Difference between revisions of "Edelman"

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==Resources==
 
==Resources==
 
See: [[Fracking lobbying firms]]
 
See: [[Fracking lobbying firms]]
 +
 +
See: [[Fracking Spads]]
 
*Melissa Jones and Andy Rowell, [http://www.spinwatch.org/index.php/issues/climate/item/5765-access-all-areas-frackers-lobbyists-and-the-revolving-door Access all areas: Westminster's (vast) fracking lobby exposed], 29 April 2015.
 
*Melissa Jones and Andy Rowell, [http://www.spinwatch.org/index.php/issues/climate/item/5765-access-all-areas-frackers-lobbyists-and-the-revolving-door Access all areas: Westminster's (vast) fracking lobby exposed], 29 April 2015.
 
*Edelman, "[http://www.edelman.com/about_us/relationship_imperative/index.asp The Relationship Imperative]".
 
*Edelman, "[http://www.edelman.com/about_us/relationship_imperative/index.asp The Relationship Imperative]".

Revision as of 09:17, 5 May 2015

Twenty-pound-notes.jpg This article is part of the Lobbying Portal, a sunlight project from Spinwatch.
Edelman London offices, Southside, 105 Victoria Street, SW1E - the office block also houses NHS London
Edelman Brussels offices, Avenue Marnixlaan 28

Edelman is the largest independently owned PR company with 46 offices and 50 affiliates around the world.

History

Founded in 1952, the company employs approximately 1856 people worldwide and in 2002 generated revenues of $206 million.

According to O'Dwyers PR Services listings, the largest contributors to Edelman’s 2002 earnings were from its healthcare practice ($56.71 million), high technology ($44.1 million), financial and investor relations ($33.1 million) and food ($21.46 million).[1]

According to Edelman’s it is currently ranked the sixth largest of all PR companies based on 2001 turnover figures.[2]

Edelman’s tops O’Dwyers rankings as the leader in environmental PR of all companies, earning $9.5 million in 2002. (However, it is worth noting that a number of the largest PR companies do not participate O’Dwyer’s rankings.)

In 2013, according to O'Dwyers, Edelman were the leading PR company with net fees of $734,177,526.[3]

In 2014 the firm's revenue grew by 8.2 percent to almost $67million, down on its growth of 11.4 percent in 2013 and 9.6 in 2012.[4]

In April 2015 the firm bought Dubai-based PR agency Dabo & Co 'to create a "regional powerhouse" in the Middle East'. The firm was founded 10 years ago by Lucy and Camilla d'Abo and have 60 members of staff in 15 countries including Morocco and Pakistan and will combine with Edelman's existing 85 person strong UAE business. They have a client roster that includes Unilever, BMW, DHL, Michelin, Quantas and Jumeirah Restaurants. The value of the deal has not been disclosed.[5]

Lobbying in the UK

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Alcohol badge.jpg This article is part of the Spinwatch public health oriented Alcohol Portal project.
Foodspin badge.png This article is part of the Foodspin project of Spinwatch.

Edelman's public affairs business in the UK employs 25 staff and freelance lobbyists based in London.[6]

According to its entry in Who's Who in Public Affairs 2006, Edelman Public Affairs' “vantage point provides clients with the insights they need to shape policy at the national and global level… We help them to form relationships with legislators, officials, special interest groups and sovereign governments to achieve their economic and political objectives… orchestrating a wide range of strategies and tactics including research, coalition building, stakeholder mobilisation, media relations and grassroots activities”.[7]

Breaching the lobbyists code

In September 2007, The Sunday Times reported that Edelman Public Affairs lobbied the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) in July 2006 on behalf of a client, Pelcombe. At the time, Heather Rogers, wife of John Hutton, then secretary of state for DWP, was a director at Edelman. Pelcombe subsequently secured contracts with the DWP. Edelman failed to register its relationship with the firm on the Association of Professional Political Consultants’ (APPC) register – a breach of the APPC’s code of conduct.[8]

The Sunday Times reported: “In a proposal drawn up by Edelman in July last year (2006), the lobbying firm offered to fix meetings for Pelcombe’s managing director with MPs and Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) officials “for the joint purpose of building relationships and gathering intelligence on current and future policy”. It added: “Targets are to be selected from the existing ‘political contact list’ as appropriate.” The Sunday Times reports that it was initially told by a source at Edelman that Pelcombe was “Heather’s client” and that she had introduced the firm to the lobbyists. This was later retracted.

