reporters viaTwitter (their handles, along with furthercontacting FAQs, are available at ap.org)and subscribing to the AP Planner.Finally, notice of events to be coveredshould be sent to Editor Tom McElroy, [email protected]. The date of the eventand what it is should be in the subjectline. Do not send attachments. £

While the Associated Press is known for covering the news of the world, its vast and modernNew York newsroom is an insulated, windowless enclave to which outsiders — specifically, PRprofessionals — rarely gain entry.

Panel offers rare glimpse inside Associated Press

By Gayle Goodman



Panel offers rare glimpse inside Associated Press

Sports fanatics don’t just play orenjoy watching sports; they liveand die sports. A psychologist

may have the answers as to why drinkingbeer is often associated with having funat a sports event. Only TV producershowever, can say why a bar is the “must”place to get stories of fans during an ath-letic event.A psychologist may have the answers to

why adults live and die and root for ateam because of the names on the play-ers’ jerseys.

A psychologist may have the answer towhy people get attached to athletes thatdon’t give a hoot about them, and changeteams the moment another offers a betterfinancial deal.

A psychologist may have the answersto why fans root for a franchise that hasno loyalty to a city and threatens to movethe moment another locale offers a betterfinancial deal.

A psychologist may have the answer towhy fans always side with managementand against the players during salary andlabor disputes, when management keepsincreasing the price of tickets and food tothe point where many long-time loyalfans can no longer afford a ticket or brew.

A psychologist may have the answersto why destructive celebratory victoryriots are a part of our sports scene.

A psychologist may have the answersto why parents let their youngstersengage in sports that revel in violence,like boxing, hockey and football.

A psychologist may have theanswers to why fans worry about howmuch money a team pays an athlete.

A psychologist may have the answersto why people spend thousand of dollarson sporting events, when they often cansee the action better from the comfort oftheir homes and use the money for essen-tial family needs.

A psychologist may have the answersto why listeners of sports talk radio canwait on the phone forever just to have aminute or two of air time with the host.(When I do tune in to sports talk, itreminds me of what used to be said about

the hockey sellout crowds at MadisonSquare Garden: every game is a sellout,but it’s the same fans who attend eachgame. So it seems to be with sports talkradio, when Joey from New Haven callsfor the nineteenth time to complain aboutthe NY Mets not resigning Jose Reyes.)

A psychologist may have the answersto why people are willing to spend moneyon Derek Jeter’s 3,000 hit dirt or to pur-chase reprinted game tickets, dirt andassorted other items from JohanSantana’s no hit game.

Belligerence transcends many areasSports fanatics are not limited to beer-

guzzling, point-spread betting, live-or-die fans who spout vulgarisms. Theyinclude Big Team college sports admin-istrators. Why else would football andbasketball coaches hold so much powerat the halls of learning and the N.C.A.A.

hold sway over the entire collegiatesports scene?

Why do many sports fanatics act likethey do? In his column about footballviolence in the April 18, 2012, issue ofESPN The Magazine, Howard Bryantwrote, “If the NFL is caught betweenpromoting violence only to decry it …so too does America act outraged atbloodlust while supporting a gun cultureglamorized by the cops, the criminals,the video games, television and themovies.”

Regardless of your favorite sport,fanatics should consider what New YorkJets football Coach Rex Ryan said afterhis team suffered a devastating defeat. “Igot up this morning, so that’s a goodthing.” Or as tennis great Billie JeanKing said “… One lesson you learn fromsports is that life goes on without you.”Fanatics should be taught that too.

But the best lessons sports fanaticsshould consider before worshipping ateam, player or coach is commit tomemory “O.J., JoePa and Penn State.”

Arthur Solomon was a Senior VP andSenior Counselor at Burson-Marsteller. £

Fanatics come in all shapes and sizes. We all know politicalfanatics — die-hard Democrats and Republicans who vownever to pull the lever for the other side — as well as filmbuffs, fashion aficionados and food gourmands. Perhaps allthese pale in comparison to another breed of rabid fanaticismpopular in today’s culture: sports fans.

The psychology of sports fanaticism

By Arthur Solomon


12.12

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BLAZE is the nationally recog-nized PR firm that attracts com-pelling and aggressive consumerbrands that need to win. BLAZEdevelops campaigns that help ourclients create or reclaim relevancein the marketplace. Utilizing com-prehensive strategic communica-tions campaigns to differentiate andelevate our clients from their com-petitors, we are able to exceed ourclients’ expectations when it comesto positioning them to their audi-

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Catalyst is focused on con-sumers who are passionate aboutsports, entertainment and leadingan active lifestyle, and works withbrands to create communicationsstrategies that engage consumersand influence behavior.

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When getting consumers torelate to brands on a global scale,we run into one of our most interest-ing challenges of all: trying to findactors that aren’t acting. With near-

DECEMBER 2012 4 WWW.ODWYERPR.COM 4 ADVERTISING SECTION18

Yoplait spokesperson Nancy O’Dell getting a little last minute primp-ing and some Yoplait energy. O’Dell is an integral part of Yoplait’scommunications strategy, a Cone client.


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ADVERTISING SECTION 3 DECEMBER 2012 3 WWW.ODWYERPR.COM 19

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Coyne PR’s knowledge and cre-ativity has made it one of the coun-try’s fastest-growing agencies andtop award winners. Our special-ized practice areas ofEntertainment and Sports repre-sent an impressive collection oftop national brands, high-profileevents and first-class organiza-tions. The Entertainment teamworks with Hard RockInternational, making the brandsynonymous with music by gener-ating national and internationalbuzz through events with topartists ranging from Karmin toYoko Ono. The team also workswith Epiphone Guitars and AEG.In addition, they’ve managedevents with top celebrities includ-ing Cee Lo Green for Meow Mix,Ke$ha for Casio Baby-G andMiley Cyrus for the Walt DisneyCompany. The Sports team’s play-book includes winning gameplansfor industry-leading companiessuch as ESPN, Turner Sports forits coverage of the NCAA men’sbasketball tournament, MSGVarsity, ESPN The Magazine andESPN Wide World of Sports atWalt Disney World, among oth-ers. The key to Coyne’s success —and yours — is that we combinecreativity and enthusiasm withstrategic approach and impeccableclient service, resulting in out-standing coverage in both expect-ed and aspirational places.

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Susan Novak, Executive VicePresidentMelisa Gotto, Vice President,Los Angeles

Established in 1991, DKC isamong the largest independentlyowned public relations firms inthe country. With experiencethat cuts across nearly everyindustry and geographic region,sports and entertainment havealways been cornerstones of thefirm’s diverse client mix.

DKC’s Sports division is atrusted, longtime partner for amultitude of Fortune 100 com-panies, leagues, franchises, ven-ues, sponsors, owners and ath-letes. With a seasoned staff thatis deeply rooted in all aspects ofthe sports business, from high-level front office posts to sportsjournalism, DKC’s Sports teamknows how to build coveragefor clients well beyond the tradi-tional sports media landscape.Clients include the U.S. Tennis

Association/U.S. Open, NewBalance, Citi, Sprint, New Era,Topps, THQ, Warner Brothers,Tough Mudder, DisneyInteractive and Fanatics.

DKC specializes in workingwith entertainment at the inter-section of corporate enterpriseand creative pursuits. TheEntertainment team takes a 360degree approach to buildingclients’ brands — from person-alities to entertainment execu-tives to corporate clients whouse entertainment sponsorshipsto help bring their products andservices to life. Entertainmentclients include Pete Wentz, 50Cent, Sean “Diddy” Combs,Ken Burns, Ed Burns, Jay Leno,Michael Eisner, Sesame Street,Sony Pictures Television,Showtime, Martin Guitars, PBS,VH1, Billboard Magazine,Yahoo! Entertainment andWarner Music Group.

0Continued on page 20

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band perform on stage at HardRock Calling 2012 music festival in Hyde Park, London on Saturday,July 14, 2012. Hard Rock is a Coyne client.

