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Pg. 12 Pg. 16<br />

Pg. 18<br />

Optimism, revenue Privacy: online’s Few bright stars<br />

fuel Q1 growth top ethical challenge for <strong>PR</strong> specialties<br />

Communications & new media May 2010 I Vol. 24 No. 5<br />

NNUAL<br />

R FIRMS<br />

ANKINGS<br />

SSUE<br />

R firms ranked by net fees, industry specialty,<br />

eography, annual growth and more!<br />

THE GREAT<br />

<strong>PR</strong> RECESSION<br />

IS OVER!<br />

PG. 28<br />

1. Edelman $440,110,343<br />

2. APCO Worldwide 100,300,000<br />

3. Ruder Finn 89,175,000<br />

4. Text 100 Global <strong>PR</strong> 48,600,000<br />

5. Schwartz Comms. 24,905,403<br />

6. ICR 22,011,161<br />

7. Regan Comms. Group 19,859,000<br />

8. Gibbs & Soell 16,888,152<br />

9. Allison & Partners 14,662,255<br />

10. Cooney/Waters Group 12,344,058<br />

<strong>Rankings</strong> start on Pg. 30 ...<br />

PLUS:<br />

ONLINE REPUTATION<br />

MANAGEMENT<br />

FACEBOOK PUSHES THE<br />

BOUNDARIES OF <strong>PR</strong>IVACY<br />

SOCIAL MEDIA<br />

ADDICTION<br />

M a y 2 0 1 0 | w w w . o d w y e r p r . c o m<br />

SPECIAL YOUR GUIDE TO THE TOP U.S.<br />

SECTION : INDEPENDENT <strong>PR</strong> FIRMS PG. 40


Vol. 24, No. 5<br />

May 2010<br />

CONTENTS<br />

EDITORIAL<br />

New sharks smell blood in the 6<br />

<strong>PR</strong> waters.<br />

POLICE, COURT DENY <strong>PR</strong>ESS<br />

<strong>PR</strong>OTECTION FOR BLOGGERS 8<br />

Recent legal and criminal cases have<br />

revived the debate as to whether bloggers<br />

have the same rights as journalists.<br />

ALTERNATIVE NEWS SOURCES<br />

NOT SEEN AS OPTION 9<br />

News execs. have balked at the idea<br />

of alternative funding models, despite<br />

layoffs and revenue declines.<br />

10<br />

STUDY FINDS SOCIAL MEDIA<br />

“ADDICTIVE”<br />

Students that abstained from social<br />

media as part of a University of Maryland<br />

study reported “withdrawal” symptoms.<br />

12<br />

OPTIMISM, REVENUE FUEL<br />

2010’s FIRST QUARTER<br />

For the first time in a long time, April<br />

was a good month for earnings reported in<br />

the <strong>PR</strong> industry.<br />

14<br />

FACEBOOK MARKETING<br />

<strong>PR</strong>OGRAM DRAWS FIRE<br />

A new Facebook platform gives<br />

its users’ info to third-party web sites.<br />

<strong>PR</strong>IVACY RANKS AS TOP<br />

ONLINE CHALLENGE<br />

On the web a new set of ethical<br />

landmines that are posing new, <strong>com</strong>plex<br />

challenges to corporate <strong>com</strong>municators.<br />

FEW BRIGHT STARS FOR<br />

<strong>PR</strong> INDUSTRY REVENUES<br />

Most specialty <strong>PR</strong> rankings<br />

bore all the tell-tale signs of<br />

2009’s economic rough patch.<br />

16<br />

18<br />

20<br />

SECONDS COUNT IN DIGITAL<br />

REPUTATION MANAGEMENT<br />

The speed a story takes in the<br />

online world means <strong>com</strong>municators must act<br />

twice as fast to address and respond to crisis.<br />

EXPERTS: BLOG DISCLOSURE<br />

22 LAW “UNCONSTITUTIONAL”<br />

A report finds fault with the FTC’s<br />

new guidelines surrounding endorsements<br />

and testimonIals in advertising.<br />

NEW BILL GRANTS PUBLIC<br />

24 FREE ACCESS TO RESEARCH<br />

The House has introduced a bill<br />

that would give the public online access to<br />

federally funded research journals.<br />

NET NEUTRALITY’S<br />

26 FUTURE UNCERTAIN<br />

A federal appeals court found that<br />

the F.C.C. doesn’t have the authority to penalize<br />

tele<strong>com</strong> <strong>com</strong>panies that limit user information.<br />

EXECS PUT ‘GREAT<br />

28 RECESSION’ BEHIND THEM<br />

As the <strong>PR</strong> industry slowly recovers<br />

from the recession, executives are certain<br />

that growth lies ahead.<br />

RANKINGS OF U.S.<br />

30 INDEPENDENT <strong>PR</strong> FIRMS<br />

<strong>PR</strong>OFILES OF TOP U.S.<br />

40 INDEPENDENT <strong>PR</strong> FIRMS<br />

60<br />

COLUMNS<br />

57<br />

58<br />

59<br />

62<br />

63<br />

WASHINGTON REPORT<br />

<strong>PR</strong>OFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT<br />

Fraser Seitel<br />

FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT<br />

Richard Goldstein<br />

GUEST COLUMN<br />

Rene A. Henry<br />

<strong>PR</strong> BUYER’S GUIDE<br />

<strong>PR</strong> MARKETPLACE<br />

28<br />

www.odwyerpr.<strong>com</strong><br />

Daily, up-to-the minute <strong>PR</strong> news<br />

EDITORIAL CALENDAR 2010<br />

January: Crisis Comms. / Buyer’s Guide<br />

February: Environmental & P.A.<br />

March: Food & Beverage<br />

April: Broadcast & Social Media<br />

May: <strong>PR</strong> <strong>Firm</strong> <strong>Rankings</strong><br />

June: Global & Multicultural<br />

July: Travel & Tourism<br />

August: Financial/I.R.<br />

September: Beauty & Fashion<br />

October: Healthcare & Medical<br />

November: High-Tech<br />

December: Entertainment & Sports<br />

Atomic <strong>PR</strong>................................5<br />

Blue Practice..........................21<br />

Booz Allen Hamilton...............25<br />

Butler Associates...................19<br />

Catapult <strong>PR</strong>-IR.......................57<br />

Crosby Mktg Comms..............11<br />

Edge Comms.........................22<br />

ADVERTISERS<br />

ETC........................................26 Merritt Mgmt Group..................9<br />

Fleishman-Hillard...................27 NAPS...............INSIDE COVER<br />

Godwin Issues Mngmt. Net......7<br />

NYU.......................................13<br />

ICR.........................................15<br />

Omega Travel........................47<br />

KEF..........................................3<br />

Lambert, Edwards & Assocs.....24 Pierpont Comms....................10<br />

Log-On...................................43 Regan Comms.......................23<br />

Ruder Finn.............................39<br />

SS|<strong>PR</strong>....................................29<br />

Synaptic..............BACK COVER<br />

TGI Healthworks....................17<br />

TV Access..............................59<br />

Widmeyer Comms.................14<br />

O’Dwyer’s is published monthly for $60.00 a year ($7.00 for a single issue) by the J.R. O’Dwyer Co., Inc., 271 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10016. (212) 679-2471; fax: (212) 683-2750. Periodical postage paid at New<br />

York, N.Y., and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to O’Dwyer’s, 271 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10016. O’Dwyer’s <strong>PR</strong> Report ISSN: 1931-8316. Published monthly.


EDITORIAL<br />

New sharks smell blood in <strong>PR</strong> waters<br />

Hungry corporate raiders are circling the <strong>PR</strong> waters, eager to gobble up<br />

firms in an effort to cash in on the impending good times set for the<br />

now rebounding <strong>com</strong>munications sector. Observers shouldn’t look for<br />

the usual suspects of WPP, Omni<strong>com</strong>, Interpublic and Publicis Groupe<br />

(Maurice “The Magnificent” Levy, of course, can never be counted out) in<br />

the <strong>PR</strong> takeover game. New players such as MDC Partners chief Miles Nadal<br />

and old-hands like Peter Chadlington, who as Peter Gummer built Shandwick<br />

into a global entity, are the guys who will make the big acquisition waves.<br />

Nadal, fresh from his acquisition of Elliot Sloane’s Sloane & Co., told<br />

O’Dwyer’s that <strong>PR</strong> is a prime growth opportunity for the holding <strong>com</strong>pany<br />

best known for creative ad shops (Crispin Porter & Bogusky). He ticks off<br />

the rise in social media, greater consumer skepticism toward corporations,<br />

increased brand engagement, more governmental relations and all-intrusive<br />

24/7 media coverage as reasons to get more involved in <strong>PR</strong>. Nadal praises <strong>PR</strong><br />

as the most innovative part of the <strong>com</strong>munications spectrum. He told this<br />

writer that any independent firm on O’Dwyer’s rankings list is a possible candidate.<br />

Nadal has had talks with some big household names (at least in the<br />

<strong>PR</strong> neighborhood) who would be nice catches for the Toronto-based holding<br />

<strong>com</strong>pany.<br />

Chadlington is itching for his “second act.” He remains restless following<br />

a $33.6M acquisition of D.C.-based Dutko Worldwide in December. That<br />

was the mere opening foray of the latest British invasion of the U.S.<br />

Chadlington is considering big and small acquisitions in key U.S. markets to<br />

fold under the recently fortified Grayling brand, which has fees in the $150M<br />

range. This time around, Chadlington plans to be more conservative when it<br />

<strong>com</strong>es to financing deals and plans to concentrate on the “soft issues” of<br />

training and culture that make deals work.<br />

An acquisition drive is good news for <strong>PR</strong>, which was pretty much dead in<br />

the water during the past 18 months. Fresh blood, money and ideas can only<br />

bolster the professionalism and reputation of the <strong>PR</strong> business. <br />

