Corporate Restructuring:
Edelman's New York Office Branches Into Three Units
The New York office of Edelman Public Relations Worldwide has reorganized to form three new operating units. Michael Morley, president of Edelman New York and deputy chairman of Edelman Worldwide, told us the creation of these new units made sense from a management structure point of view. "We have grown so much, we felt it was time to divide related PR specialties into logical, manageable units by combining portions of the agency that have a synergy of corporate reputation management." The three units are the corporate and public affairs unit, the consumer and health care unit and Edelman Financial Worldwide. Edelman Financial, Edelman's first cross-border unit, is a financial center that will operate out of New York, London and Hong Kong.
Scott Tagliarino, president for corporate and financial accounts at Edelman New York, was promoted to president of the corporate and public affairs unit. Nancy Turett, managing director of Edelman Health Care, was promoted to president of the consumer and health care unit. Carol Ruth was named chairwoman and CEO of Edelman Financial Worldwide. Ruth joins Edelman New York from Dewe Rogerson Inc. in New York, where she served as president and CEO. (Edelman, 212/768-0550)
Image Rebuilding
NRA Brings on Heston as Spokesperson
The NRA, which has suffered through PR turmoil for its stand against gun control and suggestions that it is linked to extremist groups, has brought on Charlton Heston to possibly boost its image. Heston, who learned to use a shotgun at age 10 in rural Michigan, believes he is an asset to the NRA. "I could be useful, as I was with the National Endowment for the Arts.Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was kind enough to say I was useful with civil rights. I have a public face, I know how to do interviews and I also have access to about any office on the Hill. I've done this for years for many causes," said Heston in a statement released by the NRA last week. (NRA, 800/392-8683)
Internet Protocol
Harassment In the UK: A Look At E-mail Policies
Companies need to set stricter guidelines on email use, if a new study is any indication. In the United Kingdom, of 1,000 workers surveyed for a report by Novell UK, more than half claimed to regularly receive "abusive" email. The report showed that the majority of email intimidation comes from respondents' superiors, and most often from their immediate managers. And men are five times more likely than women to send "flame-mail". The survey also suggested employees' dependence on email. Though 60% of the respondents said they are more efficient at their jobs as a result of email, 94% said they waste up to an hour a day responding to irrelevant email. (Novell, 800/222-6000)
Cause-Related Marketing
Post Cereal Commemorates Its 100th Anniversary
Here's an example of a community relations and cause-related marketing campaign that's easily digested. On June 3 the Post Cereal Company launched a 100-day food drive and summer-long hunger awareness program in honor of its 100th anniversary. Post is donating to Second Harvest, the nation's largest domestic hunger-relief charity, enough cereal to feed more than one million people. (Kraft Foods Inc., 914/335-2517)
Industry Honor
Broadcast Journalism Veteran Wins Emmy Award
The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) awarded the 1997 New England Emmy Award for "Best Public Affairs Program (Studio Based)" to Mike Lawrence, VP/media services of Cone Communications and 26-year veteran broadcast journalist. (Cone Communications, 617/227-2111)
Multex and Technimetrics Join Forces
To offer corporations a solution to better target institutional investors, the world's largest investor relations company Technimetrics has teamed with Multex Systems, provider of online brokerage research reports to market Multex's Corporate Register. Developed by Multex, Corporate Register is a new service that delivers company documents electronically to thousands of leading investment professionals. Technimetrics will be the authorized global sales agent for Corporate Register, which costs $6,000 per year and is available now. (Multex, 212/859-9859)