The January issue of O’Dwyer’s will fea-ture a company profiles section on crisiscommunications. If you would like yourfirm to be listed, contact Editor JonGingerich at 646/843-2080 [email protected]


888-333-3116

Find out about cruises sailing from New Yorkand other worldwide destinations

• Business Travel Consultants• Strategic Meetings Management• Government Travel Contractors• Over 200 Offices Worldwide• Competitive Online Booking• One-on-One Travel Consultation• Leisure Travel Experts

World Headquarters • 3102 Omega Office Park • Fairfax, VA 22031• 703-359-0200

212-563-3500 • OmegaNewYork.com

Leading the Travel Industryby Providing ProfessionalTravel Services Since 1972

Locations:North AmericaMiddle EastEuropeAsia



Since formally launching itsWest Coast presence in late2011, DKC continues to grow itsSouthern California operationwith clients across the digital,entertainment, corporate, sports,technology, and media businesscategories. DKC’s Los Angelesoffice works with new and exist-ing sports and entertainmentclients including the ShaunWhite Supply Co., MadameTussauds Hollywood, Vuguruand New Balance, among oth-ers.

FRENCH / WEST /VAUGHAN

112 East Hargett St. Raleigh, NC 27601 919/832-6300 www.fwv-us.com

Rick French, Chairman & CEO David Gwyn, President /PrincipalNatalie Best, Executive VicePresident / PrincipalJay Wisse, Vice President, Sports& Entertainment Properties

French/West/Vaughan (FWV)is the Southeast’s leading publicrelations, public affairs andbrand communications agency,independent or otherwise.Founded in April 1997 inRaleigh, N.C. by agencyChairman & CEO Rick French,FWV now employs 70 publicrelations, advertising and digitalmarketing experts among itsoffices in New York City,

Tampa, Dallas and Los Angeles.Ranked as the #4 firm for

sports PR and #19 for entertain-ment PR by O’Dwyer’s, FWV isan industry leader in sports andentertainment marketing, andspecializes in creating maxi-mum brand exposure for itsclients through strategic part-nerships, sponsor relations,event management, socialmedia, mobile and experientialmarketing and traditionalearned media outreach pro-grams.

FWV’s sports and entertain-ment clients include the CentralIntercollegiate AthleticAssociation (CIAA),Southwestern AthleticConference (SWAC), HoustonTexans running back ArianFoster, Disney star BrandonMychal Smith, Houston Texanssafety Glover Quin,Philadelphia Eagles QBMichael Vick, Orlando Magicforward Glen “Big Baby”Davis, retired NFL star SimeonRice, Dallas Mavericks forwardDahntay Jones, leading interna-tional swimwear brand Arena,SKINS compression wear, TascPerformance apparel, Eurosport/soccer.com, the United StatesPolo Association, best-sellingauthor Nick Schuyler and theProfessional Rodeo CowboysAssociation.

The agency has also donework on behalf of SeattleSeahawks QB Russell Wilson,platinum-selling musician T.I.,actress Linda Hogan, OlympicGold Medalist Jessica Hardy,AstroTurf, Speedo, TVG(America’s HorseracingNetwork), Parelli NaturalHorsemanship, Xtreme Fighting

Championships (XFC), OTBRecords, the Carolina Cobras ofthe Arena Football League,AccuSport International,Premiere Management Group,the Atlantic Coast Conference(ACC), the Aggie-EagleClassic, Urban Sports andEntertainment Group, NorthCarolina Amateur Sports andthe N.C. State Games, amongothers.

Additionally, FWV Chairman& CEO Rick French is a nation-al trustee of the Rock and RollHall of Fame and Museum. As amember of the board of trustees,French is among a small numberof America’s most prominentbusiness and music industryleaders who are stewards of theHall of Fame and Museum andare also asked to represent theRock Hall’s mission and goalsat programs and events aroundthe world.

J PUBLIC RELATIONS

131 Varick Street, #909New York, NY 10013212/924-3600Fax: 212/898-1361www.jpublicrelations.com

1620 Fifth Avenue, #700San Diego, CA 92101619/255-7069Fax: 619/255-1364

Kim Julin Guyader, Jamie LynnSigler, Founding PartnersSarah Evans, Managing Partner

Established in 2005, J PublicRelations (JPR) is one of the tophospitality and lifestyle PRAgencies in the country. Withoffices in New York City andSan Diego, JPR has workedwith entertainment brands suchas Enlightened HospitalityGroup, FLUXX, F6ix, Side Bar,Stingaree Nightclub, GuestHouse, RMD Group, WestfieldUTC, and Vegas-based clientsincluding Gallery Nightclub,Holsteins Shakes and Buns atThe Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas,and Public House at TheVenetian.

JPR has successfully man-aged countless entertainment,lifestyle and nightlife publicrelations campaigns for some ofthe brightest names in the busi-ness. JPR devises story angles,celebrity events, promotionsand media opportunities thatsecure their spot as a leader inthe industry and keep them rele-

vant long after the initial buzzhas died down. In November2012, JPR managed a high-pro-file event for client WestfieldUTC’s Grand Opening celebra-tion that featured a runway fash-ion show with celebrity appear-ance by Giuliana Rancic and aconcert by Natasha Bedingfield.

The JPR team has also playedan instrumental role in elevatingSan Diego’s nightlife, socialdining and entertainment sceneover the past several years,including the launch and ongo-ing creative PR tactics foraward-winning Searsuckerrestaurant and downtownnightlife venues. JPR is com-mitted to delivering strategicmedia relations campaignsdesigned to have personalappeal while maximizing brandvisibility and media coverageacross a broad range of top tieroutlets. Known for creating a“buzz” among media, influ-encers and industry insiders,JPR’s clear strategy is based onspecific client goals, “wishlists,” revenue-driving marketsand verticals

KAPLOW

19 West 44th Street, 6th FloorNew York, NY 10036212/[email protected]

As an independent, award-winning public relations firm,Kaplow helps best-in-classcompanies tell their stories andchange conversations.

For more than two decades,the firm has cultivated brandidentities and reputations thatnurture happy, loyalconsumers. Kaplow’s holisticcommunications programsleverage the best of traditionalmedia relations anddigital/social campaigns toensure that our clients’ brandsare front and center with theirtarget consumers and the influ-encers who matter the most.

With a world class mediarelations team, and in-housesocial media and video produc-tion divisions, Kaplow existsfor a singular reason: to createemotional connections betweenbrand and consumer. Simplyput, we help people fall in lovewith your brand.

Some of our best-in-class


DKC0Continued from page 19

J Public Relations' client Searsucker is the ultimate social diningexperience in San Diego, a 7,000 square-foot venue that makesguests feel welcome, from the food to the drinks to the ambiance.


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clients include: Target, Skype,CVS/Pharmacy, Avon mark &Avon Foundation, Timex,Unilever (Nexxus & St. Ives),Shiseido, Gurwitch (LauraMercier and RéVive), Case-mate, Kellwood and CEW.

KEITH SHERMAN& ASSOCIATES

234 West 44th StreetNew York, NY 10036212/764-7900Fax: 212/764-0344 www.ksa-pr.com

Keith Sherman, PresidentBrett Oberman, VPScott Klein, VPChuck Mirarchi, VP

KEITH SHERMAN & ASSO-CIATES provides strategic public

relations counseling and market-ing communications services to adiverse roster of entertainment,lifestyles, sports and corporateclients.

KSA has publicized hundredsof films, network and cable televi-sion broadcasts, Broadway,national touring productions andhigh profile events nationally andinternationally. Some clientsinclude: Focus Features,Universal Pictures, AdrianGrenier, Olympic Medalists BrianBoitano, Paul Hamm andMichelle Kwan, Tony Awards onCBS for 18 years, Lang Lang,Mike Birbiglia, Bolshoi Ballet,Kimpton Hotels, PortugueseGourmet Food Festival, 54 Belowand 250 Broadway, Off-Broadway and touring shows,including “A Christmas Story,The Musical.”

