Public Relations

Bottled Water Babies

by Diane Farsetta — October 3, 2006 - 1:50pm

Bottled water is a $10 billion industry, but companies are "determined to push ... into new demographics," by "distilling products aimed at children," reports Bo Emerson. "The multimillion-dollar marketing campaign includes animated ads on Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network and broadcast TV that features kids triumphing over boring parents with the help of the bulbous (Nestle-brand) bottle. ...

Main Source: 
Cox News Service, October 3, 2006

Moving Foreign Investment Forward: A Strange PR Pick for Iraqi Kurdistan

by Diane Farsetta — September 27, 2006 - 10:25am
  • Topics: Right Wing, Iraq, International, Public Relations

    • Some weeks are slow on Move America Forward's email list. Others are bustling. September 15 to 21, 2006, was an example of the latter. Six emails were sent, including two from "The Other Iraq," at the address "KDC@RMRWest.Net."

    The emails are noteworthy because they illustrate synergy between two clients of the Republican-associated Sacramento public relations firm Russo Marsh & Rogers (RM&R): Move America Forward, a conservative cheerleader for the Bush administration's "war on terror," and the Kurdistan Development Corporation, an "investment holding and tradings company" formed in partnership with the Kurdistan Regional Government of northern Iraq (and presumably the KDC of the above email address).

    The first of the "other Iraq" emails began, "We wanted to send you this short note to let you know that a delegation from Iraqi Kurdistan is back in the United States - continuing our campaign to tell the American public about 'The Other Iraq.'"

    Incompetent Liars? Here's $6.2 Million

    by Diane Farsetta — September 26, 2006 - 2:02pm

    Lincoln Group, the PR firm that covertly placed U.S. military-written stories in Iraqi newspapers and has been called "amateurish" by former associates, has won a new two-year, $6.2 million Pentagon contract. Additional requests from Washington DC could increase the value of the contract up to $20 million total.

    Main Source: 
    O'Dwyer's PR Daily (sub req'd), September 26, 2006

    Nuclear Industry Offers Nevada Hush Money

    by Diane Farsetta — September 26, 2006 - 12:35pm

    "We all knew it would come to this, didn't we?" a Las Vegas Review-Journal editorial asks, of a new offer by the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) to pay Nevada to accept nuclear waste at the controversial Yucca Mountain storage facility.

    Main Source: 
    Las Vegas Review-Journal, September 25, 2006

    Korea's Happy Fun Free Trade Love Corner

    by Diane Farsetta — September 26, 2006 - 11:53am

    On September 1, the South Korean government established the "Korea-U.S.

    Main Source: 
    The Korea Herald, September 22, 2006

    ABC Affliliate Sees No, Hears No Dissent on "Path to 9/11"

    by Jonathan Rosenblum — September 25, 2006 - 4:08pm

    If you were to ask the owner of Lincoln, Nebraska ABC affiliate KLKN-TV (which Journal-Star reporter Jeff Korbelik did) whether the station had received negative feedback about its airing of the controversial "Path to 9/11", the answer was not only "no," but also that the docudrama was "compelling TV." Citadel Communications president Ray Cole, who also sits on ABC's governing board, neglected to

    Main Source: 
    The Journal-Star (Lincoln, Nebraska), September 12, 2006

    Merck Unconvincingly Clears Execs of Vioxx Wrongdoing

    by Diane Farsetta — September 25, 2006 - 12:29pm

    Although the pharmaceutical company Merck spent $21 million on a 20-month investigation led by a former U.S. district judge, the report's conclusion that "executives at Merck had not knowingly put Vioxx patients in cardiovascular danger" may not boost the drugmaker's sagging reputation. "Some critics say the report is not credible because of Merck's board's involvement" and point out that Debevoise & Plimpton, the firm whose lawyers carried out the study, has a "pro-corporate" reputation.

    Main Source: 
    PR Week (sub req'd), September 21, 2006

    Will the Tiger Switch Think Tanks?

    by Diane Farsetta — September 21, 2006 - 12:53pm

    Following sharp criticism from Britain's Royal Society, Exxon Mobil says it is reviewing which of the groups "that challenge the scientific validity of concerns about global warming" it will continue to fund.

    Main Source: 
    Wall Street Journal (sub req'd), September 21, 2006

    Her Way or the Ugly Highway

    by Judith Siers-Poisson — September 21, 2006 - 10:55am

    On September 5, 2006, President Bush nominated Mary Peters as Secretary of the Department of Transportation. PR firms should be thrilled.

    Main Source: 
    Bulldog Reporter's Daily 'Dog, September 21, 2006

    Pounds and Pounds More Government PR in Britain

    by Diane Farsetta — September 20, 2006 - 11:35am

    "Spending on [British] Government spin has trebled under Labour," reports Graeme Wilson, "and taxpayers are now supporting an army of more than 3,200 press officers." Moreover, "the amount being spent on Government advertising, marketing and public relations has risen three-fold since" Tony Blair became prime minister, to £322 million last year.

    Main Source: 
    Telegraph (UK), August 30, 2006
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