— Kevin McCauley<br />

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF<br />

Jack O’Dwyer<br />

jack@odwyerpr.<strong>com</strong><br />

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER<br />

Kevin McCauley<br />

kevin@odwyerpr.<strong>com</strong><br />

EDITOR<br />

Jon Gingerich<br />

jon@odwyerpr.<strong>com</strong><br />

SENIOR EDITOR<br />

Greg Hazley<br />

greg@odwyerpr.<strong>com</strong><br />

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS<br />

Fraser Seitel<br />

Richard Goldstein<br />

Christine O’Dwyer<br />

ADVERTISING SALES<br />

John O’Dwyer<br />

Advertising Sales Manager<br />

john@odwyerpr.<strong>com</strong><br />

Joshua Fierman<br />

National Advertising Representative<br />

joshua@odwyerpr.<strong>com</strong><br />

Jack Fogarty<br />

National Advertising Representative<br />

jfogarty@odwyerpr.<strong>com</strong><br />

O’Dwyer’s is published monthly for $60.00<br />

a year ($7.00 for a single issue) by the<br />

J.R. O’Dwyer Co., Inc.,<br />

271 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10016.<br />

(212) 679-2471<br />

Fax (212) 683-2750.<br />

© Copyright 2010<br />

J.R. O’Dwyer Co., Inc.<br />

OTHER PUBLICATIONS &<br />

SERVICES:<br />

www.odwyerpr.<strong>com</strong> breaking news,<br />

<strong>com</strong>mentary, useful databases and more.<br />

Jack O’Dwyer’s Newsletter An eightpage<br />

weekly with general <strong>PR</strong> news, media<br />

appointments and placement opportunities.<br />

O’Dwyer’s Directory of <strong>PR</strong> <strong>Firm</strong>s has<br />

listings of more than 1,850 <strong>PR</strong> firms throughout<br />

the U.S. and abroad.<br />

O’Dwyer’s <strong>PR</strong> Buyer’s Guide lists 1,000+<br />

products and services for the <strong>PR</strong> industry in 54<br />

categories.<br />

jobs.odwyerpr.<strong>com</strong> O’Dwyer’s online<br />

job center has help wanted ads and hosts<br />

resume postings.<br />

6 MAY 2010 WWW.ODWYER<strong>PR</strong>.COM


MEDIA NOTES<br />

Police, court deny journalist protection for bloggers<br />

By Jon Gingerich<br />

Aseries of recent legal and criminal<br />

inquiries have stoked the debate as<br />

to whether bloggers should be treated<br />

as equal to print, TV or online journalists.<br />

In one case, authorities revoked a blogger’s<br />

rights to newsgathering materials, an<br />

act experts claim is illegal under the<br />

Privacy Protection Act. In another separate<br />

case, courts ruled that bloggers are not protected<br />

by the same shield laws that immunize<br />

journalists from divulging their confidential<br />

sources.<br />

Police in April raided the Fremont, CA<br />

home of Gizmodo Editor Jason Chen, seizing<br />

personal <strong>com</strong>puters as well as hard<br />

drives and a digital camera. Chen had<br />

weeks previously landed a scoop in the blogosphere<br />

when he published an exposé<br />

detailing the prototype of a new, yet-to-bereleased<br />

model of Apple’s iPhone, <strong>com</strong>plete<br />

with photos.<br />

The story came under dubious circumstances.<br />

Chen allegedly obtained the phone<br />

U.S. newspapers<br />

continue decline<br />

U.S. weekday newspaper circulation<br />

fell by nearly 9% between<br />

Oct.’09 and March ’10, with<br />

Sunday editions falling 6.5%, according<br />

to data released in April by the Audit<br />

Bureau of Circulations.<br />

The figures are actually a slight<br />

improvement from newspaper losses at<br />

this time last year, when weekday newspaper<br />

circulation dropped 10.6% from<br />

the year before and Sunday circulation<br />

fell 7.5%.<br />

Several top U.S. daily publications<br />

have continued experiencing serious circulation<br />

losses within the past year, with<br />

notable examples including the San<br />

Francisco Chronicle, which lost nearly<br />

23% of its subscribers, USA Today,<br />

which lost 13.6% of its readers and the<br />

Washington Post, which lost 13%.<br />

The New York Times fared slightly<br />

better, experiencing an 8.5% decline in<br />

weekday subscribers and a 5.2% decline<br />

in Sunday editions.<br />

According to an AP report on the<br />

ABC findings, these numbers now give<br />

the Wall Street Journal the largest circulation<br />

of any newspaper in the United<br />

States. <br />

by paying an undisclosed third party<br />

$5,000. The seller, whom Chen has so far<br />

refused to identify, claims the phone was<br />

found at a bar in nearby Redwood City.<br />

The story was enough to catch the ire of<br />

Apple, a <strong>com</strong>pany that enacts notoriously<br />

iron-fisted research and development policies.<br />

The <strong>com</strong>pany’s lawyers contacted<br />

Gizmodo, and the blog eventually returned<br />

the iPhone. Gizmodo claims it had previously<br />

tried to give the phone back to Apple<br />

but received no response.<br />

Chen has not been arrested for any crime.<br />

Lucy Dalglish, Executive Director for The<br />

Reporters Committee for Freedom of the<br />

Press, said that if police were not investigating<br />

Chen for breaking the law, their search<br />

warrant is illegal and they didn’t have the<br />

right to confiscate his personal property.<br />

Specifically, the property seizure was a<br />

violation of the Privacy Protection Act of<br />

1980, which protects news gatherers from<br />

being searched and having the materials<br />

they use to present a story (in this case, an<br />

iPhone) confiscated.<br />

“This was a screw up and they’re getting<br />

very defensive about it. Congress passed a<br />

law 30 years ago to protect journalists<br />

against these circumstances, and thankfully<br />

(Chen) has a very good lawyer,” she said.<br />

“Search warrants are not used for civil procedural<br />

matters, they’re used for criminal<br />

matters. There’s no First Amendment right<br />

not to be searched. In a situation like this<br />

there’s a Federal law that says if you want<br />

news gathering materials, you need to supply<br />

a subpoena.”<br />

In a letter to authorities, Gawker Chief<br />

Operating Officer Gaby Darbyshire reiterated<br />

the claim, stating that under both “state<br />

and Federal law, a search warrant may not<br />

be validly issued to confiscate the property<br />

of a journalist.” She referred to Chen as “a<br />

journalist who works full time for our <strong>com</strong>pany.”<br />

Gizmodo is owned by Gawker Media.<br />

Dalglish said the only time the Privacy<br />

Protection Act does not protect journalists<br />

against search and seizure is under “very<br />

narrow circumstances” where a journalist is<br />

considered the perpetrator in a criminal act.<br />

If authorities believe Chen <strong>com</strong>mitted a<br />

criminal act in the course of acquiring the<br />

phone, experts have speculated that Chen’s<br />

profession as a journalist may not be called<br />

into question as much as whether he knowingly<br />

received stolen property, in which<br />

case its use would be rendered immaterial.<br />

This could prove to be a pointless debate<br />

however, as the warrant used to search<br />

Chen’s home did not reveal him as a suspect<br />

in a criminal act.<br />

“The only way you could get a search<br />

warrant is if it’s criminal, so clearly they<br />

believed a felony has been <strong>com</strong>mitted,<br />

though it’s unclear what the charge is,” said<br />

Matt Zimmerman, Senior Staff Attorney at<br />

the Electronic Frontier Foundation. “The<br />

short version here is there’s a California<br />

penal code which is very broad that prohibits<br />

law enforcement from getting this<br />

information from journalists.”<br />

Shield law shuns blogger<br />

Although incorrectly stated in more than<br />

one recent news report, Chen’s ordeal currently<br />

has no applicability under current<br />

shield laws, which is legislation that effectively<br />

strips journalists of any legal obligation<br />

to reveal their sources under subpoena.<br />

Shield laws vary state-by-state (there is<br />

currently a proposed Federal law on the<br />

floor of the U.S. Senate). Under California<br />

state law, Chen may invoke this privilege if<br />

asked to reveal the identity of the individual<br />

who sold him the phone, though no case<br />

has gone to court and such scenarios have<br />

not been entertained publicly.<br />

On the other hand, a New Jersey appeals<br />

court in April ruled that bloggers can’t<br />

invoke the same confidentiality privileges<br />

as the press simply because they claim to be<br />

“journalists.”<br />

In this case, Washington State native<br />

Shelle Hale was sued for defamation by<br />

porn software provider Too Much Media<br />

when she publicly accused the <strong>com</strong>pany of<br />

fraud, among other ethical violations, on<br />

industry news blog oprano.<strong>com</strong>.<br />

Hale later claimed her statements were<br />

the result of quotes procured from <strong>com</strong>petent<br />

sources, and were divulged for the purpose<br />

of informing the public.<br />

When Too Much Media’s lawyers<br />

planned on deposing her sources, Hale<br />

moved to New Jersey in order to take<br />

advantage of the state’s existing shield<br />

laws, and set up a “news” web site to further<br />

her standing as a journalist (the site did<br />

not feature any content).<br />

In its ruling, the court stated that Hale<br />

“exhibited none of the recognized qualities<br />

or characteristics traditionally associated<br />

with the news process, nor has she demonstrated<br />

an established connection or affiliation<br />

with any news entity.”<br />

Too Much Media’s attorney Joel<br />

Kreizman went a step further:<br />

“Some people regard the Internet as the<br />

Wild West but there are some rules that<br />

apply. The shield law is limited to members<br />

of the media, not pretenders or<br />

wannabes.” <br />

8 MAY 2010 WWW.ODWYER<strong>PR</strong>.COM


‘Alternative’ news funding sources not seen as an option<br />

By Greg Hazley<br />

Newspaper executives are balking<br />

at ideas like government and alternative<br />

funding for operations,<br />

according to a survey by the Pew Research<br />

Center’s Project for Excellence in<br />

Journalism.<br />

Pew conducted a poll with the American<br />

Society of News Editors and Radio<br />

Television Digital News Association and<br />

found both concern for the future along<br />

with some optimism in the sector, despite<br />

layoffs and revenue declines.<br />

An unidentified broadcast news executive<br />

told the survey: “[Outside funding<br />

options] are being used to ‘save’ old models<br />

of journalism that are no longer economically<br />

viable and will die out over<br />

time no matter what.”<br />

Only 10% responding said they are<br />

working on “pay walls” for content, while<br />

another 32% are considering such a move<br />

and 11% have dismissed the idea. Only<br />

15% think such a move would be a significant<br />

source of revenue and 35%, more<br />

than one-third, have not even considering<br />

charging readers for content online.<br />

Opposition to government funds or<br />

interest group backing is widespread, Pew<br />

found, as 75% said they have “serious<br />

reservations” about government support<br />

and 78% nixed interest group financing of<br />

news.<br />

Fewer than half queried said they are<br />

confident their news operation will last<br />

another decade without any significant<br />

new sources of revenue, and one-third see<br />

a risk in five years or less time.<br />

The study also found a divide among<br />

newspaper and broadcast executives with<br />

the latter being more pessimistic. Those in<br />

News wires go mobile<br />

<strong>PR</strong> Newswire and Business Wire<br />

have released iPhone applications<br />

developed by third parties to deliver<br />

news releases and multimedia content to<br />

users.<br />

Cathy Baron Tamraz, CEO of BW, called<br />

mobile distribution a “major element” for<br />

the <strong>com</strong>pany going forward.<br />

<strong>PR</strong> Newswire said that it is moving to<br />

streamline its content for mobile devices<br />

with the addition of an iPhone app and others<br />

for iPad, Blackberry and Android<br />

devices in the works.<br />

<strong>PR</strong>N said that its new iPhone app offers<br />

searchable breaking news and multimedia<br />

releases (including video) to users, who can<br />

broadcast see journalism headed in the<br />

wrong direction at a nearly two-to-one clip<br />

— 64% vs. 35% — over newspapers.<br />

But cultural shifts, younger and more<br />

tech-savvy staff and a sense of experimentation<br />

are all contributing to a tangible<br />

sense of a “change for the better,” Pew<br />

also found.<br />

The survey included 353 responses<br />

from the RTNDA and ASNE membership<br />

lists. <br />

save searches and share content via social<br />

media sites like Twitter and LinkedIn. The<br />

app also works on iPod Touch and iPad<br />

devices, although <strong>PR</strong>N said it is working on<br />

an “optimized” version for the iPad.<br />

Business Wire on April 6 unveiled its<br />

own iPhone app developed by Agence<br />

France-Presse that includes press releases<br />

and multimedia. It works on iTouch and<br />

iPad devices. ProfNet subscribers can<br />

access queries via an app developed by<br />

Newstex, which is free at the Apple Store.<br />

BW said its content has been integrated<br />

into AFP’s own iPhone app, as well. It has<br />

a mobile website, m.businesswire.<strong>com</strong>, for<br />

users of Blackberry, Windows Mobile and<br />

Droid devices. <br />

MAY 2010 WWW.ODWYER<strong>PR</strong>.COM 9


REPORT<br />

Study finds many ‘hooked’ on social media<br />

By Jon Gingerich<br />

Students who abstained from social<br />

media and cell phones reported<br />

experiencing “withdrawal” symptoms,<br />

according to a recent study conducted<br />

by the University of Maryland.<br />

A class of 200 UM journalism students<br />

took part in the study, which was administered<br />

in the form of an “assignment” that<br />

stipulated students spent a 24-hour period<br />

free of all media — no iPhones, iPods, laptops,<br />

televisions or radio. Students got to<br />

choose which day they would spend<br />

media-free, and were then asked to write<br />

about their experiences, their successes and<br />

failures.<br />

Students participating in the experiment<br />

reported a number of withdrawal symptoms<br />

not unlike those suffering from chemical<br />

addictions, listing specifics like anxiety<br />

and “fidgeting.”<br />

One student concluded having the realization<br />

of feeling “incredibly addicted”<br />

after the experiment.<br />

“Although I started the day feeling good,<br />

I noticed my mood started to change<br />

around noon. I started to feel isolated and<br />

lonely,” wrote one student. “By 2:00 p.m.<br />

I began to feel the urgent need to check my<br />

email … I felt like a person on a deserted<br />

island …. as if I was addicted to my iPod<br />

and other media devices.”<br />

While students reported abstaining from<br />

mediums like TV or newspapers with relative<br />

ease, they found that be<strong>com</strong>ing technological<br />

teetotalers from devices like<br />

BlackBerries or iPhones was noticeably<br />

more difficult.<br />

“I clearly am addicted and the dependency<br />

is sickening,” said another student. “I<br />

feel like most people these days are in a<br />

similar situation, for between having a<br />

BlackBerry, a laptop, a television, and an<br />

iPod, people have be<strong>com</strong>e unable to shed<br />

their media skin.”<br />

Susan Moeller, Professor of Media and<br />

International Affairs and Director of the<br />

International Center for Media and the<br />

Public Agenda, said she was surprised at<br />

the level of distress and “extreme difficulty”<br />

many students reported while on the<br />

media wagon.<br />

Moeller said the study was also telling of<br />

how we parse our social interactions<br />

around technology: students who typically<br />

walk around campus with ear buds, for<br />

instance, found themselves forced to speak<br />

with others. Students who prefer texting<br />

friends now found they had to reconfigure<br />

the customs surrounding how they <strong>com</strong>municate.<br />

“We didn’t ask students to go live in a<br />

tent for 24 hours. People reported feeling<br />

lonely, sad or depressed but they weren’t<br />

reporting any fewer social contacts, just different<br />

kinds of social contacts,” she said. “It<br />

became clear that students were forced to<br />

address the different ways they interact with<br />

people face-to-face versus text messaging,<br />

and they found the results distressing.”<br />

One particular student admitted that:<br />

“texting and IM-ing my friends gives me a<br />

constant feeling of <strong>com</strong>fort. When I did not<br />

have those two luxuries, I felt quite alone<br />

and secluded from my life.”<br />

Moeller said perhaps the most interesting<br />

aspect of the study was that students<br />

remained up-to-date on current events even<br />

as they were disconnected from media<br />

sources.<br />

She found the students to be generally<br />

news-savvy, though perhaps less reflective<br />

about their media consumption habits.<br />

Moeller said students are able to discuss<br />

current events but typically don’t retain the<br />

source or network branding from where the<br />

news originated, a virally-influenced consumption<br />

habit she described as “disaggregated.”<br />

“They’re following news but they’re following<br />

it in a different way,” she said.<br />

“When you ask students how they heard<br />

about the Chilean earthquake, they don’t<br />

talk about going to TV or the Internet, but<br />

maybe a blog that might have picked it up<br />

from the New York Times, or even a conversation.<br />

They don’t track the links back, and<br />

they’re seemingly just as happy to take<br />

information that came from a personal<br />

passing on as from the news.” <br />

Media Briefs<br />

Rolling Stone adds paywall<br />

Rolling Stone has re-launched its website<br />

and be<strong>com</strong>e one of the first major magazines<br />

to put most content behind a subscription<br />

paywall.<br />

A pay structure set up offers a $29.99<br />

yearly subscription bundled with the magazine<br />

or $3.95/month for online users to<br />

view editorial content and multimedia from<br />

current and past issues dating back into its<br />

43-year archive.<br />

Free access remains in place for breaking<br />

news and some photo content.<br />

Rolling Stone’s magazine circulation is<br />

about 1.5M and its website attracts about<br />

1.3M million unique visitors.<br />

10 MAY 2010 WWW.ODWYER<strong>PR</strong>.COM


FEATURE<br />

Optimism, revenue fuel 2010’s first quarter<br />

Earnings released in April give hope that the ad, <strong>PR</strong> and<br />

services sectors are poised for recovery.<br />

By Greg Hazley and Kevin McCauley<br />

April was a good month for<br />

Omni<strong>com</strong>, which beat Wall Street<br />

expectations and posted a 5.9%<br />

increase at its <strong>PR</strong> units — Fleishman-<br />

Hillard, Ketchum, Porter Novelli, Cone and<br />

Brodeur Worldwide — on $276 million in<br />

revenue for Q1. Organic growth in <strong>PR</strong><br />

ticked up two percent.<br />

Profit at Omni<strong>com</strong> was flat at $163 million<br />

on a 6.3% drop in revenue to $2.9 billion<br />

as earnings-per-share beat the Street by<br />

two cents. Overall, U.S. revenues grew 3.9<br />

percent to $1.6B while international business<br />

soared 9.3 percent to $1.3B.<br />

Shares in Omni<strong>com</strong> hit a 52-week high<br />

in April following an upgrade to buy from<br />

Deutsche Bank, which sees agencies “finally<br />

starting to participate in the ad market<br />

recovery already flagged by media owners<br />

and increasingly the forecasters.”<br />

French ad/<strong>PR</strong> conglomerate Havas said<br />

North American revenue rose 5.2% during<br />

the first quarter of 2010 noting a “significant<br />

turnaround” in the region that fell<br />

9.2% for the same period of 2009.<br />

The parent <strong>com</strong>pany of the Euro RSCG<br />

network said strong growth in advertising,<br />

healthcare and corporate <strong>com</strong>munications<br />

sparked the regional climb.<br />

Overall, revenue was up 1.4% to euro<br />

329 million from Q1 of ’09. The U.K.<br />

slipped 1.5%<br />

“Beginning of a good recovery”<br />

Publicis Groupe, meanwhile, saw first<br />

quarter revenue rise more than eight percent<br />

to euro 1.2 billion, including a 10%<br />

jump in North America. In U.S. dollars,<br />

that was a nearly 15% rise to $1.6 billion.<br />

The <strong>com</strong>pany said North America experienced<br />

an “excellent recovery” in the first<br />

quarter with a strong performance in digital,<br />

as well as sectors like retail, financial<br />

services and healthcare while the auto sector<br />

stabilized.<br />

Despite the upbeat performance,<br />

Publicis said the economic environment<br />

remains fragile and salary and recruitment<br />

freezes are only being discontinued gradually.<br />

Publicis said its key <strong>PR</strong> division, MS&L<br />

Group, saw the “beginning of a good<br />

recovery” and started the year particularly<br />

well with new business with wins of<br />

What’s On (India) and the World Gold<br />

Council (China).<br />

The <strong>com</strong>pany said digital now accounts<br />

for 27% of its overall revenue.<br />

Europe was the only region where<br />

organic growth fell for Publicis as revenue<br />

ticked up 3.4%.<br />

Vocus beats street<br />

<strong>PR</strong> software <strong>com</strong>pany Vocus posted a<br />

nine percent rise in first quarter revenue to<br />

$22.3M as its net loss from operations<br />

grew slightly to $579,000 from $478,000<br />

for Q1 of ’09.<br />

The revenue results edged expectations<br />

in the $21.8-22M range.<br />

CEO Rick Rudman said he was “very<br />

pleased with the overall business climate”<br />

during the quarter.<br />

The <strong>com</strong>pany also announced two<br />

acquisitions — Data Presse SAS of<br />

France and BDL Media Ltd. of China —<br />

with its better-than-expected results.<br />

Vocus said it added 396 net new subscription<br />

customers during the quarter,<br />

more than double the 179 gained for the<br />

same period last year. New clients included<br />

Nordstrom, FDIC and Honda UK.<br />

Loss from operations was $549K for<br />

Q1, <strong>com</strong>pared with in<strong>com</strong>e of $296K for<br />

Q1 of ’09.<br />

Second quarter revenue is expected to<br />

be in the $23.5-23.7M range.<br />

BDL Media is a six-year-old <strong>PR</strong> services<br />

<strong>com</strong>pany in the People’s Republic of<br />

China providing software in a vein similar<br />

to Vocus’ mission through<br />

ChinaNewswire.<strong>com</strong><br />

and<br />

Xinwengao.<strong>com</strong>. Its monitoring service is<br />

MyRSS.cn.<br />

Rudman said the Chinese market has a<br />

rapidly emerging <strong>PR</strong> industry estimated at<br />

more than $1 billion and growing at a<br />

30% per year.<br />

He called the deal a “launching pad” for<br />

Vocus in the market.<br />

The other deal announced was the<br />

$10.8 million acquisition of Datapresse, a<br />

21-year-old French <strong>PR</strong> software <strong>com</strong>pany<br />

with about 2,000 customers and a<br />

European media database that gives<br />

Vocus broader reach into that continent.<br />

The deal included $9.8 million in cash<br />

paid at closing and up to $1.0 million in<br />

cash on an earnout basis.<br />

IPG sees revenues, executive pay fall<br />

Interpublic CEO Michael Roth reported<br />

a $70.3M first-quarter net loss on April 29,<br />

down slightly from the $73.6M deficit in<br />

last year’s period. Revenue slipped 1.2%<br />

to $1.3B.<br />

Harris Diamond, CEO of IPG’s constituency<br />

management group, told<br />

O’Dwyer’s that <strong>PR</strong> enjoyed a “good quarter”<br />

as revenues jumped in the 6.5%<br />

range.<br />

Weber Shandwick and GolinHarris<br />

were stand-outs in the <strong>PR</strong> group that<br />

includes MWW Group, Rogers & Cowan<br />

and DeVries <strong>PR</strong>.<br />

Healthcare, corporate and consumer<br />

clients stepped up spending in both digital<br />

and traditional off-line sectors. Diamond<br />

expects business to strengthen through the<br />

year as <strong>PR</strong> is normally the “first-in and<br />

last-out” of an economic downturn.<br />

Roth’s buoyed by the “broader economic<br />

stabilization” that helped IPG trim the<br />

percent of organic revenue decline to<br />

2.9%. U.S. organic revenues increased<br />

three percent.<br />

He’s pleased by “another quarter of significant<br />

sequential improvement in our<br />

organic revenue performance.” He<br />

believes that “shows the economy is<br />

recovering” and anticipates more progress<br />

during the remainder of the 2010.<br />

IPG reduced operating loss from<br />

$81.9M to $59.4M. The <strong>com</strong>pany took a<br />

$5 “hit” from Hugo Chavez's Venezuela,<br />

an expense related to the transition to<br />

inflationary accounting in that country.<br />

The ad/<strong>PR</strong> firm, which shows $1.9B in<br />

cash/marketable securities, launched a<br />

tender offer to buy up to 370K shares of<br />

its Series B stock, convertible into 27.1M<br />

shares for $400M. It currently pays a<br />

$19.4M dividend on those shares.<br />

IPG registered $121M in ’09 full-year<br />

net versus $295M for 2008.<br />

Roth saw total 2009 <strong>com</strong>pensation tumble<br />

from $10.6 million to $6.4 million,<br />

according to the ad/<strong>PR</strong> conglom’s proxy<br />

released April 19. Roth showed $11.1M in<br />

total <strong>com</strong>p in 2007.<br />

Former CEO John Dooner ranked as<br />

the No. 2 earner at IPG. As chief of IPG’s<br />

McCann Worldgroup, Dooner earned<br />

$2.8M, down from $4.9M in ’08. Dooner<br />

now serves as Executive Chair of<br />

McCann until the end of the year.<br />

Executive VP and CFO Frank<br />

Mergenthaler earned a package of $2.4<br />

million, a decline from the $3.5M hauled<br />

in for ’08 from Interpublic.<br />

Philippe Krakowsky, Executive<br />

VP/Strategy and Corporate Relations, collected<br />

$1.9 million, off from $2.6 million.<br />

Timothy Sompolski, Chief Human<br />

Resources Officer, earned $1.3 million<br />

last year vs. $2.1 million in ’08. <br />

12 MAY 2010 WWW.ODWYER<strong>PR</strong>.COM


FEATURE<br />

Facebook marketing program draws public backlash<br />

By Jon Gingerich<br />

Social media giant Facebook has<br />

once again pushed the boundaries<br />

of its privacy policy, this time<br />

drawing the ire of millions of users, consumer<br />

rights groups and even members of<br />

Congress in the process.<br />

In April, Facebook debuted a program<br />

that shares users’ personal information<br />

with a select partnership of third-party<br />

web sites. Called “Instant<br />

Personification,” the program automatically<br />

customizes sites visited by<br />

Facebook users to fit that user’s preexisting<br />

profile data. Third-party sites are fed<br />

the user’s account name, friends list and<br />

about as much information as the social<br />

network has on the user, regardless of<br />

whether they planned to divulge this data<br />

to the site or not.<br />

Pandora and Yelp are a few of the popular<br />

third-party sights that have currently<br />

signed on to participate in the Instant<br />

Personification feature. A user who visits<br />

Yelp, for example, is told the site is using<br />

their Facebook data to “personalize your<br />

experience.”<br />

Online petition groups have formed to<br />

speak out against the new Facebook feature,<br />

both on the social network site as<br />

well as from organizations such as<br />

MoveOn and online resource blog allfacebook.<strong>com</strong>.<br />

Most have been critical of<br />

the Instant Personification feature, which<br />

they see as a privacy policy gone awry<br />

for the sake of runaway marketing purposes.<br />

Facebook spokespersons claim the<br />

Instant Personification program only uses<br />

information already made publicly available<br />

on the network, and users can optout<br />

of this feature at any time.<br />

Critics claim the opt-out process is<br />

cumbersome and confusing. Many have<br />

suggested instead that the program<br />

should exist as an “opt-in” service that<br />

users proactively choose to be a part of.<br />

“Facebook’s Instant Personalization<br />

service is a great attempt at providing a<br />

more social experience within websites<br />

from the moment the user arrives, while<br />

simultaneously sacrificing a user’s right<br />

to privacy,” said Nick ONeill, Founder of<br />

Social Times, Inc.<br />

“The <strong>com</strong>pany should have made this<br />

service opt-in from the beginning, not<br />

opt-out.”<br />

Critics also point out that while users<br />

can opt-out of Instant Personification,<br />

some information will be still be visible<br />

when friends on the site participate in the<br />

service.<br />

The debate has since moved into the<br />

political arena. Senator Chuck Schumer<br />

(D-NY), who has publicly blasted<br />

Facebook’s actions regarding the new<br />

program, recently told CNN that he plans<br />

to petition the FTC to devise new rules<br />

regarding what social media sites are<br />

allowed to do with its users’ information.<br />

This isn’t the first time Facebook’s privacy<br />

policy have <strong>com</strong>e into question. In<br />

2007 the site drew fire when it debuted its<br />

infamous Beacon program, an advertising<br />

targeting platform that published<br />

users’ purchases from other sites on individuals’<br />

profile news feeds. Public backlash<br />

to the program was high, and several<br />

class action lawsuits were filed before<br />

Facebook removed the service from its<br />

site in 2009.<br />

The social network site is also currently<br />

criticized for making it impossible to<br />

hide certain profile details, such as user<br />

name and location. <br />

14 MAY 2010 WWW.ODWYER<strong>PR</strong>.COM


FEATURE<br />

Privacy ranks as top online ethical challenge<br />

Business ethics has always been a touchy subject for corporate<br />

<strong>com</strong>munications practitioners and their <strong>PR</strong> firm counterparts. In<br />

today’s digital world, maintaining a high level of business ethics<br />

online is be<strong>com</strong>ing a bigger challenge than ever for the corporate<br />

<strong>com</strong>munications professional.<br />

By Patrick Di Chiro<br />

To be sure, <strong>PR</strong> professionals had to<br />

contend with plenty of thorny ethical<br />

issues in the old, pre-digital<br />

days. Whether it was financial malfeasance,<br />

sexual harassment, or the propriety<br />

of doing business with foreign dictators,<br />

corporate <strong>com</strong>municators have never<br />

wanted for things to do when it came to<br />

managing issues and crises related to business<br />

(and personal) ethics.<br />

The media is flooded with news of the<br />

alleged ethical transgressions of Toyota,<br />

not to mention the mightiest of Wall Street<br />

banks, Goldman Sachs, which has been<br />

sued by the SEC.<br />

On the web, however, there is a whole<br />

new set of ethical temptations and landmines<br />

that are posing new, <strong>com</strong>plex challenges<br />

to corporate <strong>com</strong>municators. I wonder<br />

sometimes if we are sufficiently aware<br />

of these new problems that threaten our<br />

<strong>com</strong>panies and, more importantly, our<br />

consumers, customers and stakeholders. I<br />

also question if we are adequately prepared<br />

to deal with them.<br />

One of the biggest ethical issues facing<br />

<strong>com</strong>panies and organizations today is privacy<br />

online. This is especially true for<br />

web-based <strong>com</strong>panies that frequently<br />

operate with a “Wild West” mentality.<br />

That can lead to online firms treating concerns<br />

like business ethics as an “old<br />

world” problem that does not really apply<br />

to them.<br />

The fact is that web privacy is a massive<br />

and growing problem, one that has caught<br />

the urgent attention of both consumers and<br />

regulators around the world. The emerging<br />

ethical conundrum for corporate <strong>com</strong>municators<br />

is: Do we call out our <strong>com</strong>panies<br />

and clients on questionable web privacy<br />

practices, or do we just look the other way,<br />

believing this is just how business is done<br />

on the Internet these days<br />

Some <strong>com</strong>panies (most notably<br />

Facebook) have really pushed the limits of<br />

privacy. The <strong>com</strong>pany’s CEO, Mark<br />

Zuckerberg, has suggested that people<br />

today (especially those in the younger<br />

cohorts) don’t mind if their information is<br />

shared liberally — and without their<br />

authorization.<br />

A newly released study from UC<br />

Berkeley found that young people are just<br />

as leery about privacy (and sharing too<br />

much of their personal information) as<br />

their parents. The study found that 82% of<br />

respondents 18-24, and 84% 25-34, said<br />

they have refused to provide information<br />

to <strong>com</strong>panies because they felt it was too<br />

private or not necessary. That <strong>com</strong>pares<br />

with 85% of survey respondents over 65<br />

years of age. Virtually the same views on<br />

privacy amongst young and old alike.<br />

There are others who strenuously disagree,<br />

arguing we live in an era where people<br />

happily “over-share” on the web.<br />

Whether it’s what you just bought at the<br />

mall or what bar you are now drinking in,<br />

the argument is that many of us just love<br />

broadcasting to the world every minute<br />

detail of our lives. A crop of new web start<br />

ups (with names like Blippy, foursquare<br />

and Swipely) are now banking on what<br />

they view as this growing <strong>com</strong>fort level<br />

with little to no privacy.<br />

The business models of these new web<br />

players will likely focus on selling the data<br />

gained from their over-sharing users, and<br />

even taking <strong>com</strong>missions on sales of products/services<br />

to their friends. One has to<br />

wonder where all of this is going from a<br />

privacy standpoint. It’s easy to imagine<br />

some potential security and ethics-related<br />

train wrecks in the offing.<br />

In April, 10 countries went after Google<br />

because of that Internet giant’s sometimes<br />

sketchy privacy policies. Google shot<br />

itself in the foot a couple of months ago<br />

when it launched its Buzz social networking<br />

product. Google thought it was doing<br />

Gmail users a favor by pre-populating<br />

their Buzz profiles with the names of people<br />

they emailed frequently. It was a serious<br />

privacy breach that Google first tried<br />

to deny and then had to back-peddle on<br />

because of the global avalanche of criticism<br />

it faced.<br />

Here’s a question: Did Google’s corporate<br />

<strong>com</strong>munications team review the new<br />

Buzz privacy policies before the product<br />

was launched If not, it should have done<br />

so. If it reviewed the policies first, then<br />

Google’s corporate <strong>com</strong>munications team<br />

was asleep at the switch.<br />

Clearly, privacy is a big and growing<br />

issue for <strong>com</strong>panies and organizations of<br />

all types and sizes today. Privacy is a ticking<br />

time bomb of business ethics that represents<br />

an historic challenge for corporate<br />

<strong>com</strong>municators. What matters is that we<br />

try to make sure that our <strong>com</strong>panies and<br />

clients always respect web privacy in<br />

everything they do, so the problems don’t<br />

arise in the first place.<br />

There are other web related ethical<br />

issues that go beyond the critical concern<br />

of keeping personal information private<br />

and secure. A particularly egregious example<br />

relates to the questionable and widely<br />

employed practice of “opt-out” marketing<br />

on the web. Zynga, the fast growing online<br />

gaming <strong>com</strong>pany, has been a big abuser of<br />

this aggressive and misleading marketing<br />

approach.<br />

You may recall how Zynga was caught<br />

trapping unsuspecting users into signing<br />

up for expensive subscriptions without<br />

their knowledge. This ethical transgression<br />

also caught Facebook in its undertow,<br />

as Zynga does the majority of its business<br />

on Facebook, pushing games like<br />

Farmville and Mafia Wars. Both Zynga<br />

and Facebook denied any wrongdoing, but<br />

promised to do better in the future.<br />

Corporate <strong>com</strong>munications professionals<br />

cannot just ignore these issues and<br />

hope they disappear. Sure, it’s the <strong>com</strong>pany’s<br />

responsibility to stay on the straight<br />

and narrow path with respect to ethical<br />

business practices on the web (and offline,<br />

too). But, a major portion of the onus is<br />

rightly on corporate <strong>com</strong>munications people<br />

(and their <strong>PR</strong> agency advisors) to<br />

counsel management and clients against<br />

these ethical lapses. That includes convincing<br />

their <strong>com</strong>panies to do the right<br />

thing from square one.<br />

Whether you do strategic <strong>com</strong>munications<br />

for a Fortune 100 <strong>com</strong>pany with a<br />

growing web presence, or a start up desperately<br />

scrambling to generate online revenues,<br />

you need to be more aware of<br />

issues like privacy and aggressively<br />

deceptive opt-out marketing practices.<br />

Taking greater responsibility for your<br />

<strong>com</strong>pany’s business ethics in the fast moving<br />

digital age is just one more example of<br />

staying true to what may be the most cherished<br />

and consistently relevant of the <strong>PR</strong><br />

profession’s Golden Rules: protecting the<br />

overall public good.<br />

Patrick Di Chiro is Founder, Chairman<br />

and CEO of Thunder Factory. He was CCO<br />

of E*TRADE Financial, VP of Global<br />

Technology Marketing for Visa<br />

International, and a Partner at Ketchum. <br />

16<br />

MAY 2010 WWW.ODWYER<strong>PR</strong>.COM


REPORT<br />

Few bright stars shine for <strong>PR</strong> industry revenues<br />

Jack O’Dwyer<br />

Eight of the 10 largest O’Dwyerranked<br />

independent <strong>PR</strong> firms<br />

found themselves in the minus<br />

column for 2009, a trend that extended<br />

to 15 of the top 25 firms and 32 of the<br />

top 50.<br />

Similarly, most specialty <strong>PR</strong> rankings<br />

bore all the signs of ’09’s economic<br />

rough patch, aptly reflecting the recession’s<br />

impact on the <strong>com</strong>munications<br />

industry and resulting in a decline of<br />

dozens of firms taking part in our annual<br />

rankings.<br />

Several areas of <strong>PR</strong> however, showed<br />

promise and even signs of improvement<br />

in ’09, during a time that otherwise<br />

made for a year to forget.<br />

Healthcare reveals rare ’09 gain<br />

Eighty firms reported more than $284<br />

million in healthcare billings in 2009,<br />

according to the O’Dwyer rankings in<br />

that category.<br />

Perhaps <strong>PR</strong>’s lone sector bright spot<br />

over the past year, eight of the top 10<br />

firms in the healthcare realm showed at<br />

least modest gains last year <strong>com</strong>pared<br />

with ’08.<br />

See O’Dwyer’s rankings of top<br />

HEALTHCARE <strong>PR</strong> firms, pg. 34<br />

Edelman and Ruder Finn saw<br />

increases of nearly 6% and 4% at the<br />

top of the heap, respectively, while<br />

Cooney/Waters Group (+18%),<br />

Spectrum (+8.6%), GYMR (+11%),<br />

Hager Sharp (+18%), MCS (+15%) and<br />

Crosby Marketing Communications<br />

(+19%) posted gains among mid-sized<br />

firms.<br />

Widmeyer Communications more<br />

than tripled its $1 million in ’08 healthcare<br />

billings to $3.4 million.<br />

APCO Worldwide (-28%) and<br />

Makovsky + Co. (-7.3%) were down<br />

from ’08 in healthcare.<br />

Ninety-six firms reported figures last<br />

year in the category.<br />

Food/beverage <strong>PR</strong> shows promise<br />

The food & beverage category of the<br />

O’Dwyer rankings drew entries from<br />

54 firms reporting 2009 revenue,<br />

almost the same number as for the previous<br />

year.<br />

Twelve of the 25 largest food <strong>PR</strong><br />

practices showed declines while ten<br />

had gains and three were even. Food<br />

<strong>PR</strong> firms reported revenue totaling<br />

nearly $103 million for ’09.<br />

Category leader Edelman had a 5%<br />

decline to $51,947,570 while second<br />

place APCO Worldwide had a gain of<br />

16% to $6,546,408.<br />

Hunter <strong>PR</strong>, New York, in third place,<br />

was about even at $5,669,985.<br />

A new<strong>com</strong>er in the No. 4 spot,<br />

weighing in at $5,651,110, is<br />

FoodMinds, administratively based in<br />

Oakbrook Terrace, Ill., but with offices<br />

and correspondents in major cities.<br />

See O’Dwyer’s rankings of top<br />

FOOD/BEV. <strong>PR</strong> firms, pg. 34<br />

Clients of the three-and-a-half-yearold<br />

firm include Applegate Farms,<br />

Dairy Management, Distilled Spirits<br />

Council of the U.S., Kellogg Co.,<br />

National Confectioners Assn. and<br />

Welch Foods.<br />

The firm is headed by <strong>PR</strong> pros Laura<br />

Cubillos, Bill Layden and Sue Pitman,<br />

who were formerly at Porter Novelli<br />

and then Edelman.<br />

Fourteen full-time pros are assisted<br />

by a network of 70 pros throughout the<br />

country who include registered dietitians,<br />

Ph.D.s, science writers and food<br />

policy specialists.<br />

Other <strong>PR</strong> firms with expanding food<br />

practices included Coyne <strong>PR</strong>,<br />

Parsippany, N.J., up 5% to $2,571,000;<br />

M/C/C of Dallas, up 150% to $500,000,<br />

and Hope-Beckham, Atlanta, up 197%<br />

to $513,431.<br />

Financial <strong>PR</strong>, IR reveals a bad year<br />

Most financial/IR firms reporting to<br />

O’Dwyer’s had significant declines in<br />

2009 because of poor economic conditions,<br />

particularly on Wall Street. Only<br />

four firms managed sizable gains while<br />

three others were flat.<br />

Forty-four firms, including 11 new to<br />

the list, reported their figures, down<br />

from 69 that reported 2008 revenue.<br />

See O’Dwyer’s rankings of top<br />

FINANCIAL <strong>PR</strong> firms, pg. 33<br />

Gaining were Cubitt, Jacobs &<br />

Prosek, up 14% to $4,500,000; RF|<br />

Binder Partners, New York, up 12% to<br />

$2,600,000; Gregory FCA<br />

Communications, Ardmore, Pa., up<br />

26% to $1,900,000, and Lambert,<br />

Edwards & Assocs., Grand Rapids,<br />

Mich., up 16% to $1,845,600.<br />

Edelman, the largest firm in financial/IR,<br />

saw revenues in this category<br />

fall to $22,696,826 from $53,298,302.<br />

Because of gains in other categories,<br />

Edelman’s overall fees were only off<br />

2% to $440.1M.<br />

ICR, Westport, Conn., No. 2 ranked<br />

firm, declined 11% to $20.5M from<br />

$23.2M.<br />

Ruder Finn, No. 3, had a drop to<br />

$2,200,000 from $17,324,279. Its overall<br />

fees were off only 7.2% to $89.1<br />

million.<br />

APCO Worldwide, No. 4, was about<br />

even at $11.6 million in 2008 vs. $11.4<br />

million in 2009.<br />

Some firms said their figures were<br />

too bad to report, ignoring traditional<br />

advice on Wall Street that bad as well<br />

as good numbers must be reported on a<br />

regular basis.<br />

FTI Consulting, which owns the<br />

financial <strong>com</strong>munications firm FD,<br />

reported in February that its <strong>PR</strong> operations<br />

fell 20% in 2009 to $180 million.<br />

Tough sledding for travel<br />

A majority of the 35 firms reporting their<br />

travel <strong>PR</strong> fees to O’Dwyer’s had negative<br />

performances in 2009.<br />

Two bright spots were category leader<br />

Edelman, which was even at $15,213,343<br />

and Ruder Finn, which posted a 16% gain<br />

to $3,500,000.<br />

Lou Hammond & Associates was off 5%<br />

to $5,413,488 while M. Silver Associates,<br />

was down 3% to $3,986,000 and Quinn &<br />

Co. was off 18% to $2,401,972.<br />

Others on the negative side were Allison<br />

& Partners, San Francisco, down 23% to<br />

$2,235,926, and Vollmer <strong>PR</strong>, Houston,<br />

down 14% to $1,796,582.<br />

rbb Public Relations, Coral Gables, Fla.,<br />

posted the biggest gain, up 33% to<br />

$612,812.<br />

See O’Dwyer’s rankings of top<br />

TRAVEL/TOURISM firms, pg. 37<br />

Twenty-three of those on the 2008 list of<br />

45 did not return while 13 firms joined the<br />

list including Ypartnership of Orlando, Fla.,<br />

with travel fees of $1,938,067, and 5W<br />

Public Relations, New York, with travel<br />

fees of $1,174,750.<br />

<strong>Firm</strong>s reporting figures accounted for<br />

$53M in travel <strong>PR</strong> fees for 2009.<br />

Environmental, public affairs down<br />

Most of the environmental and public<br />

affairs practices of firms reporting to<br />

O’Dwyer’s had declines in 2009.<br />

Edelman continues to head the practice<br />

area with fees of $53.4 million, off 16%.<br />

Continued on next page<br />

18<br />

MAY 2010 WWW.ODWYER<strong>PR</strong>.COM


APCO Worldwide, Washington, D.C.,<br />

grew its PA practice 48% to $25,019,349<br />

while Levick Strategic Communications,<br />

D.C., grew 118% to $1,943,423 in this area.<br />

Ron Sachs Communications,<br />

Tallahassee, Fla., had a 5% gain in PA to<br />

$2,403,000.<br />

Twenty-two of the 46 firms on the 2008<br />

list are not on the 2009 list.<br />

Combined, the reporting firms had more<br />

than $120 million in revenue in the sector<br />

last year.<br />

See O’Dwyer’s rankings of top<br />

ENVIRON. <strong>PR</strong> / PA firms, pg. 33<br />

Joining the list are 20 firms including<br />

Allison & Partners, San Francisco, with PA<br />

fees of $1,878,456; Peritus <strong>PR</strong>, Louisville,<br />

Ky., $1,555,752; Blue Practice, San<br />

Francisco, $916,883; ETC, Inc.,<br />

Cincinnati, $820,249, and IW Group, West<br />

Hollywood, Calif.<br />

IW is a specialist in the Asian-American<br />

<strong>com</strong>munity whose clients include<br />

McDonald’s, Merrill Lynch, Wal-Mart and<br />

the White House Office of National Drug<br />

Control Policy.<br />

Others new to the list include Winning<br />

Strategies, Newark; Coyne <strong>PR</strong>, Parsippany,<br />

N.J.; Schneider Assocs., Boston; Public<br />

Communications, Chicago, and Jackson<br />

Spalding, Atlanta.<br />

72 tech firms rank<br />

Seventy-two <strong>PR</strong> firms reported their<br />

net fees to O’Dwyer’s for 2009, off from<br />

the total of 100 that were in the 2008<br />

ranking.<br />

Included in the total are 14 firms that<br />

are reporting tech/industrial fees for the<br />

first time.<br />

Edelman, which has the most fees in<br />

the category, gained slightly from<br />

$86.3M to $88.5M from ’08-09.<br />

Text 100 fell from $58 million to<br />

$48.6 million while Ruder Finn gained<br />

from $19.3 million to $20.5.<br />

APCO Worldwide had the biggest<br />

gain in the category among the top 25,<br />

its tech/industrial fees rising from $11.2<br />

million to $16.05 million.<br />

See O’Dwyer’s rankings of top<br />

TECH <strong>PR</strong> firms, pg. 36<br />

New<strong>com</strong>ers to the list included<br />

Jackson Spalding, Atlanta, $3,385,321;<br />

RF|Binder Partners, New York,<br />

1,800,000; Cubitt, Jacobs & Prosek,<br />

New York, $1,800,000;Gibraltar<br />

Assocs., D.C., $1,116,255;<br />

Karbo/Fonkalsrud Comms., San<br />

Francisco, $893,301; Schneider Assocs.,<br />

Boston, $829,250; Dye, Van Mol &<br />

Lawrence, Nashville, $708,579, and<br />

Feintuch Comms., New York, $502,555.<br />

[Note: two sets of firms reported identical<br />

revenue for 2009, therefore the list<br />

numbers only 70.]<br />

More than $267 million in fees were<br />

reported in the sector.<br />

‘09 an “off year” for New York <strong>PR</strong><br />

Most of the <strong>PR</strong> firms with New York<br />

operations submitting documentation<br />

of 2009 fees to O’Dwyer’s were down<br />

or even.<br />

The five biggest firms were mostly<br />

about even, the exception being healthcare<br />

specialist Cooney/Waters Group,<br />

which grew 18% to $12.3 million.<br />

It ranked No. 3 after Edelman, which<br />

had a slight decline to $92.2 million<br />

from $93.2, and Ruder Finn which<br />

declined to $63.1 million from $66.9<br />

million.<br />

In fourth position was 5W Public<br />

Relations, declining slightly to $11M<br />

from $11.5M.<br />

No. 5 firm RF|Binder Partners was<br />

off to $10.4 million from $11.3 million.<br />

Many of the smaller firms had double-digit<br />

declines.<br />

Second biggest gain in the top ten<br />

was registered by food specialist<br />

Hunter <strong>PR</strong>, No. 7, growing 5.5% to $10<br />

million.<br />

Eighteen of the top 25 had minus<br />

years.<br />

Best year in the top 25 was had by San<br />

Francisco generalist firm Allison &<br />

Partners, headed by Scott Allison, which<br />

more than doubled its New York fees to<br />

$5.5 million from $2 million. Its overall<br />

fees were up 12% to $14.6 million.<br />

See O’Dwyer’s rankings of<br />

<strong>PR</strong> firms by region, pg. 37<br />

Washington, D.C.-based Widmeyer<br />

Communications, which has a broad<br />

practice covering PA, marketing, health,<br />

education and other areas, saw its New<br />

York office grow 73% to $5.2 million.<br />

Overall revenues were up 7.4% to $9.7<br />

million.<br />

Catalyst <strong>PR</strong>, consumer <strong>PR</strong> firm specializing<br />

in sports, entertainment and<br />

active lifestyle accounts, gained 36% to<br />

$4.5 million.<br />

Affect Strategies, handling technology<br />

and professional services clients,<br />

grew 60% to $1.07 million.<br />

Feintuch Communications, headed<br />

by Henry Feintuch, formerly at KCSA<br />

Strategic Communications, joined the<br />

list at $502,555. It handles technology,<br />

financial services, healthcare, advertising<br />

and media placements. <br />

MAY 2010 WWW.ODWYER<strong>PR</strong>.COM 19


FEATURE<br />

Seconds count in online reputation management<br />

By Blake Cahill<br />

News travels fast these days. A<br />

YouTube video can birth its own<br />

Internet meme within days of<br />

being posted — and fade away just as<br />

quickly. A single tweet can reach thousands<br />

in seconds, and with a current average<br />

of 600 tweets a second (as of<br />

February), historically huge amounts of<br />

information and opinion are now being<br />

exchanged online at an incredible rate<br />

With consumers on a constant stream<br />

of updates, it’s very easy for a negative<br />

story to grow legs and run away.<br />

Seconds matter when it <strong>com</strong>es to noticing<br />

— and then reacting to — online<br />

sentiments that affect your brand. This<br />

means <strong>com</strong>panies and individuals must<br />

be more aggressive than ever when it<br />

<strong>com</strong>es to online reputation management.<br />

Google has played up this “seconds<br />

matter” idea with some of its more<br />

recent search developments. In<br />

December, the search giant added realtime<br />

search features, which show live<br />

updates from news and social media<br />

sites on users’ results pages. Users can<br />

even whittle down their search options<br />

to just these by-the-second updates by<br />

selecting “Latest” from the search<br />

options menu. If there is enough buzz<br />

around the topic, the latest will show a<br />

full page of up-to-the-minute blog<br />

posts, tweets and other social content.<br />

Search results can also be filtered to<br />

show only the latest “updates” from<br />

micro-blogs like Twitter and<br />

FriendFeed. Along with its real-time<br />

search launch, Google added “hot topics”<br />

— showing the most <strong>com</strong>mon subjects<br />

in real-time web publishing — to<br />

Google Trends.<br />

These real-time updates only add to<br />

the already lightning-fast results users<br />

can get from Google’s Suggest tool.<br />

Suggest is a less recent development<br />

than real-time search, but many <strong>com</strong>panies<br />

are still under-estimating its potential<br />

impact on their brand’s reputation.<br />

Because Suggest, as its name implies,<br />

suggests terms while a user is typing in<br />

the search bar, users are shown relevant<br />

and related topics before they can even<br />

write a <strong>com</strong>plete word. This near-psychic<br />

tool is great if the most relevant<br />

search terms for your brand are “brand<br />

X wins award” or “where can I buy<br />

brand X.” But if your brand is suffering<br />

from negative buzz, Suggest makes it<br />

even harder to downplay bad news. The<br />

tides of online sentiment can quickly<br />

turn searchers — even those with the<br />

best of intentions — against you. For<br />

example, I might be interested in buying<br />

a Toyota, but when I type “Toyota” into<br />

my Google search bar, the word “recall”<br />

shows up in three different suggestions<br />

— guess I’ll rethink that purchase.<br />

Tools like this make it so much easier,<br />

and faster, for consumers to find<br />

good and bad brand <strong>PR</strong> online. The<br />

question for <strong>PR</strong> pros now is how to<br />

make sure that information remains<br />

positive.<br />

The first step is to get to know these<br />

search tools. How do they work, and<br />

how can you use them to your advantage<br />

The same things that can make it<br />

harder for you to manage your brand —<br />

the speed and the suggestive power —<br />

can make it easier for you to monitor<br />

your brand and <strong>com</strong>petitors. Just by typing<br />

half of your <strong>com</strong>pany’s name into a<br />

search bar, you can see what people are<br />

saying about it online and what other<br />

products, people or news it’s being<br />

associated with. This means you can<br />

know about potential <strong>PR</strong> problems<br />

almost as soon as they start.<br />

Having access to such a rapid feed of<br />

information puts the responsibility on<br />

you to react quickly if a crisis emerges.<br />

If everyone else knows that director<br />

Kevin Smith is mad at you for kicking<br />

him off a flight, as happened to<br />

Southwest Airlines a couple of weeks<br />

ago, you have to be ready with an apology<br />

and a <strong>PR</strong> plan of action.<br />

Waiting until the news is old (which, in<br />

Twitter time, is about two days, tops)<br />

makes your <strong>com</strong>pany look out-of-touch or<br />

worse, that it doesn’t care about its customers.<br />

Even if your initial monitoring results<br />

are good, you can’t rest on your laurels.<br />

Brand perception can always improve.<br />

Start by participating in the same social<br />

networks that are feeding your brand’s<br />

buzz. Enthusiasts will appreciate the<br />

recognition and possibly build you up<br />

even more, and detractors may just<br />

change their minds — as long as you are<br />

authentic, offer relevant information, and<br />

are sincere about hearing them out.<br />

Your <strong>PR</strong> team can also boost your<br />

search results by reaching out to “authorities,”<br />

from the New York Times to certain<br />

bloggers, if what they offer is relevant to<br />

your product and your audience. Of<br />

course, no self-respecting authority will<br />

write a puff piece just<br />

because you ask them<br />

to. Interact with them<br />

on their terms, and<br />

offer something that<br />

is useful to their<br />

brand. Step in as an<br />

expert source, remain<br />

open to interview<br />

requests, and interact<br />

one-on-one with Blake Cahill<br />

influential social networkers.<br />

The more you can tie positive<br />

mentions of your brand to a high-authority<br />

source, the more likely it is that the<br />

casual searcher will be exposed to brandpositive<br />

search results. And the more that<br />

good buzz gets around, the more likely it<br />

is to be searched, and thus suggested as a<br />

future search term.<br />

The more good news you have out<br />

there, the less-prominent bad news<br />

be<strong>com</strong>es, provided that you’re optimizing<br />

that good news to show up in organic<br />

search. Aside from tapping vibrant social<br />

“Waiting until the news is old (which, in Twitter time, is about two days, tops) makes<br />