KSA’s clients include: The NewYork Times, Visiting NurseService of New York, Hertz,Sony, The Onion, ArchitecturalDigest, Columbia University,Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer

Center, New York MarriottMarquis, The Broadway League,Bristol-Myers Squibb, Abu DhabiFestival and the Montreal JazzFestival, among others.

Excellence. Results. A freshpoint-of-view. Proactiveeffort. Intelligent strategicthinking. Experience. Highstandards. Integrity. Creativity.Passion. These are some of theelements that distinguish KSA’swork.

MAYO COMMUNICATIONS

7248 Bernadine Ave., 2nd FloorWest Hills (L.A.), CA 91307818/340-5300 Fax: 818/340-2550www.mayopr.com

Aida Mayo, PresidentGeorge S. McQuade III, VPDan Lai, San Diego BureauRenee Robinson, NY Bureau

MAYO communications,based in Los Angeles, offersSocial Media, Corporate SocialResponsibility, CorporateCommunications and Branding.A short list of entertainmentclients this year includes: Braco(BracoLA.com); The WorldNetworks 2012 SupermodelContest Finale; Carnival ofDarkness Horror Sci-Fi FilmFestival; Hollywood FilmMagazine; Status L.A.Magazine; “Hollywood East”(HULU) Teen drama; GlobalOnslaught-Australia-UK andOperation Blankets of Love(animal rescue charity).

In October MAYO created abuzz for the 2012 SupermodelContest Finale in Hollywoodinvolving 90 model finalists inswimsuit, beauty andHalloween costume designs.The red carpet event attractednearly 1,000 attendees and wasfeatured in several publications.Last summer MAYO launched aUSA Tour of Global Onslaught-Australia-UK, an online musicformat featuring new artists,music, videos, podcasts and tourdates. The launch was held atthe Aspen TV Comedy Seriesset in LA featuring Toto leadsinger Bobby Kimball’s wifeJasmin Gabay (Saving K9Lives) and actor Tom Yi(“Bridesmaids,” 2011 and CBSTV series “The Mentalist”).Also attending were actorTimothy Woodward Jr.(“Hollywood East” TV series);

Braxton Davis (“The Helpers”2012); Ron Moss (“The Boldand the Beautiful”); actressAnne Kristine Zoumblios;Mandy Lion (WWIII); AnnieLovell (UK); October Rage;March Into Paris; JuniorWright; Ryan Cabrera andBuddy Princeton and theIncorruptibles (JacksonBrowne, Steve Miller Band) toname a few.

MAYO also signed Status LAMagazine that plans to featurethe Premiere of “The TwilightSaga: Breaking Dawn Part 2,”in its upcoming issue.

MWW ENTERTAINMENT

304 Park Avenue SouthNew York, NY 10010212/704-9727www.mww.com

Michael W. Kempner, President& CEO

To matter more, brands mustbuild relationships with theinfluencers who matter most.MWW Entertainment connectsclients with top talent in music,sports and entertainment toinspire action and increaseawareness, brand image andsales. Clients turn to MWWEntertainment experts to tapinto our relationship networksand connect with celebrityendorsers that move the needleto establish cachet, credibilityand relevance. MWWEntertainment is a joint venturebetween MWW and KWLEnterprises, led by Kevin Liles,former President of Def JamMusic Group and EVP ofWarner Music. Our team craftsmulti-dimensional campaignsfor artists, entertainers, andsports / entertainment proper-ties. MWW Entertainment serv-ices brands in the areas ofcelebrity acquisition and brand-ing, fashion and entertainmentpublicity, full service celebritybrand integration, positioningand messaging, talent manage-ment, digital and social media,and consumer lifestyle market-ing and public relations.

KAPLOW0Continued from page 20

Actors Kristen Stewart (top) and Robert Pattinson (bottom) arrive atthe premiere of “Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 2.” Mayo clientStatus LA Magazine covered the event.

View and download entire issues of O’Dwyer’smagazine in PDF format, as well as hundredsof company profiles in our searchable onlinedatabase.

www.ODwyErPr.cOm



ADVERTISING SECTION 3 DECEMBER 2012 3 WWW.ODWYERPR.COM 23

PMK • BNC

Pacific Design Center8687 Melrose Ave, 8th FloorLos Angeles, CA 90069310/854 4800www.pmkbnc.comTwitter: @pmk_bncFacebook: pmk*bnc

622 Third Ave., 8th FloorNew York, NY 10017212/582-1111

7-11 Herbrand Street Lon WC1N 1EXUnited Kingdom +44 20 7837 3737

Michael Nyman, Chairman & CEOCindi Berger, Chairman & CEOChris Robichaud, CEO

PMK*BNC is the globalauthority of Popular Culture andEntertainment. The agency spe-cializes in creating ideas thatmove the consumer. It is populat-ed with experts in enhancing tal-ent and brand relationships withconsumers, fans and communitiesthrough the passion points offilm, television, sports, music,philanthropy, art and fashion.With extraordinary access to theentertainment industry,PMK*BNC created a ScienceSeries to share unique data andinsights, and has developed a pro-prietary tool that measurescelebrity influence calledfanDNA. The agency representsapproximately 800 clients rang-ing from celebrities, producers,directors, cable and network TVproperties, production compa-nies, musicians, authors, sportsfigures, consumer brands, eventsand causes. With a seasoned staffof more than 220 professionals inNew York, Los Angeles andLondon, PMK*BNC deliversinspired solutions that includepublic relations, event produc-tion, experiential marketing,celebrity and influencer outreach,sponsorship, promotions, productplacement and integration, digitalcontent creation and brand con-sultation. Recent newclients/projects include 2012Emmy Awards, 2012 AmericanMusic Awards, YouTube, DickClark Productions, JCPenney,Samsung Mobile, The WeinsteinCo., Time Warner Cable, AEG(for Justin Bieber’s BelieveTour), “X Factor,” “JimmyKimmel Live” and films includ-ing “The Artist” and “The IronLady.”

ROGERS &COWAN

8687 Melrose Ave., 7th FloorLos Angeles, CA 90069310/854-8117Fax: 310/854-8106www.rogersandcowan.com

Tom Tardio, CEO

Rogers & Cowan is a leadingentertainment marketing and PRagency offering clients accessand alliances with the powerfulinfluences of the entertainmentindustry and an insider’s pointof view on evolving lifestyle,consumer, technology andsocial entertainment trends.

Our entertainment and sportsexpertise is in working withcelebrities, athletes, recordingartists, cable and network TV,film production and distribu-tion, record labels, video gameproducers, sports leagues andlive events as well as the evolv-ing social entertainment ecosys-tem including emerging enter-tainment technology brands andcreators of content for multiplescreens.

We embrace the power of tra-ditional and social media tobuild brands, drive viewershipfor entertainment programing,increase attendance for livesporting events, activate spon-sorships, grow online communi-ties as well as generateincreased awareness and adop-tion of products, brands andservices. Our team embracesthe opportunities presented bythe ever evolving media andtechnology landscape, whetherit’s through entertainment andsports content, celebrity spokes-people, music and culturalevents, video syndication, blog-ger outreach or relationshipbuilding with the broader enter-tainment community.

Recent clients/projects haveincluded Rdio, Amazon Studios,Viggle, Target, Sonos, FoodNetwork, HGTV & DIYNetworks, GRAMMY and LatinGRAMMY Awards, CMTAwards, YouToo, Kraft RealWomen of Philadelphia, USAPro Cycling Challenge,NASCAR, PGA Tour, SpriteRefreshing Films, The Coca-Cola Company, General Mills,Cinemacon, 20th Century Fox,Miramax, and Warner Bros.Interactive Entertainment.

RUDER FINN, INC.

301 East 57th StreetNew York, NY 10022www.ruderfinn.com

Kathy Bloomgarden, CEORachel Spielman, Global Headof Corporate Communications, Scott Schneider, Chief DigitalOfficerJohn McInerney, Senior VicePresident, Branding

Ruder Finn has worked withsome of the world’s leading enter-tainment and sports organizationsto generate brand awareness andestablish meaningful relationshipswith consumers. Ruder Finn alsoregularly works to broker partner-ships between entertainment andsports organizations and clients inother parts of our business, includ-ing healthcare, to establish inno-vative platforms and break newground in communicating brandedand non-branded information.

