Daily PR Brief - October 3rd, 2016

Good morning.   Here are today's top clips -

Jim Roberts joins strategic communications firm Mercury (POLITICO - October 3, 2016)
Recruiting Quality Talent Remains Top Challenge for PR Executives (O'Dwyer's - September 30, 2016)
PR Firm Fields Media Relations in Murder Case (O'Dwyer's - October 3, 2016)
Necessary changes in behavior: The Measurement Panel (PR Week - September 30, 2016)
Mayo Clinic's John Noseworthy on comms' role in healthcare (PR Week - September 30, 2016)
The Career Issue 2016 (PR Week - October 3, 2016)
World PR Report by ICCO and PRWeek reveals optimistic industry eyeing further growth (PR Week - October 3, 2016)
Chinese Telco Giant ZTE Brings In Cohn & Wolfe To Lead Global PR Duties (Holmes Report - October 3, 2016)
Holmes Report Unveils 2016 Global Agency Of The Year Finalists (Holmes Report - October 3, 2016)
10 ways PR pros can build outstanding careers (PR Daily - September 27, 2016)
A guide to crisis communications (PR Daily - October 3, 2016)
INGO, Cohn & Wolfe and Grey PR Win Two Grand Clios for “The Swedish Number” (Bulldog Reporter - October 3, 2016)
Porter Novelli’s Stakeholder Management & Strategic Media Outreach Brings Visibility and Much-Needed Aid to Teen-Crisis Initiative, Earning a Bronze in Bulldog’s Not-for-Profit Awards (Bulldog Reporter - September 30, 2016)
OOKII Group Appoints James Adams, Former Managing Editor of the Sunday Times, as Chairman (Bulldog Reporter - September 30, 2016)
WE Communications Hires Philip Channon and Michael Murphy (Bulldog Reporter - September 30, 2016)
PR PROfiles: Kenneth Loo, Steinreich Communications Group (Bulldog Reporter - October 3, 2016)
For Retail PR, Seeing Is Believing: 88 Percent of Consumers Seek Visual Content Prior to Purchase (Bulldog Reporter - October 3, 2016)
Ask the PR M&A Expert: Rick Gould Discusses PR Agency Profitability, Exit Strategies and Social Media Monetization (Bulldog Reporter - October 3, 2016)
ABTA names Alan Wardle as new public affairs director (Travel Weekly - October 3, 2016)
What Your Boss Needs to Know About PR Analytics (TrendKite - September 30, 2016)
Ketchum’s Rob Flaherty on Leading Leaders (Public Relations Society of America - September 30, 2016)
So much PR stuff to do, so little you to do it (Medium - September 30, 2016)
Fake News and False Flags: How the Pentagon paid a British PR firm $500 million for top secret Iraq propaganda (The Bureau of Investigative Journalism - October 2, 2016)
CNBC’s Arjun Kharpal on why he wants more Snapchat pitches (Gorkana - October 3, 2016)
OVO bolsters marketing and comms teams (Gorkana - October 3, 2016)
Measurement Month: watch exclusive video from the Gorkana panel event (Gorkana - September 30, 2016)

Summary Section:

Jim Roberts joins strategic communications firm Mercury
By Hadas Gold
POLITICO - October 3, 2016
Jim Roberts is turning in his newsman’s hat. Mercury, a global public strategy and communications firm, is announcing on Monday it has hired him to lead its global digital practice. 

Recruiting Quality Talent Remains Top Challenge for PR Executives
By Jon Gingerich
O'Dwyer's - September 30, 2016
An inability to offer a competitive salary or alluring compensation package was cited as one of the greatest hurdles marketing companies face when hiring qualified candidates, according to a survey of advertising and marketing executives published by staffing and recruiting agency The Creative Group. Accepting another job offer or counter offer was the most common reason prospective employees turn down a job at creative agencies, cited by more than a third — 35 percent — of advertising and marketing executives polled. Lower-than-expected compensation and benefits was also a leading factor, cited by 27 percent of executives, and limited opportunities for career growth or advancement was listed at 17 percent. Limited employee perks and an assumption that prospective employees wouldn’t make a good fit with the job description or corporate culture were other reasons qualified applicants often turn down jobs. 

PR Firm Fields Media Relations in Murder Case
By Jon Gingerich
O'Dwyer's - October 3, 2016
Hillary’s civil attorney, Mani Tafari, hired PR firm Goldman McCormick last year to kick off a media relations campaign to raise public awareness of Hillary's plight. Goldman McCormick, which was founded in 2010, specializes in legal PR, and lists authors, celebrities, political strategists, legal experts and financial planners as clients. The Massapequa, NY-based agency launched a website, www.truthfornickhillary.com, which it billed as an “online newsroom” that offered facts and updates on the case. 

