Tom Daley, Nigella Lawson, Wayne Rooney in ‘The Week in PR’ (Dec 2-9)

‘The week in PR’ is a look at all the big stories in public relations as reported by the UK media in the week gone by. The highlights include Nigella Lawson winning public appeal over Charles Saatchi; job cuts at Ketchum’s UK healthcare division; 3 Monkeys PR’s United Biscuits win; and  more. To have your PR News featured here next week, please email me at [email protected].

Leading the news

Nigella is winning in the court of public opinion (£) by Tim Rayment via The Sunday Times
Nigella Lawson has won the battle for public sympathy hands down over her former husband. A YouGov poll for The Sunday Times, carried out late last week and released today, shows that 39% of the public have more sympathy for her than for Charles Saatchi. Only 2% are firmly on his side.

Ketchum cuts UK healthcare jobs amid loss of global head Amanda Sefton by John Owens via PRWeek.com
Ketchum’s healthcare division has been hit by a double blow with the resignation of its global head Amanda Sefton and a slew of UK job cuts. PR Week reports that the UK healthcare team is facing six redundancies, which are thought to impact on a number of senior, longstanding employees and will reduce its size to around 30 staff. 

‘Alien-like creature’ revealed as PR stunt via The Telegraph
It was a mystery that took the internet by storm but the Bristol harbour ‘alien’ has been exposed as an elaborate stunt to promote a new TV show.

The viral stunt was designed to promote The Happenings, a new magic and illusion television show at TV channel Watch.

Samsung signs Wayne Rooney for Galaxy 11 campaign by John Glenday via The Drum
Samsung has announced that Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney has become the latest star to join its all-star line-up of footballing greats in support of its Galaxy branded gadgets.

PR Fail: RBS and NatWest targeted on social media by Priyanka Dayal via Cision UK
Customers took to social media to condemn the Royal Bank of Scotland, which includes NatWest and the Ulster Bank, after payment systems went down between 6:30pm and 9:30pm on ‘Cyber Monday,’ one of the busiest shopping days of the year.

Account wins and movements

3 Monkeys PR bag United Biscuits account by Priyanka Dayal via Cision UK
After a hotly contested five-way pitch, 3 Monkeys Communications Ltd won the UK corporate, CSR and consumer PR account for United Biscuits, a leading confectionary and snacks company.

EMEA Digital Head Fiona Battle Departs Weber Shandwick by Arun Sudhaman via The Holmes Report
Fiona Battle is departing Weber Shandwick less than six months after joining the agency to lead its Mediaco digital content unit in London.

Battle becomes the second senior digital executive to leave Weber Shandwick in recent months, after the exit of chief digital creative officer James Warren. 

The Big Pitch

Amazon in talks with agencies over LoveFilm and Kindle briefs by John Owens via PRWeek.com
Online retail giant Amazon has shortlisted agencies to pitch for a consumer PR brief covering its entertainment offerings LoveFilm, Kindle and Amazon MP3.

Commentary

Tom Daley’s YouTube video is an impressive display of strategic control by Mark Borkowski via The Guardian
Public relations expert Mark Borkowski comments on how Tom Daley’s YouTube clip demonstrates honesty and transparency in communication – an important approach in modern day PR and an optimum use of media.  

PR Posturing: Why Facebook and Google’s Campaign Rings Hollow by David Gilbert via International Business Times
Technology editor David Gilbert argues that the latest call from the big tech companies is nothing but a PR stunt to fool customers.

PRspective

Daniel Donovan of Corel by Priyanka Dayal via Cision UK
In conversation with Cision, Daniel Donovan, Corel’s PR manager, addresses the competitive nature of businesses in graphic design and digital media and discusses the communications strategy used by Corel to stay ahead.