Ruder Finn’s expertise lies inhelping clients enhance their posi-tioning in a competitive market,connect and gain understanding oftheir customers, and garner visi-bility for novel program and prod-uct launches. The agency offers atruly integrated approach and hasspearheaded the development ofonline communities as well asassisted clients in mapping out thebest way to develop meaningfulrelationships with consumersbeyond transactions. Ruder Finnworks with entertainment andsports organizations on brandawareness, global media relations,new product and services launch-es, marketing communications,

corporate social responsibility,online engagement and mobilemarketing to establish consistentbrand communications and buildawareness with consumers,thought leaders, journalists andother key stakeholders.

TAYLOR

The Empire State Building350 Fifth Avenue, Suite 3800New York, NY 10118212/714-1280www.taylorstrategy.com

Tony Signore, CEO & ManagingPartnerBryan Harris, COO & ManagingPartner

Named “Consumer Agencyof the Decade” by the HolmesGroup, Taylor has forged a rep-utation of excellence in publicrelations and brand marketingover the past 28 years by part-nering with the world’s leadingcorporate marketers utilizingtheir sports, lifestyle, and enter-tainment assets to engage con-sumers and foster brand rela-tionships that drive businessgrowth. The agency’s roots arefirmly planted in the world ofsports and its legacy of develop-ing and activating hundreds ofaward-winning campaigns forleading brands in support ofsports sponsorships is unparal-leled. From global propertieslike the Olympic Games andFIFA World Cup, to the crownjewels of U.S. sports — theWorld Series, Super Bowl, NBAFinals, and Daytona 500, among

Singer/Songwriter Alanis Morissette talks to Billboard Magazine’sPhil Gallo about her new album at the “Havoc and Bright Lights”Listening Party at Sonos Studio in Los Angeles presented by Sonosand Target, both of which are clients of Rogers & Cowan. The teamexecuted sponsor activations, event support and media outreachresulting in coverage in the Los Angeles Times, New York Post anda homepage feature on Rollingstone.com, amongst others.





others — Taylor has long been atrusted counselor for many ofthe world’s most influentialsports marketers.

The agency has also success-fully aligned its client partners’business goals with the mostrecognizable properties in theentertainment industry, includ-ing the Academy Awards,Grammy Awards, LatinGrammy Awards, SundanceFilm Festival, and MTV MusicVideo Awards.

Taylor’s client partnersinclude Diageo, P&G, Allstate,Coca-Cola, Capital One, Nestle,Nike, 3M, Taco Bell, Amazon,NASCAR, and BombardierRecreational Products (BRP).

WCG

60 Francisco StreetSan Francisco, CA 94133415/362-5018Fax: 415/[email protected]: blog.wcgworld.comTwitter: @WCGWorld

Jim Weiss, Founder and CEOBob Pearson, PresidentCraig Alperowitz, PracticeLeader-Consumer/Entertainment

WCG is a global communica-tions agency offering integratedcreative, interactive and mar-keting communications servicesto clients in healthcare, technol-ogy, consumer products, andentertainment. WCG is creatingthe positive future of communi-cations by focusing on the cor-porate, product marketing andcommunications needs of theworld’s leading companies.

Established in 2001 by JimWeiss, a 25 year veteran inhealthcare communications, theagency has grown to 289employees serving clients glob-ally with offices in SanFrancisco, New York, Chicago,Washington, D.C., Austin, LosAngeles and London.

WCG’s seasoned profession-als remain the greatest asset weoffer our clients. Our teams spe-cialize in branding, design, dig-ital, social media, interactive,influencer identification andengagement, social and tradi-tional marketing, location basedmarketing, corporate and prod-

uct PR, media, as well asinvestor and advocacy rela-tions. Entertainment clientsinclude Warner Bros. HomeVideo and Universal Pictures.

For more information, visitour website atwww.wcgworld.com or followus on Twitter @WCGWorld.

WEBER SHANDWICK

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

Gail Heimann, Vice Chair Jerry Gleason, Senior VicePresident; Director, SportsMarketing North America

Weber Shandwick’s SportsMarketing practice combines theagency’s industry-leading con-sumer marketing practice withan expansive global network ofsports marketing experts focusedon creating award-winning pro-grams for many of the world’sbest known brands in coopera-tion with the major sports fran-chises, leagues and athletes.

We bring together athletes,products and campaigns to tellengaging stories across multipleplatforms that help connect withconsumers and fans alike to giveour clients competitive advan-tages enabling them to elevatetheir brands, enhance consumerloyalty and increase sales.

We build visibility and prefer-ence for our clients and theirproducts and services throughconsumer outreach, media rela-tions, event marketing, fanengagement, sponsorship activa-tion and social media.

In addition, we work closelywith our Interpublic Groupsports marketing partnerOctagon to offer our clients afull range of counsel and supportsurrounding sponsorships, ath-lete representation, on-site phys-ical activation and hospitality,negotiation and benchmarking.

Our sports marketing profes-sionals have created and lever-aged sports sponsorships forsome of the most recognized andrespected brands in the world incooperation with the majorsports franchises, leagues andathletes. Our programs give ourclients competitive advantagesenabling them to elevate theirbrands, enhance consumer loyal-ty and increase sales. £

TAYLOR0Continued from page 23


© Copyright 2011 The J.R. O'Dwyer Co.

O’DWYER’S RANKINGSTOP ENTERTAINMENT PR FIRMS

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MWW Group East Rutherford, NJ

Allison+Partners San Francisco

Taylor New York

APCO Worldwide Wash, D.C.

Jackson Spalding Atlanta

5W Public Relations New York

Hunter PR New York

Ruder Finn New York

W2O Group San Francisco

Zeno Group New York

Coyne PR Parsippany, NJ

Kaplow New York

$10,939,284

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rbb Public Relations Coral Gables, FL

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Professional DevelopmentOPINION

Henry Ford once famously said,“Never complain, never explain.”But in public relations, that’s

sometimes bad advice if a client has beenvictimized in print by inaccurate report-

ing. If the facts arewrong or the accu-sations unfair, it’sthe responsibility ofpublic relationscounsel to challengea reporter to set therecord straight.

Sadly, many publicrelations counselorsand the companiesthey represent arereluctant to mix it upwith journalists,even when a storygets the facts wrong.

But the good coun-selors — the ones trusted by their clientsand truly knowledgeable about what theirclients do — don’t take inaccurate

reporting lying down. Such a competent counselor is one

Jonathan Gasthalter of the distinguishedcommunications firm of Sard Verbinnen &Co. George Sard is one of the savviest PRcounselors, and he hires good people.Gasthalter is an example.

When the consultant’s client, the investorDavid Einhorn who runs GreenlightCapital, became the subject of inaccuratereporting about his critical comments onthe stock of Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc.— Gasthalter intelligently confronted thereporter in question to correct the misinfor-mation.

I know, because I was the reporter.The original story was inspired by the

21st century phenomenon of short sellerspublicly touting their targets, i.e. “talkingtheir book,” usually to an annoyingly-sub-missive CNBC, which lets them promotetheir views with little pushback. I was par-ticularly incensed when Einhorn cited apersonal “study” that damned Chipotle, astock he had shorted and I had bought. Hewon … the stock got creamed … so I wrotea column.

And Gasthalter, as a responsible Einhornrepresentative, objected to some of mypoints, which he suggested were “inaccu-rate.” And he was right about the follow-ing:

I was wrong to say that Einhorn con-tributed to the settlement involving dis-graced, subprime lender New Century; infact, Einhorn was explicitly excluded. Healso didn’t “get in trouble,” as I put it, as aNew Century board member.

It is true, though, that Einhorn held NewCentury’s stock for at least five years, initi-ated a proxy fight with the company fouryears into his holdings, and the companymade him a director in 2006. He abruptlystepped down from that directorship in2007 when the company’s failing businessand overly optimistic financial projectionswere exposed.