Necessary changes in behavior: The Measurement Panel
By Gideon Fidelzeid
PR Week - September 30, 2016
Strong metrics should empower PR to impact consumer activity and business' bottom line. As underscored by the industry leaders who joined Gideon Fidelzeid in New York City for this BurrellesLuce-hosted panel, it all starts with communicators rethinking how and - perhaps more importantly - why they measure.

Mayo Clinic's John Noseworthy on comms' role in healthcare
By Sean Czarnecki
PR Week - September 30, 2016
Major news outlets know they can come to our expert physicians and scientists, who are more than willing to share what they know to advance knowledge. But our physicians work through Mayo’s media team. They work with our journalists to make sure the Mayo brand is substantiated by truth, probity, and rectitude - folks don’t just promote themselves. They can still build their careers, but the work has to be founded on integrity, honesty, and excellence on behalf of Mayo. If that doesn’t happen, they go work somewhere else. 

The Career Issue 2016
PR Week - October 3, 2016
When asked about the skills needed to survive in today’s PR landscape, PR pros agreed on one thing: They roundly encouraged college graduates to experiment, particularly in strategy and data analytics, and cautioned against specializing in any particular industry or skill set. If there is a single mantra that unites their perspectives, it’s to be open to change. Much of this echoes the kind of parlance integration has inspired for years. But Kwittken isn’t buying those rallying cries to "transform mindsets." As clients continue to evolve and funnel more money into data, PR, as well as the broader communications community, must change radically.

World PR Report by ICCO and PRWeek reveals optimistic industry eyeing further growth
By Sam Burne James
PR Week - October 3, 2016
Digital and online comms were cited by 89 per cent of respondents as the area the industry is most likely to see growth in the next few years, followed by corporate reputation (54 per cent) and public affairs or government relations (46 per cents). The sectors most likely to provide growth for PR are healthcare, technology and consumer products, the respondents said.

Chinese Telco Giant ZTE Brings In Cohn & Wolfe To Lead Global PR Duties
By Arun Sudhaman
Holmes Report - October 3, 2016
Cohn & Wolfe is tasked with supporting ZTE's public relations across Asia and Europe, regions where it is eyeing substantial expansion, after being slapped with export restrictions in the US, for alleged violation of sanctions against Iran. It is understood that the assignment is worth as much as US$1m, covering global strategy and corporate, b2b and b2c media and analyst relations.

Holmes Report Unveils 2016 Global Agency Of The Year Finalists
Holmes Report - October 3, 2016
Multinational public relations firms Cohn & Wolfe, Edelman, Ketchum, Ogilvy PR, and Weber Shandwick are The Holmes Report’s five finalists for Global Agency of the Year recognition. The winner will be announced at the Global SABRE Awards ceremony, which takes place as part of the PRovoke16 Global PR Summit in Miami later this month. The Holmes Report has also selected finalists in seven specialist categories—consumer, corporate, creative, digital, healthcare, public affairs and technology—as well as for a New Consultancy of the Year category.

10 ways PR pros can build outstanding careers
By Dan Lee
PR Daily - September 27, 2016
As time ticks by, a career can happen to you based on situation and circumstance. Instead, what would happen if you put more energy and effort into mapping out a personal game plan for your career—treating yourself like a client? When moderating a PRSA panel in Seattle, I posed that question (and others) to Mary Camarata, the director of global communications at Amazon Web Services; Katie James, Microsoft’s senior communications manager; Pete Pedersen, Sono’s vice president of global communications; and Joy Portella, president of Minerva Strategies.

A guide to crisis communications
By Kevin Allen
PR Daily - October 3, 2016
Where should you start? That’s where a recent Fineman PR infographic comes in. It lays out exactly what must occur within your internal and external communications teams—and how to prioritize. It starts at the social media level by equipping front-line teams to handle any questions or comments that come in onlineCri. From there, it’s a matter of understanding the affected audience, their needs and how best to meet them—all while maintaining a level of transparency and educating internal stakeholders.

INGO, Cohn & Wolfe and Grey PR Win Two Grand Clios for “The Swedish Number”
Bulldog Reporter - October 3, 2016
In addition to the two Grand Clios, the campaign also picked up a Bronze Clio Award in the Engagement/Experiential competition and a shortlist distinction in Public Relations. 

OOKII Group Appoints James Adams, Former Managing Editor of the Sunday Times, as Chairman
Bulldog Reporter - September 30, 2016
“The role of the PR agency has changed with the advent of social media and the data available to clients to assess their agency’s performance.” Adams commented. “I liked the OOKII approach to transparent client reporting and the very trusted position they hold with their clients’ CEOs and leadership teams; strategic PR guidance has never been more important to companies as they navigate internationalization with the increasing number of media channels that watch them.” 

WE Communications Hires Philip Channon and Michael Murphy
Bulldog Reporter - September 30, 2016
On the heels of VanderMolen’s hire earlier this year, the appointments of Murphy and Channon, combined with recent senior leadership additions in China and majority stake acquisition of Australian-based firm Buchan, underscore WE’s commitment to growing global market share and delivering strong, impactful cross-regional communications for clients in every corner of the globe. 

