BUSINESS DEVELOPMENTS
- Public affairs and government relations firm MWW, East Rutherford, N.J., has created a "play book" outlining what clients need to focus on when considering new locations and managing the site development of stores, malls, houses and public facilities.
"The MWW Siting Playbook" is supposed to identify tactics that can be used to create advocacy campaigns which influence constituents and decision makers. Client cost ranges from $7,500 to $15,000. (MWW, 201/507-9500)
- Working with emerging economies may build your brand not just now but in the long-term. Case in point: APCO Associates Inc. and Russia's MostGroup marked their 10-year alliance as one of the first U.S.-Soviet ventures. MostGroup is a conglomerate of banking, real estate and media companies. Its products include NTV, a national TV network; THT, a regional TV network with 150 stations; daily newspapers and "Itogi," a weekly political pub. The anniversary was commemorated at the Folger Shakespeare Library with Sen. Joseph Lieberman (D-Conn.) and Congressman Tom Lantos (D-Calif.) in attendance. (APCO, 202/778-1260)
- Journalists tend to be impressed with PR specialists who are familiar not only with their publications, but with their writings and accomplishments, too.
So, if you're in the high-tech arena, you might want to jot down a congratulatory note to these editorial stars: "Tulsa World" Staff Writer Shaun Schafer and "Imaging and Document Solutions Magazine" Features Editor Liz Levy. They were the winners of the 1998 awards for "Excellence in Technology Journalism" given by PRSA's Technology Section at the group's March 10 international conference in Washington, D.C. (PRSA, 212/460-0310)
- Matt Van Fleet leaves his position as director of corporate communications for Royal Philips Electronics' speech technology division to join Hill and Knowlton as the New York office's managing director in the technology and manufacturing industries. (H&K, 323/966-5700)
Employers Are Hungry for Health Information
Hospitals and other provider organizations can position themselves as a key resource for employers who want to provide their employees with credible health information. The workplace has become an important venue for obtaining information on preventive health and disease management.
Now employers are looking to health providers to provide on-site education, according to the Mayo Clinic, which has supplied hundreds of companies with employee wellness newsletters and self-care books in the last two years.
For employers, these outreach efforts can help reduce absenteeism, increase productivity and lower their healthcare costs. Employer-based health educational opportunities include:
- Information to help employees manage chronic back pain;
- Ideas on stress management; and
- Tips on balancing work and family.
Educational programs help employees determine when to see a physician, how to deal with everyday health problems and how to develop preventive health habits. Dr. Phil Hayden, who heads the Mayo Clinics' HealthQuest program for employee health, offers tips for launching employer health programs:
- Provide health information that addresses the most common reasons for sick days.
- Offer educational packets on disease prevention, self-care, first-aid and emergencies.
(The Mayo Clinic, Dr. Phil Hagen, 800/430-9609, http://www.mayo.edu)