I was also wrong to suggest that Einhorn“was likely long” Chipotle competitorYum brands when he lowered the hammeron Chipotle. He wasn’t.

But Einhorn was short Chipotle, whichhe announced at the conference where hepresented his “study.”

I also accused Mr. Einhorn of basing hisselection of Yum’s Taco Bell over Chipotleon personal gastronomic preference, ratherthan analytical study. Gasthalter chal-lenged that conclusion, suggesting thatGreenlight reached its conclusions as theresult of a “consumer survey.”

However, since this study was “not madepublic,” there’s no way to independentlyassess the statistical significance of theresearch vis a vis Einhorn’s personalMexican food predilictions.

Finally, Mr. Gasthalter said I was wrongto say that Einhorn’s “bad mouthing” ofLehman Brothers “greased that company’sskids to extinction;” suggesting that it wasa rotten balance sheet, not “bad mouthing”which drove Lehman out of business.

Actually, the bad balance sheet (plus apublic relations tone-deaf CEO) pushedLehman to the brink, and the bad-mouthing by people like Einhorn drove itover.

What’s the point of all this?The point is that reporters have a job to

do, and so do public relations counselors.When a public relations client is wronged,it’s your job to defend his honor, correctinaccuracies or unfairness, and expose thefacts.

That’s what Gasthalter did in this case. Imay not agree with all his points, but if Iwere his client, I’d greatly appreciate theway he looks after the people who retainhim to represent their interests. £

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

Correcting the recordBy Fraser Seitel



Guest Column

The 19th century fairytale“Goldilocks and the ThreeBears” provides us with an

important commu-nication checklist:Is something toomuch, too little orjust right?

Despite Gov.Rick Scott’sseven-hour wait-ing lines inFlorida’s minorityvoting precincts,President Obamawon the state’s 29electoral votes,giving him a 332-

206 victory and,more important, a clear mandate to leadAmerica forward.

Prior to the election, Republicanswere told by Fox News’ resident geniusDick Morris the election was in thebag. So, what happened?

David Frum may have the answer.“The problem with Republican lead-

ers is that they’re cowards, not thatthey’re fundamentally mistaken,” saidthe conservative pundit and formerGeorge W. Bush speechwriter.“Republicans have been fleeced andexploited and lied to by a conservative-entertainment complex.”

That “complex” includes Fox News’Sean Hannity and Bill O’Reilly, alongwith Rush Limbaugh, Ann Coulter,Neal Boortz, and scores of other farright flamethrowers.

Mitt Romney “was twisted into pret-zels,” Frum explains. “The people whoput cement shoes on his feet are nowblaming him for sinking.”

Right wing opinion entertainers aresuccessful because they tap the anger,mistrust, and resentment many conser-vatives feel about the role of govern-ment.

What the conservative media com-plex successfully did was comingleentertainment and politics, attractinglarge audiences by demonizing and dis-paraging the voices of those with whomthey disagree.

If conservative pundits only said,“You’re wrong and here’s why...”

nobody would ever pay attention tothem. But if they say, “You’re wrongand, what’s more, you’re an un-American terrorist appeaser who wasprobably born in Kenya,” well, that’sentertainment!

Thus, where we once had agreeabledisagreement to solve our big prob-lems, America now hears a relentlessstream of right wing conspiracy theo-ries, distortions and falsehoodsdesigned to hit conservative audiencesat a visceral level.

Unfortunately, too many conserva-tives confuse the entertainment with thetruth.

Republicans have been “fleeced andexploited” because conservative politi-cians who know better dare not criticizeor even contradict the far right enter-tainers lest they be vilified on the air-waves, too.

Remember Romney’s muted responseto Limbaugh’s vicious and relentlessattacks on Sandra Fluke, the law stu-dent who spoke out about access tocontraception?

Then Limbaugh had the temerity tosuggest he didn’t hurt Romney. Sure hedid.

If you think the conservative mediacomplex will pause to consider or evencare that it’s killing the RepublicanParty, think again, because as of midNovember they’re back at it, and with avengeance.

America, observed Fox News hostBrian Kilmeade, is “the shallowestcountry in the history of man,” becausevoters rejected Romney.

Columnist Cal Thomas, echoingRomney’s “47 percent” crack, claimedthe 62.2 million Americans who votedfor Obama are “freeloaders” and“moochers.”

Hispanics and Latinos voted forObama by a 7-to-1 margin, so colum-nist Charles Krauthammer thinks theway to attract this key constituency tothe GOP is to pass an immigrationreform bill that would “legalize theirstatus enough to live in the shadows.”

Aging rock star and WashingtonTimes columnist Ted Nugent labeledObama’s supporters “subhumanvarmints.”

Ann Coulter blames “purist show-offs” Todd Akin and Richard Mourdockfor torpedoing Republicans eventhough she routinely makes polarizingobservations like, “Jews need to be per-fected by becoming Christians.”

Obama voters are “zombies,” Fox’sJesse Watters told Bill O’Reilly, whoonly want, “Obamacare, gay marriageand abortion on demand.”

Incendiary opinions like these mightenergize the audience, but they aren’t abasis for the serious governance of acountry as large and diverse asAmerica.

And what’s really alarming if you’rea GOP moderate is that now, someparty leaders sincerely believe thatmore intolerant and extremist entertain-ment is the best way to win the nation-al political debate.

Except, in 2012, conservatives deci-sively lost the debate. £

Conservative-entertainment complex is killing GOPBy Kevin Foley

Kevin Foley owns KEFMedia Associates, Inc.,an Atlanta- based pro-ducer and distributor ofelectronic publicity.

Edelman donates $1 million to fight hunger

Edelman on November 27announced it has donated morethan $1 million in cash and in-

kind services to combat worldwidehunger as part of its 60th anniver-sary celebration.

The Edelman 60³ global citizen-ship initiative, which called forstaffers at its 60-plus office networkto participate in 60 days of fundrais-ing/volunteerism, benefitted theUnited Nations World FoodProgramme and more than 70 non-governmental, anti-poverty organi-

zations.The No. 1 independent firm also

signed up for the #GivingTuesdaynational day of giving that kicks offat the start of the holiday season.

Nearly 50 Edelman Chicagostaffers volunteered at two Habitatfor Humanity home-building sites.

John Edelman, managing directorof global engagement and corporateresponsibility, said of the Initiative“there is no better way to hour our60th anniversary and my father, DanEdelman’s, legacy of giving back tothe community.” £



OPINION

Wikipedia’s history of PRSociety of America, currentlyrunning at 3,343 words after

being cut from an original 4,697, hasmany flaws. But one highlight is a 24-

page, 13,136-wordchapter from“Public Relations:The Profession andthe Practice”, pub-lished by McGraw-Hill HigherEducation.

Authors are DanLattimore, Ph.D.,Vice Provost andDean, University of

Memphis; Otis Baskin, PepperdineUniversity; Suzette Heiman, Universityof Missouri, and Elizabeth Toth,University of Maryland.

The chapter, available for free as asample of the book’s fourth edition, has afavorite section of ours that says the dutyof PR people is to answer press questions“promptly” and “most cheerfully.” Thatwas a statement made by Ivy Lee around1906:

McGraw-Hill’s chapter on the historyof PR has been one of the first three ref-erences in the expanded WP article onthe Society that debuted in late October.

Wikipedia stingy with correctionsWhile Wikipedia has made some of

the corrections I have sent the site, theyhave refused to budge on others.

It has also removed, after two weeks,the link to the New York Times articlethat started, “Jack O’Dwyer’sNewsletter, the bible of PR…” whilekeeping links to the full texts of NYTstories that reflect negatively on theO’Dwyer Co., such as the May 14, 1992column by Stuart Elliott in whichSociety president Rosalee Robertsaccused us of “distorting” anything theSociety sent us and being “inaccurate”and making “negative conclusions.”

