Public Relations

How Much Freedom Does $2,300 Buy?

by Diane Farsetta — August 29, 2006 - 11:02am

Wal-Mart's new television ads promote "its health care plans, charitable contributions and positive impact on the American economy" in "unusually detailed terms." In one ad, the narrator says, "Our low prices save the average working family $2,300 a year. Which buys a lot of things -- and a whole lot of freedom." Wal-Mart's Robert McAdam stated, "These ads are more direct than anything we have done before." The New York Times' Michael Barbaro compares them to political campaign ads.

Main Source: 
New York Times, August 29, 2006

Government PR: Your Tax Dollars at Work

by Diane Farsetta — August 28, 2006 - 2:24pm

"Agencies across government are under increasing pressure to sway public opinions -- either to win funding from Congress, to satisfy customers, to recruit new employees, to educate the public about new programs, to minimize fallout from controversial policies," writes Mollie Ziegler. With more U.S. federal agencies "applying sophisticated public relations tools and tactics," government spending on PR and marketing services skyrocketed from $39 million in 2001 to more than $400 million for 2006 to date.

Main Source: 
Federal Times (U.S.), August 28, 2006

Meet the Future of Marketing: It Is Us

by Diane Farsetta — August 28, 2006 - 1:52pm

Joseph Turow summarizes how marketers are using new technologies to make it "harder than ever for audiences to escape, and resist, their advances." One practice, "seeding," blends "publicity, product placement, and public relations." Seeding can involve hiring actors for "clandestine campaigns that 'may consist of seeding chat rooms, blogs and forums with paid-for messages,'" as one marketer explained.

Main Source: 
Boston Globe, August 27, 2006

The Bipartisan Nature of the Revolving Door

by Diane Farsetta — August 24, 2006 - 1:26pm

"Scores of Washington [Democrats]" are "ensconced in firms working to advance corporate agendas that don't look that different from policy we see emanating from the Bush administration," writes Russ Baker, summarizing a report released by his Real News Project.

Main Source: 
AlterNet, August 24, 2006

General Mills Gets Multicultural

by Diane Farsetta — August 24, 2006 - 11:45am

From General Mills' video news release promoting "Pancake Week"

General Mills "is simultaneously launching two separate PR campaigns targeting

Main Source: 
PR Week (sub req'd), August 22, 2006

E-Voting Company Settles Lawsuit, Gets Religion

by Diane Farsetta — August 24, 2006 - 10:56am

The electronic voting machine company Election Systems & Software (ES&S) "agreed to a $750,000 settlement that resolves complaints filed after its software caused delays for some Indiana voters and election officials during the state's May primary," reports the Associated Press.

Main Source: 
Associated Press, August 22, 2006

Accentuate the Positive, While Getting Rid of Unions

by Diane Farsetta — August 24, 2006 - 10:44am

PR Week's "Toolbox" column provides tips on how to increase the effectiveness of various PR techniques. But in the August 15, 2006, issue, the feature hints at union-busting techniques. The question is how "to reduce the level of acrimony, improve communications, and facilitate a more pleasant outcome" to labor disputes.

Main Source: 
PR Week (sub req'd), August 15, 2006

How Bizarre is a CSR Bazaar?

by Jonathan Rosenblum — August 23, 2006 - 10:03am

The Institute for International Research notes that it is transmitting information about its September 2006 corporate social responsibility meeting in Dubai solely via the web in order to conserve paper. But one of IIR's sessions--the "CSR Bazaar"-- might lead some to wonder if the organization sees the forest or only the trees.

Main Source: 
Institute for International Research, August 2006

Roche PR Spins Straw into Golden Cure

by Diane Farsetta — August 18, 2006 - 5:57pm

Pat Thomas writes that the breast cancer drug Herceptin "prolongs a few lives for an average of four months at a cost of £400,000 per life extended, and for the majority of women for whom it does not work there is an increased risk of severe heart damage and the spread of their cancer to the central nervous system." Yet, the British press has declared it a "miracle cure," thanks to savvy PR.

Main Source: 
The Ecologist (UK), July / August 2006

Spinning an Iraq Oil Kickbacks Confession

by Bob Burton — August 11, 2006 - 3:30am

Faced with a Royal Commission of Inquiry into the payment of approximately $A300 million in kickbacks to Saddam Hussein's government, in breach of the United Nations' Iraq Oil-for-Food Program, the Australian wheat trader AWB Limited hired

Main Source: 
News.com.au (Australia), August 10, 2006
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