your <strong>com</strong>pany look out-of-touch or worse, that it doesn’t care about its customers.”<br />

networks and authorities, you can further<br />

boost your brand name in search by riding<br />

the news cycle. Keep your positive<br />

search results fresh by regularly pushing<br />

out new stories through traditional publications<br />

and social networks. The fresher<br />

it is, the more likely it is to show up on<br />

that first page in the “Latest” results from<br />

the social web. This doesn’t mean you<br />

should spam; as the old adage goes, if<br />

you have nothing good to say, don’t say<br />

it.<br />

Brand management has gotten more<br />

<strong>com</strong>plicated in today’s faster, louder,<br />

multi-channel world. Fortunately, the<br />

same tools that allow consumers to spread<br />

information and opinions so quickly can<br />

work to a savvy <strong>PR</strong> team’s advantage. All<br />

it takes is vigilance, listening skills, and<br />

authentic, timely engagement with the<br />

right online outlets. Seconds count in this<br />

world — use them wisely.<br />

Blake Cahill is Senior Vice President of<br />

Marketing at Visible Technologies in<br />

Bellevue, WA. <br />

20<br />

MAY 2010 WWW.ODWYER<strong>PR</strong>.COM


REPORT<br />

Experts call blog disclosure law ‘unconstitutional’<br />

By Jon Gingerich<br />

Areport in the April edition of the<br />

Harvard Law Review claims the<br />

Federal Trade Commission’s new<br />

disclosure law for endorsements and testimonials<br />

on blogs could be unconstitutional.<br />

Passed in October, bloggers must publicly<br />

disclose any “material connection”<br />

they have with <strong>com</strong>panies if they are being<br />

paid to review products or if they receive<br />

free products for the sake of review.<br />

Bloggers who fail to disclose this information<br />

could be fined up to $10,000. The<br />

FTC has yet to discuss how they will<br />

enforce these new rules.<br />

The Harvard Law Review report claims<br />

these guidelines violate the First<br />

Amendment. The article, titled “Internet<br />

Law — Advertising and Consumer<br />

Protection — FTC Extends Endorsement &<br />

Testimonial Guides to Cover Bloggers,”<br />

states that the FTC mistakenly treats all<br />

blog endorsements as advertisements,<br />

which, unlike speech protected by the First<br />

Amendment, is considered <strong>com</strong>mercial<br />

speech.<br />

The Supreme Court, however, has recognized<br />

unpaid blog endorsements to be<br />

given the same protection as non<strong>com</strong>mercial<br />

speech. These aren’t the same as advertisements,<br />

and any attempt to regulate these<br />

endorsements would be a violation of the<br />

First Amendment.<br />

The article reads:<br />

“Not all advertising constitutes <strong>com</strong>mercial<br />

speech, and not all <strong>com</strong>mercial speech<br />

takes the form of traditional advertisements<br />

… some types of blogger endorsements are<br />

clearly <strong>com</strong>mercial speech … other types<br />

of blogger endorsements are obviously not<br />

<strong>com</strong>mercial speech … the more difficult<br />

question is whether an unpaid blogger<br />

endorsement by a blogger who receives a<br />

free sample product should be classified as<br />

<strong>com</strong>mercial speech … they are not conceded<br />

to be advertising and do not have sufficient<br />

‘economic motivation’ to justify classification<br />

as <strong>com</strong>mercial speech.”<br />

The new disclosure rules are part of a<br />

series of regulations the FTC passed last<br />

year, which update the guidelines concerning<br />

how endorsements and testimonials<br />

are disclosed in U.S. advertising. The new<br />

guidelines apply to all forms of advertising,<br />

including broadcast, print and websites.<br />

<br />

<strong>PR</strong> News Briefs<br />

<strong>PR</strong> is 8th ‘most stressful’ job<br />

<strong>PR</strong> professional ranked as the eighth most<br />

stressful job in America, ahead of real estate<br />

agent and advertising executive, in a study by<br />

CareerCast.<strong>com</strong>.<br />

CareerCast looked at 21 factors — including<br />

three “mega factors”: work environment,<br />

job <strong>com</strong>petitiveness and risk — to score 200<br />

professions based on stress level.<br />

Topping the list was firefighter, followed by<br />

senior corporate executive, taxi driver, surgeon,<br />

police officer, pilot, and highway patrol<br />

officer.<br />

For <strong>PR</strong> officer, CareerCast noted they often<br />

make speeches and presentations in front of<br />

large crowds and work in a highly <strong>com</strong>petitive<br />

field that can have them in front of<br />

“potentially hostile members of the media.”<br />

CareerCast rated the <strong>PR</strong> profession “very<br />

high” for <strong>com</strong>petition with a work day averaging<br />

nine hours.<br />

CareerCast also measured the 10 least<br />

stressful careers, a list topped by musical<br />

instrument repairer and followed by medical<br />

records technician, actuary, forklift operator<br />

and appliance repairer.<br />

22<br />

MAY 2010 WWW.ODWYER<strong>PR</strong>.COM


REPORT<br />

Bill grants public free access to federal research<br />

By Jon Gingerich<br />

Journalists, educators, marketers and a<br />

public looking for public access to<br />

scientific research may no longer<br />

have to pay costly fees or dig through countless<br />

library stacks for hard-to-find articles.<br />

Introduced in the House in April, the<br />

Federal Research Public Access Act would<br />

ensure free online access to federally funded<br />

research articles that have been published in<br />

peer-reviewed journals.<br />

Introduced by Rep. Mike Doyle (D-PA)<br />

and ac<strong>com</strong>panied by a number of bi-partisan<br />

co-sponsors, the purpose of the bill is to provide<br />

access and transparency to research<br />

funded by tax dollars. If passed, the public<br />

would have free online access to the published<br />

research funded by eleven U.S. federal<br />

agencies, including the Department of<br />

Defense, Department of Transportation, the<br />

Environmental Protection agency and the<br />

National Science Foundation, among others.<br />

The bill requires all federal departments<br />

and agencies with annual extramural<br />

research budgets of at least $100 million to<br />

create and store online versions of their final<br />

manuscripts in free digital repository accessible<br />

to the public. The bill requires all federally-funded<br />

manuscripts be placed online<br />

in less than six months after the article has<br />

been published.<br />

Academic journals are an $8-billion-ayear<br />

industry. Subscription costs to most<br />

journals are typically very expensive, with<br />

about 80% of a journal’s in<strong>com</strong>e <strong>com</strong>ing<br />

from subscriptions to academic or research<br />

libraries. Some have wondered that if this<br />

bill is passed — if users can bypass the need<br />

to pay for content — that many universities<br />

would drop their subscriptions altogether.<br />

This could result in financial trouble for the<br />

journal publishing industry or, at the very<br />

least, result in raised prices for future subscriptions.<br />

According to Heather Joseph, Executive<br />

Director of the Scholarly Publishing<br />

Academic Research Coalition, journals<br />

have remained prohibitively expensive<br />

without <strong>com</strong>petition from electronic <strong>com</strong>petitors,<br />

with current profit margins between<br />

20 and 40 percent. Journal subscribers have<br />

typically had no choice but to abide by the<br />

pricing controls set by the market.<br />

“The reason journal prices keep going up<br />

is because they can. The market for a journal<br />

doesn’t bear any resemblance to other<br />

consumer items you see,” Joseph said.<br />

“Right now journals are only accessible to<br />

people who can afford the subscriptions, and<br />

at this point they’re so expensive that even<br />

Harvard or Yale can’t afford to pay for all<br />

the journals they need.”<br />

“No one’s looking to put publishers out of<br />

business,” she continued. “We’re looking<br />

for a way to level the playing field. In a<br />

print-based world the old way of doing<br />

things made sense. In an Internet-based<br />

world we need to give the immediacy and<br />

availability of this information to the public.”<br />

Joseph said journalists, who will now<br />

have access to a host of free materials,<br />

would especially benefit from this bill.<br />

Scientific authors who aren’t paid for their<br />

work, by contrast, will benefit from subsequent<br />

citations, which results in tenure and<br />

further federal grants.<br />

“There are also advocacy groups and<br />

members of the public who stand to interest<br />

in the materials covered by this bill,” Joseph<br />

said, “like entrepreneurs and people who<br />

run small businesses who want research on<br />

green energy or alternative fuels and are<br />

interested in the stuff <strong>com</strong>ing out from the<br />

Department of Energy or the EPA.” <br />

24<br />

MAY 2010 WWW.ODWYER<strong>PR</strong>.COM


FEATURE<br />

Court decision leaves Net Neutrality future uncertain<br />

By Jon Gingerich<br />

Afederal appeals court in April ruled<br />

that the FCC does not have the<br />

authority to penalize tele<strong>com</strong> <strong>com</strong>panies<br />

that block or limit information on<br />

their networks.<br />

The decision is a deathblow to a series of<br />

years-long attempts by the <strong>com</strong>mission,<br />

Internet content providers and consumer<br />

rights groups who have fought to instill a<br />

legal precedent that recognizes all data on<br />

the Internet as equal, a notion that has<br />

bloomed into the cause célèbre known as<br />

Net Neutrality.<br />

The case stems from a series of 2007<br />

incidents involving tele<strong>com</strong> giant Comcast,<br />

which was accused of “packet-forging,” or<br />

using data encryption to prevent customers<br />

from accessing file-sharing application<br />

BitTorrent. Former FCC Chairman Kevin<br />

Martin said the <strong>com</strong>pany “actively interferes<br />

with Internet traffic as its subscribers<br />

try to share files online.”<br />

After a lengthy investigation, the FCC in<br />

2008 sanctioned the tele<strong>com</strong> <strong>com</strong>pany.<br />

Comcast challenged the decision, stating<br />

their actions were necessary, as sites like<br />

BitTorrent take up abnormally large<br />

amounts of bandwidth and thus pose a burden<br />

on their network. The Philadelphiabased<br />

<strong>com</strong>pany is the largest ISP in the U.S.<br />

A unanimous decision in the D.C. Circuit<br />

ruled that the FCC’s reprimand of Comcast<br />

exceeded its authority. The reason: a 2002<br />

restructuring within the <strong>com</strong>mission reclassified<br />

Internet services as different than<br />

telephone. As such, the FCC currently does<br />

not have the power to regulate these devices<br />

to the same degree, and any regulatory<br />

actions not coupled to “old” tele<strong>com</strong>munications<br />

devices fall outside its jurisdiction.<br />

Experts close to the ruling say the only<br />

way the FCC may be able to regulate<br />

Internet service issues in the future is if it<br />

restructures internal policies and reclassifies<br />

tele<strong>com</strong>munications services to fit their<br />

purview.<br />

“I think the instant reaction is that it’s a<br />

setback,” said Chris Riley, Policy Manager<br />

for the Free Press. “Congress previously<br />

gave the FCC a discretion they no longer<br />

have. This has definitely raised alarm levels<br />

for supporters of the public interest.”<br />

A step back for Net Neutrality<br />

With no laws currently in place to prohibit<br />

tele<strong>com</strong> <strong>com</strong>panies from blocking or<br />

limiting users’ access to information, critics<br />

have said the 2007 Comcast incident<br />

highlights a need for lawmakers to implement<br />

legislation that keeps service<br />

providers from blocking online content.<br />

This is the notion known as Net Neutrality,<br />

which in its broadest sense is the idea that<br />

all content on the Internet should be available<br />

for equal access.<br />

Neutrality supporters, which include<br />

consumer rights groups, content providers<br />

and Internet <strong>com</strong>panies such as Google,<br />

Yahoo!, eBay and software giant<br />

Microsoft, have asked for new federal regulations<br />

that would keep tele<strong>com</strong> <strong>com</strong>panies<br />

from be<strong>com</strong>ing Internet “gatekeepers.”<br />

These groups have expressed broadband<br />

providers could hypothetically slow down<br />

or even deny access to websites in favor of<br />

sites with whom they have financial or<br />

political affiliation.<br />

Riley posited that Comcast’s proposed<br />

merger with NBC Universal could brew<br />

one such perfect storm.<br />

“Not only does the Comcast example<br />

show they have the tools to block and control<br />

content, but we’ve also seen their<br />

incentives to do it as well,” he said. “If this<br />

merger is successful, it’s really easy to envision<br />

a scenario in which a network gives<br />

preference to what information is shown.<br />

This could effectively turn the Internet into<br />

a glorified version of cable television.”<br />

Opponents of neutrality regulation legislation<br />

typically include the national cable<br />

and telephone providers. AT&T, Verizon,<br />

Bell South, Cingular and AOL have each<br />

voiced their opposition to the neutrality<br />

amendment and have lobbied to kill bills<br />

that contain Neutrality legislation. They’ve<br />

since found support from organizations like<br />

as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the<br />

American Conservative Union.<br />

In a statement regarding the court decision,<br />

Comcast insisted it “remains <strong>com</strong>mitted<br />

to the FCC’s existing open Internet principles,<br />

and we will continue to work constructively<br />

with this FCC as it determines<br />

how best to increase broadband adoption<br />

and preserve an open and vibrant Internet.”<br />

Some have speculated the ruling could<br />

also pose a threat to the FCC’s ambitious<br />

plans to increase broadband service in rural<br />

U.S. areas. The plan, which would be funded<br />

by the recent sale of spectrum auctions,<br />

would give federal subsidy money to tele<strong>com</strong><br />

<strong>com</strong>panies that agree to wire rural<br />

areas currently sparse on broadband<br />

access. Many now posit the court’s decision<br />

reaffirms the idea that the FCC can’t<br />

implement federal broadband policy, and<br />

the <strong>com</strong>mission may have to tweak their<br />

envisioned plan of a wired nation. <br />

26<br />

MAY 2010 WWW.ODWYER<strong>PR</strong>.COM


FEATURE<br />

Execs put ‘Great <strong>PR</strong> Recession’ behind them<br />

By Kevin McCauley<br />

Strike up the band because the Great<br />

<strong>PR</strong> Recession is over. Economic stabilization<br />

is the name of the game for<br />

the remainder of the year as fear of a Wall<br />

Street meltdown subsides and consumers<br />

start to open their wallets. Growth lies<br />

ahead in 2011 as the private sector begins a<br />

hiring spree.<br />

WPP CEO Martin Sorrell put it best, saying<br />

“We have clearly moved from a period<br />

of staring into the abyss.” Optimists say <strong>PR</strong><br />

stands on the cusp of a golden age, one<br />

powered by advances in technology and a<br />

deeper penetration of social media into<br />

daily life. One thing is certain: executives<br />

are glad that 2009, the worst year for <strong>PR</strong> in<br />

a quarter century, is solidly behind them.<br />

Richard Edelman, CEO of the No. 1<br />

independent firm, says 2010 started off<br />

with a bang as first-quarter revenues are up<br />

in the “double digits.” The U.S. is especially<br />

strong for Edelman, but that hasn’t<br />

stopped the firm from tending its Asia operations.<br />

Edelman recruited Ross Rowbury, former<br />

COO of <strong>PR</strong>AP, Japan’s largest independent<br />

<strong>PR</strong> firm, to head its Japanese operation.<br />

The firm also hired H&K/Japan<br />

President Kuniko Okuwaki for the<br />

Deputy Managing Director slot.<br />

Alan VanderMolen, President of<br />

Edelman/Asia-Pacific, believes the<br />

appointments solidify Edelman’s role as a<br />

key player in the tough Japanese <strong>PR</strong> market.<br />

Margery Kraus, CEO of No. 2 independent<br />

APCO Worldwide, says the turnaround<br />

began in the fourth-quarter of 2009 with<br />

“significant new wins and account expansions.”<br />

Western Union counts as a major `09<br />

coup as Washington, D.C.-based APCO<br />

picked up the business of the global payments<br />

provider in Europe and the<br />

Commonwealth of Independent States via a<br />

hotly contested <strong>com</strong>petitive pitch.<br />

APCO also opened in Kuala Lumpur and<br />

began work for the Government of<br />

Malaysia to pitch its sophisticated and hitech<br />

economy as a natural location for<br />

expansion.<br />

Kraus targets growth in the rebounding<br />

financial sector as evidenced by last<br />

month’s addition of John Dudzinsky to its<br />

New York office. The 14-year veteran of<br />

Kreab Gavin Anderson and Taylor Rafferty<br />

is skilled in counseling initial public offerings,<br />

mergers/acquisitions, crises and special<br />

situations. That’s a good<br />

<strong>com</strong>plement to APCO’s<br />

PA/government relations core.<br />

Cooney/Waters is among a<br />

handful of firms ranked by<br />

O’Dwyer’s to post a solid performance<br />

in 2009 as net fees at<br />

the No. 10 firm soared 18 percent<br />

to $12.3M.<br />

“We experienced robust organic<br />

growth from existing clients<br />

who continued pursuit of their<br />

long-term plans throughout the<br />

year,” said CEO Lenore Cooney.<br />

“As clients continue to place<br />

value on agency partners that<br />

have a depth of knowledge and<br />

experience in <strong>com</strong>plex health and<br />

medical issues, the healthcare<br />

<strong>com</strong>munications specialty will<br />

continue to grow.”<br />

Widespread <strong>PR</strong> carnage<br />

Seventy-four of the 133 firms<br />

ranked by O’Dwyer’s suffered a<br />

decline in `09 fees. Sixty-three of<br />

them registered declines of at<br />

least five percent. It was a bloodbath.<br />

Edelman, which was down two percent<br />

to $440.1M showed the smallest decline<br />

among the Top Ten firms.<br />

Text 100, the tech offering of Next 15<br />

Group, posted the biggest decline in the<br />

group, down 22% to $48.6M.<br />

The firm is in the midst of a turnaround,<br />

according to Next 15 CEO Tim Dyson. He<br />

reported April 26 that overall revenues<br />

advanced two percent during the six-month<br />

period ended Jan. 31.<br />

“The business has now recovered to prerecession<br />

revenue levels and is headed in a<br />

positive direction. Given current trading,<br />

the board is confident that we will meet our<br />

targets, which would result in a record year<br />

for the group,” said Dyson.<br />

Other decliners in the Top Ten are<br />

Schwartz Communications (-19.8% to<br />

$24.5M), ICR (-16% to $22M), APCO (-<br />

10.8% to $100.3M), Gibbs & Soell (-12%<br />

to $16.9M), Regan Communications (-<br />

9.0% to $19.9M) and Ruder Finn (-7.2% to<br />

$89.1M).<br />

Allison forges ahead<br />

San Francisco’s Allison & Partners partnered<br />

with Cooney to show the only gains<br />

in the Top Ten category. Scott Allison<br />

enjoyed a 12.1% jump in fees to $14.7M.<br />

He believes the firm’s positioning as an<br />

entrepreneurial shop that “provides clients<br />

with a constant influx of fresh ideas that<br />

uncover new business opportunities”<br />

Atomic <strong>PR</strong> handles a Polaroid tie-in with Lady Gaga.<br />

proved to be a blessing in the lean 2009<br />

economy.<br />

Clients were looking for “less bureaucracy<br />

and a focus on quantifiable results.”<br />

Allison reports growth across its consumer,<br />

technology and healthcare sectors.<br />

The firm picked up business from<br />

L’Oreal USA, Johnny Rocket’s and the<br />

Hard Rock Hotel San Diego and more work<br />

from long-term clients including Best<br />

Western (NASCAR and Jonas Brothers<br />

promotion), Progressive Insurance and the<br />

Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Las Vegas.<br />

Healthcare was buoyed by continued<br />

work from PhRMA and the Healthcare<br />

Leadership Council, plus new clients<br />

including GE Healthcare, Healthways, and<br />

The Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index.<br />

The year closed out with a significant<br />

public health win, California Health<br />

Department’s California Anti-Tobacco<br />

campaign.<br />

On the technology front, Allison scored a<br />

win with Samsung Information Technology<br />

Division and increased work from Trend<br />

Micro and MagTek and social network platform<br />

Ning.<br />

Allison says the firm made significant<br />

executive moves during the past year. It<br />

named Brian Feldman, General Manager in<br />

Atlanta and Washington, D.C., Partner;<br />

added Tom Biro from MTV to head its new<br />

Seattle office; Cathy Planchard as General<br />

Continued on next page<br />

28<br />

MAY 2010 WWW.ODWYER<strong>PR</strong>.COM


Manager of Phoenix office; and Matthew<br />

Della Croce to shore up its corporate <strong>com</strong>munications<br />

practice as Managing Director.<br />

Atomic Poised for breakthrough<br />

Atomic <strong>PR</strong> posted a 10 percent drop in `09<br />

to $6.5M, but CEO Andy Getsey believes<br />

his San Francisco shop is poised for a breakthrough.<br />

“From a revenue standpoint, 2009 was a<br />

lackluster year for Atomic,” said Getsey,<br />

“but we used the time to focus on our current<br />

client programs and<br />

relationships, add<br />

functionality to our<br />

analytics platform —<br />

ComContext —<br />

especially the strategic<br />

planning module,<br />

and expand into<br />

Europe, which we<br />

ac<strong>com</strong>plished with a<br />

joint venture outside<br />

Scott Allison, the U.S. with U.K.-<br />

President and CEO, based Huntsworth.<br />

Allison & Partners We think it was time<br />

well-spent.”<br />

Getsey says Atomic kicked off 2010 with<br />

a “string of new account wins for brands<br />

large (Polaroid and its tie-in with Lady<br />

Gaga) and small, a very strong pipeline of<br />

inbound inquiries and referrals, and a<br />

steady stream of contacts from experienced<br />

<strong>PR</strong> and social media pros interested in jobs<br />

at Atomic.”<br />

He is excited by the “burst of recognition<br />

from top <strong>PR</strong> industry publications, like<br />

O’Dwyers,” which ranked it No. 7 among<br />

hi-tech firms.<br />

“After working so hard to explain the<br />

power of our analytics-driven, multi-channel<br />

model for our first six years or so, it’s a<br />

nice change to have potential clients and<br />

teammates <strong>com</strong>ing to us, actively looking<br />

for an alternative to the opinion- and relationship-centric<br />

approach followed by the<br />

rest of the industry. So across the board, it’s<br />

shaping up to be a breakthrough year for<br />

Atomic,” said Getsey.<br />

Rx, Feds propel Crosby<br />

Crosby Marketing Communications<br />

(Annapolis) posted a solid 5.2% increase in<br />

growth to $8.6M, a performance that CEO<br />

Ray Crosby lauds in the down economy.<br />

“To grow more than 5% in 2009 was a<br />

real ac<strong>com</strong>plishment,” he said. “As<br />

always, we focused most of our attention<br />

on client retention and being a highly valued<br />

extension of our client’s marketing<br />

team.<br />

“Also, our focus on healthcare and federal<br />

agencies created some strong growth<br />

opportunities. We launched major initiatives<br />

for the U.S. Department of Education,<br />

Social Security Administration,<br />

Department of Agriculture, Ameritox and<br />

St. Joseph Medical Center,” he added.<br />

Crosby has been busy on the digital<br />

front, adding Sven Reigle as its interactive<br />

project manager to manage online media<br />

campaigns of the Social Security<br />

Administration, Ameritox, College.gov<br />

and Catholic Relief Services.<br />

Reigle joined from the World Wildlife<br />

Fund in Washington, D.C., where he led<br />

interactive campaigns that bolster fundraising<br />

and strategic partnerships.<br />

Crosby expects the addition of Reigle<br />

will “provide clients with strong analytics<br />

that can drive a more effective return on<br />

investment.”<br />

Feintuch ready for ‘reawakening’<br />

Henry Feintuch, who founded his shop<br />

during the depths of the recession, debuted<br />

on O’Dwyer’s list in the 129 slot with fees<br />

of $502,555.<br />

He calls the last two years in <strong>PR</strong> a period<br />

of “anticipation and reaction.” Feintuch<br />

explains: “As the likelihood of a strong<br />

downturn loomed in the second half of<br />

2008, RFPs and budgets dried up and the<br />

market chilled significantly. Corporate <strong>PR</strong><br />

budgets began their freeze or were killed<br />

entirely. Hiring throughout the sector<br />

slowed and everyone began the guessing<br />

game of how tight things might be<strong>com</strong>e.”<br />

The KCSA alumnus now believes the<br />

“general sentiment appears to be that the<br />

market has bottomed out and is slowly<br />

reawakening, though most <strong>com</strong>panies continued<br />

to delay their hiring and agency<br />

budget lines for solid proof that the recession<br />

was waning.”<br />

He is highly optimistic about the<br />

prospects for the <strong>PR</strong> market in the secondhalf.<br />

“Start-ups are re-emerging and RFPs<br />

are beginning to flow with greater regularity.<br />

New business opportunities are<br />

increasing, though budgets appear to<br />

remain constrained.<br />

Recruiters — those<br />

that survived — are<br />

hearing their phones<br />

ring again as they<br />

work to help replenish<br />

decimated<br />

ranks.”<br />

Publicis Groupe<br />

CEO Maurice Levy<br />

may take issue with<br />

Feintuch’s “small is<br />

better” line. The<br />

Frenchman turned in<br />

a strong first-quarter<br />

performance at the<br />

Raymond Crosby,<br />

President of Crosby<br />

Marketing<br />

Communications<br />

world’s No. 4 ad/<strong>PR</strong> conglom, sparked in<br />

part by its MS&L Group unit.<br />

Levy boasts that Publicis’ eight percent<br />

rise in revenues is but a “base” to build on.<br />

In other words, watch out, Henry. <br />

MAY 2010 WWW.ODWYER<strong>PR</strong>.COM 29


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MAY 2010 WWW.ODWYER<strong>PR</strong>.COM