There is a link to a full story inAdvertising Age July 19, 2011 byAlexandra Bruell in which the Societyaccuses us of “hacking into” conferencecalls to which hundreds of Society lead-ers were invited. [“Hacking” refers tolistening to individual private telephonecalls and not to meetings where hun-dreds are invited and should be open tothe press].

Forbes quoted (not the real Forbes)Worst of all is the use of an article by a

Forbes.com freelancer to establish thatthere is some kind of long-running “feud”between this writer and the Society.

Headline on the article by PR coun-selor Aaron Perlut, a partner in Elasticity,St. Louis, is “The Case of Jack O’Dwyervs. PRSA.” Perlut says “O’Dwyer reallydislikes PRSA” and that there is a “lega-cy of angst between O’Dwyer’s andPRSA that goes back to at least 1970…”

This is the spin of the Society — thatthis is a personal feud. It takes the abusesof the Society out of the spotlight andtries to put it on someone who tracksabuses, such as the stranglehold the smallgroup of APRs have had on Society gov-ernance since the 1970s. Attempts tocrack this monopoly since 1999 havefailed.

WP, after incorrectly saying for weeksthat we “sued” the Society over copyrightabuse — we did not — now says“O’Dwyer had a dispute with PRSA overits copyright privileges” as though thiswriter was the only author complaining.Twelve authors, including Prof.Lattimore of Memphis State (see above),investigated filing a lawsuit after learningthat copies of their articles and entirechapters of books were being sold with-out their permission. Numerous state-ments were made by the authors con-demning the practice.

Perlut not only “has been a member” ofthe Society (we don’t know if he current-ly belongs) but is a cousin of 2009Society chair Mike Cherenson, which henoted in his blog. He should demand thatWP remove this use of Forbes since it isnot the “real” Forbes but a freelancerwho doesn’t measure up to WP’s strin-gent rules for objectivity and neutrality.

WP editor “busy”When we brought the matter of Perlut

to the author of the Society’s WP article,“Corporate Minion,” the reply was thatCM is “busy with other things” and onlychecks any of our e-mails to him “everyonce in a while.”

He also said another WP editor isresponsible for the use of Perlut’s article.The identity or at least the e-mail of thisperson being sought.

The PR industry, including workingPR people as well as academics, shouldnot tolerate such a shoddy history of thegroup that claims to be the biggest PRorganization in the U.S. There are plenty

of researchers who should analyze the 74references used to support the articlesconclusions. Many of them link to noth-ing or insubstantial materials.

Others can only be described as“loopy,” including the use of a 2008 sur-vey by Plunkett’s TelecommunicationsIndustry Almanac that gives theSociety’s membership as 28,000 (2007total).

The Society’s current membershiptotal is available via the group’s websiteand should be an acceptable statistic. Roth was WP victimWP’s editing rules, including its insis-

tence on obtaining “reliable,” “third-party” and “independent” sources foranything, cripple its information-gather-ing process.

Author Philip Roth ran into this inSeptember when WP, refusing to correcta statement about the source of inspira-tion for one of his novels, demanded thathe obtain a “secondary source.” Rothwent out and did that, posting a longpiece in the New Yorker online whichthen resulted in the WP correction. Buthow many aggrieved victims of WP’srules can do that?

Websites, including Gizmodo, sprangto Roth’s defense, calling WP “idiotic”and saying its “moronic rules” wereenforced by “power-drunk editors.”

PR society documents availableResearchers for a true history of the

Society will find numerous documents inthe O’Dwyer archives, including theSociety’s blatant interference with thefree market in 1998 when COO RayGaulke urged Society advertisers andmembers to patronize Haymarket’s U.S.edition of PR Week.

Steve Pisinski, 1998 treasurer whobecame president in 2000, blasted suchinterference as unethical and somethingthat was not run before the board.

We have numerous other documentsthat should be a part of the Society’s his-tory including its research showing “PRspecialist” ranked No. 43 on a list of 45believable information sources; the rulesof the Financial Accounting StandardsBoard that call for dues to be booked overthe period covered; the statement by theNational Press Club calling for theSociety to end its O’Dwyer boycott; thepersecution of member Summer Harrisonwhen she criticized four Society execu-tives who met with CIA head Bill Casey,and many others. £

Wikipedia uses unlikely sources for PR historyBy Jack O’Dwyer

Jack O’Dwyer

Opinion


Guest Column


In what important ways will the PR firm of2017 will be different than the PR firm oftoday?The PR firm of the future will not be

focused solely on earned/unpaid media. Itwill be a diversified firm that employs avariety of vehicles — digital, mobile, virtu-al reality — to deliver relevant contentinformed by predictive and behavioral dataanalytics to more precisely target cus-tomers, constituents and stakeholders andinfluence a desired action or decision. Itwill deploy a strategic mix of paid, earned,shared and owned (PESO) media that canbe monitored and measured directly in realtime.

PR is a fundamental business functionand can serve as a guiding light and centralorganizing principle for any business ororganization. We need to start thinking thatPR professionals and firms are at the top ofthe communications and business foodchain and hierarchy. We should value theperspective and discipline that we as PRprofessionals bring to the table.

And armed with powerful informationand technology in the age of big data, thatvalue can go even higher. Cutting-edge ana-lytics identify exactly who is driving con-versations and what content they are seek-ing to tailor and deliver it more precisely.

This data will inform relevant agile con-tent that engages and helps people makedecisions and take desired action. Intensivemonitoring and measurement will guide theproduction of relevant new content in realtime while tracing content sharing andbuilding new media networks and syndica-tion.

PR professionals have long understoodthe many parts of the marketing mix, work-ing across multiple departments in clientorganizations. Likewise, public relationsfirms have used their nimbleness to inno-vate and stay ahead, oftentimes producingresults more efficiently than the competi-tion.

PR firms in general are quite adept atleveraging change, especially those whohave shifted their models and strategies inrecognition of the importance ofdigital/online/social and mobile communi-cations. We’re increasingly seeing the roleof communications and PR pros withincompanies and organizations taking on abroader remit than ever before becausecommunications are happening in real-timeonline where multiple stakeholders are see-ing it all at once.

Organizations and companies can nolonger communicate in silos and increas-ingly have to speak with one unified voice— something the PR profession is particu-larly well-trained and suited to help them

do well.PR pros have always had to be adaptable

“jacks of all trades,” adept at multiple ele-ments of the marketing mix and workingacross organizations on a variety of com-munications challenges. And they have hadto do so under tight budgets producing ROImore cost effectively than other types ofprofessionals and consultancies. They’vealso spent time in the line of fire dealingwith time-sensitive crises, having torespond to stakeholders, media and cus-tomers. Responsiveness and transparencyhave always been qualities the best PR prospossess and never have those been moreimportant than in the social/digital mediaage.

PR firms will keep pace with the fast-changing economic and media environmentby hiring a variety of talents, groundingstrategy, content and ideas in analytics andresearch, measuring results and adjustingaccordingly. By staying nimble, firms canstay ahead of what promises to be a perpet-ually changing media and economic/busi-ness landscape.

It’s never been a better time for the indus-try, and PR firms that are willing and able toadapt to and embrace the age of big datawill still be calling themselves PR firms andthriving in 2017 and beyond.

Jim Weiss is Chairman and CEO of W20Group. £

Tomorrow’s PR firms will thrive in big dataBy Jim Weiss

The possible demise of Hostess hasplayed out in the media as a tale ofTwinkies, but the dollars and cents of

the matter come down to two big issues: thedecline of the bread business and the vastdiversification of snacking.

Bread took a blow in the low-carb decadeand, despite a perception that “carbophobia”is history, consumer enthusiasm for breadhas only partially recovered. If that soundslike today’s economy, the comparison is apt.While the apparent cause of bread’s declineseemed obvious, another, more persistentcause was at work: Changing lifestyles thathave pushed to the extreme our definition ofready-to-eat.

Pocket bread, wraps and tortillas haveserved up a similar fate for sliced bread,with sales falling 11.3% from 2006 to 2011,according to SymphonyIRI. Rising wholegrain bread sales are a bright spot, but over-all category weakness has escalated consol-

idation in the bread business (Hostess itselfwas built through consolidation).