PR PROfiles: Kenneth Loo, Steinreich Communications Group
Bulldog Reporter - October 3, 2016
Our vision is to take our experience in the fashion industry and collaborate with the firm’s home furnishings and consumer products groups to provide synergy and resources to all of our clients.

For Retail PR, Seeing Is Believing: 88 Percent of Consumers Seek Visual Content Prior to Purchase
Bulldog Reporter - October 3, 2016
Visual content is increasingly critical to driving purchases—and new research affirms that brand PR and marketing needs to better leverage visuals to help consumers make purchase decisions. Ratings, reviews and question-and-answer tech provider PowerReviews recently released a new whitepaper, Snapshot for Ecommerce: The Role of Visual Content in Earning Consumer Trust and Influencing Purchase Behavior, detailing the rise and influence of user-generated photos and videos. Within PowerReviews’ network, reviews submitted with images have increased 70 percent year over year, and the ratio of images to reviews has increased 90 percent year over year. 

Ask the PR M&A Expert: Rick Gould Discusses PR Agency Profitability, Exit Strategies and Social Media Monetization
Bulldog Reporter - October 3, 2016
According to recent research from PR-focused merger and management consulting firm Gould+Partners. the public relations industry began hitting some growth hurdles last year, with marked slowdowns in billing rates and net revenues—presenting challenges not only for agency management trying to keep clients well served and profit margins maximized, but also for owners who want to drive the value of their firms up for a possible merger or acquisition in the future. 

What Your Boss Needs to Know About PR Analytics
TrendKite - September 30, 2016
Your boss may believe that a Google alert or two is all you need to assess the media landscape. Of course, nothing could be further from the truth. The number of media outlets, social networks, review sites, forums, and other channels that might be meaningful to your brand is enormous. Without sophisticated PR technology on the job, you may miss a crucial opportunity to spread your message or protect the reputation of your brand. The good news is that you’ll be able to use the solution to calculate the value of your PR activities and justify the investment. 

Ketchum’s Rob Flaherty on Leading Leaders
By Ken Jacobs
Public Relations Society of America - September 30, 2016
Our profession has changed more in the last five to seven years than in the previous 50. Consequently, while those of us with decades of experience offer judgment, strategic thinking and perspective, I think it’s true to say that people under the age of 35 know more than those over 35 about how people connect, share and form opinion. So that requires a few things: We need to have an appreciation that, more than ever, great ideas can come from all levels, not just the mid-level and senior people. Learning needs to be social, not expert-centric. Rather than just classes or webinars led by senior people, we engage all of our people in online learning, in which everyone’s ideas are posted, seen and voted on by their classmates. This allows the 45-year-olds to learn from the 25-year-olds and vice versa

So much PR stuff to do, so little you to do it
By Rachael Horwitz
Medium - September 30, 2016
In the meetings and conversations about marketing and communications I’ve had with dozens of folks across many different companies since starting, one common challenge has stood out. When you are in the early days of the company and there is more work to get done than people to do it, more challenges and opportunities to address than hours in the day, where on earth do you start? Specifically, for folks charged with telling the company story, the too-much-to-do-with-such-a-small-team struggle is real. 

Fake News and False Flags: How the Pentagon paid a British PR firm $500 million for top secret Iraq propaganda
By Crofton Black and Abigail Fielding-Smith
The Bureau of Investigative Journalism - October 2, 2016
Bell Pottinger’s output included short TV segments made in the style of Arabic news networks and fake insurgent videos which could be used to track the people who watched them, according to a former employee. In the first media interview any Bell Pottinger employee has given about the work for the US military in Iraq, video editor Martin Wells – who no longer works for the company – told the Bureau his time in Camp Victory was "shocking, eye-opening, life-changing.” 

CNBC’s Arjun Kharpal on why he wants more Snapchat pitches
By Kaltrina Bylykbashi
Gorkana - October 3, 2016
Kharpal tells Gorkana that his main objective when asking PRs to pitch via Snapchat, is to cut down on email pitches. He says: “I’m not the biggest fan of emails, particularly pitches that are chunky, long to read and don’t make much sense." He explains: “It also allows PRs to present a visual story in a more compelling way, perhaps by snapping an image or video of the product. For me, the benefits are shorter but more effective pitches. Also, I’m a very heavy mobile user, so I’m always checking social media, looking at what’s going on. Sometimes, I’ll respond quicker through Snapchat than email.” 

Measurement Month: watch exclusive video from the Gorkana panel event
By Emily Andrews
Gorkana - September 30, 2016
The event, chaired by Philip Smith, head of news and content at Gorkana, featured panellists: Daisy Pack, associate director at DeVries SLAM, Julia Hipkiss, associate partner at Bell Pottinger, Allison Adams, director, insights & planning at FleishmanHillard Fishburn, Matt Hocken, account director at Pitch and Paul Hender, head of insight at Gorkana. 
 

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