News Happenings From Hotels.com, The Hoffman Agency, Sitrick & Company, and WPP / PPG
Hotels.com Looking for PR Reps Globally and at EMEA
The possibilities for PR representation for Hotels.com are all rumor and innuendo currently, but those suggest that the company is looking for a large global PR firm to handle all of their public relations instead of entrusting it all to separate regional PR firms. However, though they are looking for a global representative, they are also looking for another firm, a creative PR group, for the EMEA area. The decision will probably be made around the beginning of 2017.
It is expected that both new firms will be handled by Hotels.com’s London office where they had been seeking a consumer PR specialist in the U.K. before deciding to expand the borders of their search. They have already cut ties with Lewis PR and Frank in the U.K., but their new relationship with Hill+Knowlton for U.S. efforts continues.
Singapore PR for IKEA Now Handled by The Hoffman Agency
The Hoffman Agency – Asia Pacific will provide PR for IKEA in Singapore, focusing on media relations, while social media remains with the retailer and BBH. Hoffman has been tasked with building the IKEA brand in the area. IKEA has been in that market since 1978 offering low prices, function, quality, form, sustainability, and good design.
IKEA Singapore’s country marketing manager, Ms. Caroline Ng, said: “The Hoffman team impressed us with their ideas for our upcoming launches and we are thrilled to be partnering with their dynamic and enthusiastic team. Coupled with their deep understanding of the local media landscape, we are looking forward to build a strong future together.”
TechCrunch’s Interview with Michael Sitrick
Michael Sitrick, founder and leader of Sitrick & Company, has built a good deal of his reputation and business on pulling peoples’ and companies’ tail feathers out of the fire and removing enough of the scorch marks to have them presentable again in public. Much of Sitrick’s approach to crisis management is implied in his company’s slogan, “If you don’t tell your story, someone else will tell it for you.”
According to a recent TechCrunch interview article, he works with many of his clients to tell their own story, get out among the people and press, and put the information out there quickly, continuously, and completely as needed. One employee verified that by saying: “Mike is all about providing context, so reporters understand the point of view of the company that Sitrick is advocating for.”
PPG (Iran) Forms Logan Partnership With WPP
PPG has PR pull in Iran with several digital service companies and an ad network (Anetwork). Those have a monthly reach in Iran of as many as 36 million people. PPG also operates Akhbar Rasmi, a major PR newswire service in the country, and several social media management agencies.
In a statement issued by WPP, they said: “This initiative continues WPP’s strategy of focusing on three key areas that differentiate the Group’s offering to clients: technology and data.” This deal is similar to one worked between Grayling and PGt Advertising to get into the Iranian market.