But the real mourning is over Twinkiesand their snacking kin. They have wellearned a place in the “Snacking Hall ofFame,” but the world of snacking haschanged radically since their introduction.Sure, you could chalk up their fate to chang-ing nutrition and wellness concerns — butyou’d be mostly wrong. There is still anenormous market for consumers who don’tgive a fig for healthy eating!

Here’s the daunting fact: Consumers havevastly more snacking choices in stores thesedays. And the competition is about to getfiercer, with nearly every major food makerdeclaring snacks as a focus of growth initia-tives. This new snacking land grab is aresponse to the startling fact that, accordingto The Hartman Group, about half of eatingoccasions are now snacking occasions.

In the branded food and beverage PRbusiness, a large share of the communica-tions work we handle is introducing new

items that appeal to evolving lifestyle needsof consumers. There’s a reason: Consumersmake dozens of food choices a day, and theywelcome variety. Brands snooze, they lose.

It’s true that brands have lately gained alot of traction with communications thatmine their origin stories. “Fruits are found inthe roots of brands,” a colleague likes to say.However, this brand excavation works bestin illuminating a brand’s enduring sense ofpurpose.

I don’t think we’ve heard the death knellfor Twinkies. The indestructible snack maywell live another day, but that’s the problem.We have affection for the oldies but goodies,but growth is in options that are geared tothe pace and demands of life today.

In the latest twist, a court has orderedmediation and the sun may yet come out forTwinkies and Snowballs. Along otherwould-be acquirers, Sun Capital Partnershas refreshed its offer for the company,promising capital for innovation. Thereinlies hope for the Twinkies of Yesterday.

Steve Bryant leads the Food &Beverage group at MSLGroup NorthAmerica. £

Why Hostess lacks the mostestBy Steve Bryant



PEOPLE IN PR

Legal PR pioneer Jaffedies at 68

Jay Jaffe, who ran his Washington,D.C., PR firm for 33 years as oneof the industry’s first to focus on

the legal sector, died November 21 inDenver after complications from surgery,his agency said. He was 68.

Jaffe, once introduced by an editor ofThe American Lawyer as “the man whoinvented law firm marketing,” capitalizedafter the Supreme Court in 1977 reverseda ban on most mar-keting practices forlaw firms, foundingJaffe Associates,now Jaffe PR, tospecialize in PR andmarketing for thatmarket.

Vivian Hood,Executive VP of thefirm, which is nowvirtual, said Jaffe setup the firm to maintain continuity ofleadership and daily operations throughits executive management team. Hoodco-heads the firm with EVPs MelindaWheeler and Terry Isner.

A Chicago native, Jaffe was an Armyvet and worked in print and broadcastjournalism before taking a press secretaryrole for Rep. Jack Flynt (D-Ga.) in themid-1970s. He stayed in Washingtonuntil 2005, when he moved to Coloradoand continued to run Jaffe PR.

“We are committed to honoring Jay’sstrong legacy and leadership by continu-ing to provide the highest quality level ofservice that our clients expect,” saidHood.

Jaffe is survived by daughter, Sara,from his third marriage, and sister JudiOrnstein, among others. Services are setfor Dec. 9 at Chicago Jewish Funerals inBuffalo Grove. £

Polansky takes WeberShandwick helm

Andy Polansky, President of WeberShandwick since 2004, has beenpromoted to the CEO spot. He

succeeds Harris Diamond, who moves tochair Interpublic’s flagship McCannWorldgroup ad network.

Interpublic CEO Michael Roth calledPolansky a “key driver” in WeberShandwick’s success, a valued strategiccounselor and “someone who creates a

great work environment for the firm’s peo-ple.”

Polansky, who did a two-year stint asChairman of the Council of PR Firms, saidhe looks forward to continue partneringwith Weber Shandwick Chairman JackLeslie.

He told O’Dwyer’s it’s a “privilege” totake Weber Shandwick’s top spot. Hisgoals are to expandthe firm’s footprint,foster its collabora-tive culture to serveclients, and keep thedouble-digit growthrate on track.

Diamond, who alsoheld the CEO posi-tion of IPG’s con-stituency manage-ment group, succeedsNick Brien at McCann.

He joins a newly created office of theChairman with Luca Lindner (President ofMiddle East/Africa/Americas) andGustavo Martinez (President of Asia-Pacific/Europe). £

Maloney & Fox trot toOgilvy

Brian Maloney and Margie Fox areleaving their New York firm, whichis part of Waggener Edstrom, to

join Ogilvy PR as Managing Directors ofits U.S. Consumer Marketing Practice.

The Maloney & Fox co-founders will jointhe WPP unit early next year. Maloney alsowill assume the New York ConsumerMarketing group Chief, while Fox will takeon the U.S. Consumer Practice CreativeDirector Post.

Since launching M&F in 1997, the duohas counseled LinkedIn, Microsoft, RCA,World Financial Center, Tupperware,Mercedes-Benz and Shutterfly.

They will report to Mitch Markson,

Global Consumer Marketing President &purpose Branding Chief Creative, whorecently joined Ogilvy from Edelman.

Ogilvy’s consumer clients include Ford,Mexico Tourism, American Express, FijiTourism, Darden Restaurants and VirginAmerica.

“We are over the moon about this adven-ture,” Fox told O’Dwyer’s. Maloneyadded: “It is great to be going back to thefuture with a 3.0 twist! And to finally workwith Mitch Markson is a blast.”

There is no word yet from WE about thefuture of M&F. £

Zapata joins RF

Dushka Zapata has joined Ruder Finnas managingdirector of its

San Francisco office,targeting the technol-ogy, healthcare, cor-porate and consumersectors.

In that post, Zapatais charged withbuilding the integrat-ed communicationscapacity of the inde-pendent firm’s throughout the west coast.

Most recently, she was Executive VP andS.F. Chief for WPP’s Ogilvy & Mather.Earlier, she was Executive VP at Edelmanand deputy GM of the top independentfirm’s Silicon Valley operation.

Kathy Bloomgarden, CEO of RF, expectsZapata’s expertise to provide RF with the“opportunity to strengthen leadership in awest coast business focused on ouragency’s social capabilities and creativethinking,” according to her statement. £

Willoughby to SoCal Gas

Denita Willoughby, who spent 15years in AT&T’s PR department,has joined Southern California Gas

Co. as regional VP-external affairs.At AT&T, Willoughby was VP-external

affairs, handling government and commu-nity programs in the greater Los Angelesarea. She served as VP-TV Programmingfor the telecom’s U-Verse television devel-opment push.

Willoughby also was VP at SBCCommunications, corporate successor toSouthwestern Bell.

Most recently, Willoughby has been run-ning her own management consultingshop, specializing in business develop-ment and government relations. £

Polansky

Zapata

Maloney & Fox

Jaffe


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WASHINGTON REPORT

The Transportation Research Board, the federal, state andprivate sector-backed organization which studies majortransportation issues in the U.S., is calling for communi-

cations proposals as seven major studies are rolled out through 2014.

Issues like climate change and the highway system, changingenergy supplies, and long-range preservation and renewal ofinfrastructure are the topics of the projects, which will be rolledout over the next two years as they are completed.

The TRB, based in Washington, D.C., wants a communica-tions plan to cut through other issues in the sector to reachindustry leaders with the results of its seven major researchprojects. “To gain the attention, creative and innovative meansare needed to convey the relevant and actionable informationnecessary to begin and sustain a dynamic conversation within transportation leadership circles,” reads an RFP issuesby the group.

The board anticipates a three-year contract worth $350,000for the assignment.

The RFP is open for proposals through Jan. 3, 2013. The TRBwas formed in 1920 to collect information and research onhighway technology and its scope has increased widely toadvise the President, Congress and the U.S. Dept. ofTransportation, among others. £

Transportation research entityseeks PR

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, under pressure toreform after Catholic voters bucked the bishops’ criticismof the Obama administration during the November elec-

tion, has moved to shore up its PR efforts.At the Conference’s General Assembly in Baltimore Nov. 14,

bishops voted 202-25 to hire a director of public affairs as part of areorganization of its communications unit.