Profiles<br />

5.10<br />

O’Dwyer’s<br />

Guide to:<br />

TOP INDEPENDENT <strong>PR</strong> FIRMS<br />

Affect Strategies’ Sandra Fathi, President & Founder; and Leslie<br />

Campisi, Vice President & Partner.<br />

AFFECT<br />

STRATEGIES<br />

60 W. 38th St., 4th Flr.<br />

New York, NY 10018<br />

212/398-9680<br />

Fax: 212/504-8211<br />

sfathi@affectstrategies.<strong>com</strong><br />

www.affectstrategies.<strong>com</strong><br />

Blog: www.techaffect.<strong>com</strong><br />

Twitter: twitter.<strong>com</strong>/TeamAffect<br />

Sandra Fathi, President &<br />

Founder<br />

Leslie Campisi, Vice President &<br />

Partner<br />

Affect Strategies is a public<br />

relations, strategic marketing and<br />

social media firm located in New<br />

York. Specializing in technology<br />

and business to business, we<br />

<strong>com</strong>bine strategy, creative and<br />

intelligent program development,<br />

impeccable execution and exemplary<br />

customer service to help our<br />

clients achieve their specific business<br />

goals. Affect leverages its<br />

business acumen and service<br />

excellence to achieve the precise<br />

results that its clients seek. We are<br />

keenly focused on results-driven<br />

programs, as well as the goals and<br />

objectives of our work.<br />

Our team of quick thinkers,<br />

engaging writers, fearless media<br />

relations specialists and marketers<br />

are passionate about what<br />

they do and are unafraid to pop<br />

open the hood to learn how our<br />

clients’ technology works. We’re<br />

early adopters and apply our insatiable<br />

curiosity to every assignment.<br />

Everyone on our team<br />

brings technical expertise and a<br />

certain level of geekiness to the<br />

table, both professionally and<br />

personally. We constantly push<br />

ourselves to raise the bar, <strong>com</strong>e<br />

up with new ideas, and flexibly<br />

change and shift our priorities as<br />

the client demands.<br />

APCO WORLDWIDE<br />

Worldwide Headquarters<br />

700 12th Street, N.W., Suite 800<br />

Washington, D.C. 20005<br />

202/778-1000<br />

www.apcoworldwide.<strong>com</strong><br />

Margery Kraus, Founder and<br />

Global CEO<br />

APCO Worldwide, a global<br />

<strong>com</strong>munication consultancy with<br />

29 offices around the world, helps<br />

clients anticipate and smartly<br />

manage reputational, <strong>com</strong>munication<br />

and business opportunities<br />

and challenges that affect their<br />

organizations. Clients value our<br />

ability to help them navigate the<br />

<strong>com</strong>plex and often converging<br />

worlds of business and finance;<br />

media, public opinion and society;<br />

and government and public<br />

policy. Our diverse and hands-on<br />

global team of experts <strong>com</strong>es<br />

from the environments clients<br />

need to reach. We address clients’<br />

objectives by <strong>com</strong>bining a global<br />

perspective with local expertise<br />

to understand the issues, events<br />

and trends that impact organizations<br />

and businesses around the<br />

world.<br />

ATOMIC <strong>PR</strong><br />

735 Market St., 4th Floor<br />

San Francisco, CA 94103<br />

415/593-1400<br />

www.Atomic<strong>PR</strong>.<strong>com</strong><br />

Andy Getsey, Co-founder & CEO<br />

Atomic <strong>PR</strong> is regarded as one<br />

of the <strong>com</strong>munications industry’s<br />

most innovative firms,<br />

offering a powerful, modern<br />

alternative to the more prevalent<br />

opinion — and relationshipbased<br />

approaches still followed<br />

by most <strong>PR</strong> agencies. Atomic<br />

fuses analytics-enhanced strategy<br />

and creative thinking with a<br />

mix of traditional/digital/social<br />

media, video and SEO, followed<br />

by <strong>com</strong>prehensive campaign<br />

results measurement to achieve<br />

better program results. The<br />

Atomic model frequently helps<br />

clients achieve at least 100%<br />

improvements across numerous<br />

measures of <strong>PR</strong> goodness over<br />

past programs, <strong>com</strong>pared to<br />

quantitative and qualitative<br />

before/after benchmarks. Often<br />

the improvements are much<br />

greater. The agency has strong<br />

B2B, consumer and hybrid capabilities<br />

and works with a spectrum<br />

of clients from startups to<br />

publicly traded global brands in<br />

technology, cloud, Web 2.0, consumer<br />

electronics, digital entertainment,<br />

gaming, mobile,<br />

mobile apps, and other tech<br />

related arenas. Recent Atomic<br />

campaign snapshots with<br />

detailed results metrics are here:<br />

www.atomicpr.<strong>com</strong>/results, and<br />

for the more intrepid, agency<br />

news and perspectives are here:<br />

w w w. a t o m i c p r. c o m / b l o g .<br />

Atomic has offices in San<br />

Francisco, Los Angeles, New<br />

York, London and Munich.<br />

More information at<br />

www.atomicpr.<strong>com</strong>.<br />

BATEMAN GROUP<br />

1550 Bryant St., #770<br />

San Francisco, CA 94103<br />

415/503-1818<br />

Fax: 415/503-1880<br />

info@bateman-group.<strong>com</strong><br />

www.bateman-group.<strong>com</strong><br />

Blog: www.batemanbanter.<strong>com</strong><br />

Fred Bateman, CEO & Founder<br />

Bill Bourdon, SVP<br />

Tyler L. Perry, VP<br />

Lisa Melsted, Mng. Dir.<br />

Shannon Walsh, Acct Mgr.<br />

Carolina Grimm, Acct Mgr.<br />

Bateman Group, a California<br />

corporation, is a full-service<br />

public relations and social<br />

media <strong>com</strong>munications firm<br />

working primarily with <strong>com</strong>panies<br />

in the technology industry.<br />

Differentiated by genuine<br />

content expertise, exceptional<br />

writing skills and a senior-level<br />

staffing model, Bateman<br />

40<br />

MAY 2010 WWW.ODWYER<strong>PR</strong>.COM


<strong>PR</strong>OFILES OF TOP INDEPENDENT <strong>PR</strong> FIRMS<br />

Group’s objective is to make a<br />

bigger market impact for a<br />

smaller, more select group of<br />

<strong>com</strong>panies. Bateman Group was<br />

among the first to deliver a truly<br />

integrated service offering,<br />

<strong>com</strong>bining best practices in<br />

social media marketing and traditional<br />

<strong>PR</strong> to help clients<br />

improve customer connectivity,<br />

corporate reputation and sales<br />

lead generation as well as nurture<br />

individual opinions and<br />

attitudes about their brands. The<br />

firm is headquartered in San<br />

Francisco with additional consultants<br />

in New York City and<br />

Boston.<br />

Clients: Baynote, CoreMedia,<br />

Guardian Analytics, Jericho<br />

Forum, Kapow Technologies,<br />

Little Kids Rock, The Open<br />

Group, OPENLANE, Panda<br />

Security, Passenger, Platform<br />

Computing, Solace Systems,<br />

StepStone.<br />

BLAZE<br />

The Clock Tower<br />

225 Santa Monica Blvd., 3rd Flr.<br />

Santa Monica, CA 90401<br />

310/395-5050<br />

www.blazepr.<strong>com</strong><br />

Craig Rexroad, President<br />

BLAZE is the nationally recognized<br />

<strong>PR</strong> firm that attracts<br />

<strong>com</strong>pelling and aggressive consumer<br />

brands that need to win.<br />

BLAZE develops campaigns that<br />

help our clients create or reclaim<br />

relevance in the marketplace.<br />

Utilizing <strong>com</strong>prehensive strategic<br />

<strong>com</strong>munications campaigns<br />

to differentiate and elevate our<br />

clients from their <strong>com</strong>petitors,<br />

we are able to exceed our clients’<br />

expectations when it <strong>com</strong>es to<br />

positioning them to their audiences<br />

and attracting positive<br />

attention from both consumers<br />

and the media. BLAZE also<br />

offers full public affairs capabilities<br />

through its parent <strong>com</strong>pany<br />

DAVIES.<br />

Clients: 7-Eleven, CB Richard<br />

Elllis, Discus Dental, Eldorado<br />

Hotel & Spa, Luxury Link, The<br />

Oaks at Ojai, Marina del Rey<br />

CVB, Private Trade Winds, Pure<br />

Life Dental, Renaissance<br />

Esmeralda, Shell Vacations<br />

Hospitality, Snowcreek Resort,<br />

Viking River Cruises, Westin<br />

Casuarina Resort & Spa Grand<br />

Cayman, Westin St. Maarten<br />

Dawn Beach Resort & Spa and<br />

Westin St. Maarten Dawn Beach<br />

Residences.<br />

BLUE <strong>PR</strong>ACTICE<br />

INCORPORATED<br />

388 Market Street, Suite 1400<br />

San Francisco, CA 94111<br />

415/381-1100<br />

www.bluepractice.<strong>com</strong><br />

twitter.<strong>com</strong>/BluePractice<br />

Jessica Switzer and Tim Gnatek,<br />

Partners & Co-Founders<br />

Sustainable product and<br />

clean technology <strong>com</strong>panies<br />

deserve clear, informed <strong>com</strong>munications<br />

strategies from<br />

industry insiders who speak<br />

their language.<br />

We’re a boutique marketing<br />

and public relations group solely<br />

dedicated to these <strong>com</strong>panies<br />

and organizations. We’re a<br />

voice for innovation and new<br />

technologies that address environmental<br />

solutions and issues,<br />

and we’re making an impact on<br />

awareness and behavior with<br />

marketing and <strong>PR</strong> campaigns<br />

for a cleaner future.<br />

Claims to fame include the<br />

launch of the world’s fastest<br />

electric sportbike, the Mission<br />

One, for Mission Motors at<br />

TED2009, helping a leading<br />

smart grid <strong>com</strong>pany grow its<br />

mindshare faster than its <strong>com</strong>petitors,<br />

and launching the<br />

world’s largest solar show in<br />

the US. We represent clients we<br />

are passionate about: world<br />

changers and emerging brands<br />

such as PACT; William<br />

McDonough, the esteemed coauthor<br />

of Cradle to Cradle, and<br />

his enterprises, William<br />

McDonough + Partners and<br />

“Cradle to Cradle” certification<br />

and consulting firm,<br />

McDonough Braungart Design<br />

Chemistry (MBDC); thin film<br />

solar market leader MiaSole;<br />

LED lighting world leader<br />

Lemnis Lighting and numerous<br />

others.<br />

Blue Practice blurs the line<br />

between marketing and <strong>PR</strong>,<br />

offering content development,<br />

social media campaigns and<br />

reputation management to help<br />

its clients navigate and build<br />

their brands in a digital world.<br />

We are experts in corporate<br />

<strong>com</strong>munications as well,<br />

specifically, crisis management<br />

and investor relations, and have<br />

worked with teams pre-IPO and<br />

post listing to maximize a <strong>com</strong>pany’s<br />

transition from private<br />

to public.<br />

Blue Practice really gets behind a launch. Jessica Switzer and team<br />

Mission Motors secured the designer and the venue: Yves Behar<br />

design and the world’s fastest electric plug-in motorcycle launched<br />

at TED2009).<br />

BORDERS +<br />

GRATEHOUSE<br />

515 Pacific Avenue<br />

San Francisco, CA 94133<br />

415/963-4174<br />

Emily@bordersgratehouse.<strong>com</strong><br />

Kathleen@bordersgratehouse.<strong>com</strong><br />

www.bordersgratehouse.<strong>com</strong><br />

Founded in 2007, Borders +<br />

Gratehouse offers a unique <strong>com</strong>bination<br />

of drive, imagination<br />

and experience that only <strong>com</strong>es<br />

from decades of success in <strong>PR</strong><br />

and journalism. Our <strong>com</strong>mitment<br />

to partnership means that<br />

you get the senior level attention<br />

when you need it most —<br />

always.<br />

The result is more than awareness<br />

— it's action. It's building<br />

the industry credibility and<br />

standout reputation that leads to<br />

increased sales, improved valuation,<br />

and lasting business value.<br />

In the end, it's about meeting<br />

your business objectives through<br />

strategic <strong>com</strong>munications by<br />

turning ideas into action.<br />

The Borders + Gratehouse<br />

team has experience spanning<br />

consumer and lifestyle brands to<br />

mobility and enterprise technologies.<br />

BUCHANAN<br />

PUBLIC RELATIONS<br />

700 Pont Reading Rd., Suite 200<br />

Ardmore, PA 19003<br />

610/649-9292<br />

www.buchananpr.<strong>com</strong><br />

Twitter: @annebuchanan<br />

Anne A. Buchanan, A<strong>PR</strong>, Pres.<br />

Nancy J. Page, Vice President<br />

Philadelphia-based Buchanan<br />

Public Relations LLC is a full-service<br />

public relations and social<br />

media firm that represents B2B and<br />

B2C clients in a broad range of<br />

industries. We develop strategic<br />

public relations programs that tap<br />

traditional and social media to help<br />

our clients move their businesses<br />

forward.<br />

Our operating philosophy is: Do<br />

the right thing — and do it extraordinarily<br />

well. We seek out clients<br />

who are interested in building a collaborative<br />

partnership, and we are<br />

relentless in our quest to deliver<br />

strategic <strong>com</strong>munications services<br />

that help them meet their organization’s<br />

business goals. Buchanan<br />

Public Relations is a founding<br />

member of the Public Relations<br />

Global Network (prgn.<strong>com</strong>), a network<br />

of 45 independent public relations<br />

firms around the world.<br />

MAY 2010 WWW.ODWYER<strong>PR</strong>.COM 41


<strong>PR</strong>OFILES OF TOP INDEPENDENT <strong>PR</strong> FIRMS<br />

Meet Coyne <strong>PR</strong>! Our staff of nearly 100 professionals is what makes our<br />

agency great. The agency was recognized with more than 60 industry<br />

honors in 2009.<br />

BUTLER<br />

ASSOCIATES, LLC<br />

204 East 23rd Street<br />

New York, NY 10010<br />

212/685-4600<br />

TButler@ButlerAssociates.<strong>com</strong><br />

www.ButlerAssociates.<strong>com</strong><br />

Thomas P. Butler, President<br />

Stuart E. Miller, Senior Vice<br />

President<br />

Butler Associates represents a<br />

prestigious roster of clients in<br />

the environmental, energy and<br />

public affairs sectors. In 2008<br />

O’Dwyers named the firm the<br />

2nd fastest growing independent<br />

<strong>PR</strong> agency and for 2010, the<br />

firm’s Environmental and<br />

Public Affairs practice has<br />

expanded to be<strong>com</strong>e the 21st<br />

largest in the U.S.<br />

The firm manages public<br />

awareness and media campaigns<br />

on the local, state and national<br />

level. Some of the firm’s<br />

unique practice groups include:<br />

Energy & Sustainability; First<br />

Responders; and Political<br />

Campaigns.<br />

With a senior management<br />

team possessing over 50 years<br />

industry experience, Butler<br />

Associates manages and directs<br />

media, editorial page, and educational<br />

campaigns and successful<br />

coalition and stakeholder<br />

development efforts.<br />

Our programs have included<br />

successful shareowner proxy<br />

campaigns at a Fortune 100<br />

firm; launching the first public<br />

awareness campaigns explaining<br />

the dangers of the gasoline<br />

additive MTBE; illustrating the<br />

plight of first responders who<br />

worked at the World Trade<br />

Center site; and directing <strong>com</strong>munications<br />

for a major city<br />

mayoral campaign.<br />

CATAPULT <strong>PR</strong>-IR<br />

6560 Gunpark Dr., Suite C<br />

Boulder, CO 80301<br />

303/581-7760<br />

Toll Free: 877/700-7760<br />

www.catapultpr-ir.<strong>com</strong><br />

Guy Murrel, Terri Douglas,<br />

Principals<br />

Ranked the leading technology<br />

<strong>PR</strong> agency in Colorado, Catapult<br />

<strong>PR</strong>-IR provides clients with an<br />

entire spectrum of strategic public<br />

and investor relations services<br />

exclusively for high-technology<br />

<strong>com</strong>panies. Services include positioning<br />

and messaging; writing,<br />

aggressive media and industry analyst<br />

relations.<br />

In addition to traditional <strong>PR</strong>,<br />

Catapult has introduced Rich Media<br />

Webcasting services that help <strong>com</strong>panies<br />

transcend their <strong>com</strong>munications<br />

beyond the written word to<br />

Web-based multi-media that<br />

includes audio, video and graphic<br />

content. Catapult can quickly and<br />

easily capture presentations, including<br />

product launches, employee<br />

<strong>com</strong>munications, executive briefings<br />

and virtual press tours.<br />

Catapult’s rich media services<br />

offer another dimension of “humanized”<br />

<strong>com</strong>munications to the traditional<br />

<strong>PR</strong>/IR mix.<br />

Catapult’s personal and professional<br />

service, along with partnerlevel<br />

account engagement and strategy,<br />

makes it the preferred agency<br />

for substantial <strong>PR</strong> results.<br />

COONEY/WATERS<br />

GROUP<br />

90 Fifth Avenue, Suite 800<br />

New York, NY 10011<br />

212/886-2200<br />

www.cooneywaters.<strong>com</strong><br />

www.alembichealth.<strong>com</strong><br />

Lenore Cooney, Chairman<br />

Cooney/Waters Group, ranked<br />

among the top independent health<br />

care agencies in the U.S., is a midsized<br />

firm that provides the full<br />

range of public relations and public<br />

affairs services to healthcare, pharmaceutical<br />

and biotechnology<br />

enterprises in the non-profit, government,<br />

academic and industrial<br />

sectors throughout the world.<br />

Headquartered in New York,<br />

Cooney/Waters is focused exclusively<br />

in health and science across<br />

many therapeutic areas and health<br />

industries, and provides all clients,<br />

regardless of size, direct involvement<br />

of a long-tenured senior team.<br />

Alembic Health Communications<br />

(www.alembichealth.<strong>com</strong>), a wholly<br />

owned subsidiary of<br />

Cooney/Waters, specializes in <strong>com</strong>munications<br />

programs for clients in<br />

the area of health advocacy.<br />

COOPERKATZ &<br />

COMPANY, INC.<br />

205 Lexington Avenue., 5th Flr.<br />

New York, NY 10016<br />

917/595-3030<br />

Fax: 917/326-8997<br />

www.cooperkatz.<strong>com</strong><br />

Andy Cooper, Principal<br />

Ralph Katz, Principal<br />

Anne Green, President and COO<br />

CooperKatz is an independent<br />

marketing/public relations firm<br />

with strong strategic and creative<br />

credentials. Headquartered in<br />

Manhattan, CooperKatz provides<br />

the professionalism, strategic thinking<br />

and experience of a large global<br />

agency, but operates with the<br />

nimbleness, hands-on client focus<br />

and results orientation of a midsize<br />

firm. Capabilities are organized<br />

under three resource areas:<br />

Public Relations: Creating corporate,<br />

marketing and public affairs<br />

campaigns.<br />

Cogence: Leveraging consumergenerated<br />

and social media channels.<br />

CooperKatz Productions:<br />

Producing meetings, events and<br />

multi-media creative elements.<br />

COYNE <strong>PR</strong><br />

14 Walsh Drive<br />

Parsippany, NJ 07054<br />

973/316-1665<br />

www.coynepr.<strong>com</strong><br />

1065 Avenue of the Americas<br />

28th Floor<br />

New York, NY 10018<br />

212/938-0166<br />

Thomas F. Coyne, CEO<br />

Rich Lukis, President<br />

Dave Carter, Kelly Dencker, John<br />

Gogarty, Tim Schramm, SVPs<br />

Dr. Norman Booth, D. Litt, Chris<br />

Brienza, Wayne Catan, Joe<br />

Gargiulo, Jennifer Kamienski,<br />

Kevin Lamb, Melissa McAllister,<br />

Brian Murphy, Sue Murphy,<br />

Geoffrey Phelps, Deborah<br />

Sierchio, Lisa Wolleon, VPs<br />

Coyne Public Relations is a leading<br />

independent public relations<br />

agency, representing some of the<br />

world’s most well-known brands in<br />

categories including Automotive,<br />

Beauty & Fashion, Food &<br />

Beverage, Health Care, Nutrition &<br />

Wellness, Pet Products, Retail &<br />

Restaurant, Sports, Technology,<br />

Toys & Juvenile Products and<br />

Travel. From traditional to social<br />

media, we <strong>com</strong>bine strategy and<br />

creativity to generate the best possible<br />

results for our clients — taking<br />

each and every client exactly where<br />

they want to be, and beyond.<br />

Coyne <strong>PR</strong> specializes in a range<br />

of services, including brand building,<br />

product launches, events &<br />

promotions, sponsorship activation,<br />

corporate <strong>com</strong>munications,<br />

cause marketing, social media, corporate<br />

social responsibility and crisis<br />

management. Named <strong>PR</strong>Week’s<br />

2009 Midsize Agency of the Year,<br />

Coyne <strong>PR</strong> boasts an employee<br />

retention rate of 98 percent, an<br />

internal digital design studio to support<br />

our clients’ needs and always<br />

provides a best team approach to<br />

every account.<br />

CROSBY<br />

MARKETING<br />

COMMUNICATIONS<br />

705 Melvin Avenue<br />

Annapolis, MD 21401<br />

410/626-0805<br />

www.crosbymarketing.<strong>com</strong><br />

Raymond Crosby, President<br />

Since 1973, Crosby has developed<br />

integrated <strong>com</strong>munications<br />

programs that help clients make<br />

powerful connections with their<br />

customers, constituents and <strong>com</strong>munities.<br />

The firm’s award-winning campaigns<br />

have touched the lives of virtually<br />

every American<br />

— influencing opinions, changing<br />

behaviors and inspiring actions that<br />

matter.<br />

The Crosby team includes 50<br />

professionals with specialized practices<br />

in Healthcare, Senior Living,<br />

Federal Government and Social<br />

Continued on page 44<br />

42<br />

MAY 2010 WWW.ODWYER<strong>PR</strong>.COM


<strong>PR</strong>OFILES OF TOP INDEPENDENT <strong>PR</strong> FIRMS<br />

Devine + Powers handled the media relations and <strong>com</strong>munications<br />

strategies for Pro Cycling Tour, the organizers of the TD Bank<br />

Philadelphia International Cycling Championship. The largest single-day,<br />

all professional bicycle race in the U.S., the race is considered<br />

the foundation of American pro cycling. The 25th year of the<br />

Philadelphia International Cycling Championship generated significant<br />

media exposure, with print circulation numbers totaling more<br />

than 25 million. The event wel<strong>com</strong>ed 400 professional cyclists from<br />

