- Platform Prater: The tit-for-tat between social brands continues, with the battlefield moving to live streaming. For a time pundits enjoyed contrasting Facebook’s financials with those of Twitter. No more. Due to Facebook’s historic financial prowess, it’s no longer a fair fight. At least with live video, it’s still a contest. In July, CNBC International signed an agreement with Facebook to put its morning show Street Signs on Facebook Live for a trial following the Brexit vote. Meanwhile Twitter tapped Bloomberg Media, which will live stream several of its shows on the bird platform, including election monitor With All Due Respect. July 20 Twitter said it hooked the NBA to live stream a pair of new, weekly pre-game shows on the platform. This adds to Twitter’s sports stable: it signed the NFL earlier this year to live stream Thursday Night Football games. Twitter also live streamed Wimbledon in July. Facebook returned serve: it signed a bevy of people who made their reps on Vine and YouTube to create video for Facebook Live. That’s in addition to media companies like BuzzFeed and The NY Times, announced earlier ( PRN, June 27). From July 25-July 28 Twitter carried live coverage from CBSN of the Democrats’ convention from Philadelphia.
2. Transparency: Speaking of The City of Brotherly Love, we’ll be watching events there anxiously August 1. That’s when ousted Theranos chief Elizabeth Holmes ( PRN, July 11, May 23) is scheduled to do something she’s avoided for months—she’ll be speaking in public about the merits of her blood-testing company. As of July 29, Holmes was still set to address a special session of the 68th annual meeting of the American Association for Clinical Chemistry, the group’s communications & PR director Molly Polentold us.
3. News Bits:There might be yet another wrinkle for Volkswagen communicators to explain. NY State’s chief prosecutor alleges the automaker hatched its strategy to cheat emissions standards years ago. The dieselgate story hit headlines last September. Planning dates to 1999 at VW sister company Audi, NY attorney general Eric Schneidermancharged in a $450-million civil suit July 19. It involved dozens of VW employees, he added. In October 2015 then-VW U.S. chief Michael Horn, who apologized for the wrongdoing, said it involved “just a few software engineers.”
4. M&A: Phoenix-based PR and marketing firm Impress Labs said July 27 it will merge with Duo Public Relationsof Seattle.
5. Hourly Rates:PR agencies and firms failed to raise their hourly rates last year, says a July 26 report from Gould+Partners. Rates average $448/hour for CEOs of agencies with $25 million or more in revenue and $301/hour for those with less than $3 million in net revenue, Gould says. Productivity—measured by billable time utilization—has been far below optimal levels. SVPs are billing out at 59% of their theoretical yearly capacity of 1700 hours. The study is based on responses from 106 PR agencies in the U.S. and Canada. Account execs are averaging 89%, the same as last year. The goal for staff not involved in management and new business should be at least 90%, Gould says.
6. People: Interpublic Group agency Golin turns 60 in January and will move from one CEO, Fred Cook, to a CEO team of Jonathan Hughes, Matt Neale and Gary Rudnick. Cook will become chairman; the three CEOs will report to him. Al Golin will continue as founder and Ellen Ryan Mardiks will remain vice chairman.Golin’s 2010 reorg from a traditional PR firm into a community of specialists inspired the team CEO move. -- BlueCross BlueShield of TNpromoted Roy Vaughn to SVP, CCO. He joined BlueCross in 2007 as director of communications after years on the agency side.– North America’s largest wine and spirits distributor Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits, LLCnamed Lee Brian Schrager SVP, communications and CSR. Schrager joined Southern in 2000 as director of media relations and special events. – Two Harbors Investment Corp named Timothy Perrott senior director of investor relations. His resume includes corporate communications and investor communications positions at Nextel, ADT Securityand Orbital Sciences. – Flowers Foods promoted Mary Krier to SVP, communications and corporate responsibility. She joined Flowers in 1990. Prior to that, she was a writer and editor for trade and consumer press in the Chicago area. Flowers also named Chad Johnson VP, distributor communications. Johnson joined Flowers in 1995. Among baker Flowers’ brands are Wonder and Tastykake. – Former Booz Allen Hamiltonexec Kelly Stepnojoined APCO Worldwideas senior director for crisis management and litigation communication. -- Paul Hewitt was named EVP, communications at the CW. He’s been with the television network since its founding in 2006.