Harris Survey Shows Budgets Continue to Jump
The just-released annual Thomas L. Harris/Impulse Research Public Relations Survey shows that PR budgets grew to $3.37 million this year, an increase of almost $1 million over budgets reported in last year's survey.
Results are submitted anonymously by companies with revenue under $1 million to those with revenue over $5 billion.
A total of 3,942 questionnaires were mailed to companies and 1,931 responded (a 49 percent response), according to Thomas L. Harris. The results were compiled by Impulse Research PR and the names of clients participating in the study are not released.
The increase represents a 30 percent leap, with work assigned to agencies as well as performed in-house making up that sum. Interestingly, outsourced work as well as assignments managed in-house are almost evenly split, the study reports.
Internal budgets spiked 40 percent from $1.01 million in 1997 to $1.69 million this year, while external funding increased 20 percent from $1.34 million to $1.68 million.
Next week...a breakdown of where PR monies are going according to discipline. (Thomas Harris, 847/266-1020)
PR Veteran Wields Advice in Column in N.Y. Times Magazine
Longtime PR veteran Richard Weiner, a consultant based in New York, pens a column, "Plugged In to Broadway," in the Sept. 13 issue of The New York Times Magazine. The Sunday piece replaced regular columnist William Safire's prose because Safire is on vacation.
Weiner provides witty repose about how the language of the theater has become the language of the street. "The prize for the most colorful language probably goes to the juicers and gaffers...the juicer, no surprise, is an electrician who turns on the you-know what," he writes. (Weiner, 212/601-8005)
Business Moves
Claris Public Relations, Inc., Denver, is acquiring technology PR house Mesa Communications, Inc., which has operations in Los Angeles and Albuquerque. Combining the two firms, in the deal announced Sept. 10, will create a company with billings over $1.2 million. Mesa Communications founder Jeanne Kuriyan will remain as a consultant, providing insight for clients in the U.S. and overseas. Prior to forming Mesa in 1989, Kuriyan was director of PR for Ashton-Tate Corp. (Claris PR, 303/296-0343)
APCO Associates, Inc., a Washington, D.C.-based public affairs and strategic communications company, is partnering with ROSS Communications, Austin. The two will divvy out work over shared clients in the Southwest. Rossanna Salazar, owner and president of ROSS, is a former San Antonio journalist. She also worked as press secretary and chief speechwriter for Texas Gov. Bill Clements. (APCO, 202/778-1260)
N.Y. Golden Arches Leaves Golin/Harris: The McDonald's New York Tri-State Owner/Operators Association names MWW Group as its agency of record, replacing Golin/Harris which has worked with the corporation as well as franchisees for years. The MWW Group specializes in consumer, corporate and high-tech marketing, IR and public and government affairs. Starting Sept. 1, it began spearheading marketing and communications programs on behalf of 600 restaurants in the New York direct-marketing region. (MWW, 201/507-9500)
After nearly five decades of doing business under the name Aaron D. Cushman and Associates, Inc., the Chicago-based firm changes its name to Cushman Amberg Communications, Inc. The name change reflects the retirement of Aaron Cushman following the April 1997 sale of the agency to Thomas L. Amberg. (CAC, 312/263-2500)
Cohn & Wolfe names Rose Ann Anshuetz CEO of its Chicago operations. J. Ronald Kelly, executive VP who oversaw the office since it opened in 1989, has been named a senior client relationship executive. Anshuetz, who is now a senior partner and director of client services for Bozell Worldwide in Chicago, begins today at C&W. (C&W, 310/226-3025)