more than 20 nations and close to 1,000 amateur cyclists in ancillary<br />

events. Pictured is the start line, as seen from the press tent.<br />

CROSBY MARKETING COMMS.<br />

Continued from page 42<br />

Marketing & Advocacy. The firm<br />

ranks among the top agencies in the<br />

Mid-Atlantic region, and has headquarters<br />

in Maryland’s State capital<br />

of Annapolis and offices in<br />

Washington, D.C.<br />

Clients include Kaiser<br />

Permanente, Social Security<br />

Administration, Saint Joseph<br />

Medical Center, DuPont Legal,<br />

U.S. Department of Education,<br />

Catholic Communication<br />

Campaign, National Association of<br />

Social Workers, and USDA.<br />

In the past year alone, Crosby has<br />

received more than 25 regional and<br />

national <strong>PR</strong> awards. To review case<br />

studies and a creative portfolio, visit<br />

www.crosbymarketing.<strong>com</strong>.<br />

DAVIES<br />

Headquarters:<br />

808 State Street<br />

Santa Barbara, CA 93101<br />

jdavies@daviespublicaffairs.<strong>com</strong><br />

www.DaviesPublicAffairs.<strong>com</strong><br />

Los Angeles: 310/395-9510<br />

Chicago: 312/239-6444<br />

Washington, D.C.: 202/580-8930<br />

Santa Barbara: 805/963-5929<br />

John Davies, CEO<br />

Robb Rice, EVP<br />

Lisa Palmer, SVP<br />

Taylor Canfield and Michael<br />

Wong, Practice Leaders<br />

Joshua Boisvert, Director<br />

Mark Saunders, Senior Strategist<br />

Pia Dorer, Marketing Manager<br />

Caitlin Steele, Office Manager<br />

Winning approval and succeeding<br />

today is tied directly to your<br />

ability to rapidly reach out, engage<br />

others, and do so while everyone<br />

watches. Davies creates messages<br />

that motivate individuals to stand<br />

up, speak out, and take action, influencing<br />

the approval process at all<br />

levels. Davies develops <strong>com</strong>plex<br />

<strong>com</strong>munications strategies across<br />

multiple industries including; creating<br />

patient adherence programs for<br />

international pharmaceutical <strong>com</strong>panies,<br />

redeveloping controversial<br />

natural resource extraction and mining<br />

projects, permitting energy<br />

facilities in sensitive environments<br />

(wind to coal plants), gaining<br />

approval for real estate developments<br />

facing tough NIMBY opposition,<br />

as well as managing the <strong>com</strong>munications<br />

for crisis of all types.<br />

Davies uses authentic grassroots to<br />

generate real results. Our unique<br />

approach to research, message<br />

development and targeted outreach,<br />

using all <strong>com</strong>munication channels,<br />

has resulted in a 96% success rate,<br />

turning more than 450 controversial<br />

public affairs issues into wins for<br />

our clients. There’s no time for a<br />

learning curve when controversial<br />

issues threaten the success of your<br />

project.<br />

Since 1983, Davies has consistently<br />

ranked among the top strategic<br />

<strong>com</strong>munications firms, placing<br />

in the top firms nationally and<br />

receiving hundreds of industry<br />

awards for its campaigns and creative<br />

work. Davies offers public<br />

affairs expertise across multiple<br />

industries, with five specialized<br />

practice areas in Energy, Mining,<br />

Pharma/Biotech, Real Estate &<br />

Crisis Management. Clients include<br />

Fortune 100 <strong>com</strong>panies and top<br />

names in 46 states. To ensure you<br />

have the right messages, strategy<br />

and tactics to win, we’re standing<br />

by at daviespublicaffairs.<strong>com</strong>.<br />

DAWSON +<br />

MURRAY + TEAGUE<br />

COMMUNICATIONS<br />

4809 Cole Avenue, Suite 350<br />

Dallas, TX 75205<br />

214/520-7550<br />

Fax: 214/520-7568<br />

www.dmt<strong>com</strong>munications.<strong>com</strong><br />

Dawson + Murray + Teague<br />

Communications is a leading marketing<br />

<strong>com</strong>munications agency<br />

built on more than 20 years of <strong>com</strong>mitment<br />

to our clients. Our experienced<br />

team of pros are passionate<br />

about this business, and deliver<br />

innovative thinking and flawless<br />

execution that directly supports our<br />

clients’ business goals. Agency<br />

services include: branding, corporate<br />

social responsibility, design,<br />

employee engagement, events,<br />

media relations/media training,<br />

national campaigns, strategic partnerships,<br />

public affairs, video production<br />

and writing.<br />

Current clients include:<br />

dfwrealtors.<strong>com</strong> — The MetroTex<br />

Association of Realtors ® , Furmanite<br />

Worldwide, Inc., National Center<br />

for Family Literacy, Parkland<br />

Foundation,<br />

Verizon<br />

Communications, Verizon<br />

Foundation and Workforce<br />

Solutions Greater Dallas.<br />

Learn more about D+M+T at<br />

www.dmt<strong>com</strong>munications.<strong>com</strong>.<br />

DEVINE + POWERS<br />

1801 Market Street, Suite 290<br />

Philadelphia, PA 19103<br />

215/568-2525<br />

www.devinepowers.<strong>com</strong><br />

Headquartered in Philadelphia,<br />

D+P represents leading <strong>com</strong>panies<br />

and brands based in the Mid-<br />

Atlantic region including Tiffany &<br />

Co., The Philadelphia Inquirer,<br />

Daily News and Philly.<strong>com</strong>; Sunoco<br />

Logistics; FXI Foamex<br />

Innovations; Advanced Sensor<br />

Technology; Hotel Palomar and<br />

AMC Institute.<br />

At D+P, we get people talking<br />

about your brand. We know all of<br />

the right places to start the conversation.<br />

Sometimes we start conversations<br />

through media outreach;<br />

other times through word of mouth<br />

or social media platforms. When<br />

necessary, we can also stop conversations<br />

about your brand before<br />

they start.<br />

Unlike the traditional agency<br />

approach, Devine + Powers guarantees<br />

a senior strategist with a minimum<br />

of 15 years experience as the<br />

direct contact for every client.<br />

We are pleased to announce the<br />

launch of our social media practice.<br />

This new practice will leverage<br />

all of the possible social media platforms<br />

to benefit our client brands.<br />

These strategies can be fully integrated<br />

into existing programs or can<br />

stand alone.<br />

DYE, VAN MOL &<br />

LAWRENCE, INC.<br />

Public Relations and Advertising<br />

209 7th Avenue North<br />

Nashville, TN 37219<br />

615/244-1818<br />

www.dvl.<strong>com</strong><br />

Ronald Roberts, President & COO<br />

Dye, Van Mol & Lawrence, celebrating<br />

our 30th anniversary, is one<br />

of the south’s leading public relations<br />

and advertising agencies. Our<br />

capabilities include the latest in<br />

<strong>com</strong>munications technology and<br />

alternative solutions while remaining<br />

faithful to the tried and true<br />

principles on which we were built.<br />

We support our capabilities with<br />

great people on the DVL team.<br />

These great people excel at client<br />

collaboration, breakthrough thinking,<br />

successful strategy, award-winning<br />

creative, iconic branding and<br />

results-driven public relations programs.<br />

When your brand speaks with<br />

one voice, consistently across all<br />

public relations and advertising<br />

media — and listens intently as<br />

well — there is a powerful connection<br />

with your target audience.<br />

That’s our aim: to connect you with<br />

your audiences and make your<br />

organization successful.<br />

Clients include: Jack Daniel’s,<br />

Bridgestone Americas, Inc.,<br />

Goodwill Industries, Johnston &<br />

Murphy, Psychiatric Solutions, Inc.,<br />

Lips<strong>com</strong>b University, Tractor<br />

Supply Co. and Logan’s<br />

Roadhouse.<br />

EDGE<br />

COMMUNICATIONS,<br />

INC.<br />

17328 Ventura Blvd., Suite 324<br />

Encino, CA 91316<br />

818/990-5001<br />

Fax: 818/990-5016<br />

info@edge<strong>com</strong>municationsinc.<strong>com</strong><br />

Founded in 1996, Edge<br />

Communications, Inc. is an innovative<br />

all-star team of <strong>com</strong>muni-<br />

44<br />

MAY 2010 WWW.ODWYER<strong>PR</strong>.COM


<strong>PR</strong>OFILES OF TOP INDEPENDENT <strong>PR</strong> FIRMS<br />

cations professionals, unified by a<br />

no-nonsense approach that builds<br />

brands, <strong>com</strong>panies and reputations.<br />

Through “better thinking<br />

and relentless execution,” we<br />

express our work ethic and our<br />

core values of quality and premium,<br />

personal service. We’re a<br />

hybrid organization — virtual for<br />

professional services, traditional<br />

for administrative support. We<br />

think, we write, we pitch — and<br />

we use the news media strategically<br />

to help our clients grow.<br />

Edge consists of 20+ senior <strong>PR</strong><br />

strategists, media relations<br />

experts and writers, each of<br />

whom brings a minimum of 10<br />

years’ experience and industry<br />

segment expertise across a range<br />

of <strong>com</strong>munications disciplines.<br />

Most Edge team members have<br />

served with major public relations<br />

agencies and/or specialty<br />

firms at the VP level or above.<br />

Our team is also peppered with<br />

senior editorial professionals,<br />

alumni of notable business and<br />

trade publications. Edge is ranked<br />

among the top 50 tech <strong>PR</strong> firms<br />

nationally by the respected industry<br />

journal O’Dwyer’s.<br />

Based in Los Angeles, Edge<br />

has a presence in New York, San<br />

Francisco, Portland, Minneapolis,<br />

Seattle and Boston. Client experience<br />

en<strong>com</strong>passes B2C, B2B and<br />

corporate work. Our clients range<br />

from pre-IPO startups to members<br />

of the Fortune 1000 — in<br />

technology, consumer products,<br />

life sciences, professional services,<br />

e-business, advertising and<br />

human resources.<br />

ETC, INC.<br />

31 Triangle Park Drive<br />

Cincinnati, OH 45246<br />

513/772-7903<br />

pat.esposito@etc-online.<strong>com</strong><br />

www.etc-online.<strong>com</strong><br />

Pat Esposito, Principal,<br />

President, & CEO<br />

Bethany Dale, A<strong>PR</strong>, Principal,<br />

Vice President<br />

Environmental Technologies<br />

and Communications, Inc. is a<br />

Midwest <strong>PR</strong> firm that deals<br />

exclusively with environmental,<br />

health and safety issues.<br />

The firm was founded in 1994<br />

and currently maintains a staff of<br />

25. Clients are primarily public<br />

utilities and major manufacturers<br />

who turn to ETC for support<br />

when they have an emerging EHS<br />

issue, or one that has already<br />

attracted public attention and<br />

concern.<br />

ETC works with industrial<br />

clients facing state/federal consent<br />

orders for environmental<br />

pollution. ETC also provides<br />

<strong>com</strong>munication assistance to<br />

clients with construction, demolition,<br />

and remediation projects<br />

that will directly affect neighboring<br />

properties. Sometimes,<br />

clients seek assistance when government<br />

action shines a new light<br />

on some aspect of their operations.<br />

Communication plans and<br />

strategies are custom-designed to<br />

fit the situation, and may include<br />

media relations, <strong>com</strong>munity outreach,<br />

public meetings and<br />

involvement, opinion surveys, ad<br />

campaigns, and other forms of<br />

employee/stakeholder <strong>com</strong>munications.<br />

Topics range from buried<br />

wastes, contaminated buildings,<br />

impacted soils, polluted streams,<br />

and contaminated groundwater,<br />

safe drinking water, and sewage<br />

collection/treatment, to plant<br />

odors, toxic emissions, and<br />

indoor air.<br />

ETC has been repeatedly recognized<br />

for its outstanding work<br />

by <strong>PR</strong>SA, IABC, the<br />

International Academy of<br />

Communications Arts and<br />

Sciences/MarComm, the<br />

International Academy of the<br />

Visual Arts, and others in national<br />

and international <strong>PR</strong> award<br />

<strong>com</strong>petitions since 1996.<br />

FAHLGREN<br />

MORTINE PUBLIC<br />

RELATIONS<br />

4030 Easton Station, Suite 300<br />

Columbus, OH 43219<br />

614/383-1500<br />

Fax: 614/383-1501<br />

neil.mortine@fahlgren.<strong>com</strong><br />

Neil Mortine, President & CEO<br />

Breakthrough results happen<br />

because we raise the bar every<br />

day. We blend experience, creativity<br />

and innovation to get<br />

results. And then some. The out<strong>com</strong>e<br />

A client satisfaction rating<br />

five times the national average.<br />

Award-winning work with the<br />

nation’s best brands including<br />

McDonald’s, Kroger, Emerson,<br />

Cardinal Health, Elmer’s,<br />

Balloon Time, Worthington<br />

Industries, Kidde, Sherwin-<br />

Williams, Ohio Tourism<br />

Division, Nationwide Children’s<br />

Hospital, and Leggett & Platt.<br />

The ability to reach audiences<br />

Feintuch Communications staffers (L to R): Jules Abraham, Jeannine<br />

Kilbride, Savannah Tikotsky, Christa Conte and Henry Feintuch.<br />

globally through our involvement<br />

with the Council of Public<br />

Relations <strong>Firm</strong>s and membership<br />

in I<strong>PR</strong>EX. And now since our<br />

acquisition of Edward Howard,<br />

we’re ranked #22.<br />

Fahlgren Mortine. A leading,<br />

independent firm with a full<br />

range of public relations and marketing<br />

<strong>com</strong>munications services<br />

under one roof, from heady issues<br />

and crisis management counsel to<br />

the creative and practical application<br />

of new media — all to tell a<br />

<strong>com</strong>pelling story for our clients.<br />

FEINTUCH<br />

COMMUNICATIONS<br />

245 Park Ave., 39th Flr.<br />

New York, NY 10167<br />

212/808-4901<br />

Fax: 212/808-4915<br />

info@feintuchpr.<strong>com</strong><br />

www.feintuch<strong>com</strong>munications.<strong>com</strong><br />

www.ecpglobal.<strong>com</strong><br />

Henry Feintuch, President<br />

Feintuch Communications is a<br />

strategic relations firm that delivers<br />

an integrated set of services including<br />

public relations, investor relations<br />

and marketing and creative<br />

services. We enjoy decades of<br />

experience in developing and<br />

implementing successful technology<br />

public relations programs for<br />

organizations of all types and sizes<br />

and have specific domain expertise<br />

in technology, financial services,<br />

healthcare and life sciences and<br />

advertising & media.<br />

For technology start-ups and<br />

<strong>com</strong>panies targeting the U.S.,<br />

we’ve developed a business services<br />

firm — JumpStart Global<br />

Advisors (jumpstartglobal.<strong>com</strong>) —<br />

that allows them to enter the market<br />

quickly and efficiently — everything<br />

from legal, accounting,<br />

administrative, HR and recruitment<br />

to business development and distribution<br />

services — coupled with the<br />

appropriately scaled public relations,<br />

online and broad marketing<br />

initiatives to generate inquiries.<br />

Feintuch Communications is a<br />

member of ECP Global, an international<br />

alliance of premier independent<br />

public relations consultancies.<br />

FOODMINDS, LLC<br />

One Tower Lane, Suite 2610<br />

Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181<br />

630/571-4150<br />

Fax: 630/571-4226<br />

info@foodminds.<strong>com</strong><br />

blayden@foodminds.<strong>com</strong><br />

lcubillos@foodminds.<strong>com</strong><br />

spitman@foodminds.<strong>com</strong><br />

www.foodminds.<strong>com</strong><br />

Laura Cubillos, RD, Bill<br />

Layden, Sue Pitman, MA, RD,<br />

Partners<br />

A food and nutrition <strong>com</strong>pany<br />

that harnesses science, public<br />

affairs and <strong>com</strong>munications,<br />

FoodMinds’ vision is to be a trusted<br />

partner in producing novel food<br />

and nutrition positions and programs<br />

that shape the future for its<br />

clients. We apply knowledge, critical<br />

thinking and industry connections<br />

to help our clients tell a better<br />

story that makes a difference. We<br />

pride ourselves on the right mix of<br />

talented, seasoned and motivated<br />

professionals — registered dietitians,<br />

consumer marketers, media<br />

strategists, PhDs, science writers<br />

and policy experts — to challenge<br />

the status quo and achieve great<br />

things for our clients.<br />

FoodMinds clients include:<br />

Applegate Farms, Bush Brothers<br />

and Company, Distilled Spirits<br />

Council of the United States,<br />

Dairy Management Inc., Hass,<br />

Avocado Board, Kashi Company,<br />

Kellogg Company, National<br />

Confectioners Association, and<br />

Welch Foods Inc.<br />

MAY 2010 WWW.ODWYER<strong>PR</strong>.COM 45


<strong>PR</strong>OFILES OF TOP INDEPENDENT <strong>PR</strong> FIRMS<br />

Hunter <strong>PR</strong> has been an independently owned firm for 21 years, which<br />

allows us the flexibility to take on pro bono clients that appeal to our<br />

staff’s interest and experience. Hunter <strong>PR</strong> has worked with the New<br />

York City Clothing Bank for three years. This March staffers passed<br />

around flowers on the first day of spring to help raise awareness and<br />

funding for the organization. Hunter <strong>PR</strong> encouraged people to<br />

be<strong>com</strong>e a Facebook fan of Hunter <strong>PR</strong> and for every new fan through<br />

the end of March we donated money to the organization.<br />

GIBBS & SOELL,<br />

INC.<br />

60 E. 42nd St., 44th Flr.<br />

New York, NY 10165<br />

212/697-2600<br />

Fax: 212/697-2646<br />

www.gibbs-soell.<strong>com</strong><br />

Cos Mallozzi, CEO<br />

Luke Lambert, Pres. & Mng. Dir.<br />

Founded in 1971, Gibbs &<br />

Soell Public Relations (G&S) is<br />

a leading global independent<br />

public relations firm with headquarters<br />

in New York, full-service<br />

offices in Chicago, Raleigh,<br />

N.C. and Zurich, Switzerland,<br />

and a global footprint in more<br />

than 30 countries through affiliate<br />

partners and its membership<br />

in Public Relations Organisation<br />

International. Solving our<br />

clients’ business challenges<br />

drives everything we do. Our<br />

passion for excellence, <strong>com</strong>bined<br />

with an innovative, diligent<br />

approach to problem solving,<br />

delivers value-driven<br />

results. We blend strategic planning<br />

and counsel, creativity,<br />

quality writing and professional<br />

media relations with deep industry<br />

knowledge to the daily benefit<br />

of our clients’ businesses.<br />

Gibbs & Soell is not all things to<br />

all people. While we have broad<br />

experience in a number of industries,<br />

we focus our expertise in<br />

core markets where we deliver<br />

effective, value-driven <strong>com</strong>munications<br />

programs that build on<br />

our experience, knowledge and<br />

leadership. Those markets<br />

include advanced manufacturing<br />

and energy; agribusiness and<br />

food; consumer lifestyle and<br />

building solutions; professional<br />

services; and technology and<br />

general science. In these industries,<br />

we understand the issues<br />

and challenges you face in conducting<br />

business, as well as the<br />

critical importance of customer<br />

relationships and the rapidly<br />

changing dynamics of the marketplace.<br />

We apply our strengths<br />

to help you market products and<br />

services, build strong brands,<br />

manage issues and grow key<br />

relationships. In short, the success<br />

of your business is at the<br />

heart of what we do. G&S’ service<br />

portfolio includes corporate<br />

<strong>com</strong>munications; marketing<br />

<strong>com</strong>munications; event marketing<br />

/ management; employee<br />

<strong>com</strong>munications; leadership<br />

positioning; digital and social<br />

media <strong>com</strong>munications, <strong>com</strong>munications<br />

training and <strong>com</strong>munications<br />

research and evaluation.<br />

Partial client listing: ACC /<br />

Center for the Polyurethanes<br />

Industry, ACC / CyberSecurity,<br />

Alsons, American Society of<br />

Home Inspectors, American<br />

Woodmark Corporation,<br />

Association of Pool and Spa<br />

Professionals, Big Ass Fans,<br />

Carter Ledyard & Milburn,<br />

CraftMaster Manufacturing,<br />

Dow Chemical Company,<br />

Dupont Performance<br />

Elastomers, ERA Real Estate,<br />

Firestone Building Products,<br />

Fitzpatrick, Cella, Harper &<br />

Scinto, GE Rail Services,<br />

Georgia-Pacific, Honeywell,<br />

Kaldewei, Kitchen Cabinet<br />

Manufacturers Association,<br />

Miele USA, Million Dollar<br />

Round Table, Molex, National<br />

Elevator Industry, Inc., Novartis<br />

Animal Health, Oberweis<br />

Securities, Panasonic Home &<br />

Environment Company, Ply<br />

Gem Industries, RSC Equipment<br />

Rental, Schindler Elevator,<br />

Seward & Kissel, Stryker,<br />

Syngenta, Trade Commission of<br />

Spain, Tridion Inc., Trustmark<br />

Insurance<br />

GIBRALTAR<br />

ASSOCIATES<br />

815 Connecticut Ave., NW, Ste. 800<br />

Washington, DC 20006<br />

202/534-1700<br />

202/534-1715<br />

Fax: 202/534-1701<br />

www.Gibraltar-llc.<strong>com</strong><br />

Founded in 2007, Gibraltar<br />

Associates is an agency with a mission:<br />

We believe that great <strong>com</strong>munications<br />

begins with an idea, and<br />

great ideas can transform businesses,<br />

industries and policies and the<br />

world.<br />

With offices in Washington,<br />

D.C. and Los Angeles and a professional<br />

staff of 15, Gibraltar<br />

Associates is an award-winning<br />

<strong>com</strong>munications firm, one of the<br />

fastest-growing <strong>com</strong>munications<br />

agencies in the country and one of<br />

the top 100 independently-owned<br />

agencies in the United States. We<br />

represent leaders across various<br />

industries, including start-ups, government<br />

agencies, trade associations,<br />

NGOs and the Fortune 500.<br />

Fluent in traditional <strong>com</strong>munications,<br />

public affairs and media relations,<br />

Gibraltar Associates is also a<br />

leader in Web-based <strong>com</strong>munications<br />

and social media. Taking<br />

advantage of both traditional and<br />

emerging <strong>com</strong>munications platforms,<br />

we blend diverse consulting<br />

genres to offer clients a truly holistic<br />

approach to solving challenges,<br />

providing world-class <strong>com</strong>munications<br />

counsel to clients and implementing<br />

those ideas to produce tangible<br />

business results.<br />

HAGER SHARP<br />

1090 Vermont Avenue, NW<br />

Washington, DC 20005<br />

202/842-3600<br />

Fax: 202/842-4032<br />

www.hagersharp.<strong>com</strong><br />

Garry Curtis, President & CEO<br />

Founded in 1973 and based in<br />

Washington, D.C., Hager Sharp<br />

is an award-winning, independent,<br />

employee-owned firm, with<br />

a broad range of experience in<br />

education, health, and public<br />

safety issues. The firm’s<br />

strengths include: national public<br />

awareness campaigns and<br />

social marketing programs that<br />

make a difference in people’s<br />

lives, partnerships that leverage<br />

our clients’ audience reach and<br />

engagement, media relations —<br />

from crisis management to targeting<br />

messages to just-the right<br />

audiences through media placements<br />

and multicultural outreach,<br />

including partnership<br />

development and media relations.<br />

Clients include National<br />

Institutes of Health, U.S.<br />

Department of Education, U.S.<br />

Department of Homeland<br />

Security, U.S. Department of<br />

Health and Human Services and<br />

the Annie E. Casey Foundation.<br />

HOPE-BECKHAM,<br />

INC.<br />

17 Executive Park Dr., Ste. 600<br />

Atlanta, GA 30329<br />

404/604-2613<br />

dvanvoorhis@hopebeckham.<strong>com</strong><br />

www.hopebeckham.<strong>com</strong><br />

David C. Van Voorhis, Dir.<br />

Business Dev./Client Rels.<br />

What separates Hope-Beckham<br />

from other <strong>PR</strong> agencies<br />

It is a hybrid … providing public<br />

relations and event marketing<br />

services to a wide range of<br />

clients.<br />

Hope-Beckham’s ability to<br />

utilize traditional and non-traditional<br />

tactics in both fields<br />

allows clients to reach their audiences<br />

in a variety of cost-effective<br />

approaches.<br />

Hope-Beckham’s experienced<br />

staff has the ability to implement<br />

<strong>com</strong>plex public relations campaigns,<br />

while maintaining the<br />

ability to professionally execute<br />

Continued on page 48<br />

46<br />

MAY 2010 WWW.ODWYER<strong>PR</strong>.COM


MayMagazine:Layout 1 5/17/10 1:16 PM Page 48<br />

<strong>PR</strong>OFILES OF TOP INDEPENDENT <strong>PR</strong> FIRMS<br />

The J Public Relations Inc. team has extensive experience creating<br />

memorable <strong>PR</strong> campaigns in the lifestyle, hospitality and travel industry<br />

