On the Radar Screen: Food Lion Taps Cone For Cause-Related Marketing
Food Lion, the North-Carolina grocery company that took on ABC's "PrimeTime Live" and won $5.5 million, plans to promote its employees' decade-long support of the Children's Miracle Network (CMN) and has hired noted cause-related marketing firm Cone Communications, Boston, to help it achieve that goal.
Previously, Food Lion refrained from high-profile campaigns that spotlighted Food Lion's CMN affiliation. Cone has a reputation for spearheading marketing programs that promote companies' civic efforts or philanthropic initiatives. Its clients include Dunkin' Donuts, iVillage, Kimberly-Clark and Swiss Army Brands.
"A lot of what Cone will do for us is things we have spoken about internally for several years, but we didn't have a large enough in-house PR staff to tell the story the way it should be told," says Chris Ahearn, Food Lion's director of communications and public affairs. She is one of three full-time PR employees.
In other matters, Food Lion still will seek strategic advice and PR guidance from Washington, D.C.-based Powell-Tate.
The communications profession has speculated that Food Lion's relationship with the national media has been somewhat tenuous since it took on PrimeTime. ABC has appealed the ruling and several media operations, including CBS, NBC and the National Association of Broadcasters, last year filed friend of the court briefs against the federal jury verdict. But Ahearn contests this characterization of her company's relationship with the media. (Chris Ahearn, 704/633-8250)
Business Moves: Four Fleishman-Hillard Execs Branch Out on Their Own
Four former Fleishman-Hillard executives last week opened a new healthcare practice with specialties in public affairs, regulatory affairs, PR and marketing. The new company is Garrett Yu Hussein LLC.
Its four principals are Peter F. Garrett, senior partner; Pattie Yu Hussein, senior partner; Patrick J. McCabe, partner; and Sharon M. Reis, partner. Garrett and Hussein hold a majority stake in the new company. Its first client is Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids and it's in the process of inking about four to six other contracts.
The four resigned from Fleishman-Hillard on April 27 and their last day was May 3. Execs at FH have been supportive about the move, Garret says.
The new firm's address is 2122 P St., NW, Suite 302, Washington, D.C. 20037, (Peter Garret, 202/463-0900; fax: 202/463/8338; e-mail: [email protected])
Cohn&Wolfe Media Guide Full Of Facts About Atlanta Media
The 1998 Metropolitan Atlanta Media Guide which profiles ways to court that region's media, has been released by Cohn&Wolfe, the Atlanta-based PR agency which has been publishing the guide for 22 years. Media operations featured include mainstream outlets, such as Business Wire, The Georgia News Network, NBC News and some off beat outlets, such as Auto Trim Recycling News and Poets Artists and Madmen.
The guide is $20. (Cohn& Wolf, 404/880-5271)
Ketchum To Acquire London Consumer Agency
Ketchum PR last week said it plans to acquire the London-based consumer agency, Life PR, and merge it into Ketchum's existing London operation, Scope Ketchum.
The joint venture moves Ketchum into the 10 top of UK PR firms, according to PR Week, a trade publication that ranks agencies yearly.
Jane Boardman will head the agency. She left M&C Saatchi to take the new position. Samantha Royston, chief executive of Life PR and Graham Goodkind, has chosen to sell her shares in Life PR and will leave the company. (Ketchum, 212/448-4210)