Report on Meaningful Employee Communication Released
The Dallas chapter of International Association of Business Communicators has released a 30-page report on employee communication to top executives at Dallas' 100 largest companies to help raise awareness about employee communication issues and help the executives become more familiar with the 350-member chapter.
The chapter was recently named IABC's international chapter of the year. The report, Meaningful Employee Communication, is a transcript of a forum attended by seven senior-level members with responsibility for employee communication. (214-503-0109)
Revenues On The Rise for Communications Companies
Communication professionals will be heartened by this annual result: Revenues of public communication companies rose 13.2 percent to $173.9 billion in 1995, according to the 14th annual Veronis, Suhler & Associates Communications Industry Report.
The New York-based investment banking firm, which released the findings at the close of last month, said the increase marks the second year of double-digit growth in revenues. Last year's jump was 11.1 percent. (Veronis, Suhler & Associates Inc., 212/935-4990)
PR Agencies As Humanitarians
Employees of The Kambler Group, a communications, consulting and PR firm headquartered in Washington, D.C., "adopted" the families of striking janitors by collecting toys, clothing, food and financial donations during the holiday season. The janitors, part of Service Employees International Union Local 82, were part of the "Justice for Janitors" strike. (The Kamber Group, 202/223-8700)
Other acts of good faith during the holiday season: The Altus Group, a marcom firm based in Philadelphia, gave $100 donations to each of its employees who particpated in a Philly-to-D.C. AIDS Ride. (Altus Group, 215/977-9900)
Burson-Marstellar, Sacramento To Begin Lobbying Efforts
Burson-Marstellar's Sacramento office will expand its public affairs capabilities in California to include lobbying.
As part of that decision, the firm has formed an alliance with Kevin Sloat & Associates, an independent company which will handle the new services. Kevin Sloat, who worked as Gov. Wilson's legislative secretary and deputy chief of staff since 1994, was chosen to head the operations because of his professional ties to legislators in both the Senate and the Assembly. (Burson-Marstellar, 916/446-7772)
PR Institute Offers Grant/Internship For New Research
For the sixth year, a $10,000 grant/internship program to promote and assist in the development of new research in PR will be offered by The Institute for Public Relations Research and Education, University of Florida in Gainesville.
The Scientific Measurement and Research Techniques (SMART) program is set up to allow a grdaute student majoring in PR to design and carry out a research project under the mentoring of a faculty advisor.
The deadline for submissions is Jan. 20, 1997. Winning applicants will be notified by Feb. 24. Application forms may be obtained by calling 904/392-0280. (The Institute for Public Relations Research & Education, 904/392-0280)
Maximizing Workers' Potential
If you think your employes are playing games on the job, new software may put the kibosh on their hidden activities. DVD Software Inc. has released its 3.0 version of AntiGame, a program that eliminates more than 6,000 computer games from one's PC. DVD, based in Irvine, Calif., estimated that loss of productivity due to games played at work is $50 billion annually. (DVD, 714/757-0615)
Cerrell Associates Inc. Voted Into Worldcom
Cerrell Associates Inc., Los Angeles, was voted into the Worldcom Group - a consortium of independently-owned PR counseling firms worldwide. PR professionals who are part of the network are selected to provide services in areas with cultural differences and with varying kinds of governmental regulations. (Cerrell, 213/466-3445)
New Name For Agency
New York-based EURO/RSCG, a communications network with more than 200 agencies in 61 countries, has chosen a new name for its healthcare PR agency. Formerly, CDB Healthcare, the new name is PResence/EURO RSCG. (PResence, 212/845-4200)
SMG Acquires NGRC
The Situation Management Group, a management consulting firm in Alexandria, Va., has acquired National GrassRoots & Communications Inc., a full-service PR agency also in Alexandria. (SMG, 703/519-3993)
Gold Quill Nominations Underway
Entries for the International Association of Business Communicators Gold Quill Awards are being accepted until Feb. 5, 1997. The awards program, which is conducted every year, recognizes outstanding programs and projects in organizational communiation.
Categories include media relations, employee communications, marketing communications, crisis communications and electronic and interactive comunications and - for the first time this year - advertorials. Entry forms, guidelines, sample evaluation forms used by judges can be obtained through IABC's fax-on-demand system: 415/433-4814.
Entries received by Jan. 29 will qualify for reduced fees, which are $80 for IABC members and $125 for non-members. Fees after that cut-off are $105 for members and $165 for non-members.
Finalists and winners will be notifed in April and winners' names will be announced to the public in May. An awards banquet will be held in June. (IABC, 415/433-3400)