for emerging and established brands alike. Some of the San Diego team<br />

(from left to right) includes Jennifer Roche, Lauren Clifford, Jessica<br />

Smith, Katherine Randall, Jamie Lynn Sigler and Kim Julin Guyader.<br />

Photo: Brevin Blach.<br />

HOPE-BECKHAM<br />

Continued from page 46<br />

all types of events — mobile<br />

tours, product/service launches.<br />

If you can dream it, Hope-<br />

Beckham can make it a reality!<br />

Hope-Beckham is dedicated to<br />

being flexible and cooperative.<br />

There is no single best way to<br />

market a <strong>com</strong>pany, product or<br />

service, but a variety of creative<br />

options to consider.<br />

HUNTER PUBLIC<br />

RELATIONS<br />

41 Madison Avenue, 5th Floor<br />

New York, NY 10010-2202<br />

212/679-6600<br />

agonzalez@hunterpr.<strong>com</strong><br />

www.hunterpr.<strong>com</strong><br />

Grace Leong, Jonathan Lyon,<br />

Claire Burke, Mark Newman,<br />

Partners<br />

Hunter Public Relations is a certified<br />

woman owned top-ranked<br />

marketing <strong>com</strong>munication firm<br />

specializing in consumer brands<br />

and lifestyle public relations.<br />

The 65-person, independently<br />

owned and operated firm has been<br />

around for 21 years and offers<br />

strategic marketing <strong>PR</strong> services<br />

including creative brainstorming<br />

and facilitation, traditional and<br />

social media relations, special event<br />

production, product introductions,<br />

anniversaries, contests, local market<br />

events, spokesperson tours and crisis<br />

counseling.<br />

Revitalizing mature brands, creating<br />

buzz around new products and<br />

building awareness among key<br />

influencer groups are among the<br />

firm’s specific areas of expertise.<br />

Clients include some of the<br />

strongest and most respected consumer<br />

brand names including Kraft<br />

Foods, Johnson & Johnson, E&J<br />

Gallo Winery, Diageo, Kellogg’s,<br />

Campbell’s, Wrigley, Arby’s, 3M,<br />

Church & Dwight, McIlhenny<br />

Company and Hasbro.<br />

J PUBLIC<br />

RELATIONS<br />

666 Greenwich Street, Suite 222<br />

New York, NY 10014<br />

646/414-2482<br />

www.jpublicrelations.<strong>com</strong><br />

Twitter: @jprpublicity<br />

1125 W. Olive St., Suite C<br />

San Diego, CA 92103<br />

619/255-7069<br />

Kim Guyade, Jamie Sigler,<br />

Founding Partners<br />

Sarah Evans, Managing Partner,<br />

New York<br />

J Public Relations (J<strong>PR</strong>) is a<br />

savvy, connected and proven hospitality<br />

and lifestyle-focused<br />

agency <strong>com</strong>mitted to providing A-<br />

list results and services for the best<br />

value. With offices on both coasts,<br />

in San Diego and New York City,<br />

J<strong>PR</strong> currently represents noteworthy<br />

clients, including W San<br />

Diego, The Chanler, The US<br />

Grant, Fluxx, Pure Entertainment<br />

Group, White Barn Inn, Stingaree<br />

and JC Resort’s Rancho Bernardo<br />

Inn and Surf & Sand Resort to<br />

name a few.<br />

J<strong>PR</strong>’s award-winning team is<br />

focused on securing noteworthy<br />

results for global clients in top local,<br />

regional and national publications<br />

and creating a “buzz” among<br />

media, influencers and industry<br />

insiders. Our clear strategy is based<br />

on clients’ goals, “wish list” and<br />

revenue-driving markets and verticals.<br />

Our solid and long-standing relationships<br />

with top journalists and<br />

freelancers nationwide, coupled<br />

with our world-class experience,<br />

have granted us trustworthy access<br />

to the right journalists at the right<br />

publications. We are a resource for<br />

national journalists working on consumer,<br />

design, food and beverage,<br />

trade, business and lifestyle articles,<br />

as well as journalists in key regional<br />

markets.<br />

JARRARD PHILLIPS<br />

CATE & HANCOCK<br />

The Horse Barn at Maryland Farms<br />

219 Ward Circle, Suite 3<br />

Brentwood, TN 37027<br />

615/254-0575<br />

Fax: 615/843-8431<br />

jatwell@jarrardinc.<strong>com</strong><br />

www.jarrardinc.<strong>com</strong><br />

Jarrard Phillips Cate &<br />

Hancock is a national healthcare<br />

public affairs firm that<br />

helps leaders of hospitals and<br />

healthcare organizations navigate<br />

<strong>com</strong>munications and political<br />

challenges during times of<br />

significant change or extraordinary<br />

opportunity. Reputation<br />

and issue management, union<br />

and regulatory entanglements,<br />

mergers and acquisitions and<br />

more. For more than a decade<br />

our professionals have delivered<br />

the intensity, smarts and<br />

discipline of winning political<br />

campaigns to the healthcare<br />

arena.<br />

JONES PUBLIC<br />

AFFAIRS<br />

1420 K Street, N.W., Suite 1050<br />

Washington, DC 20005<br />

202/591-4000<br />

Fax: 202/591-4020<br />

carrie@jonespa.<strong>com</strong><br />

www.jonespublicaffairs.<strong>com</strong><br />

Carrie Jones, Principal &<br />

Managing Director<br />

Berna Diehl, Senior VP<br />

Kathy Wahlbin, Senior VP<br />

Jennifer Rodriguez, VP<br />

Jones Public Affairs is a<br />

D.C.-based firm, specializing in<br />

healthcare <strong>com</strong>munications for<br />

non-profit, pharmaceutical and<br />

government clients. As leaders<br />

in influencer relations, JPA uses<br />

a targeted approach to reach the<br />

stakeholders who drive change.<br />

JPA is a woman-owned agency<br />

with a track record for designing<br />

and implementing strategic,<br />

results-focused campaigns.<br />

JPA offers big agency results<br />

balanced with small-firm attention.<br />

Comprised of seasoned<br />

<strong>com</strong>munications specialists,<br />

JPA offers tailored account<br />

teams with an extensive background<br />

in the five domains for<br />

successful healthcare <strong>com</strong>munications:<br />

media, advocacy, policy<br />

makers, key opinion leaders<br />

and social media.<br />

At JPA, we are passionate<br />

about our work, always striving<br />

to exceed expectations. In addition<br />

to providing strategic counsel,<br />

professional execution and<br />

detailed and attentive client<br />

service, quality and efficiency<br />

are always top of mind and<br />

never sacrificed.<br />

JS2<br />

COMMUNICATIONS<br />

661 N. Harper Ave., Suite 208<br />

Los Angeles, CA 90048<br />

323/866-0880<br />

41 E. 11th St., 11th Floor<br />

New York, NY 10003<br />

212/905-6261<br />

www.js2<strong>com</strong>m.<strong>com</strong><br />

Founded by Jeff Smith and<br />

Jill Sandin in 2001, JS2<br />

Communications is a bi-coastal<br />

public relations agency dedicated<br />

to providing clients with<br />

strategic solutions, candid<br />

counsel and tangible results.<br />

Comprised of a dynamic group<br />

of seasoned professionals, the<br />

JS2 team is passionate about its<br />

relationships with its clients<br />

and its partnerships with the<br />

teams that build them.<br />

The executive team has more<br />

than 60 years <strong>com</strong>bined experience<br />

in <strong>PR</strong> and clients have<br />

called JS2 employees energetic,<br />

resourceful, inspiring, efficient,<br />

thorough, well-prepared, accurate,<br />

smart, eager, experienced,<br />

consistent, ambitious, savvy,<br />

fluid, flexible, friendly, reliable<br />

and passionate.<br />

A true full-service <strong>PR</strong><br />

agency, JS2 Communications<br />

offers a breadth of capabilities<br />

for its clients, including proactive<br />

and reactive media relations,<br />

social media strategy and<br />

execution, executive visibility,<br />

marketing support, media measurement,<br />

celebrity seeding,<br />

events and crisis management.<br />

48<br />

MAY 2010<br />

WWW.ODWYER<strong>PR</strong>.COM


MAY 2010 WWW.ODWYER<strong>PR</strong>.COM 49<br />

<strong>PR</strong>OFILES OF TOP INDEPENDENT <strong>PR</strong> FIRMS<br />

KAPLOW<br />

19 West 44th Street, 6th Floor<br />

New York, NY 10036<br />

212/221-1713<br />

email-liz@kaplowpr.<strong>com</strong><br />

www.kaplowpr.<strong>com</strong><br />

Liz Kaplow, CEO<br />

Evan Jacobs, CFO<br />

Kaplow is an award-winning<br />

public relations firm dedicated to<br />

cultivating brand identities and reputations<br />

that nurture happy, loyal<br />

consumers. Kaplow exists for a singular<br />

reason: to emotionally connect<br />

our client’s brand story with<br />

consumers who matter. We create<br />

programs that put consumers first<br />

by identifying the media, events<br />

and people that influence them and<br />

ensuring the brand is front and center<br />

in those places.<br />

Kaplow’s creative digital strategy<br />

division, K:drive, plays an integral<br />

role in program development<br />

and execution. K:drive pushes <strong>PR</strong><br />

beyond the edges of traditional<br />

media to build word of mouth<br />

about brands, fueling conversations<br />

where they occur. K:drive expertise<br />

includes viral and social media<br />

campaigns, brand audits, blogging<br />

and blogger relations, as well as<br />

digital media training and measurement<br />

services.<br />

Clients include: Target, Skype,<br />

CVS Corp, Avon Mark & Green,<br />

Timex, Alberto Culver (Nexxus &<br />

St. Ives), CafePress, Groupe SEB<br />

(Rowenta & T-Fal), GSI<br />

Commerce, HauteLook,<br />

Coupons.<strong>com</strong>, Shiseido, Lumene,<br />

CEW, Nero, Skiff, Netflix,<br />

Meredith Corp., and More magazine.<br />

LAMBERT,<br />

EDWARDS &<br />

ASSOCIATES<br />

47 Commerce Avenue<br />

Grand Rapids, MI 49503<br />

616/233-0500<br />

Fax: 616/233-0600<br />

www.lambert-edwards.<strong>com</strong><br />

Jeffrey T. Lambert, Mng. Partner<br />

Tara Powers, Partner, Consumer<br />

Prac.<br />

Don Hunt, Partner, Health Care &<br />

Emerging Technology Prac.<br />

Ken Zak, Managing Dir., Financial<br />

Communications Prac.<br />

Sam Locricchio, Managing Dir.,<br />

Automotive Prac.<br />

Emily Gerkin Palsrok, Managing<br />

Dir., Public Affairs Prac.<br />

With three Silver Anvils in the<br />

last four years, Lambert, Edwards<br />

& Associates has earned its spot<br />

among the Midwest’s leading agencies.<br />

With the 2009 acquisition of<br />

John Bailey & Associates, LE&A is<br />

a top-75 <strong>PR</strong> firm and top-25 in<br />

financial <strong>com</strong>munications and<br />

investor relations nationally.<br />

LE&A has posted 10 straight years<br />

of growth and boasts a roster of 100<br />

clients in 20 states and five countries.<br />

With offices in Detroit, Lansing<br />

and Grand Rapids, LE&A has<br />

assembled a team of national<br />

agency, corporate and Wall Street<br />

veterans with proven expertise in<br />

delivering tangible, winning results.<br />

Our specialties and client roster<br />

span consumer products, specialty<br />

retail and national chains, food &<br />

beverage, health care, business<br />

services, manufacturing, technology,<br />

and faith-based products and<br />

services.<br />

Clients: American Education<br />

Group, Applied Security, Biblica,<br />

Biggby Coffee, Blue Cross Blue<br />

Shield of Michigan, Broadwind<br />

Energy,<br />

Denali<br />

Flavors/MooseTracks ® , DuPont,<br />

ExpressJet Holdings (NYSE:XJT),<br />

Family Christian Stores, Healthy<br />

Kids Healthy Michigan,<br />

Independent Bank (NAS-<br />

DAQ:IBCP), International<br />

Automotive Components Group,<br />

Inventure Group (NAS-<br />

DAQ:SNAK), Masco Home<br />

Services, Mattress <strong>Firm</strong>, National<br />

Heritage Academies, North<br />

American International Auto Show,<br />

Old Orchard Brands, PISAT Solar,<br />

Spartan Motors (NASDAQ:SPAR),<br />

Strongtower Financial, Two Men &<br />

A Truck International, Wolverine<br />

World Wide (NYSE:WWW),<br />

Zondervan.<br />

LANDIS<br />

COMMUNICATIONS<br />

1388 Sutter St., Suite 901<br />

San Francisco, CA 94109<br />

415/561-0888<br />

Fax: 415/561-0778<br />

david@landispr.<strong>com</strong><br />

www.landispr.<strong>com</strong><br />

David Landis, President/CEO<br />

Called “the Bay Area’s consumer<br />

<strong>PR</strong> experts,” LCI is a midsized,<br />

award-winning <strong>com</strong>munications<br />

agency based in San<br />

Francisco. LCI is a member of<br />

Public Relations Global Network,<br />

with 40 affiliate agencies worldwide.<br />

LCI services national and<br />

regional clients in the consumer,<br />

nonprofit, financial services, green<br />

tech and consumer technology categories.<br />

Clients include Emirates<br />

Airline, Port of San Francisco,<br />

MetLife, Whole Foods Market,<br />

DeVry University, California<br />

Academy of Sciences, Old Navy,<br />

NBC Universal, Hilton Hotels,<br />

Stanford, Tiffany & Co., Sony,<br />

Cold Stone Creamery, SF Ballet,<br />

Xerox and Match.<strong>com</strong>. LCI offers<br />

numerous services, including public,<br />

<strong>com</strong>munity and media relations,<br />

messaging, media training<br />

and more.<br />

LANE <strong>PR</strong><br />

905 SW 16th Avenue<br />

Portland, OR 97205<br />

503/221-0480<br />

Fax: 503/221-9765<br />

wendy@lanepr.<strong>com</strong><br />

www.lanepr.<strong>com</strong><br />

Wendy Lane, President<br />

Eve Callahan, Vice President<br />

Amy Paterson, Vice President<br />

Kristen Siefkin, Vice President<br />

Vicki Ruse, Controller<br />

LANE <strong>PR</strong> is a nationally recognized<br />

<strong>PR</strong> agency focused on our<br />

clients’ business success. For two<br />

decades, LANE <strong>PR</strong>’s team of media<br />

relations specialists have been serving<br />

clients in the consumer, food &<br />

beverage, financial services, business-to-business,<br />

technology, health<br />

care and professional services<br />

industries. We understand what’s<br />

<strong>com</strong>pelling about a <strong>com</strong>pany and<br />

know how to spread the word.<br />

The agency was founded in 1990<br />

to provide results-driven public<br />

relations campaigns that maximize<br />

a <strong>com</strong>pany’s investment. LANE <strong>PR</strong><br />

has grown through referrals and an<br />

outstanding track-record, proof of<br />

the creativity and responsiveness of<br />

our team. With offices in Portland<br />

and New York, we focus on what<br />

we do best: pure <strong>PR</strong>, both traditional<br />

and online.<br />

L.C. WILLIAMS<br />

AND ASSOCIATES<br />

150 N. Michigan Ave., Suite 3800<br />

Chicago, IL 60601<br />

312/565-3900<br />

Fax: 312/565-1770<br />

info@lcwa.<strong>com</strong><br />

www.lcwa.<strong>com</strong><br />

Kim Blazek Dahlborn, Pres. & CEO<br />

Gary Goodfriend, Executive VP<br />

Allison Kurtz, Executive VP<br />

Greg Gordon, Senior VP<br />

Mary Moster, Senior VP<br />

Shannon Quinn, Senior VP<br />

Jay Kelly, Vice President<br />

L.C. Williams & Associates<br />

(LCWA) is a full-service public<br />

relations and research agency<br />

headquartered in Chicago. Our<br />

mid-sized <strong>com</strong>pany is made up of<br />

experienced, invested and creative<br />

individuals whose mission<br />

is to provide clients a refreshing<br />

agency experience based on trust,<br />

flexibility and the delivery of<br />

meaningful results on time and on<br />

budget.<br />

Our independent agency<br />

employs 30 professionals whose<br />

specialties include marketing<br />

<strong>com</strong>munications, media relations,<br />

social media, corporate relations,<br />

employee/labor <strong>com</strong>munications,<br />

public affairs, crisis <strong>com</strong>munications,<br />

special events, <strong>com</strong>munity<br />

relations, media training and<br />

more. The firm offers an inhouse,<br />

full-service research capability,<br />

and recently launched a<br />

new arts and leisure practice.<br />

LCWA serves clients from a<br />

wide range of industries and is<br />

one of the top agencies specializing<br />

in home products. Our<br />

national reach is broadened globally<br />

by international affiliates<br />

through our membership in the<br />

Public Relations Global Network.<br />

Among current clients: Ace<br />

Hardware, American Association<br />

of Endodontists, American<br />

Nurses Association, ComEd,<br />

eBay, Electrolux Home Care<br />

Products, Eureka, Everest<br />

College, Fabricators &<br />

Manufacturers Association, First<br />

Alert, Grohe, International<br />

Society for Technology in<br />

Education,La-Z-Boy, Legacy.<strong>com</strong>,<br />

Matthews International, Munters,<br />

Pergo, Snow Joe, Tiffany & Co.,<br />

Trex, UnitedHealthcare of Illinois.<br />

LEE &<br />

ASSOCIATES, INC.<br />

PUBLIC RELATIONS<br />

145 So. Fairfax Avenue, Ste. 301<br />

Los Angeles, CA 90036<br />

323/938-3300<br />

leeassociatespr@aol.<strong>com</strong><br />

www.leeassociates.<strong>com</strong><br />

Howard Pearlstein, Principal<br />

Lee & Associates offers strategic<br />

planning, program evaluation,<br />

media relations, product launches,<br />

consumer education, special<br />

events, crisis management and<br />

corporate <strong>PR</strong> services to a wide<br />

range of clients.<br />

In addition to promoting packaged<br />

consumer products, healthcare<br />

/ pharmaceuticals and restau-<br />

Continued on page 50


<strong>PR</strong>OFILES OF TOP INDEPENDENT <strong>PR</strong> FIRMS<br />

LEE & ASSOCS.<br />

Continued from page 49<br />

rants, the award-winning agency<br />

has been consistently recognized<br />

as one of the leading independent<br />

food & beverage promotion agencies<br />

in the country.<br />

Founded in 1950, its Western<br />

Research Kitchens division, features<br />

home economists, nutritionists<br />

dietitians, chefs and medical<br />

doctors.<br />

The full-service firm has affiliate<br />

offices in key cities throughout<br />

the U.S. and is often given<br />

projects by east coast and midwest<br />

<strong>com</strong>panies to help with promotion<br />

in the western states.<br />

LINDEN<br />

ALSCHULER AND<br />

KAPLAN<br />

1251 Avenue of the Americas<br />

New York, NY 10020<br />

212/575-4545<br />

Fax: 212/575-0519<br />

llinden@lakpr.<strong>com</strong><br />

salschuler@lakpr.<strong>com</strong><br />

kaplan@lakpr.<strong>com</strong><br />

www.lakpr.<strong>com</strong><br />

Lisa Linden, CEO<br />

Steven Alschuler, President<br />

Lloyd Kaplan, Chairman<br />

With an entrepreneurial<br />

approach that values high-level<br />

performance, creativity and<br />

accountability, we develop and<br />

implement <strong>com</strong>pelling public<br />

relations campaigns that shape<br />

opinions and produce results.<br />

We work with major corporations<br />

to improve their market<br />

positions, increase their visibility,<br />

enhance their images and guide<br />

them through crises. We help<br />

<strong>com</strong>panies establish credibility<br />

and build their brands. We take<br />

issues that lack definition and<br />

project them to national prominence.<br />

We assist non-profit<br />

organizations in building important<br />

alliances and support. And<br />

our work in special situations —<br />

mergers and acquisitions, bankruptcies,<br />

litigations, government<br />

investigations — supports<br />

clients’ efforts to steer their<br />

organizations through highly<br />

<strong>com</strong>plex and contentious issues.<br />

Whether our mission involves<br />

media relations, crisis management,<br />

internal <strong>com</strong>munications,<br />

expertise in public affairs, <strong>com</strong>munications<br />

support for high profile<br />

transactions, editorial services,<br />

or assistance in developing<br />

and promoting special events, we<br />

understand our clients’ needs and<br />

provide an array of services to<br />

meet them.<br />

LINHART PUBLIC<br />

RELATIONS<br />

1514 Curtis Street, Suite 200<br />

Denver, CO 80202<br />

303/620-9044<br />

www.linhartpr.<strong>com</strong><br />

Sharon Linhart, A<strong>PR</strong>, Founder &<br />

Mng. Partner<br />

Paul Raab, A<strong>PR</strong>, Senior VP &<br />

Partner<br />

Carri Clemens, CFO & Partner<br />

Dawn Doty, A<strong>PR</strong>, VP & Partner<br />

Kelly Janhunen, Account Dir. &<br />

Partner<br />

Kelly Womer, A<strong>PR</strong>, ABC, VP<br />

Linhart <strong>PR</strong> is a talent magnet<br />

which has attracted veterans of<br />

respected large firms and “most<br />

admired” <strong>com</strong>panies, plus former<br />

newsroom pro’s and Colorado<br />

natives. We offer clients the<br />

agility, creativity and attention to<br />

detail of an independent <strong>PR</strong> firm<br />

with experience and insights from<br />

the big firms. We understand<br />

clients because our leadership<br />

team has extensive client-side<br />

experience.<br />

We’ve been recognized nationally<br />

as one of the top small <strong>PR</strong><br />

firms by <strong>PR</strong>Week and The Holmes<br />

Report. Known for long-term<br />

client relationships, we earned a<br />

100 percent Net Promoter Score<br />

from clients in 2009. Specialties<br />

include restaurants, natural and<br />

organic products, financial and<br />

professional services, building<br />

products, energy and health care.<br />

We deliver business results for<br />

clients nationally from our<br />

Denver base, and are part of the<br />

World<strong>com</strong> <strong>PR</strong> Group global network.<br />

LOU HAMMOND &<br />

ASSOCIATES<br />

39 East 51st Street<br />

New York, NY 10022<br />

212/308-8880<br />

Fax: 212/891-0200<br />

lha@lhammond.<strong>com</strong><br />

www.louhammond.<strong>com</strong><br />

twitter.<strong>com</strong>/louhammondpr<br />

Lou Hammond & Associates is a<br />

full-service public relations <strong>com</strong>pany<br />

specializing in <strong>com</strong>munications<br />

and marketing outreach for premium<br />

brands in the travel/tourism,<br />

design/furnishings, culinary, retail,<br />

real estate, beauty/fashion and hospitality<br />

industries.<br />

For 25 years, Lou Hammond &<br />

Associates (LH&A) has dedicated<br />

its resources, energies and talents to<br />

serving the lifestyle arena worldwide<br />

with results-driven programs<br />

for clients who set the standard in<br />

their industries. Through strategic<br />

<strong>com</strong>munications programs that<br />

emphasize swift action, creative<br />

solutions and a global perspective,<br />

LH&A has earned the respect of<br />

media reporting on quality products<br />

— establishing a reputation<br />

for service, integrity and<br />

unmatched style.<br />

Founded by industry icon, Lou<br />

Hammond, the <strong>com</strong>pany takes<br />

pride in its departure from business-as-usual,<br />

remaining fiercely<br />

independent and providing clients<br />

with fees based on an agreed-upon<br />

plan, not on time sheets. At LH&A<br />

expenses are never marked up and<br />

clients never run out of allotted<br />

time.<br />

Headquartered in New York City<br />

with offices in Palm Beach and<br />

Charleston, the agency boasts an<br />

exceptional roster of clients with an<br />

unmatched rate of retention. In fact,<br />

many clients have been partners for<br />

more than ten years. Clients find<br />

powerful synergistic partnerships<br />

within the LH&A <strong>com</strong>munity often<br />

joining forces on programs and<br />

projects that maximize opportunities<br />

for all.<br />

With quality as a guiding principle,<br />

the Lou Hammond approach<br />

has been extremely successful —<br />

making the agency one of the most<br />

highly-recognized and award-winning<br />

in lifestyle <strong>com</strong>munications.<br />

MAKOVSKY +<br />

COMPANY<br />

16 East 34th Street<br />

New York, NY 10016<br />

212/508-9600<br />

info@makovsky.<strong>com</strong><br />

www.makovsky.<strong>com</strong><br />

Ken Makovsky, President & CEO<br />

Makovsky + Company, founded<br />

30 years ago, has be<strong>com</strong>e one<br />

of the nation’s leading independent<br />

global public relations,<br />

investor relations and branding<br />

consultancies by adhering to its<br />

original vision: specialization in<br />

key areas is the best way to build<br />

reputation, sales and fair valuation<br />

for the client. Our <strong>com</strong>petitive<br />

edge is reflected in our<br />

brand energy line: “The Power<br />

of Specialized Thinking.”<br />

Makovsky’s specialties<br />

include financial and professional<br />

services, health, technology<br />

and business services, social<br />

media, investor relations, branding<br />

and interactive, cleantech/sustainability,<br />

and research<br />

and measurement.<br />

Headquartered in New York,<br />

Makovsky has agency partners<br />

in more than 25 countries and in<br />

37 U.S. cities through I<strong>PR</strong>EX,<br />

the second largest worldwide<br />

corporation of independent agencies,<br />

of which it is a founder.<br />

MATTER<br />

COMMUNICATIONS<br />

50 Water Street<br />

Mill #3, The Tannery<br />

Newburyport, MA 01950<br />

978/499-9250<br />

www.matternow.<strong>com</strong><br />

Scott Signore, Principal & CEO<br />

Patty Barry, Principal<br />

Matter Communications is an<br />

award-winning, full-service public<br />

relations agency specializing<br />

in consumer and high-technology<br />

markets, specifically in the photography<br />

and digital imaging category.<br />

We work with clients across<br />

the U.S. and Europe to deliver<br />

creative and effective public relations<br />

programs that generate business.<br />

Matter’s results-focused <strong>PR</strong><br />

services include <strong>com</strong>pany/product<br />

launches, product reviews, analyst<br />

and media relations, online media<br />

outreach, social media, crisis<br />

<strong>com</strong>munications and thought<br />

leadership campaigns.<br />

Matter Communications prides<br />

itself on being a results-focused<br />

public relations agency. Matter is<br />

headquartered north of Boston in<br />

historic Newburyport, MA, and<br />

operates a growing office in<br />

Providence, R.I. Clients include:<br />

ATG, CVS/pharmacy,<br />

Expoimaging, Harris, Lexar and<br />

Verizon Wireless. For more information<br />

please visit<br />

www.matternow.<strong>com</strong>.<br />

MCS HEALTHCARE<br />

PUBLIC RELATIONS<br />

1420 US Highway 206, Suite 100<br />

Bedminster, NJ 07921<br />

908/234-9900<br />

Fax: 908/470-4490<br />

www.mcspr.<strong>com</strong><br />

MCS Healthcare Public<br />

Relations is an award-winning<br />

healthcare <strong>com</strong>munications agency<br />

that has been recognized over the<br />

last 25 years for its strategic focus,<br />

creativity and knowledge of issues<br />

affecting the pharmaceutical and<br />

biotech industries.<br />

50<br />

MAY 2010 WWW.ODWYER<strong>PR</strong>.COM


<strong>PR</strong>OFILES OF TOP INDEPENDENT <strong>PR</strong> FIRMS<br />

MCS now offers a new strategic<br />

<strong>PR</strong>/IR training program for seniorlevel<br />

executives in those industries<br />

to help meet their investor, corporate<br />

and product <strong>com</strong>munications<br />

needs.<br />

The integrated program provides<br />

custom solutions to some of the<br />

most critical issues that “C”—<br />

level executives face in today’s<br />

highly <strong>com</strong>petitive market, including<br />

development and delivery of<br />

consistent messages that effectively<br />

engage and inform audiences ranging<br />

from the financial and medical<br />

<strong>com</strong>munities to government and<br />

regulatory authorities.<br />

MCS continues to offer the services<br />

that have defined our agency<br />

for the last quarter century, including<br />

product <strong>com</strong>munications, advocacy<br />

relations, issues/crisis management<br />

and, most recently, social<br />

media counsel, all on a global basis.<br />

For more information, contact Jeff<br />

Hoyak, President, 908/234-9900 or<br />

jeffh@mcspr.<strong>com</strong>.<br />

MERRITT GROUP<br />

11600 Sunrise Valley Dr., Ste. 320<br />

Reston, VA 20191<br />

703/390-1500<br />

www.merrittgrp.<strong>com</strong><br />

Ben Merritt, CEO<br />

Alisa Valudes, EVP, Partner<br />

With offices in Reston, Virginia<br />

and San Francisco, Merritt Group<br />

helps create and move markets for<br />

forward thinking <strong>com</strong>panies.<br />

Merritt Group determines the right<br />

mix of <strong>com</strong>munications channels<br />

— <strong>PR</strong>, marketing, digital, social<br />

media, Web — and implements<br />

strategic campaigns to make our<br />

clients’ messages resonate in the<br />

marketplace. Bringing innovation<br />

and creativity to our client engagements,<br />

Merritt Group places a premium<br />

on building long-standing<br />

relationships with our clients. Our<br />

expertise is focused in six practice<br />

areas — Enterprise Technology,<br />

Security, Communications &<br />

Networking, Government,<br />

Healthcare, and Energy/Green IT.<br />

Some of our clients include Verizon<br />

Business, Microsoft Public Sector,<br />

Booz Allen Hamilton, PGP, U.S.<br />

Pharmacopeia, and Teradata.<br />

The June issue of O’Dwyer’s will profile<br />

firms that specialize in multicultural <strong>PR</strong>,<br />

as well as Global <strong>PR</strong>. If you would like<br />

your firm to be listed, contact Editor Jon<br />

Gingerich at 646/843-2080 or<br />

jon@odwyerpr.<strong>com</strong><br />

NYHUS<br />

COMMUNICATIONS,<br />

LLC<br />

1525 Fourth Avenue, Suite 400<br />

Seattle, WA 98101<br />

206/323-3733<br />

www.nyhus.<strong>com</strong><br />

Roger Nyhus, President & CEO<br />

Sally Poliak, Chief Operating<br />

Officer<br />

Megan Kahn, Vice President of<br />

Public Relations<br />

Jim Blundell, Vice President of<br />

Public Affairs<br />

Nyhus Communications is a<br />

strategic <strong>com</strong>munications and<br />

advocacy firm focused on serving<br />

innovative enterprises.<br />

Nyhus delivers creative strategies,<br />

extraordinary service and<br />

meaningful results, applying the<br />

latest ideas, tools and technologies.<br />

We fully integrate public<br />

relations, public affairs and<br />

social media into <strong>com</strong>prehensive<br />

<strong>com</strong>munications and advocacy<br />

campaigns, providing seamless<br />

and thorough brand support.<br />

Smart and assertive, we have a<br />

passion for producing worldclass<br />

work and building longlasting<br />

partnerships, serving as a<br />

valuable extension of our<br />

clients’ teams.<br />

Nyhus partners with a diverse<br />

range of national and international<br />

industry leaders across the<br />

global health, healthcare, life<br />

sciences, technology, financial<br />

services, non-profit, real estate<br />

and lifestyle industries. Marquee<br />

global health and healthcare<br />

clients include: Seattle<br />

BioMedical Research Institute,<br />

Washington D.C.-based<br />

PhRMA, the Washington<br />

Biotech and Biomedical<br />

Association, the Government of<br />

The State of Victoria,<br />

Australia/City of Melbourne,<br />

Allied Waste (the national Waste<br />

Management organization) and<br />

“Partners in Preservation” a<br />

joint project between American<br />

Express and The National Trust<br />

for Historic Preservation.<br />

PERITUS LLC<br />

200 South Fifth St., Suite 503N<br />

Louisville, KY 40202<br />

502/585-3919<br />

Fax: 502/585-5561<br />

gary@perituspr.<strong>com</strong><br />

www.perituspr.<strong>com</strong><br />

Tim Mulloy, CEO<br />

Robert Gunnell, Senior Partner<br />

Mark Mulloy, Senior Partner<br />

Gary Gerdemann, Senior Vice<br />

President<br />

Peritus is Latin for “experienced,<br />

skilled, expert” — words<br />

which exemplify our work and<br />

our people. We are widely recognized<br />

for our ability to create and<br />

implement strategic winning<br />

solutions for clients through disciplined<br />

and ethical advocacy.<br />

We provide layered expertise in<br />

public affairs, public relations,<br />

marketing and creative services.<br />

Established in the 1990s, the firm<br />

quickly distinguished itself as a<br />

leader in alliance development,<br />

crisis <strong>com</strong>munication, grassroots<br />

& grasstops campaigns, litigation<br />

support and strategic counseling.<br />

We’ve continued to grow our<br />

range of services to be<strong>com</strong>e the<br />

preferred marketing and <strong>com</strong>munications<br />

firm in the region. At<br />

Peritus, we pride ourselves on the<br />

ability to engineer smart solutions<br />

and our relentless effort to keep<br />

clients on the fast track to success.<br />

With more than a century of<br />

<strong>com</strong>bined experience, we’ve<br />

developed an impressive staff<br />

with a fighting spirit and vast,<br />

influential networks.<br />

PERRY<br />

COMMUNICATIONS<br />

GROUP<br />

925 L St., Suite #260<br />

Sacramento, CA 95814<br />

916/658-0144<br />

Fax: 916/658-0155<br />

www.perry<strong>com</strong>.<strong>com</strong><br />

Kassy Perry, CEO<br />

Perry Communications Group<br />

is an independent, full-service<br />

public relations and public<br />

affairs firm specializing in issue<br />

management, strategy, media<br />

relations, and coalition building.<br />

Since 1996, Kassy Perry and<br />

her award winning team have<br />

had a profound impact on society<br />

and their clients’ bottom line<br />

with nationally recognized campaigns<br />

tackling pressing issues<br />

including land use, public<br />

health, affordable housing, the<br />

environment, access to prescription<br />

medicines, cancer and mental<br />

health.<br />

Clients include: Allstate,<br />

AltaGas Renewable Energy<br />

Pacific Inc., California Healthy<br />

Marriage Coalition, California<br />

State Parks Foundation, Diageo,<br />

Nehemiah Corporation of<br />

America, Nighthorse Farm,<br />

Novartis, Pharmaceutical<br />

Research & Manufacturers of<br />

America, REACH Air Medical<br />

Services, Sacramento<br />

International Horse Show &<br />

Unity Non Profit Collective.<br />

Call us today. See what we<br />

can do for you.<br />

PIERPONT<br />

COMMUNICATIONS,<br />

INC.<br />

1800 West Loop South, Suite 800<br />

Houston, TX 77027<br />

713/627-2223<br />

Fax: 713/627-2224<br />

info@pier<strong>com</strong>.<strong>com</strong><br />

www.pier<strong>com</strong>.<strong>com</strong><br />

Offices also located in Austin,<br />

Dallas, and San Antonio<br />

Phil Morabito, CEO<br />

Susan Gramatges, COO<br />

Our business model is simple:<br />

We know how to influence the<br />

way people think.<br />

Pierpont Communications,<br />

Inc. is one of the largest independent<br />

<strong>com</strong>munications firms<br />

in the Southwest. Established in<br />

1987, we help our diverse roster<br />

of clients reach their business<br />

objectives with a wide range of<br />

public relations, investor relations,<br />

public affairs and marketing<br />

services. Led by a team of<br />

seasoned, nationally recognized<br />

experts, Pierpont leverages a<br />

unique “integrated practice”<br />

approach to develop and implement<br />

<strong>com</strong>munications programs<br />

that produce real results. Our<br />

client base — in both the private<br />

and public sectors — of<br />

Fortune 100 <strong>com</strong>panies, highgrowth<br />

entrepreneurs, and leading<br />

nonprofits provides us the<br />

deep experience and breadth of<br />

skills needed to reach and influence<br />

any audience. Pierpont’s<br />

capabilities range from strategy<br />

formulation to crisis <strong>com</strong>munications.<br />

Current and past clients<br />

include: Argo Group<br />

International, Blockbuster,<br />

Capital One Bank, Chamberlain<br />

Hrdlicka, Energy Ventures,<br />

Odyssey OneSource, Page<br />

Southerland Page, Park Plaza<br />

Hospital, and many others.<br />

To learn more about how<br />

Pierpont can help your business<br />

thrive, visit our website at<br />

www.pier<strong>com</strong>.<strong>com</strong>.<br />

MAY 2010 WWW.ODWYER<strong>PR</strong>.COM 51


<strong>PR</strong>OFILES OF TOP INDEPENDENT <strong>PR</strong> FIRMS<br />

Members of Regan Communications Group’s senior management team<br />

[left to right]: Jack Fitzgerald (Deputy General Manager), Mariellen<br />

Burns (Chief Strategy Officer, News Politics, and Crisis Management),<br />

Alan Eisner (President), George K. Regan, Jr. (Chairman), Rebecca<br />

Pierce-Merrick (President, Pierce-Cote Advertising), Ken Fishkin (Vice<br />

Chairman and General Counsel).<br />

PIERSON GRANT<br />

PUBLIC RELATIONS<br />

6301 N.W. 5th Way, Suite 2600<br />

Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33309<br />

954/776-1999<br />

www.piersongrant.<strong>com</strong><br />

HighImpactDigital.<strong>com</strong><br />

Maria Pierson, CEO<br />

Jane Grant, President<br />

Pierson Grant <strong>PR</strong> is a fullservice<br />

agency with offices in<br />

Fort Lauderdale, Fla. and<br />

Raleigh, N.C. serving a wide<br />

range of clients with strategic<br />

planning, media relations,<br />

online <strong>PR</strong> and social media<br />

implementation, <strong>com</strong>munity<br />

outreach, special events and crisis<br />

<strong>com</strong>munications.<br />

The agency’s results-driven<br />

culture attracts clients in many<br />

industries, including national<br />

restaurant <strong>com</strong>panies, health<br />

care organizatons, municipalities,<br />

financial services firms,<br />

educational institutions, manufacturers,<br />

energy <strong>com</strong>panies and<br />

real estate firms, as well as arts,<br />

cultural and non-profit organizations.<br />

Clients include<br />

International Dairy Queen,<br />

Morton’s, Waste Management,<br />

Consert Energy, Florida Career<br />

College, National Healing<br />

Corp., WMF Americas and<br />

other diverse businesses ranging<br />

from large corporations to<br />

entrepreneurial enterprises.<br />

The firm’s fresh thinking<br />

helps clients build brand identity,<br />

claim market share and<br />

leverage the power of online<br />

marketing through its High<br />

Impact Digital division.<br />

QUINN & CO.<br />

PUBLIC RELATIONS<br />

520 Eighth Ave., Suite 2102<br />

New York, NY 10018<br />

212/868-1900<br />

Fax: 212/465-0849<br />

www.quinnandco.<strong>com</strong><br />

www.quinnandco.<strong>com</strong>/wordpress<br />

Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter:<br />

@Quinnandco<br />

Florence Quinn, President<br />

Carla Caccavale Reynolds,<br />

Partner, Travel<br />

Suzanne Billet Rosnowski,<br />

Partner, Real Estate<br />

John Frazier, Executive Vice<br />

President, Travel<br />

Danielle Pagano, Vice President,<br />

Food, Wine + Spirits<br />

Quinn & Co. <strong>com</strong>bines our signature<br />

creative approach to traditional<br />

media with strategic digital<br />

media initiatives to develop<br />

dynamic and highly effective integrated<br />

<strong>PR</strong> programs. We help<br />

clients in our core areas of Food,<br />

Wine + Spirits, Real Estate and<br />

Travel achieve goals, reach target<br />

audiences with key message<br />

points and ultimately drive business.<br />

Quinn & Co.’s innovative initiatives<br />

are recognized globally.<br />

Our unique approach has resulted<br />

in a number of industry “firsts”<br />

and earned us hundreds of<br />

awards; including HSMAI Adrian<br />

Best of Show awards for best travel<br />

<strong>PR</strong> campaign of the year,<br />

worldwide.<br />

We have many <strong>com</strong>pelling success<br />

stories: We invented Martini<br />

on the Rock, the $10,000 martini<br />

at The Algonquin Hotel that was<br />

covered by more than 400 broadcast<br />

segments, including<br />

Letterman, Regis & Kelly, Ellen<br />

and Good Morning America. We<br />

also created an entirely new niche<br />

product, The Procreation<br />

Vacation, for Starwood<br />

Caribbean. Most recently, we<br />

were the U.S. <strong>PR</strong> firm behind the<br />

blockbuster The Best Job in the<br />

World campaign (Tourism<br />

Queensland). We also crafted a<br />

Blowout Sale at Hudson Hill<br />

Condominium, NYC, the centerpiece<br />

of which was an e-video<br />

campaign with weekly chats with<br />

the developer. This “first” in<br />

NYC residential development<br />

helped spike sales 25%; each<br />

video e-blast sent Web site traffic<br />

jumping 50%.<br />

The agency offers a Digital<br />

Audit focused on social media,<br />

SEO, blogs and Web sites. It<br />

identifies opportunities and challenges,<br />

and generates re<strong>com</strong>mendations<br />

to stay ahead of the <strong>com</strong>petition,<br />

manage reputation and<br />

engage.<br />

RBB PUBLIC<br />

RELATIONS<br />

355 Alhambra Circle, Suite 800<br />

Miami, FL 33134<br />

305/448-7450<br />

www.rbbpr.<strong>com</strong><br />

Blog: www.rbbdigitalpark.<strong>com</strong><br />

336 W 37th St., Suite 840<br />

New York, NY 10018<br />

212/939-7265<br />

Christine Barney, CEO &<br />

Managing Partner<br />

Lisa Ross, President<br />

Tina Elmowitz, Executive VP<br />

rbb Public Relations has a<br />

national reputation for delivering<br />

results. Named <strong>PR</strong>Week’s “2008<br />

Agency of the Year” and The<br />

Holmes Report’s “2009 Boutique<br />

Agency of the Year,” rbb delivers<br />

clients results on par with the largest<br />

national firms, but with the individual<br />

attention of a boutique agency.<br />

Its bilingual staff excels in media<br />

relations, corporate <strong>com</strong>munications,<br />

digital/social media, product<br />

introductions and crisis counseling.<br />

The firm’s capabilities en<strong>com</strong>pass a<br />

variety of practice areas, including<br />

B2B, consumer products, crisis<br />

<strong>com</strong>munications, travel & leisure,<br />

health and fitness, real estate, and<br />

food and beverage. rbb is a member<br />

of the Converge network of <strong>PR</strong><br />

firms.<br />

rbb’s current client roster<br />

includes Homewood Suites by<br />

Hilton, AMResorts, the Florida<br />

Marlins, Florida Power and Light<br />

Company, Ringling Bros. and<br />

Barnum & Bailey Circus, Bijoux<br />

Terner, Canyon Ranch Hotel & Spa,<br />

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida<br />

and others.<br />

RED SKY PUBLIC<br />

RELATIONS<br />

518 S. 9th, Suite 300<br />

Boise, ID 83702<br />

208/287-2199<br />

Fax: 208/287-2198<br />

tracybresina@redskypr.<strong>com</strong><br />

www.redskypr.<strong>com</strong><br />

Red Sky — Idaho’s largest<br />

public relations agency — is a<br />

full-service firm with practices in<br />

health care, food/nutrition, economic<br />

development,<br />

tourism/hospitality, technology,<br />

transportation, social media and<br />

public affairs. Representative<br />

clients include SuperValu (grocery<br />

stores), Pacific Source,<br />

Cradlepoint Technologies,<br />

Ballihoo, St. Luke’s Medical<br />

Center and Aviisha Sleep Centers.<br />

Red Sky is a member of Pinnacle<br />

Worldwide, one of the world’s<br />

leading organizations of independently<br />

owned public relations<br />

firms.<br />

REGAN<br />

COMMUNICATIONS<br />

GROUP<br />

106 Union Wharf<br />

Boston, MA 02109<br />

617/488-2800<br />

Fax: 617/488-2830<br />

info@regan<strong>com</strong>m.<strong>com</strong><br />

www.regan<strong>com</strong>m.<strong>com</strong><br />

Regan Communications Group<br />

is the largest privately-held public<br />

relations firm in New England and<br />

the seventh-largest privately<br />

owned <strong>PR</strong> firm in the country. The<br />

firm was founded in 1984 by<br />

George K. Regan, Jr. the former<br />

Communications Director for the<br />

City of Boston and Press Secretary<br />

to Mayor Kevin H. White. Mr.<br />

Regan has built a <strong>com</strong>pany that<br />

has developed a national reputation<br />

for expertise in public relations.<br />

The firm’s main office is located<br />

in Boston. We also have branch<br />

offices located in New York City,<br />

Providence, RI, Hartford, Conn.,<br />

West Palm Beach, Florida and<br />

Cape Cod.<br />

Regan’s public relations services<br />

include: media relations, social<br />

media, <strong>com</strong>munity relations, gov-<br />

52<br />

MAY 2010 WWW.ODWYER<strong>PR</strong>.COM


<strong>PR</strong>OFILES OF TOP INDEPENDENT <strong>PR</strong> FIRMS<br />

ernment relations, special events,<br />

and crisis <strong>com</strong>munications.<br />

We also own Pierce-Cote<br />

Advertising of Cape Cod, which<br />

allows us to offer a full range of<br />

advertising and marketing services<br />

to our clients as well.<br />

Our group of 60 professionals<br />

includes senior staffers with extensive<br />

experience in print and broadcast<br />

media, business, government,<br />

sports and entertainment. Our<br />

<strong>com</strong>pany is capable of handling<br />

major assignments. However,<br />

every Regan client receives the<br />

personal attention so important to<br />

a successful <strong>com</strong>pany-client relationship.<br />

Tailoring our services to<br />

a client’s individual needs, making<br />

ourselves accessible to our clients<br />

on a round-the-clock basis, and<br />

<strong>com</strong>municating with our clients in<br />

a hands-on, personalized setting is<br />

the hallmark of the Regan<br />

Communications Group.<br />

Regan Communications<br />

Group’s clients include a wide<br />

range of national and local <strong>com</strong>panies<br />

and organizations, including<br />

Dunkin’ Donuts, the Boston<br />

Celtics, Bank of America, the New<br />

England Patriots, New Balance<br />

Athletic Shoe, Legal Sea Foods,<br />

Savings Bank Life Insurance,<br />

RE/MAX, Simon Malls,<br />

Enter<strong>com</strong> Radio and Boston magazine.<br />

Our success with these<br />

clients, many of whom we have<br />

represented for over 15 years,<br />

demonstrates our results-oriented<br />

approach and our total <strong>com</strong>mitment<br />

to our clients over the long<br />

term.<br />

REVIVE PUBLIC<br />

RELATIONS<br />

123 El Paseo<br />

Santa Barbara CA 93101<br />

805/248-7424<br />

Fax: 805/248-7415<br />

be@revivepublicrelations.<strong>com</strong><br />

Brandon Edwards, Pres. &<br />

Founder<br />

Joanne Thornton, SVP & Founder<br />

Healthcare is an incredibly<br />

<strong>com</strong>plex industry, and successful<br />

<strong>PR</strong> in that space requires<br />

honest advice, strategic insight,<br />

and flawless execution. Revive<br />

translates <strong>com</strong>plexity into simplicity,<br />

predicting problems,<br />

protecting reputations, and<br />

building on the truth to craft the<br />

right story.<br />

Revive focuses on Health<br />

Services and Healthy Living.<br />

Health Services clients include<br />

hospitals and health systems,<br />

physician organizations, specialty<br />

providers, ASCs, LTACs,<br />

healthcare IT <strong>com</strong>panies, disease<br />

management, and PBMs.<br />

Healthy Living clients include<br />

wellness, prevention, fitness,<br />

exercise, nutrition, and sports<br />

medicine.<br />

Since 2005 alone, Revive<br />

executives have assembled an<br />

enviable track record of 165<br />

successful engagements. Our<br />

team has worked with national<br />

organizations and handled projects<br />

in 46 states, delivering<br />

whatever the strategy needs to<br />

be successful — social media,<br />

public relations, grassroots<br />

coalition building, media relations,<br />

or targeted advertising.<br />

Revive was recently named the<br />

New Agency of the Year by a<br />

leading industry trade publication.<br />

RF | BINDER<br />

950 Third Avenue, 7th Floor<br />

New York, NY 10022<br />

212/994-7600<br />

Amy Binder, CEO<br />

George Drucker, CMO<br />

Frank Walton, Chief Performance<br />

Officer<br />

RF|Binder is a full-service <strong>PR</strong><br />

agency assisting clients manage<br />

the challenges that emerge when<br />

the interests of the public, private<br />

sector and government converge.<br />

Capabilities en<strong>com</strong>pass marketing<br />

<strong>com</strong>munications, reputation<br />

management, media relations,<br />

crisis management, digital<br />

media, and investor relations.<br />

We create programs focused on<br />

the public, customers, policymakers,<br />

employees, <strong>com</strong>munities<br />

and influencers. We are passionate<br />

about finding innovative<br />

solutions to clients’ challenges.<br />

We believe that ideas matter —<br />

that the right ideas drive success.<br />

Our holistic approach to service<br />

begins with senior-level professionals,<br />

<strong>com</strong>mitted and engaged,<br />

who lead cross-functional teams<br />

promoting excellence and creativity.<br />

We follow the vision of David<br />

Finn, our founder: to do both<br />

well and good; to grow so we<br />

can reward the work of our colleagues<br />

and provide new opportunities;<br />

to serve our clients in<br />

ways that will always make us<br />

proud; to do work that enriches<br />

our lives.<br />

Clients include Ameriprise,<br />

Bank of America, Cargill,<br />

Dunkin’ Brands, Fiserv,<br />

McGraw-Hill, New York<br />

Chris Rosica, CEO Rosica <strong>PR</strong>, being interviewed by New Jersey<br />

