PR Week: New Desk
AOL, Time Warner IR Pros Prepare for More Regulatory Roadblocks
By Craig McGuire
Aggressive IR campaigning may have helped secure shareholder support for the planned $123 billion marriage between America Online and Time Warner. But with US and European government watchdogs raising red flags, there’s still plenty of work to be done … (Click Here to Read More)
Killborn Joke About Killing Bush Spells Trouble at CBS
By Craig McGuire
PR pros at CBS had more than abandoned castaways on their minds late last month following an ill-conceived gag on The Late Late Show With Craig Killborn. The furor started on August 4, when the show ran a picture of GOP hopeful George W. Bush and flashed the caption “Snipers Wanted” … (Click Here to Read More)
Red Lobster Rolls Out 40-Foot Shellfish
By Craig McGuire
A 3,000-pound lobster washed up on Manhattan’s South Street Seaport last Wednesday morning – well, sort of. Get out the lobster bibs, a vat of butter and a PR Play of the Week statuette. The 40-foot crustacean, fortunately of the fiberglass variety, is the centerpiece of … (Click Here to Read More)
Big Brother Gets Beat Up By the Press, and CBS Executives are Smiling
By Craig McGuire
Dull, dysfunctional houseguests, media pummeling, and an unusual lawsuit are generating topns of negative PR for CBS’ “Big Brother,” and network bigs couldn’t be happier. “When it comes to Big Brother, the old saying holds true,” says … (Click Here to Read More)
Natural PR Found in Natural Disaster
By Craig McGuire
Can a natural disaster make for good PR? When the 18-member crew from the sinking Don Gregorio fishing vessel was plucked from the sea 72 miles off the coast of Chile, Orbcomm communication pros answered the question by springing into action … (Click Here to Read More)
PR Pros Let Down by Smooth Y2k Transition
By Craig McGuire
During the days leading up to Y2k, hundreds of gung-ho PR pros fanned out across the globe, eager to prove just how well-trained they were. In the end, however, they had to settle for a quiet evening in front of the computer, as few problems … (Click Here to Read More)
Terpin: Betting the Ranch on a Wired World
By Craig McGuire
You Might Agree with Michael Terpin’s vision of the future, but you can’t ignore him. Fresh off securing $17.5 million in VC funding, Terpin’s Internet Wire is eager to do battle with the big boys of the news distribution market. Craig McGuire reports … (Click Here to Read More)
The Death and Dying Show: A Hard Sell to Mainstream Media
By Craig McGuire
In attempts to encourage Americans to tune into a PBS series entitled “On Our Own Terms: Moyers on Dying,” the New York City shop of Kelly & Salerno Communications – Moyer’s agency of record – is deep into what it says has been a two-year effort to urge the media to cover end-of-life issues … (Click Here to Read More)
Columns 8: Honeywell IR Presents New Forecast, Alleviates Crisis
By Craig McGuire
In the aftermath of the earnings warning that resulted in a stock plunge to a 52-week low in June, the IR pros at Honeywell International have stopped the bleeding. The warning, that the company would come up a mere three cents per share short of analysts’ predictions … (Click Here to Read More)
SURVEY SAYS: PR Serves Strong Brands Well in Market Fluctuations
By Craig McGuire
PR was an essential tool for many public companies attempting to preserve the value of their brands through recent downturns in the market. That was one of the conclusions Corporate Branding president Jim Gregory drew from a recent study by his company that said … (Click Here to Read More)
Survivor’s Rat-Kabobs Send PETA Scurrying Onto Streets
By Craig McGuire
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals to CBS: “No More Rat-Kabobs!” Following a recent installment of the rating juggernaut Survivor, during which the plucky island inhabitants had themselves a rat-B-Q, PETA held a protest … (Click Here to Read More)
Wire Services Up Overseas Muscle
By Craig McGuire
The wire-service war is showing signs of heating up overseas, with both PR Newswire and Business Wire moving decisively to up their international muscle. Hoping to increase the reach of its ProfNet expert-sourcing service, PRN has affiliated with similar networks in the UK (ExpertNet) and Germany … (Click Here to Read More)
TVN Ups Hispanic Web, TV Services
By Craig McGuire
Looking to further penetrate Hispanic markets in the US and abroad, Target Video News has expanded its package of broadcast and webcast video news services. TVN’s upgraded service will enable clients to adapt English-language scripts … (Click Here to Read More)
Columns 2: Bacon’s Expands Service With Net, B’Cast Coverage
By Craig McGuire
Bacon’s Information is expanding its repertoire, adding broadcast and Internet coverage to its print media clipping service. “Our clients have been asking for TV monitoring ever since TV was introduced,” said VP of Business Development Michael Buxbaum … (Click Here to Read More)
Hey PETA, Nobody Gives a Cluck, OK?
By Craig McGuire
Despite having garnered major media play for its protest of the treatment of rats (which became nouvelle cuisine) on Survivor, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals refuses to get off the Survivor bandwagon … (Click Here to Read More)
H.D Vest Emerges With Free Tax Stunt
By Craig McGuire
In a bold attempt to steal business, and publicity, away from competitors, H&R Block and Intuit, Dallas-based e-financial services company H.D. Vest is offering over one million free web-prepared and e-filed tax returns … (Click Here to Read More)
Newswires Fortify Foreign Presence
By Craig McGuire
Business Wire and PR Newswire, the two juggernauts or news release distribution, are stepping up their foreign invasions. This week in Tel Aviv, Business Wire plans to announce the launch of Business Wire Israel … (Click Here to Read More)
Newstream.com Debuts: 6,000 Journos Signed On
By Craig McGuire
Business Wire and MediaLink are finally ready to pull back the curtain on their Newstream.com Internet portal. The site is set for its full-fledged online debut tomorrow, though it initially launched in late October for registration purposes only … (Click Here to Read More)
Photo Credit: Calum MacAulay, Courtesy of Unsplash.com