Practicing Social Responsibility. In the wake of Sept. 11, consumers have become more conscious of corporate contributions to society. So Ketchum's newly launched Corporate
Social Responsibility practice couldn't come at a better time. The practice will focus on communications services related to demonstrating respect for ethics, people, communities
and the environment. John Paluszek, senior counselor; Gavin Power, SVP; and Erika Gabrielsen, SVP, will head up the practice in North America. The practice will also include
other offices in the Ketchum global network.
The agency also is putting a spotlight on the importance of corporate environmental protection and development by releasing the results of a study, conducted along with
SustainAbility, a London-based management consultancy. The study assesses how media are responding to the scope of corporate social responsibility and development in the 10th
anniversary year of the Rio Summit (the 1992 summit and finds that while the media are critical to shaping public perceptions, they are largely ignoring the story of the alleged
corporate neglect of major ecosystems. For more information about the report, see http://www.sustainability.com. (Ketchum: Robyn
Massey, 646/935-3911)
Instant Gratification. Tired of waiting to see where - and whether - your news release is picked up? PR Newswire is shortening that nail-biting period between releasing news
and finding out which media outlets pick it up. ReleaseWatch monitors up to 20 sites, such as CBS Marketwatch, Lycos, Hoovers, CNET.com and Yahoo, and provides an email report
with links to the pages where the text of the report can be viewed. The service is free to PR Newswire customers. (Rachel Asche, 212/282-1929)
U.S. Newswire's Olympic Offerings. U.S. Newswire is offering a new service targeting media on-site at the 2002 Winter Olympic Games this week in Salt Lake City, Utah. Because
international relations, security, transportation and terrorism concerns will all be topics of coverage in addition to the sports themselves, U.S. Newswire says the demand for
expert sources and direct access to news will be higher than ever. The Olympics News Service is designed to distribute clients' news to daily newspapers, wire services, TV and
radio networks on-site. The service is available to regular clients at no cost and is available on a standalone basis for $395 for a release up to 400 words. (202/347-2770)
King of Beers Reigns Over Queen of Pop. Unlike AT&T, whose mLife ads scored consumer confusion and a lawsuit from MetLife, Anheuser-Busch is getting plenty of positive
press from its series of consumer-friendly Super Bowl ads. No less than five Budweiser ads were among the top 10 favorite ads, according to a survey of viewer opinion from
comScore, an advertising intelligence provider. Bud's Clydesdales paying respect to the site of the World Trade Center attacks was the top pick among 22 percent of survey
respondents, trouncing Britney's "back in time" ad, which scored only 5 percent. Communicators, take note: Americans' patriotism is even more powerful than Britney's ... er ...
appeal. (comScore: Daniel Hess, 312/775-6477)
Media Training ... In Brief. TJ Walker, a media training and presentation coach, offers the following tactics for succeeding in presentations and TV appearances in his latest
Media Tips email newsletter:
- Viewers should focus on your message, not your clothes.
- Guys, give in to makeup. If you don't wear powder, especially on your nose and forehead, you'll look shiny and plastic.
- Never look at notes during a live or taped interview - you'll appear nervous and unprepared.
- Narrow your message to three key points and a few key sound bites.
- Don't use acronyms unless they are FBI, CIA or SCUBA.
- Give your audience time to react to what you are saying - never rush.
For more tips and tactics, see http://www.tjwalker.com.
15 to Watch in PR. Don't miss the chance to recognize your most talented young colleagues! The deadline for nominations for PR NEWS ' 15 to Watch list is fast approaching. Our
annual list of 15 communicators 35 and under honors young PR pros who have made significant strides in their short careers in communications. Send nominations to Peggy Stuntz at
[email protected] or mail nominations to PR NEWS, 1201 Seven Locks Road, Suite 300, Potomac, MD 20854. Include the name, age and
contact information of the nominee, along with a description of his or her contributions to the profession. Please also include your contact information so that we may contact you
with any questions. Supporting materials welcome. Deadline for entries is March 11, and the 15 to Watch issue will appear in April.
Measure Your Impact. Join PR NEWS on March 5 for a Webinar on measuring the effect of PR on your organization's bottom line. In one of her final appearances as president of
DelahayeMedialink, Katie Paine will offer advice on selecting and implementing the best measurement program for your organization. She'll also provide counsel on how to present
the results to senior management for maximum impact. For more information or to register for "Quantifying Your Contributions: Measuring the Impact of PR on Your Company's Bottom
Line," see http://www.PRandMarketing.com/seminars/webinar/paine.htm.
Shopping for an Agency? Press Release Network has created a virtual yellow pages of PR with a new directory containing information on more than 1,600 PR agencies in 60
countries. The directory is available from the Press Release Network Web site (http://www.pressreleasenetwork.com) for $299.
Quarterly updates of the directory are free. Visitors to the site can search for information on a sample of 1,300 agencies. (Sharad Agarwal, [email protected])
PRSA Launches Call for Entries. Deadline for entry in PRSA's Silver Anvil Awards competition for best PR practices and tactics is March 1. Bronze Anvil entries are due April 5.
Winners of both awards will be announced June 6 at the Silver Anvil Celebration in New York. Entry forms are available online at http://www.prsa.org or by calling 212/995-2230.