Network (NJN) at the recent New Jersey League of Municipalities<br />

conference in Newark, where he gave an Introduction to Social<br />

Media to government officials and employees.<br />

University, and Staples.<br />

RF|Binder was selected by the<br />

Holmes Report as the 2009<br />

Creative Agency of the Year.<br />

RF|Binder is a woman-owned<br />

firm, certified by The Women’s<br />

Business Enterprise National<br />

Council. Along with our New<br />

York headquarters, we have<br />

offices in Boston and<br />

Washington, D.C. and bureaus in<br />

Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles,<br />

Orlando, and Philadelphia.<br />

ROSICA PUBLIC<br />

RELATIONS<br />

95 Rt. 17 South<br />

Paramus, NJ 07652<br />

201/843-5600<br />

Fax: 201/843-5681<br />

www.rosica.<strong>com</strong><br />

www.interactmarketing.<strong>com</strong><br />

Chris Rosica, CEO<br />

Established in 1980, Rosica is<br />

a national consumer and business-to-business<br />

public relations<br />

and marketing firm. With<br />

strategic planning, the agency<br />

takes campaigns beyond the<br />

ordinary and into iconic branding.<br />

Rosica’s services include<br />

media relations, Internet marketing,<br />

including social media,<br />

blogging, SEO and online reputation<br />

management, as well as<br />

creative media events, causerelated<br />

marketing, media training,<br />

and new product introductions.<br />

Its healthcare division<br />

includes Professional<br />

Disposables International; and<br />

past clients include Merck &<br />

Co., Inc., Schering-Plough<br />

Corp. and Johnson & Johnson.<br />

Former Parade magazine<br />

Creative Director Ira Yoffe, new<br />

vice president, design department,<br />

and Joseph Beccalori, VP<br />

online marketing software and<br />

services division offers Rosica’s<br />

clients a wider range of services.<br />

Clients include: Boys & Girls<br />

Clubs in NJ, CoverMate, Croll<br />

Reynolds, Exergen, Hampton<br />

Direct, Kaleidoscope of Hope,<br />

Nice-Pak, Salvation Army,<br />

Savvier, Telebrands, TGaS<br />

Advisors, Tristar Products,<br />

Vertex Capital Management.<br />

MAY 2010 WWW.ODWYER<strong>PR</strong>.COM 53


<strong>PR</strong>OFILES OF TOP INDEPENDENT <strong>PR</strong> FIRMS<br />

TransMedia Group founder Tom Madden’s invention, Knife and Forklift<br />

(www.knifeandforklift.<strong>com</strong>), serving up tons of new media contacts<br />

hungry for good stories. Product also available on TransMedia<br />

Entertainment’s “Shop Laughing” (www.shoplaughing.<strong>com</strong>), where<br />

