Analysis: The Battle of Biotech Arrives on US Shores

By Craig McGuire

Bruised and battered in Europe, the biotech industry is desperate to fare better in the United States. The major players are in a race with public interest groups that pits education against activism. Craig McGuire reports. Pledging not to repeat past mistakes, the biotechnology industry has amassed its forces for an extensive PR campaign in the US. Bolstered by … (Click Here to Read More)

Analysis: Was Sard Verbinnen a Bargain at $150 Million

By Craig McGuire

Despite the fervent land-grab mentality in the IR space these days, the $150 million plunked down by Incepta Group of Sard Verbinnen left many observers scratching their heads. But Craig McGuire and Adam Leyland discover that Incepta might have gotten a better deal than first thought. It came as no big surprise when independent Sard Verbinnen was gobbled up last month … (Click Here to Read More)

Analysis: Doping Scandals Gaining Balanced Press

By Craig McGuire

Cycling has never been much of a mainstream spectator sport. Its pre-eminent event, the Tour de France, is crammed into the CBS calendar for just a few sleepy summer weekends. And if it weren’t for Lance Armstrong’s previous dominance of the sport, it’s doubtful whether the sports media would grant it any more attention that a passing mention of the winner. But add a bit too much testosterone into the mix, and you’ve got yourself a media firestorm … (Click Here to Read More)

Analysis: The Eliot Spitzer Syndrome of Litigation PR

By Craig McGuire

The spitfire attorney general has made many companies aware of the need for good litigation PR. PR has become crucial to a successful litigation strategy. Not only is “no comment” no longer an acceptable answer to most media inquiries, but chances are, when your clients come up for trial, they better get their sides of the story out or risk being run over by those more savvy … (Click Here to Read More)

Analysis: Companies Devoting More To Custom Publications than Ever Before

By Craig McGuire

U.S. companies are handing their communications pros more money than ever before to produce custom publications, according to a recent survey conducted by Pyblication Management (PM) magazine. The study found that the average corporate communications department receives $524,000 for publications and that the average publishing budget … (Click Here to Read More)

Analysis: Obama Election Drives Diversity to New Heights

By Craig McGuire

The historic 2008 presidential election, which resulted in the election of Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) as the nation’s first black president, has helped to accelerate the increase of diversity in the media. “With Obama’s campaign, [media outlets] had to bring in more African-American contributors, whether right or left,” says Gwendolyn Quinn, founder of the African-American Public Relations Collective. “It doesn’t work if those always reporting the news and commenting on the news are not representative of the people making the news” … (Click Here to Read More)

Analysis: Agency Business Report – Right in the Middle

By Craig McGuire

Midsize firms are displaying strength ahead of the industry curve. Sometimes, being stuck in the middle may not be so bad. This is the case if you are one of the many midsize agencies enjoying increasing interest from clients that are eschewing the services of a global PR powerhouse in favor of such benefits as simply being able to direct dial into your AOR’s top dogs.… (Click Here to Read More)

Analysis: Ernst & Young Starting its New Global PR Strategy at Home

By Craig McGuire

Ernst & Young has created a new global PR position, and the firm appointed Larry Parnell in July to fill it. He talks to Craig McGuire about doing PR for prisons, politicians and accountants. When Big Five” accounting powerhouse Ernst & Young decided to reorganize its far-flung communications operations into one global group … (Click Here to Read More)

Analysis: Translating Money – Globalization Creating a Wealth of Financial Comms Challenges

By Craig McGuire

It’s a difficult question to answer: How do you portray a singular global message across a variety of financial markets at many different stages of sophistication – all while the same institutional investors are scrutinizing the company. The simple answer is there is no simple answer. “No one has figured out what the best model is,” says Jerry Swerling, a PR consultant and director of PR studies at the University of Southern California. “Some clients will have a lead agency on global messaging … (Click Here to Read More)

Analysis: The Winding Road to a Career in PR

By Craig McGuire

Among the industry’s senior ranks, few began college with PR in mind. During his time as president and CEO of GCI Group, Bob Feldman led 50 offices in 27 countries. Despite his success, though, Feldman, who was just named head of corporate communications at DreamWorks Animation SKG, didn’t envision a career in PR. “I was a political science major at Utica College in upstate New York on my way to law school … (Click Here to Read More)

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