On the Radar Screen:
Mattel Doesn't Deliver PR Bust During Queries About Barbie
When news about Mattel making over Barbie recently made its way to the pages of The Wall Street Journal (months before the company planned on making its announcement about its new and hipper Barbie doll, Really Rad), the company met the media head on. Spokesperson Lisa McKendall estimated that several hundred media calls came into Mattel's PR office, and McKendall granted interviews to a long list of media outlets, including CNN, three TV stations in Los Angeles, "Good Morning America" and "Hard Copy."
But McKendall pointed out that Mattel seized on the opportunity to clarify what many mainstream media outlets were inaccurately reporting - that buxom, blond Barbie is on her way out.
The new Barbie, which will have a wider waist, slimmer hips and a smaller bustline, is just one doll in the Barbie line, and Mattel's PR staff is working diligently to make sure that journalists get the story right.
The purpose of PR is guaranteeing that when you've got the stage, you deliver your lines - on cue and without dolling it up. (Mattel, 310/252-2000)
Honors
Drobis Receives 1997 John W. Hill Award
David Drobis, senior partner and CEO of Ketchum Public Relations Worldwide, has been chosen as the "1997 John W. Hill Award" recipient by the Public Relations Society of America. The award, which is named for the late founder of Hill & Knowlton, honors a PRSA/New York Chapter member for leadership in PR and service to PRSA and the general public. Drobis is one of those leading the charge of PR counselors establishing a PR association to deal with issues such as lobbying, industry standards and firm advocacy. (Ketchum, 212/448-4210)
Les Goldberg PR Named "Agency of the Year"
Les Goldberg PR of Orange County, Calif., was named "Agency of the Year" at Comdex, which was held recently in Las Vegas. The award, which is sponsored by REDGLASSES, is the brainchild of high-tech newshound Sher Bolter (he goes by the name REDGLASSES in his Web columns). A pool of international writers and editors decides the winner.
Les Goldberg has been a veteran of PR for two decades. (Les Goldberg, 714/545-3117)
Business Moves
Edelman Expands Into Latin America
Edelman Public Relations Worldwide acquired Nov. 14 a majority stake in its Argentine affiliate, Salem-Viale & Asociados, and changed the name to Edelman Argentina-SV&A. Edelman's Latin American network includes offices in Mexico City, Mexico; Sao Paulo, Brazil; and Buenos Aires, Argentina. It also has affiliate offices in Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Puerto Rico, Paraguay, Uruguay and Venezuela. (Edelman, 312/240-2716)
Motorola Finds Interesting Twist To Stock-Market Hoopla
Sometimes companies go to agonizing depths to put some sort of regional or personal spin on hot news stories or surfacing trends and many fall miserably short of getting the job done. But here's one worth mentioning: In connection with the Oct. 29 New York Stock Exchange record when more than a billion shares of stock were moved, Motorola [MOT] issued a press release that made its brand part of that record-breaking day. It claims that Motorola's paging system and JP Systems' front-end processor routed more than 105,000 pages in eight hours. Messages were delivered in less than four seconds during a time when the volume of pages handled was 50 percent greater than the daily average. (Motorola, 703/847-0266)
Tool
Conference Board Helps Execs Monitor Marketplace Changes
The Conference Board, New York, has launched a service, Consumer Research Center, to give marketers a heads-up about marketplace shifts. The $2,500 program (associates pay $1,950) promises reports that span in-depth studies to brief updates. Analysis includes:
- Buying power (who has it and how much);
- Market Segmentation (narrowing in on growth sectors);
- Demographic Information Service that's updated annually; and
- Monthly reports - two newsletters about current trends. (CB, 212/339-0344)