Can Gowers Rescue AFME?

The Association for Financial Markets in Europe (AFME), has recently appointed Andrew Gowers as director of external relations, according to a Reuters report earlier this week. The association’s membership includes most of the big U.S. and European banks operating across the continent.

As Gowers led the disastrous PR campaign during the BP oil spill, the move puzzled the media. Instead of focusing on his career move, headlines focus on his association with BP, and editorials scrutinize his career in public relations “born of disaster.”

Andrew Gowers was in charge of BP’s PR in the first months of the Deepwater Horizon explosion and Gulf of Mexico oil spill. He was fired later on by BP’s new chief executive Bob Dudley, in an overhaul of BP’s comms operation, although initially the company expressed no intention to take such extreme actions, mentioning a reassignment instead. This was not Gowers’ first failure. His departure from the Financial Time in 2006 attracted some media flack, and the collapse of Lehman Brothers while he was still head of comms added another black mark on his professional portfolio.

Andrew Gowers has been working as a consultant to AFME for the last three months, according to the aforementioned Reuters report, helping the association edit the AFME book Investing in Change. As director of external relations, his responsibilities extend past those of a consultant – he will have to take proactive measures to rescue the tarnished reputation of so many banks in the association. But he can do it? Was AFME’s move wise, considering Gowers’ portfolio of PR blunders during the BP oil spill?

Eurovision 2013 and Why “What If” Won’t Ever Happen, Not Ever

This year’s Eurovision contest showed promise. Promise of human beings coming together in Europe, maybe across the world. Now, days after Denmark’s Emmelie de Forest, sanging the winning song in the finale, Only Teardrops the idea and ideology still enshrouds Europe. With Azerbaijan launching an investigation into its own voting schema, and an enrage Russian fan base, the Europe of medieval times just doesn’t seem so far off.

Jon Ola Sand, Executive Supervisor of the Eurovision Song Contest - Courtesy Eurovision

ZOA Calls for Israel Commentary on Netzarim Junction Affair

The Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) is calling for the state of Israel to hold a press conference to address a new investigation into what they say is a libelous past report on a Palestinian youth shooting.

A world, a people, outraged by reporting of an incident - courtesy Al Durah Project

EXCLUSIVE: Columbia Sportswear Sends Out RFP

Just in, Columbia Sportswear has sent out a request for proposal (RFP) for entertainment marketing firms to attend a coming campaign to focus on the Columbia Sportswear target demographic. Columbia Sportswear Company owns Columbia, Mountain Hardwear, SOREL, Montrail and the Pacific Trail brands, but according to the request questionnaire the company sent out, the focus will be exclusively for the Columbia brand name.

Ronn Torossian on Brand Angelina Jolie

With Angelina Jolie being lauded as a hero worldwide for her valiant effort to have a preventative double mastectomy, there’s also the BRAND and PR story of Angelina Jolie. Even previous to this, Jolie’s brand has shined – Best-selling PR Book “For Immediate Release: Shape Minds, Build Brands, and Deliver Results with Game-Changing Public Relations” by CEO of 5WPR Ronn Torossian had a section on Jolie.