American Idol meets QVC.<br />

RUDER FINN, INC.<br />

301 East 57th Street<br />

New York, NY 10022<br />

212/593-6400<br />

peterandkathy@ruderfinn.<strong>com</strong><br />

www.ruderfinn.<strong>com</strong><br />

David Finn, Chairman<br />

Kathy Bloomgarden & Peter<br />

Finn, Co-CEOs<br />

Ruder Finn is one of the largest<br />

privately owned public relations<br />

agencies in the world, working with<br />

many of the world’s leading <strong>com</strong>panies<br />

and institutions to shape opinion<br />

and influence out<strong>com</strong>e.<br />

Our business is focused around<br />

four core pillars — Corporate Trust,<br />

Health & Wellness, Global<br />

Connectivity and Life+Style —<br />

where we have strong leadership<br />

platforms, experience, and knowledge<br />

of issues and trends. Our<br />

expertise spans: policy and<br />

activism; M&A, governance and<br />

internal change; implications of<br />

new technologies and transformation<br />

of industry segments. Ruder<br />

Finn is a global agency, with offices<br />

in key markets across the US,<br />

Europe and Asia, supported by affiliates<br />

around the world. Our New<br />

York headquarters staffs one of the<br />

largest concentrations of <strong>PR</strong> talent<br />

anywhere in the world. Our global<br />

footprint is especially deep in Asia,<br />

where we were one of the first global<br />

agencies to enter the China market.<br />

Clients include: Air France,<br />

Audi, BMS, Boeing, Embassy<br />

Suites Hotels, General Motors,<br />

Hotels.<strong>com</strong>, IEEE, Jamaica Tourist<br />

Board, King Pharmaceuticals,<br />

Merck, Microsoft, MoMA, NEC,<br />

Novartis, Pfizer, SunGard, The<br />

North Face, TiVo, and Travel<br />

Alberta.<br />

SINGER<br />

ASSOCIATES, INC.<br />

140 Second St., 6th Floor<br />

San Francisco, CA. 94105<br />

415/227-9700<br />

Singer@SingerSF.<strong>com</strong><br />

www.SingerSF.Com<br />

Sam Singer, President<br />

One of the nation’s leading corporate<br />

reputation and crisis <strong>com</strong>munications<br />

strategists, Singer<br />

Associates handles regional, national<br />

and international crises and reputation<br />

management issues.<br />

Singer was voted to the 50 Most<br />

Powerful People in San Francisco<br />

List by San Francisco’s 7X7 magazine,<br />

which wrote: “Singer’s nickname<br />

— “the Fixer” — says it all.<br />

If your reputation, fortune or political<br />

future is at stake, he’s the man<br />

you call to convince the public, the<br />

politicians or the judge that you’re<br />

in the right.”<br />

The agency handles bankruptcies,<br />

litigation, indictments, legal<br />

matters, food safety, environmental,<br />

healthcare, construction, land<br />

development, union, corporate<br />

campaigns, and provides services to<br />

high-profile corporate, entertainment<br />

personalities and athletes.<br />

The San Francisco Chronicle<br />

wrote: “For Singer, kicking up<br />

some dust and taking some flak are<br />

just part of what goes with the territory<br />

as one of the — if not the —<br />

premier mouthpieces and spin doctors<br />

for <strong>com</strong>panies doing business.”<br />

SPARK<strong>PR</strong><br />

2 Bryant St.<br />

San Francisco, CA, 94105<br />

415/962-8200<br />

info@sparkpr.<strong>com</strong><br />

www.sparkpr.<strong>com</strong><br />

Sparkpr has been a top independent<br />

<strong>PR</strong> agency for over 10<br />

years with clients ranging from<br />

stealth startups to global public<br />

<strong>com</strong>panies. Our services are<br />

designed to help clients achieve<br />

their business goals through<br />

strategic <strong>com</strong>munications, media<br />

relations, and social media campaigns.<br />

We are known for ground<br />

breaking programs with Twitter,<br />

blogs, and video. Our industry<br />

expertise spans consumer goods,<br />

social networking, apps, gaming,<br />

mobile, green tech, VC and enterprise<br />

software. Clients include<br />

divisions of Barclays, Hutchison<br />

Whampoa, Microsoft, IAC, EA,<br />

Virgin, Nielsen, and Fox<br />

Interactive. Sparkpr is headquartered<br />

in San Francisco with<br />

offices in London, NY and Cape<br />

Town.<br />

SS | <strong>PR</strong><br />

2700 Patriot Blvd., Suite 430<br />

Glenview, IL 60026<br />

847/955-0700<br />

ssimon@sspr.<strong>com</strong><br />

www.sspr.<strong>com</strong><br />

www.twitter.<strong>com</strong>/sspr<br />

Steve Simon, CEO & Founder<br />

SS|<strong>PR</strong> excels at the most difficult<br />

aspect of <strong>PR</strong>: getting ink for our<br />

clients. Specializing in targeted<br />

media placement and creating buzz,<br />

SS|<strong>PR</strong> has built a national reputation<br />

for securing quality coverage<br />

for B2B and B2C technology firms.<br />

Since 1978, our firm has helped<br />

hundreds of tech businesses grow<br />

market share and revenue. With<br />

deep industry knowledge and experience,<br />

coupled with strong editorial<br />

relationships, we’ve established an<br />

outstanding track record for resultsdriven<br />

<strong>PR</strong>. SS|<strong>PR</strong>’s media relations<br />

experts in Chicago, New York,<br />

Silicon Valley and Colorado serve<br />

clients nationwide in a variety of hitech<br />

sectors, including IT infrastructure,<br />

enterprise software, online<br />

businesses and healthcare. Our integrated<br />

approach to public relations<br />

and marketing <strong>com</strong>munications<br />

leverages traditional media, as well<br />

as a strategic focus on Web 2.0 and<br />

social media channels. From new<br />

product launches and events management<br />

to overall strategy, messaging<br />

and tactical execution, our<br />

<strong>com</strong>prehensive service delivers<br />

exceptional value for our clients.<br />

TEXT 100 GLOBAL<br />

PUBLIC RELATIONS<br />

352 Park Avenue South, 7th Floor<br />

New York, NY 10010<br />

www.text100.<strong>com</strong><br />

Scott Friedman, Regional<br />

Director, North America<br />

Text 100 is a 450-person strong<br />

global public relations consultancy<br />

with a direct presence in 26 cities<br />

worldwide and seven others cities<br />

through Text 100 affiliates. We<br />

work with many of the world’s<br />

leading technology, internet and<br />

digital lifestyle brands including<br />

IBM, Cisco, Lenovo, MTV.<strong>com</strong>,<br />

SanDisk, Symantec and Xerox.<br />

We are recognized as an innovator<br />

in the field of public relations, from<br />

traditional media relations to social<br />

media, and for leading the <strong>PR</strong><br />

industry in staff development. Our<br />

strong culture has consistently been<br />

praised globally and over the past<br />

two years we have been recognized<br />

as the Best Midsize Agency in<br />

Asia, the Best Midsize Agency to<br />

Work For in the US, and one of the<br />

UK’s Best Small Companies.<br />

Additionally, Text 100 ranked no. 4<br />

in O’Dwyer’s 2010 ranking of Top<br />

Independent <strong>PR</strong> <strong>Firm</strong>s, no. 8 on the<br />

<strong>PR</strong>Week Agency Business Report<br />

2009, and won a Bronze Bulldog<br />

Award for 2010 Midsize Agency of<br />

the Year.<br />

TGI<br />

HEALTHWORKS,<br />

INC.<br />

515 N. Midland Ave.<br />

Upper Nyack, NY 10960<br />

845/348-0400<br />

Fax: 845/348-0210<br />

ltharp@tgihealthworks.<strong>com</strong><br />

www.tgihealthworks.<strong>com</strong><br />

Louis Tharp, CEO<br />

Seth Ginsberg, Pres.<br />

Dr. Laurie Ferguson, VP Research<br />

& Education<br />

Eilise Servies, Nat. Ops. Manager<br />

Alexey Salamakha, Stefan Bill,<br />

Program Managers<br />

Il Nam Pak, Program Assocs.<br />

Joey Wohlhieter, Marco Pretell-<br />

Vazquez, Persuasive Tech. Assocs.<br />

Brett Wiggins, Tech. Analyst<br />

Since 1999, TGI Healthworks<br />

has been exclusively focused on<br />

national grassroots programs within<br />

54<br />

MAY 2010 WWW.ODWYER<strong>PR</strong>.COM


<strong>PR</strong>OFILES OF TOP INDEPENDENT <strong>PR</strong> FIRMS<br />

the healthcare discipline that are<br />

designed to build and sustain <strong>com</strong>munities<br />

of people with chronic diseases.<br />

Community-based and on-line<br />

events are the primary <strong>com</strong>munications<br />

vehicles.<br />

Our pre- and post-launch traditional<br />

public relations support this<br />

outreach. Patient, caregiver, physician,<br />

advocacy, and elected official<br />

outreach <strong>com</strong>ponents are tied to<br />

hard and soft metrics that include<br />

prescribing habits tracking, as well<br />

as net promoter scores, online conversation<br />

sentiment, blog viral and<br />

velocity measurements, and traditional<br />

attitude measurements.<br />

Our programs are customized to<br />

the disease state, the market and the<br />

product, and include OTC, DTC and<br />

device indications.<br />

We focus on individuals, and we<br />

achieve persistence, <strong>com</strong>pliance and<br />

brand loyalty objectives with a 100<br />

percent targeted audience that<br />

includes ethnic, cultural and national<br />

origin segmentation with in-language<br />

programs<br />

for patients, caregivers, physicians<br />

and national, state and local elected<br />

and appointed representatives.<br />

These branded and unbranded,<br />

publicity-ready events provide<br />

robust material for news path activities<br />

that include feature stories, hard<br />

news, political and social news, and<br />

health and fitness stories. They are<br />

applicable to satellite, blog-internet,<br />

and conventional media.<br />

TGI Healthworks‚ Zurich office<br />

handles conventional <strong>PR</strong>-focused<br />

grassroots events in Western Europe<br />

and former East Bloc countries.<br />

South America and Middle East<br />

assignments are managed from New<br />

York.<br />

TGI Healthworks is the natural<br />

evolution from traditional healthcare<br />

<strong>PR</strong> and national television and magazine<br />

advertising. We provide a<br />

structured, collaborative, turn-key<br />

relationship that brings hard-number<br />

ROI discipline to clients that have<br />

the infrastructure and mission to<br />

accept a dominant market position<br />

by way of patient, physician, caregiver,<br />

elected official and advocacy<br />

group focus.<br />

Prior to 1999, TGI management<br />

ran the successful Clay Marketing &<br />

Public Relations <strong>PR</strong> agency which<br />

was created in 1984 and focused on<br />

technology and maritime issues with<br />

offices in New York and London.<br />

TRANSMEDIA<br />

GROUP<br />

240 W. Palmetto Park Rd., Ste 300<br />

Boca Raton, FL 33432<br />

561/750-9800 x211<br />

Fax: 561/750-4660<br />

Here’s a firm as creative as its<br />

founder, former #2-ranked executive<br />

at NBC Tom Madden, who<br />

recently invented The Knife and<br />

Forklift, shown on NBC TODAY<br />

and in publications from LA Times<br />

to Fitness magazine. The 1.5-pound<br />

utensils shaped like dumbbells<br />

allow you to exercise (restraint)<br />

while eating. Available at<br />

www.knifeandforklift.<strong>com</strong>, it’s<br />

been serving the firm tons of new<br />

media contacts hungry for good stories.<br />

The award-winning, multi-lingual<br />

firm serves clients worldwide<br />

from its global headquarters in the<br />

TransMedia Building. Established<br />

in 1981, the firm <strong>com</strong>prises many<br />

former top news people who are<br />

now publicists at one of the most<br />

productive international, full-service<br />

<strong>PR</strong> firms in the country.<br />

Madden is the author of SPIN<br />

MAN and other books.<br />

The firm’s president, Glen<br />

Calder, was producer on Geraldo<br />

Rivera Show, American Journal and<br />

Inside Edition and Senior VP Kim<br />

Morgan ran publicity departments<br />

at top publishers and is renown for<br />

her mediagenic grand openings,<br />

including for restaurant chain<br />

McCormick and Schmick’s.<br />

TransMedia offers an array of<br />

<strong>com</strong>plementary services including<br />

traditional broadcast/print publicity<br />

<strong>com</strong>bined with social media marketing,<br />

crisis management, media<br />

training, product introductions,<br />

events, exemplary health, fitness<br />

and financial <strong>PR</strong>. TransMedia’s<br />

publicity made many Rexall<br />

Sundown nutritional products the<br />

#1 sellers in years they were introduced<br />

and <strong>com</strong>pany founder Carl<br />

DeSantis still turns to TransMedia<br />

to publicize his latest ventures,<br />

including calorie-burning beverage<br />

Celsius, whose stock price<br />

TransMedia’s publicity helped raise<br />

from 3 cents to over $5.<br />

TREVELINO/KELLER<br />

949 W. Marietta St., Suite X-106<br />

Atlanta, GA 30318<br />

404/214-0722<br />

Fax: 404/214-0729<br />

dtrevelino@trevelinokeller.<strong>com</strong><br />

gkeller@trevelinokeller.<strong>com</strong><br />

www.trevelinokeller.<strong>com</strong><br />

www.wheelhousetk.<strong>com</strong><br />

www.pr-speak.<strong>com</strong><br />

www.prstarbase.<strong>com</strong><br />

Dean Trevelino, Genna Keller,<br />

Principals<br />

Trevelino/Keller is an Atlantabased<br />

national boutique public relations<br />

firm with a presence in<br />

Washington, DC and South<br />

Carolina, focused on public relations,<br />

social marketing and brand<br />

<strong>com</strong>munications. It’s a founding<br />

member of the Atlas Alliance, a<br />

consortium of like-minded boutique<br />

firms bringing cultural, geographic<br />

and specialized services to its client<br />

base, domestically and internationally.<br />

Trevelino/Keller founded the<br />

Start-Up Council in 2006 as a partnership<br />

of professional service<br />

firms serving early stage technology,<br />

internet and consumer <strong>com</strong>panies.<br />

In 2007, it launched Social<br />

Status, its proprietary platform for<br />

managing social media programs.<br />

In 2010, Trevelino/Keller introduced<br />

Wheelhouse, a social marketing<br />

agency powered by<br />

Trevelino/Keller, focused on the<br />

next generation of social media —<br />

mobile apps, web-tainment, SEO,<br />

online <strong>com</strong>munities, web applications,<br />

design and interactive. The<br />

firm’s areas of expertise include<br />

Technology, B2Business,<br />

GreenWorks, Lifestyle, Franchising<br />

and Food/Beverage.<br />

TRYLON SMR<br />

274 Madison Avenue<br />

New York 10016<br />

212/725-2295<br />

info@trylonSMR.<strong>com</strong><br />

www.trylonSMR.<strong>com</strong><br />

Trylon SMR has exclusively<br />

served clients in the technology,<br />

media and tele<strong>com</strong> industries since<br />

1990. As one of the earliest <strong>PR</strong><br />

agencies to represent online industry<br />

clients and also leverage online<br />

media for <strong>PR</strong> campaigns, Trylon<br />

SMR has been a digital media relations<br />

pioneer. As specialists positioned<br />

at the nexus of mainstream<br />

public relations and new technology,<br />

Trylon SMR delivers tangible<br />

results quickly, charges reasonable<br />

fees, works without long term contracts<br />

and is well-versed in all<br />

forms of new, mainstream, digital,<br />

social and emerging media.<br />

VPE PUBLIC<br />

RELATIONS<br />

1605 Hope St., Suite 250<br />

South Pasadena, CA 91030<br />

626/403-3200<br />

www.vpepr.<strong>com</strong><br />

At VPE, we do more than<br />

work in the Hispanic market …<br />

we live it. Our reputation of<br />

integrity and service is built on<br />

20 years-plus of serving the best<br />

interests of our clients and our<br />

<strong>com</strong>munity. We translate our<br />

knowledge of the Latino culture<br />

into impactful initiatives from<br />

New York to Los Angeles and all<br />

points between, VPE has helped<br />

clients in the corporate, nonprofit<br />

and governmental sectors<br />

connect with Hispanic consumers<br />

in meaningful ways. As<br />

a member of the Public Relations<br />

Global Network, our reach<br />

extends internationally. Our<br />

skilled team of bilingual/bicultural<br />

professionals<br />

develops creative strategies that<br />

deliver goal-oriented results by<br />

translating our passion for the<br />

culture into meaningful <strong>com</strong>munication<br />

strategies. Our client<br />

roster includes long-term assignments<br />

and award-winning campaigns<br />

for McDonald’s,<br />

Disneyland, First 5 LA, Southern<br />

California Edison, the California<br />

Wellness Foundation and more.<br />

WIDMEYER<br />

COMMUNICATIONS<br />

1129 20th Street, NW, Suite 200<br />

Washington, DC 20036<br />

202/667-0901<br />

Fax: 202/667-0902<br />

www.widmeyer.<strong>com</strong><br />

Scott Widmeyer, Chairman & CEO<br />

Widmeyer Communications is<br />

a fiercely independent full service<br />

<strong>com</strong>munications firm with<br />

offices in Washington, D.C. and<br />

New York. Widmeyer provides<br />

research-based strategy and planning,<br />

public relations, advertising,<br />

creative and digital expertise<br />

to clients with needs in public<br />

affairs, health, education, arts<br />

and culture, environment, transportation<br />

and more.<br />

For more than 20 years, the<br />

firm has developed strategic<br />

<strong>com</strong>munications programs, crafted<br />

effective messages, forged<br />

lasting relationships, secured top<br />

media placements, defined<br />

brands, advanced issues and<br />

ideas and helped individuals and<br />

organizations quietly move agendas<br />

or boldly take the stage.<br />

Widmeyer’s PreK-12 Education,<br />

Health & Wellness, Higher<br />

Education and Public Affairs<br />

practice areas work seamlessly<br />

with the Research & Polling and<br />

Digital & Creative teams to turn<br />

insight and information into<br />

strategies that cultivate conversation,<br />

rally constituencies and<br />

define our clients’ positions.<br />

MAY 2010 WWW.ODWYER<strong>PR</strong>.COM 55


<strong>PR</strong>OFILES OF TOP INDEPENDENT <strong>PR</strong> FIRMS<br />

The Zeppos & Associates team.<br />

odwyerpr.<strong>com</strong> is unrivaled for its hardhitting<br />

coverage of all areas of marketing,<br />

<strong>com</strong>munications, <strong>PR</strong> and media news.<br />

With <strong>PR</strong> and media in a state of upheaval,<br />

it’s more important than ever to keep on<br />

top of the buzz in the industry.<br />

ZENO GROUP<br />

A Daniel J. Edelman Company<br />

200 Park Ave. South<br />

New York, NY 10003<br />

212/299-8888<br />

Fax: 212/462-1026<br />

www.zenogroup.<strong>com</strong><br />

Barby K. Siegel, CEO<br />

Zeno Group is the marketing<br />

<strong>com</strong>munications agency <strong>com</strong>mitted<br />

to helping clients make the<br />

most of the new realities of audience<br />

engagement and the evolving<br />

role of <strong>PR</strong>. We operate as one firm<br />

with offices in New York,<br />

Washington, D.C., Chicago and<br />

Los Angeles. We are initiating<br />

operations in Toronto, Canada.<br />

Our thinking is big, bold and<br />

unencumbered by traditional <strong>PR</strong><br />

boundaries. We specialize in marketing<br />

consumer, healthcare and<br />

technology brands. We have<br />

worked with some of the world’s<br />

leading brands, <strong>com</strong>panies, nongovernmental<br />

and non-profit<br />

organizations, helping to navigate<br />

the new ways stakeholders engage<br />

with <strong>com</strong>panies and brands.<br />

The firm’s most senior team<br />

members work on business (not<br />

spreadsheets) because that’s what<br />

we love to do and that’s what’s<br />

right for our clients. Across our<br />

four offices, we operate as one,<br />

easily enabling the right talent for<br />

the job regardless of geography.<br />

Insights to ideation. Zeno’s dedicated<br />

planning capability ensures<br />

our re<strong>com</strong>mendations are<br />

anchored by relevant insights and<br />

a research-driven strategy. From<br />

there, we work to find the ‘right’<br />

big ideas that will drive clients<br />

business forward in new and interesting<br />

ways.<br />

The Real Moms of Zeno. To<br />

help our clients engage with this<br />

highly influential target audience,<br />

we listen to our proprietary group<br />

of 50 moms (headed to 100) to<br />

understand what REAL-ly matters<br />

to them and how brands can best<br />

fit into their lives.<br />

Branded Entertainment. Zeno’s<br />

unique, branded entertainment<br />

capability creates original branded<br />

content on behalf of brands and<br />

integrates brand messages into relevant<br />

properties, online and<br />

offline. For Clorox Cleaning<br />

Products, for example, our work<br />

includes the development of a<br />

first-of-its-kind original web series<br />

in partnership with Disney to energize<br />

parents to pursue home activities<br />

with kids.<br />

ZEPPOS &<br />

ASSOCIATES, INC.<br />

400 E. Mason St., Suite 200<br />

Milwaukee, WI 53202-3703<br />

414/276-6237<br />

www.zeppos.<strong>com</strong><br />

Evan N. Zeppos, President<br />

Kris Naidl, Executive VP<br />

Zeppos & Associates, Inc. is a<br />

full-service public relations and<br />

government affairs firm providing<br />

strategic counsel and practical<br />

results. The 12-person, Milwaukeebased<br />

firm serves clients throughout<br />

Wisconsin as well as in the<br />

Midwest and nationwide. Its professional<br />

team includes former<br />

journalists and experienced public<br />

relations practitioners who specialize<br />

in strategic <strong>com</strong>munications,<br />

publicity, crisis <strong>com</strong>munications,<br />

government affairs, social media,<br />

issues management, special event<br />

planning and media relations.<br />

Clients include MillerCoors, the<br />

Wisconsin State Cranberry<br />

Growers Association, Quarles &<br />

Brady, Cousins Subs, the Bradley<br />

Center Sports & Entertainment<br />

Corp., Veolia and other local,<br />

national and international organizations.<br />

<br />

56<br />

MAY 2010 WWW.ODWYER<strong>PR</strong>.COM


<strong>PR</strong> planning = social science<br />

By Fraser Seitel<br />

<strong>PR</strong> planning is a bona fide social science<br />

that distinguishes strategic <strong>PR</strong><br />

from the seat-of-the-pants practice of<br />

which many in the field are often guilty.<br />

Too often, alas, “<strong>PR</strong> planning” consists<br />

of a supervisor<br />

exhorting his troops<br />

to “Get some bodies,<br />

cameras, lights to the<br />

press conference —<br />

now!”<br />

Not a particularly<br />

thoughtful strategic<br />

process.<br />

Fraser P. Seitel has<br />

been a <strong>com</strong>munications<br />

consultant, author and<br />

teacher for 30 years. He<br />

is the author of the<br />

Prentice-Hall text, The<br />

Practice of Public<br />

Relations.<br />

More preferable —<br />

especially if you consider<br />

the practice of<br />

<strong>PR</strong>, as my friend Prof.<br />

John Doorley does, a<br />

bone fide social science<br />

— is to approach<br />

every assignment<br />

with a predetermined<br />

planning grid that considers the following<br />

10 steps.<br />

First, Background and Research.<br />

What is the <strong>PR</strong> and business situation we<br />

are addressing Where does the <strong>com</strong>pany<br />

stand in the industry What is the status of<br />

the industry What is the problem we are<br />

trying to prevent or mitigate … or the<br />

advantage we are trying to maximize<br />

Finally, what does the research show<br />

The research is critical to help us navigate<br />

to the goal we wish to reach.<br />

Second, Goal / Objectives. This is the<br />

generalized statement of what you want to<br />

ac<strong>com</strong>plish. Communication goals and<br />

objectives are often distinct from the organizational<br />

or business objectives but they<br />

must always support the organizational or<br />

business goals.<br />

Third, Strategies. A strategy is a generalized<br />

statement of the kinds of actions you<br />

will employ to achieve the objective. A<br />

strategy <strong>com</strong>prises all the tactics, and each<br />

tactic should fall into place in support of<br />

your strategies.<br />

Fourth, Tactics. A tactic is a specific<br />

action you will take or tool you will use,<br />

such as a news release, a blog, a podcast, an<br />

interview, a note to employees from the<br />

CEO, a speech, a video news release, a<br />

tweet and so on. As noted, many public<br />

relations managers like to jump straight to<br />

tactics.<br />

But as Prof. Doorley cautions, “If you<br />

don’t know where you’re going, any road<br />

will take you there.” And you may well end<br />

up in the wrong place.<br />

Fifth, Audiences / Stakeholder Groups.<br />

<strong>PR</strong> people must break down audiences into<br />

demographic or psychographic subgroups.<br />

This is particularly true in a day of splintered<br />

media and Internet sub-publics.<br />

There is no such thing as “the Congress”<br />

or “the press,” or “the employees” or the<br />

“general public.” The more “granularly” —<br />

to quote a popular business term — we<br />

define our audiences, the more likely we are<br />

to persuade them.<br />

Sixth, Messages. What messages will<br />

help us reach our audiences and ac<strong>com</strong>plish<br />

the objectives The best messages are<br />

those distinctly designed for a particular<br />

well-delineated public. What employees<br />

care most about in a particular <strong>PR</strong> situation<br />

— job security, for instance — might be<br />

different from what shareholders care most<br />

about — usually earnings.<br />

<strong>PR</strong> messaging is where the “rubber<br />

meets the road.” While most general business<br />

managers can devise strategies and<br />

objectives, few possess the <strong>com</strong>munications<br />

capability to create persuasive messages.<br />

That’s the province of the professional<br />

<strong>com</strong>municator, i.e. the <strong>PR</strong> professional.<br />

Professional Development<br />

So conceiving winning messages is a most<br />

critical stage of the planning process.<br />

Seventh, Assignments /<br />

Responsibilities. Assigning specific tasks<br />

to individuals not only specifies accountability<br />

for each phase of the project, but also<br />

gives everyone a feeling of responsibility<br />

for the project’s success.<br />

Eighth, Timeline. How long will it take<br />

to implement the strategy, carry out the various<br />

tactics and ac<strong>com</strong>plish the objectives<br />

(Planning language is important: one<br />

ac<strong>com</strong>plishes an objective; one does not<br />

ac<strong>com</strong>plish but rather, “employs” a strategy.)<br />

<strong>PR</strong> deadlines are necessary in every<br />

assignment. So, too, therefore, is setting a<br />

timeline.<br />

Ninth, Budget. In other words,”What<br />

will it cost”<br />

Tenth, Evaluation. After all is said and<br />

done, “Did we achieve the objectives —<br />

both of the <strong>com</strong>munication plan and of the<br />

business” Evaluative research is necessary<br />

to help measure what we have<br />

achieved and, if appropriate, make midcourse<br />

corrections.<br />

Public relations planning isn’t sexy, nor is<br />

it a guarantee that you won’t be yelling for<br />

the “bodies and the cameras” when the<br />

dreaded day <strong>com</strong>es for the press conference.<br />

But it does help distinguish sound and<br />

strategic <strong>PR</strong> implementation. <br />

MAY 2010 WWW.ODWYER<strong>PR</strong>.COM 57


OPINION<br />

Expense reduction for <strong>PR</strong> firms (part III)<br />

By Richard Goldstein<br />

This is the final in a series about<br />

expense reduction for <strong>PR</strong> firms.<br />

Part 1 reviewed how an expense<br />

reduction program is implemented. Part ll<br />

focused more on the analytical aspects of<br />

expense reduction.<br />

Part lll provides<br />

some specific suggestions<br />

on how to<br />

Richard Goldstein<br />

is a partner at<br />

Buchbinder Tunick &<br />

Company LLP, New<br />

York, Certified Public<br />

Accountants.<br />

reduce specific<br />

expenses.<br />

Using a checklist<br />

The process of how<br />

we assist our clients<br />

to reduce specific<br />

expenses is based on<br />

using a diagnostic<br />

checklist. We meet<br />

with a client and ask<br />

very specific questions.<br />

The responses<br />

to the question (yes, no, or not applicable),<br />

are then referenced to specific re<strong>com</strong>mendations,<br />

or tips, based on the<br />

responses. For example, we may ask the<br />

following question: Has the <strong>com</strong>pany<br />

evaluated internal reports to determine if<br />

all are necessary Assuming the response<br />

is “no,” the re<strong>com</strong>mendation is to reevaluate<br />

all internal reports. This seems simple<br />

enough. However, how do you go<br />

about doing it My re<strong>com</strong>mendation:<br />

reevaluate each report generated by your<br />

organization and determine if it is essential.<br />

For those reports deemed necessary,<br />

determine if they are being distributed to<br />

people that do not have a business need<br />

for the report. Many reports can be done<br />

away with and the number of copies of<br />

those reports that are needed can be significantly<br />

reduced. Even if reports are not<br />

paper generated, there is still a labor and<br />

money factor.<br />

Legal fees<br />

Let’s take a look at legal costs, which<br />

can be significant. When it <strong>com</strong>es to<br />

reducing legal costs, it is important to<br />

first analyze if there is cost cutting potential.<br />

The simplest way to reduce legal fees<br />

is to eliminate or minimize the activities<br />

that require legal services. This is done<br />

by understanding how to avoid lawsuits,<br />

using attorneys more wisely, and taking<br />

other legal reduction actions. It is also<br />

possible to negotiate legal fees when<br />

selecting an attorney. The key is how to<br />

go about the process.<br />

Before attempting to reduce legal fees,<br />

or any expense, you must first know<br />

Financial Management<br />

where the money is being spent and how<br />

much you are spending for each product<br />

or service.<br />

Accordingly, two worksheets need to<br />

be prepared. The first is a legal summary<br />

worksheet. [I am happy to forward a copy<br />

of the worksheet I use for this purpose.]<br />

The worksheet is simply a summary of<br />

total monthly legal fees posted to the general<br />

ledger account each month. It also<br />

includes the description and source references<br />

shown in the general ledger. The<br />

worksheet will allow you to focus only<br />

on those months that have significant<br />

legal charges. The second worksheet is a<br />

legal costs detail worksheet. This worksheet<br />

provides a detailed breakdown of<br />

bills for each significant legal project. It<br />

analyzes legal expenses by breaking them<br />

down into major <strong>com</strong>ponents for each<br />

project.<br />

So how do you go about negotiating<br />

legal fees Negotiating legal fees is<br />

closely linked to selecting an appropriate<br />

attorney. The attorney that initially seems<br />

to be the best choice may not always be<br />

the best attorney for your dollar. The cost<br />

of the attorney’s legal service must clearly<br />

be factored into the analysis from a<br />

cost/benefit standpoint.<br />

In today’s economy and <strong>com</strong>petitive<br />

legal marketplace, attorneys, in my view,<br />

are aggressively pricing their services.<br />

Competition has forced many attorneys,<br />

particularly those in smaller firms, to<br />

be<strong>com</strong>e increasingly open to creative fee<br />

arrangements. When I work with clients<br />

in this area, we focus on the following:<br />

selecting the best fee arrangement; negotiating<br />

hourly fee arrangements; negotiating<br />

other fee arrangements; and handling<br />

aspects of fee negotiations. For example,<br />

just in the area of negotiating hourly fee<br />

arrangements, we review twelve areas.<br />

Some questions are as follows: Are<br />

locked-in hourly rates obtained for all<br />

attorneys who will be working on a legal<br />

project Is the scope of the legal work set<br />

before starting the engagement Has the<br />

firm considered requesting a lower<br />

hourly rate in exchange for an incentive<br />

fee Are detailed bills received on at least<br />

a monthly basis Is a cap or maximum<br />

fee set for each project<br />

Assuming that the client response is no<br />

to all, we then make re<strong>com</strong>mendations.<br />

Again, the re<strong>com</strong>mendations may seem<br />

obvious. You may tell me that from now<br />

on we will ask for caps. Here is my<br />

response to this question. Ask the attorney<br />

to set a reasonable cap or maximum<br />

for each project. However, some attorneys<br />

will use the cap to justify expanding<br />

the work to reach that amount. To offset<br />

this risk, after the attorney sets a maximum,<br />

also ask for minimum and most<br />

likely estimates. In any event, make sure<br />

the attorney sets a trigger-point amount,<br />

which requires the attorney to contact<br />

you when it is reached. For major projects,<br />

trigger points should be set for each<br />

<strong>com</strong>ponent. You can see that our response<br />

is more <strong>com</strong>prehensive than just asking<br />

for a cap.<br />

Not to single out attorneys, you can<br />

apply the sample principles to all your<br />

professional service providers including<br />

your CPA.<br />

Reducing mail costs<br />

Mail handling and postage can be a significant<br />

cost for <strong>PR</strong> firms. The cost of<br />

sending a letter by the US postal service<br />

or other service <strong>com</strong>panies has increased<br />

over time. Before making any changes<br />

for mail and express delivery, one must<br />

thoroughly understand the <strong>com</strong>pany’s<br />

present procedures and policies. It is likely<br />

that making changes will affect other<br />

areas of the <strong>com</strong>pany and possibly cause<br />

confusion or increase costs. Again, you<br />

need to use a diagnostic approach that<br />

analyzes current costs with worksheets.<br />

Examples of savings can be as simple as<br />

using next-day afternoon delivery instead<br />

of morning or using ground service for<br />

next day local deliveries.<br />

I hope the three columns get you thinking<br />

on how to reduce costs. Some of the<br />

areas you may want to focus on other<br />

than those discussed above are travel,<br />

telephone, insurance, supplies, leasing,<br />

worker’s <strong>com</strong>pensation, and medical<br />

costs in a post Obama world.<br />

Good luck! <br />

<strong>PR</strong> Services Briefs<br />

FM deposits <strong>PR</strong> savings plan<br />

The College Savings Plans Network, the<br />

network that administers 529 college tuition<br />

savings plans, has deposited its national <strong>PR</strong><br />

account at Columbus, Ohio-based Fahlgren<br />

Mortine <strong>PR</strong> after an RFP process.<br />

The contract, through mid-2011, carries two<br />

year-long options. FM acquired in-state rival<br />

Edward Howard & Company earlier this year.<br />

The Network is <strong>com</strong>posed of state administrators<br />

and affiliated with the National<br />

Association of State Treasurers. It works with<br />

private sector partners to run and promote the<br />

savings plans, which were created in 1996<br />

and are named after the chapter of the<br />

Internal Revenue Service code.<br />

58<br />

MAY 2010 WWW.ODWYER<strong>PR</strong>.COM


Coal mine <strong>PR</strong> spinning U.S. public, Congress<br />

By Rene A. Henry<br />

Every time I hear the news about a coal<br />

mine disaster it brings back many old<br />

memories.<br />

I was born and raised in West Virginia,<br />

with ancestors whose backgrounds were in<br />

glass making and railroading,<br />

not coal.<br />

Sadly, the <strong>PR</strong> and lobbying<br />

<strong>com</strong>panies that<br />

work for mining <strong>com</strong>panies<br />

have kept the<br />

regulatory, oversight<br />

and enforcement agencies<br />

weak and safety<br />

standards below expec-<br />

Rene A. Henry is the<br />

author of seven books.<br />

He lives in Seattle.<br />

tations. They have<br />

done a great job of<br />

spinning the facts.<br />

The most recent explosion<br />

that killed 29 miners at Massey<br />

Energy’s Upper Big Branch Mine in<br />

Montcoal, W.V., is one example. The mine<br />

was cited for two safety violations just one<br />

day before the disaster and a total of 57<br />

times in March, mainly for poor ventilation<br />

of dust and methane.<br />

The U.S. Mine Safety and Health<br />

Administration has cited this mine 1,342<br />

times in the previous five years and proposed<br />

fines of $1.89 million. Massey has<br />

contested 422 of those violations and much<br />

of the enforcement is stalled somewhere in<br />

the regulatory and judicial process.<br />

Don Blankenship, Massey Energy’s<br />

CEO, has called members of Congress<br />

“greeniacs” and said that House Speaker<br />

Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate<br />

Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.)<br />

“don’t know what they’re talking about.”<br />

The leadership and most members of<br />

Congress continue to ignore the facts, hear<br />

only the spin, and do nothing to speed<br />

enforcement and pass tougher safety standards.<br />

One of my first experiences dealing with<br />

a coal mine disaster was November 1954,<br />

when I was Sports Information Director at<br />

West Virginia University.<br />

Our football team had just defeated<br />

William & Mary 20-6 and our flight was<br />

ready to leave Newport News, Virginia.<br />

The editor of a leading newspaper who<br />

was traveling with us had just received news<br />

that there was an explosion in Jamison Mine<br />

No. 9. This affected several members of the<br />

team but none more than Sam Huff. Had the<br />

explosion happened one hour earlier, he<br />

would have been the only surviving male in<br />

his family.<br />

Huff, who grew up in the Jamison Mine<br />

No. 9 Coal Camp in a rowhouse with no<br />

running water, was the first in his family to<br />

ever graduate from college. His football<br />

skills earned him an athletic scholarship,<br />

otherwise he would have be<strong>com</strong>e a coal<br />

miner. He is in both the College and NFL<br />

Pro Football Halls of Fame. He also was the<br />

first NFL player to be featured on the cover<br />

of Time.<br />

An explosion on November 20, 1968,<br />

took the lives of 78 miners. Huff lost five<br />

relatives. The bodies of 19 miners who perished<br />

were never recovered and the mine<br />

was permanently sealed. Black lung caused<br />

the death of Huff’s youngest brother when<br />

he was only 60 years old.<br />

For five years, when I headed <strong>com</strong>munications<br />

and government relations for the<br />

mid-Atlantic states region of the U.S. EPA,<br />

we faced the challenge of <strong>com</strong>municating<br />

the destruction of the environment caused<br />

by mountaintop mining.<br />

This is a type of strip mining where entire<br />

mountaintops are cut away by explosives<br />

and giant machines bury hundreds of miles<br />

of what once were pure mountain streams,<br />

causing permanent loss of ecosystems.<br />

In 2008, the Bush Administration rolled<br />

Guest Column<br />

back and redefined regulations making it<br />

more profitable for coal operators. These are<br />

being contested by advocacy groups.<br />

One story I heard years ago, but cannot<br />

confirm, is how one <strong>com</strong>pany hired a New<br />

York <strong>PR</strong> firm to help with its image and<br />

labor problems. The United Mine Workers<br />

were campaigning to organize the workers<br />

in one particular West Virginia mine.<br />

When the miners demonstrated, the <strong>com</strong>pany<br />

brought in hired thugs from Detroit<br />

and Chicago to physically beat them. To<br />

counter the negative image it was receiving,<br />

the coal <strong>com</strong>pany worked with its <strong>PR</strong> firm<br />

to take another course of action — to dynamite<br />

a railroad bridge leading to the mine<br />

and blame it on the local miners.<br />

The <strong>PR</strong> firm brought in an explosive<br />

demolition team as well as a photographer<br />

to provide photos to the media. The bridge<br />

was destroyed but the <strong>PR</strong> man was arrested<br />

by the local sheriff as he was leaving the<br />

site.<br />

The story makes for good fiction, just like<br />

so much of the rhetoric against increasing<br />

mine safety and enforcement.<br />

Based on its response, I’m beginning to<br />

believe Congress believes fiction more than<br />

fact, just like “smoking is good for you” and<br />

“the check is in the mail.” <br />

MAY 2010 WWW.ODWYER<strong>PR</strong>.COM 59


WASHINGTON REPORT<br />

No Obama moves on Public<br />

Diplomacy Commission<br />

The U.S. Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy, <strong>com</strong>posed<br />

of presidential appointees, met on April 23 at USC’s<br />

journalism school in Los Angeles. The Commission has a<br />

vacant slot and includes six holdovers from previous administrations.<br />

The bi-partisan group, which advises Undersecretary Judith<br />

McHale, discussed public diplomacy issues including measurement<br />

of U.S. government image efforts at the up<strong>com</strong>ing meeting,<br />

which is open to the public.<br />

Carl Chan, a former Foreign Service officer specializing in<br />

<strong>com</strong>munications and an ex-journalist, is executive director of the<br />

<strong>com</strong>mission.<br />

Chan told O’Dwyer’s that the seven-member <strong>com</strong>mission currently<br />

has six slots occupied, all appointed by previous presidents<br />

and confirmed by the Senate. President Barack Obama has not yet<br />

made any re-nominations or proposed any new candidates.<br />

The terms of five <strong>com</strong>missioners have expired and another —<br />

former Citigroup advisor Lyndon Olson Jr. — ends on July 2011.<br />

The members include:<br />

William Hybl — chairman; appointed by President George H.W.<br />

Bush, he is a former U.S. Olympic Committee President, Counselor<br />

to President Ronald Reagan, U.N. Representative for the U.S., and<br />

Chairman of the board of the International Foundation for Electoral<br />

Systems, among other posts.<br />

Lyndon Olson Jr. — appointed by President Bill Clinton, he is<br />

former U.S. Ambassador to Sweden and a U.S. Congressman, as<br />

well as a veteran insurance sector executive who headed<br />

Citigroup’s Travelers unit.<br />

John Osborn — appointed by President George W. Bush, he is a<br />

former General Counsel for biopharma <strong>com</strong>pany Cephalon, State<br />

Dept. legal advisor and Congressional aide.<br />

Penne Korth Peacock — appointed by President Bill Clinton, she<br />

was Ambassador to Mauritus during the first Bush administration.<br />

Jay Snyder — appointed by President George W. Bush, he is a<br />

private equity executive and former drug industry exec, as well as<br />

Big oil gets new <strong>PR</strong> head<br />

former U.S. Rep to the United Nations who was also a public delegate<br />

appointed by President Clinton.<br />

Lezlee Westine — appointed by President George W. Bush, she<br />

was a White House Counselor to the President and is currently<br />

President and CEO of TechNet, a bipartisan political network of<br />

tech CEOs. <br />

Breaux & Lott speak for Citi<br />

Breaux Lott Leadership Group is repping bailed-out<br />

Citigroup on corporate tax issues and financial services<br />

regulatory reform.<br />

Former Democratic Louisiana Senator John Breaux and ex-<br />

Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, a Republican, are spearheading<br />

the thrust. They are assisted by ex-Breaux staffers John<br />

Flynn and Callie Fuselier, and former Lott aides Manny<br />

Rossman and Bret Boyles.<br />

Citi CEO Vik Pandit, who has outlined a plan to break up the<br />

financial supermarket put together by a predecessor chief Sandy<br />

Weill, announced strong first-quarter earnings for the banking<br />

giant.<br />

The U.S. expects to chalk up an $8B profit on the sale of its<br />

Citi shares. <br />

Linda Schoumacher Rozett, former Senior VP of<br />

Communications for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, has<br />

joined the American Petroleum Institute as VP of<br />

Communications.<br />

She replaces Jim Craig, who held the post until December<br />

2009 and left amid a pruning and reorganization of API staff<br />

under CEO Jack Gerard, who joined in late 2008.<br />

Rozett had recently been running her own consultancy,<br />

FirstWord Strategies, and served as Communications Director<br />

for the Friends of Fred Thompson, the former Senator’s<br />

exploratory presidential <strong>com</strong>mittee. Her energy experience<br />

includes stints at Edison Electric Institute (Media Relations<br />

Manager) and the Natural Gas Supply Association (<strong>PR</strong><br />

Director).<br />

She started out in TV news at ABC in D.C.<br />

Gerard took the reins at the API in 2008 after heading the<br />

American Chemistry Council and National Mining Association.<br />

In a statement, he said Rozett’s appointment is part of his plan<br />

to create a “nimble and dynamic organization that would advocate<br />

our industry’s interests aggressively.” <br />

Glover Park hops on team Toyota<br />

Washington’s Glover Park Group is the latest PA firm<br />

to jump on the Toyota bandwagon.<br />

The well-connected Democratic firm has registered as lobbyist<br />

for Toyota Motor North America for automotive industries.<br />

Joel Johnson, former President Clinton’s Special Assistant for<br />

Policy and Communications, is leading the charge. He also was<br />

a top aide to former Democratic Majority Leader Tom Daschle.<br />

Gregg Rothschild, ex-Legislative Director for Sen. John Kerry<br />

assists Johnson.<br />

Toyota, on April 2, convened its first meeting of quality<br />

experts <strong>com</strong>mittee to help redeem its reputation that was battered<br />

by its massive recall.<br />

Despite the reputation hit, the Japanese automaker reported a<br />

41 percent rise in March in the U.S. That rise was aided by<br />

incentives, which jumped 44 percent to a record $2,256 pervehicle.<br />

<br />

60<br />

MAY 2010 WWW.ODWYER<strong>PR</strong>.COM


Airpower Consulting makes case for Yemen<br />

Airpower Consulting, which is headed by former F-16<br />

fighter pilot Dan Swayne, has an agreement with the<br />

Republic of Yemen Air Force to contact Defense, and<br />

State Department officials to approve aid to enhance its ability to<br />

attack al-Qaeda forces.<br />

Strife-torn Yemen is where so-called Christmas bomber, Umar<br />

Farouk Abdulmatallab, received training for his attempt to blow<br />

up a Continental Airlines bound for Detroit.<br />

Swayne, a <strong>com</strong>bat veteran of the Gulf War and Operation Iraqi<br />

Freedom, served as military analyst for the U.S. Air Forces<br />

Central Command. As Country Desk Officer, he worked in<br />

Yemen, Oman and the United Arab Emirates to forge ties with<br />

their air forces.<br />

A broader proposal concerning economic development and<br />

G-L logs Morocco work<br />

Gray Loeffler has a $300K pact with the Moroccan<br />

American Center for Policy to push for positive relations<br />

between the U.S. and the north Africa country.<br />

The firm of former Congressmen William Gray (D-Pa.) and<br />

Tom Loeffler (R-Tex.) is to work closely with non-profit<br />

MACP and D.C. embassy staff to advance Morocco’s interest<br />

with “U.S. foreign policy decision-makers and opinion leaders.”<br />

One major focus: an educational push to inform Congress<br />

and the White House about “Morocco’s <strong>com</strong>mitment to securing<br />

a permanent resolution of the Western Sahara issue.”<br />

Morocco annexed Western Sahara after Spain pulled out in<br />

1975. Human rights organizations have charged Morocco with<br />

a litany of abuse in what is called “Africa’s last colony.”<br />

Morocco opposed a stepped up United Nations role to monitor<br />

the human rights status in Western Sahara. <br />

Kenya selects Myriad<br />

International <strong>PR</strong> News<br />

tourism has been ironed out, but not yet approved by the<br />

Government of the Republic of Yemen.<br />

The attempted act of terror has<br />

captured the attention of the U.S.<br />

government, business and<br />

American people, according to<br />

Swayne’s proposal.<br />

Swayne’s plan calls for<br />

approaching the U.S. hotel, resort<br />

and food service sectors to “advocate for the rich opportunities<br />

available in Yemen.”<br />

He also plans to “make contact with prominent Washington,<br />

D.C., firms who specialize in government affairs and public relations<br />

lobby” and “coordinate with the Republic of Yemen government<br />

on which firm(s) and appropriate timing to employ these<br />

services.”<br />

Manhattan Beach, CA-based Myriad Marketing has<br />

been hired to represent the Kenya Tourist Board<br />

(KTB) in the United States.<br />

Billed as a “destination marketing <strong>com</strong>pany,” Myriad specializes<br />

in providing strategic direction and tactical solutions<br />

for travel and tourism clients. Myriad will manage all marketing<br />

and public relations activities on behalf of the KTB. The<br />

Kenya account was previously managed by Carlson<br />

Destination Marketing Services (CDMS). Myriad Marketing<br />

acquired CDMS last year.<br />

The United States is now the second largest market for<br />

Kenya, and is currently experiencing renewed interest in the<br />

destination. The country brought more American tourists in<br />

2009 than ever recorded, hosting more than 100,000 arrivals, an<br />

increase of more than 25% from 2008. <br />

FARA News<br />

NEW FOREIGN AGENTS REGISTRATION ACT FILINGS<br />

Below is a list of select <strong>com</strong>panies that have registered with the U.S. Department of Justice, FARA Registration Unit,<br />

Washington, D.C., in order to <strong>com</strong>ply with the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938, regarding their consulting and <strong>com</strong>munications<br />

work on behalf of foreign principals, including governments, political parties, organizations, and individuals.<br />

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, LLP, Washington, D.C., registered March 31, 2010 for Office of Commercial Affairs of the Royal Thai Embassy, Washington,<br />

D.C., regarding providing advice on legislative proposals to reform the Generalized System of Preferences and outreach to U.S. Government officials.<br />

Sidley Austin LLP, Washington, D.C., registered March 18, 2010 for Government of the Cayman Islands, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, regarding analyzing<br />

and reporting on U.S. legislation and Executive Branch activity that could affect the Cayman Islands, assisting the Cayman Islands government in developing<br />

and articulating its position on various matters, and meeting with U.S. Government officials and representatives of the private sector, to represent the<br />

interests of the principal.<br />

Thomas Capitol Partners, Inc., Washington, D.C., registered March 25, 2010 for Korea International Trade Association, Washington, D.C., regarding organizing<br />

and participating in meetings, telephone calls, letter writing, e-mail and other <strong>com</strong>munications to present the foreign principal’s interests to federal officials<br />

in the Executive and Legislative branches.<br />

NEW LOBBYING DISCLOSURE ACT FILINGS<br />

Below is a list of select <strong>com</strong>panies that have registered with the Secretary of the Senate, Office of Public Records, and the Clerk of the<br />

House of Representatives, Legislative Resource Center, Washington, D.C., in order to <strong>com</strong>ply with the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995.<br />

For a <strong>com</strong>plete list of filings, visit http://sopr.senate.gov.<br />

Ashcroft Group, Washington, D.C., registered April 20, 2010 for National Maritime Services, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., regarding government contracts.<br />

Cornerstone Government Affairs, LLC, Washington, D.C., registered April 19, 2010 for American Forest and Paper Association, Washington, D.C., regarding<br />

federal forest policy and funding and funding and administration of federal bioenergy programs.<br />

Patton Boggs, LLP, Washington, D.C., registered April 20, 2010 for Bloomberg, L.P., New York, N.Y., regarding issues related to <strong>com</strong>petition in the distribution<br />

of video programming and market developments impacting independent news services, as well as broadband policy.<br />

Venable LLP, Washington, D.C., registered April 19, 2010 for National Children’s Museum, Washington, D.C., regarding seeking federal support for the<br />

National Children’s Museum from the FY 2011 Labor, HHS and Education Appropriations Bill.<br />

MAY 2010 WWW.ODWYER<strong>PR</strong>.COM 61


<strong>PR</strong> Buyer’s Guide<br />

To be featured in the monthly Buyer’s Guide,<br />

Contact John O’Dwyer, john@odwyerpr.<strong>com</strong><br />

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the <strong>PR</strong> <strong>com</strong>munity, is now part of the<br />

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With over 95,000 sq ft of space Log-On<br />

is the city’s largest and most technologically<br />

advanced <strong>PR</strong>/Marketing direct mail,<br />

digital printer, packaging & distribution<br />

service. We assist agencies, corporations,<br />

non-profits, large and small. We<br />

mail, fax and e-mail news releases and<br />

pitch letters. We use your lists or ours<br />

media database. We assemble press<br />

kits, print marketing material and fulfill<br />

product requests. We reproduce CDs.<br />

And we maintain private lists. There’s<br />

very little we can’t do for you.<br />

WE DELIVER ON YOUR DIRECT<br />

MAILING & <strong>PR</strong>INTING NEEDS.<br />

62<br />

MAY 2010 WWW.ODWYER<strong>PR</strong>.COM


<strong>PR</strong> JOBS - http://jobs.odwyerpr.<strong>com</strong><br />

DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC RELATIONS<br />

Primary Characteristics:<br />

Responsible to the Chief Marketing Officer for directing the strategy,<br />

development and execution or public relations programs that raise the<br />

awareness of EverBank and supports corporate and business unit <strong>com</strong>munication<br />

objectives.<br />

Essential Functions:<br />

• Partner with, direct and manage EverBank’s external media relations<br />

agency to:<br />

• Design and implement proactive public relations plans and campaigns<br />

to drive awareness of the EverBank name<br />

• Identify targeted strategies to reach media reporters and influencers<br />

• Position spokespeople as experts in banking, mortgage, investing and<br />

leasing<br />

• Handle all media pitching, including online, print and TV<br />

• Manage press strategy around events<br />

• Develop <strong>com</strong>pelling media releases, pitch pieces, <strong>com</strong>pany/executive<br />

background materials, fact sheets and award submissions<br />

• Write quarterly financial reports, develop and manage executive webinars<br />

and media tours.<br />

• Collaborates with marketing team leads to ensure alignment of public<br />

relations and marketing campaign strategies<br />

• Monitor EverBank media activity (traditional, social & internet) and<br />

<strong>com</strong>municate progress against public relations goals<br />

• Manage editorial calendar opportunities<br />

• Oversee media training and development for EverBank spokespeople<br />

• Act as the first internal contact for corporate media inquiries<br />

• Develop and manage appropriate crisis <strong>com</strong>munication plans<br />

• Manage corporate Twitter and Facebook pages and provide consultation<br />

on the implementation and evolution of other corporate social media assets<br />

Qualifications (Knowledge, Skill and Abilities Requirements):<br />

• Advanced knowledge of public relations management and <strong>com</strong>munications<br />

practices<br />

• Proven ability to positively react to media inquiries quickly with tact and<br />

professionalism<br />

• Excellent written and verbal <strong>com</strong>munication skills; strong editing skills<br />

• Must be able to create and maintain positive relationships with internal<br />

and external constituents<br />

• Strategic thinker capable of <strong>com</strong>ing up with original <strong>com</strong>munication ideas<br />

and executing<br />

• Ability to proactively identify <strong>com</strong>munications opportunities and develop<br />

supporting programs<br />

• Strong attention to detail and organization and ability to handle multiple<br />

tasks to consistently meet deadlines<br />

• Excellent problem solving, decision making and follow-through<br />

• Ability to build relationships and work effectively at all levels of the organization<br />

and to interact confidently with senior management<br />

• Ability to integrate <strong>PR</strong> programs to support business goals and programs<br />

• Ability to succeed in a fast paced, entrepreneurial environment<br />

Tap into the benefits of<br />

O'Dwyer's job board!<br />

http://jobs.odwyerpr.<strong>com</strong><br />

JOB SEEKERS:<br />

--Access the newest and freshest jobs.<br />

--Post an anonymous resume.<br />

--Create job alerts and never let a matching job opportunity<br />

pass you by. New jobs that match your search criteria will be<br />

e-mailed directly to you.<br />

--Create a job seeker account which will allow you to find<br />

jobs, manage your resume, and set up job alerts.<br />

EMPLOYERS/RECRUITERS:<br />

--Check out our resumes and only pay for the ones that<br />

interest you.<br />

--Post a job and reach the most qualified candidates.<br />

--Create an employer account and quickly post job<br />

openings and manage your online recruiting efforts.<br />

Training and Experience:<br />

• Bachelors degree in Public Relations, Journalism or Communications or<br />

related field or equivalent experience required, advanced degree preferred<br />

• Minimum of 8 years experience in agency or corporate media relations<br />

• Experience with managing investor relations activities a plus<br />

• <strong>PR</strong> experience within the financial services industry strongly preferred<br />

• Experience working with online social media platforms (e.g. Twitter,<br />

Facebook, blogs, etc.)<br />

Job Title: Director of Public Relations<br />

Job Code: ADMIN-763<br />

Company: EverBank<br />

Location: Jacksonville, FL<br />

Grade Level: 18E<br />

Please apply online: http://everbank.hodesiq.<strong>com</strong>/job_detail.asp<br />

JobID=1885056&user_id=<br />

EverBank is an equal opportunity employer. No employee or applicant<br />

for employment will be discriminated against because of race, color, religion,<br />

national origin, physical or mental disability, age, gender, sexual<br />

orientation, genetic information, veteran’s status, or status as a disabled<br />

veteran or veteran of the Vietnam era.<br />

MAY 2010 WWW.ODWYER<strong>PR</strong>.COM 63

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