Marketing

Pesticide & Lawn-Care Groups Plan National Campaign

by Laura Miller — September 21, 2003 - 10:00pm

An alliance of pesticide and lawn-care industry associations and companies, calling itself the Evergreen Foundation (EF), has raised over $200,000 in seed money for a "national marketing campaign to consumers throughout the United States to promote the economic, environmental and lifestyle benefits of healthy landscapes and green spaces at home, work and play," Lawn & Landscape magazine reports. "Careful use of pesticides and fertilizers, prudent use of water, managing noise and air pollution are among the issues the EF plans to tackle in its campaign.

Main Source: 
Lawn & Landscape, September 22, 2003

Drug Company Vies For Media Spotlight

by Laura Miller — September 21, 2003 - 10:00pm

While the Food and Drug Administration is hearing testimonies on direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising of prescription drugs, one pharmaceutical giant is hoping to gets its spin on drug marketing in the news. The FDA is reviewing DTC guidelines that cover the $2.7 billion that the pharmaceutical industry now spends annually on television, radio and print advertising.

Main Source: 
PR Week, September 22, 2003

Branding America, One More Try

by Sheldon Rampton — September 11, 2003 - 10:00pm

"After a failed advertising campaign in the Middle East and then the war in Iraq, which most people in the region opposed, the Bush administration is struggling to find a better way to communicate," reports Sonni Efron. "Plans call for new messages as well as new messengers - including launching an Arabic-language satellite television station to compete with Qatar-based Al Jazeera. The administration's critics argue that the United States can do little to improve its image without major changes in unpopular policies, especially its close alliance with Israel.

Main Source: 
Los Angeles Times, September 12, 2003

Now They Know How You Feel

by Sheldon Rampton — September 9, 2003 - 10:00pm

Humorous columnist Dave Barry is driving telemarketers nuts with his recent column that published the toll-free number for their lobby group, the American Teleservices Association. Barry encouraged readers to call the ATA "to tell them what you think" about telemarketers. Thousands of readers took Barry up on his suggestion, and 10 days later, they're still calling. "I feel just terrible, especially if they were eating or anything," Barry says.

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Miami Herald, September 10, 2003

Hot Flush for Big Pharma

by Sheldon Rampton — August 15, 2003 - 10:00pm

The sale of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to women is a multi-billion dollar cash cow for the pharmaceutical industry. What will its PR machine do in the face of evidence that long-term HRT use increases women's risk of blood clots, strokes, heart attacks, breast cancer, and dementia, and has no quality of life benefits?

Main Source: 
British Medical Journal, August 16, 2003

Brands On The Run

by Laura Miller — July 20, 2003 - 10:00pm

With international opinion against the United States growing increasingly hostile and economic uncertainty looming at home, U.S. companies are becoming more worried about their appeal abroad. "In an annual survey conducted since 1998, RoperASW has been looking for a connection between the dwindling reputation of America and the worldwide appeal of its top brands, from Disney to Microsoft," Newsweek's Karen Lowry Miller reports.

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Newsweek, July 21, 2003

Food Industry's PR Offense Against Obesity

by Laura Miller — July 13, 2003 - 10:00pm

"Kraft Foods' recently announced initiatives on obesity have marked a new phase in how food companies will address Americans' concerns about food and nutrition," PR Week writes. Until now, the food industry has tried to deflect the blame for America's growing waistlines by promoting physical activity. Now Kraft and others are talking about changing products and marketing.

Main Source: 
PR Week, July 14, 2003

Company Paid Doctors to Promote Drug

by John Stauber — May 29, 2003 - 10:00pm

"Documents released yesterday in the case of a drug company
whistle-blower shed light on how extensively doctors were
involved in promoting unapproved uses of a Warner-Lambert
drug, Neurontin. Warner-Lambert paid dozens of doctors tens of thousands of dollars each to speak to other physicians about how Neurontin, an epilepsy drug, could be prescribed for more
than a dozen other medical uses that had not been approved
by the Food and Drug Administration. The top speaker for
Neurontin, Dr. B. J.

Main Source: 
New York Times, May 30, 2003

HRT Maker's PR Activities Raise Concern

by Laura Miller — May 27, 2003 - 10:00pm

The Sydney Morning Herald reports that a booklet put out by the Australasian Menopause Society that "suggested [hormone replacement therapy] could prevent heart disease, Alzheimer's and ageing skin, yet ... failed to mention the established side-effect of blood clots, or the accumulating evidence that the drugs were causing heart disease" was drafted by HRT manufacturer, Wyeth, and its PR firm, Hill & Knowlton. HRT's revenues for Wyeth are $3 billion a year.

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Sydney Morning Herald, May 28, 2003

Boycott of French & German Products Faces Confusion

by Laura Miller — April 23, 2003 - 10:00pm

"More than half of U.S. consumers say they would take into account whether a company is from a country that did not support the U.S. invasion of Iraq before buying stock, according to a Fleishman-Hillard/Wirthlin Worldwide poll of 1,000 adults," O'Dwyer's PR Daily reports. "Consumers who advocate and have taken part in boycotts of goods made in those countries were found to be white, mid- to upper-income, conservative Republicans, according to the survey." There is some confusion, however, among those surveyed as to country of origin of many brands.

Main Source: 
O'Dwyer's PR Daily, April 24, 2003
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