Oscars 2014; Pistorius trial; Paddy Power and Schumacher – all on the Week in PR (3 March)
‘The week in PR’ is a look at all the top stories in public relations as reported by the media. Leading the news this week is the buzz surrounding the 2014 Academy Awards, real-time coverage of Oscar Pistorius’ trial for murder; failed PR attempts from the rapper Drake, Paddy Power and Rosbacher, a German mineral water brand, as well as the latest news, views and account wins in the world of PR.
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Leading the news
Oscars 2014: live via The Guardian
Follow James Lachno, Patrick Smith and Charlotte Runcie as they guide readers through all the reaction to the 86th Academy Awards, where 12 Years a Slave Oscars, Jared Leto, Lupita Nyong’o, Matthew McConaughey and Cate Blanchett were among the winners.
Live Updates: Oscar Pistorius on trial for Reeva Steenkamp murder via The BBC
South African athlete Oscar Pistorius has pleaded not guilty at the start of his trial for the murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.
The Citizen earlier reported that a Twitter account set up by Oscar Pistorius’s public relations team last week has gone viral, reaching over 10 000 followers within hours after being set up with more added by the minute.
Pistorius’s personal Twitter account referred followers to the @OscarHardTruth handle, stating ‘they will uncover the truth and expose those with ulterior motives’.
Oscar Pistorius murder trial: Paddy Power prompts outrage by offering ‘money back if he walks’ bets by Tomas Jivanda via The Independent
A Paddy Power advert promoting a ‘money back if he walks’ offer for bets on the Oscar Pistorius murder trial has prompted numerous complaints to the Advertising Standards Authority, and an online petition for it to be pulled.
The company had already caused outrage earlier this week by offering odds on the outcome of the premeditated murder trial – 7/4 for a guilty verdict and 2/5 for not guilty – with many Twitter users branding the gimmick ‘vile’ and ‘disgusting’.
Drake’s PR company give him the boot following Rolling Stone cover bump outburst by Charlotte Wareing via Mirror.co.uk
Rapper Drake has reportedly been given the boot by his PR reps after he was bumped from the cover of Rolling Stone magazine.
The What’s My Name? singer has been dropped by PR firm ID-PR two weeks after he slammed the publication for swapping his planned cover story for a tribute to the late actor Philip Seymour Hoffman, Billboard reports.
German mineral water firm loses its sparkle with Schumacher ad by John Glenday via The Drum
A German mineral water brand has landed itself in hot water after it used the image of Formula 1 ace Michael Schumacher, currently in a coma, to market their drink
An advert in the March edition of a football referee association publication, produced in January, shows the F1 star clutching a football and is quoted as saying the water gives ‘2-1 for your body’.
In a statement the brands bottler, Hassia, said: ‘We reacted immediately after the accident, cancelled radio and TV commercials as well as all print and outdoor ads. ‘We could not however replace at short notice the pre-press advertisements.’
Regional ‘super-council’ in £80k PR push by Jennifer Williams via Manchester Evening News
Greater Manchester’s ‘super-council’ is set to spend £80,000 on a new website and PR team.
The combined authority – which oversees high-level economic strategy and growth for the region, as well as some transport and regeneration – currently has no dedicated communications office. At the moment publicity is handled variously by individual councils’ own PR officers.
The Big Pitch
Foreign Office reviews Know Before You Go PR arrangements by John Owens via PRWeek
The Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) is holding a pitch for a PR agency to handle its long-running campaign intended to keep Britons informed about travelling and living outside the country.
The Know Before you Go campaign, which aims to help those going abroad avoid the pitfalls of travel, is being put out to tender through the Government’s closed PR roster.
Pitch wins and movements
ITN head of press and public affairs Dan Faulks lands CNN comms director role by John Owens via PRWeek
CNN International (CNNI) has snapped up Dan Faulks from rival ITN to head up comms across the Europe, Middle East and Africa region.
Faulks will step into the new role of director, CNNI comms EMEA, next month and will report to Claudia Coles, the vice-president of comms for the news broadcaster’s parent company Turner International. The role includes overseeing comms across the breadth of the company’s content and advertising sales, research, business development and marketing remit.
John Doe to handle PR for Snog via The Holmes Report
John Doe has been appointed to work with frozen yogurt brand Snog. The agency will handle PR and cultural content to highlight the brand values and also to make media and consumers aware that the product will be available in supermarkets from March. The account will be led by agency founder Rana Reeves.
GolinHarris has appointed Neil Kleiner as head of social via
Moorgate Communications appoints Thomas Morris as MD by Priyanka Dayal via Cision
Moorgate Communications has appointed Thomas Morris as managing director. He is expected to work alongside chief executive Robert Kelsey in setting the strategy for the company’s growth. Morris joined Moorgate in 2010 from digital media agency Oxigen II and is a former journalist with News International.
Commentary
The battle between Ocado and Waitrose shows why an integrated campaign needs more than marcoms by Hamish Pringle via The Drum
‘Integration. Integration. Integration. It’s a maxim we’re all very familiar with, and yet there are still leading brands – brands that are the marketing pinups of their industry – not getting it right. This is not about whether ‘matching luggage’ or ‘shared attitude’ is the correct approach to multi-channel communication. Rather it’s about integrating the total business system, which is more fundamental and much harder.’
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