Public Relations News Updates: Rubenstein PR, Omnicom PR Firms Down… and More?
Rubenstein Associates helping Chipotle
It’s been a rough year or so for the “healthy” Chipotle food chain, proving not so healthy on several occasions and in numerous locations. They recently added Rubenstein Associates to assist with crisis reputation and management issues faced because of the food-born illness shut-downs. Chipotle, based in Denver, has been dealing with those outbreaks of norovirus and E.coli for several months, but now a criminal probe has been generated, further dropping the share price and sales at their restaurants. Edelman has been helping them, but they recently parted ways, and now they’ve added Rubenstein to their PR menu.
On Monday, February 8th, Chipotle shut all their 2,000+ restaurants to re-train their 50,000 employees regarding food safety issues and procedures. The investigation by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention is reported to have finished. The company saw a decline in sales of nearly 15 percent for 2015.
Rubenstein Associates was founded by the famed, Howard J. Rubenstein in 1954 and is currently run by his son, Rubenstein’s contact list is famous and over the years, he’s been beneficial in New York politics, real estate, and nonprofit efforts especially. Some of the clients handled by the firm include Bloomberg, Consolidated Edison, Intrepid Museum, Metropolitan Opera, Time Inc., and New York Cares. His other son, Richard Rubenstein has Rubenstein PR.
Omnicom Q4 2015 held some bad news
Omnicom is a holding company with several PR firms operating under its umbrella. Some of their larger PR firms include Porter Novelli, Ketchum, Marina Maher Communications, and FleishmanHillard. Their 2015 fourth quarter reports showed a 6.9 percent drop in organic revenue and over the full year a 1.4 percent drop in organic revenue.
Alternatively, the division of the holding company dealing with advertising firms saw a 12.6 percent increase in organic revenue for Q4. Though CRM and other avenues experienced drops along with the PR arm of business. Overall, 2015 advertising firms for Omnicom had a 9.3 percent rise in organic revenue, CRM was up 1.9%, and their specialty communications rose 2.2 percent.
Interestingly, individual PR firms such as Ketchum and Porter Novelli claimed their firms had seen positive growth for 2015 and Q4. Karen Van Bergen, CEO of Porter Novelli said, “We’re riding a wave of momentum into 2016 with notable wins and significant organic growth, in addition to industry recognition for our talented team members and for the agency as a top workplace.” Why is it that no one ever says their firm is not doing well?
Doctoroff Wi-Fi Event
Dan Doctoroff spoke on the evening of February 10th about “the impact of emerging technology on life in cities.” He’s been supervising the replacement of 7,500 New York City phone booths, costing approximately $200 million, with “hot spot” Wi-Fi transmitting terminals.
“We’re on the brink of an historic period for cities around the world,” Doctoroff said while promoting the event held on the first floor at the National Grid Auditorium of One MetroTech Center on Jay Street, Brooklyn.
The phone booth replacements are called “Links,” and will provide free, “super-fast” Wi-Fi access within a radius of as much as 400 feet. Reports are that Google created Sidewalk Labs last June to build the free wireless network called LinkNYC with completion of the network scheduled over the next eight years. Large ads will be on either side of the new terminals and will pay for their usage and cost.
Sidewalk Labs hired BerlinRosen as its PR firm. BerlinRosen specializes in public affairs, campaign consulting, creative services, media training, strategic communications, media relations, and digital and social media. They are a full-service firm – their most high profile client is the current Mayor of New York.