New York’s Cardinal Timothy Dolan, president of the Conference,said the new postwill be aimed todevelop a more“ i n t e r n a t i o n a l ,focused, comprehen-sive and unifiedcommunicationsstrategy.”

The director willbe empowered tospeak on behalf ofthe bishops to the

media, he added, noting the position with work with the secretary ofcommunications, Helen Osman, former communications director forthe Diocese of Austin, Texas, and editor of its newspaper, as well asMsgr. Ronny Jenkins, general secretary.

The Conference-owned Catholic News Service, part of its PRdepartment, said the cost of the PR revamp is around $400,000 a year,compared with the group’s $220 million annual budget.

Catholic voters backed President Obama, 50-48%, over MittRomney, despite bishops’ criticism of the administration’s policies onbirth control and gay marriage. £

U.S. bishops move to bolster PR

Bishops' press conference on Nov. 14

Wayne Stanley, Press Secretary for ousted Sen.Richard Lugar (R-Ind.), has landed in a PR role withthe D.C. trade group for the land title insurance

industry.Stanley manages external relations, including media, grass-

roots and social media efforts for the American Land TitleAssociation, which counts 4,000 companies, agents andlawyers among its members. Title insurance protects real prop-erty owners and mortgage lenders from loses due to defectivetitles.

Lugar, a six-term senator, lost a Tea Party-backed primarychallenge to Richard Mourdock. Mourdock, who made contro-versial comments about rape, lost the general election inNovember to Democrat Joe Donnelly.

Stanley, who built Lugar’s respected social media presence,was promoted from Deputy Press Secretary in 2010.

Andy Fisher is Lugar’s Communications Director and long-time aide. £

Lugar press secretary toinsurance group

Jon Diat, who led financial communications and mediarelations for Citigroup, has moved to AIG in a top exter-nal communications slot.

Diat, who now serves as AIG’s primary Media Spokesman,took on the role VP, External Communications, on Oct. 29,reporting to Communications Chief Christina Pretto, also aCitigroup alum who joined AIG in 2009.

He is responsible for media relations, financial comms. andsocial media as AIG rebuilds its image four years after the finan-cial crisis and $180 billion bailout. AIG’s corporate, businessand regional media units all report to Diat.

Prior to seven years at Citigroup, he held Senior Financial andCorporate Communications posts at ACE Limited, JPMorganChase, Morgan Stanley and Standard & Poor’s.

AIG this year began rebuilding its brand and image as it paysback taxpayer funds and emerges from the shadow of the greatrecession. New York Times columnist Andrew Ross Sorkin wrotein September that the AIG bailout should be considered a suc-cess, noting the U.S. Treasury might turn a profit on the oft-crit-icized move. £

Citigroup’s Diat takes AIG slot



International PR News

Covington & Burling, LLP, Washington, D.C., registered November 15, 2012 for Embassy of Republic of Korea in United States, Washington,D.C., to develop a legislative proposal for professional visas for Korean citizens and develop corresponding justifications for the legislation basedon the unique attributes of the U.S.-Korea economic partnership, as evidenced in the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement.

R&R Partners, Inc., Las Vegas, NV, registered October 30, 2012 for National Patriotic Party, PMB, ACCRA-North, Ghana, for identifyingnon-governmental entities with whom National Patriotic Party officials should meet to establish and enhance relationships in the United States forpurposes of furthering understanding of issues of relevance to Ghana.

¸ NEW FOREIGN AGENTS REGISTRATION ACT FILINGSFARA 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 communications work onbehalf of foreign principals, including governments, political parties, organizations, and individuals. For a complete list of filings,visit www.fara.gov.

G NEW LOBBYING DISCLOSURE ACT FILINGSBelow is a list of select companies that have registered with the Secretary of the Senate, Office of Public Records, and the Clerkof the House of Representatives, Legislative Resource Center, Washington, D.C., in order to comply with the Lobbying DisclosureAct of 1995. For a complete list of filings, visit www.senate.gov.

Blank Rome Government Relations, Washington, D.C., registered November 19, 2012 for Consumer Health Care Products Association,Washington, D.C., for issues relating to insuring access to over-the-counter drugs, flexible spending accounts and health savings accounts;issues relating to preventing abuse or diversion of over-the-counter drugs; issues relating to ensuring access to over-the-counter drugs.

Lobbyit.com, Washington, D.C., registered November 16, 2012 for Committee For Efficient Government, LLC, Fort Lauderdale, FL, regardingtax feform awareness and changes.

Williams and Jensen, PLLC, Washington, D.C., registered November 19, 2012 for American Academy of Emergency Medicine (AAEM),Milwaukee, WI, for medical liability issues, physician reimbursement, Medicare and Medicaid policy.

Rising Tide Associates, Marblehead, MA, registered November 16, 2012 for International Textile Group, Greensboro, NC, for issues related totextiles used by the Armed Forces; FY2014 National Defense Authorization Act

Breaux Lott Leadership Group, Washington, D.C., registered November 16, 2012 for Daybrook Holdings, Inc., New Orleans, LA, for issuesrelated to Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation Act (pending reauthorization), Natural Disaster (i.e. Hurricane) insurance program and GulfCoast Oil Recovery Zone Relief Act.

Lobbying News

The Monitor Company Group, which took heat for its workon behalf of Libya’s former leader Col. Gaddafi, filedChapter XI bankruptcy on Nov. 7 and arranged a takeover

of its assets by Deloitte Consulting.The Cambridge-based operation officially terminated ties with

Libya and Jordan on July 1, 2011, receiving $6.7 million infees/expenses from Gaddafi’s government from October 2006 toJanuary 2009, according to its late Justice Dept. filing. (MCG alsoreported an $871 payment from Jordan).

It its federal filing, MCG said it arranged personal meetingswith Gaddafi for bigwigs such as Richard Perle, PresidentReagan’s Assistant Secretary of Defense and noted neoconserva-tive pundit; Francis Fukuyama, political scientist and author of“The End of History & The Last Man,” and Benjamin Barber, ex-advisor to Bill Clinton.

There also was a panel discussion organized by David Frost to dis-cuss the application of the philosophies of Gaddafi’s Green Book tomodern Libya. Fukuyama, as part of his compensation, receivedcopies of Gaddafi’s Green Book for use in his political science course.

MCG also maintained ties with Larry Weber’s RacepointGroup, which received a $300,000 fee for PR services.

Under the merger deal, Monitor is joining with Deloitte’s strat-egy and operations practice.

Gaddafi’s PR firm filesChapter XI

Staniforth, the 34-year-old U.K. PR operation of Omnicom’sTBWA, has been shuttered, according to reports. The firmhad offices in London and Manchester and was led by man-

aging director Rob Brown, a Euro RSCG and McCann Erickson vet. Phil Staniforth founded the firm in Manchester in 1978 with

John Williams as Staniforth Williams before later selling toOmnicom in 2002. It opened its London operation in 1998.

Clients include Nissan, Aviva, Tata and British Cycling.U.K. news site TheBusinessDesk.com reported Staniforth once

had 60 staffers across the two offices, but billings dipped below£1M in 2011.

Marketing director Tom Wong told the Manchester EveningStandard: “As part of TBWA’s strategy to focus on core creativeagencies Staniforth PR has closed for business this week, this isfollowing a period of consultation with staff.” £

OMC PR unit Staniforth Shuttered

MCG said the “recent economic downturn” forced it to evalu-ate its strategic options, a process that found Deloitte to “be notonly the right strategic match, but also provided the opportunityfor substantial short-term and long-term growth as well as oppor-tunities for its employees and clients.”

The Deloitte deal is subject to the U.S. Bankruptcy Court inWilmington, Del., regulatory approvals and whether a best offeremerges.

Gaddafi was murdered on Oct. 20 after he was discovered hiding in a culvert. £


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