Edelman's failure to register Pelcombe as a client is in breach of the APPC’s code of conduct includes a requirement for member agencies to disclose their clients and consultants.[9] The then chairman of the APPC, Gill Morris, accepted Edelman’s apology for the “oversight” and the remedial action the company agreed to take.[10] Michael Burrell, Edelman’s Europe vice-president is a member of the APPC’s management committee.[11]

Former employee, Heather Rogers was previously an aide to former health secretary, Alan Milburn, Labour MP for Darlington. Milburn was best man at Roger’s wedding to Hutton in 2004.[13] MP Milburn is now a paid advisor of one of Edelman’s clients Pepsico – as part of its new nutritional advisory board - for £25,000 a year, as is Tony Blair's one-time polling and image guru Philip Gould. [12]

UK lobbyists

[13]

December 2014-February 2015

Oluwatosin Adedayo | Nick Barron | Jade Beaty | Eleanor Best | Rishi Bhattacharya | Alex Bigg | Lidia Borisov | Rachel Bower | Gurpreet Brar | Grant Clelland | Gary Clelland | Toby Conlon | Clementine Cowton | Amy Dyson | Susan Eastoe | Ben Fenton | Rebecca Flynn | Rose Fox | Thom Fraser | Duncan Gallagher | Victoria Gomes | Alexis Guthrie | Lucinda Hannington | Francesca Haszard | Nick Hay | Laura Haynes | Ryan Heath | Robert Henderson | Siobhan Hill | Mel Hinds | Anji Hunter | Michael Jones | Elmear Keller | Gemma Kennard | Efthymia Kli | Michelle Lavipour | Rebecca Leavey | Josh Leigh | Ben Lock | James Lundie | Stephanie Lvovich | Aoife MacDonald | Anthony Marlowe | Benedict McAleenan | Peter McIntyre | Jonathan Mitchell | Rosie Morris | Aidan Muller | Lauren Myers Cavanagh | Sarah Nash | Sam Nash | Robert Newman | Philipe Polman | Emma Popham | Lola Reid | David Robertson | Ben Russell | Cassandra Simpson | Robert Sinclair | Harry Spencer | Sarah Jane Spooner | Katie Stainer | Ben Surtees | Elizabeth Tagge | John Thompson | Annabel Turbutt-Day | Katie Waring | Mark Williams | Ed Williams | Michael Zdanowski[18]

September 2014-November 2014

Oluwatosin Adedayo | Nick Barron | Rishi Bhattacharya | Alex Bigg | Rachel Bower | Gurpreet Brar | Grant Clelland | Gary Clelland | Toby Conlon | Clementine Cowton | Susan Eastoe | Ben Fenton | Rebecca Flynn | Rose Fox | Thom Fraser | Duncan Gallagher | Victoria Gomes | Alexis Guthrie | Lucinda Hannington | Nick Hay | Laura Haynes | Robert Henderson | Siobhan Hill | Mel Hinds | Anji Hunter | Gemma Kennard | Efthymia Kli | Michelle Lavipour | Rebecca Leavey | Josh Leigh | Ben Lock | James Lundie | Aoife MacDonald | Anthony Marlowe | Benedict McAleenan | Peter McIntyre | Jonathan Mitchell | Rosie Morris | Lauren Myers Cavanagh | Sarah Nash | Sam Nash | Robert Newman | Philipe Polman | Emma Popham | Lola Reid | Sarah Richardson | David Robertson | Ben Russell | Cassandra Simpson | Harry Spencer | Sarah Jane Spooner | Katie Stainer | Ben Surtees | Elizabeth Tagge | John Thompson | Eleanor Wilcox | Mark Williams | Ed Williams[19]

June 2014-August 2014

Stephanie Bailey | Nick Barron | Rishi Bhattacharya | Alex Bigg | Rachel Bower | Grant Clelland | Gary Clelland | Toby Conlon | Clementine Cowton | Susan Eastoe | Ben Fenton | Rebecca Flynn | Rose Fox | Thom Fraser | Duncan Gallagher | Victoria Gomes | Alexis Guthrie | Lucinda Hannington | Nick Hay | Laura Haynes | Robert Henderson | Siobhan Hill | Mel Hinds | Anji Hunter | Rob Jeffery | Gemma Kennard | Efthymia Kli | Michelle Lavipour | Rebecca Leavey | Josh Leigh | Jessica Lennard | Ben Lock | James Lundie | Aoife MacDonald | Jorn Madslien | Anthony Marlowe | Benedict McAleenan | Peter McIntyre | Jonathan Mitchell | Rosie Morris | Lauren Myers Cavanagh | Sarah Nash | Sam Nash | Jules Norton Selzer | Dominic Pendry | Philipe Polman | Emma Popham | Lola Reid | Sarah Richardson | David Robertson | Ben Russell | Cassandra Simpson | Harry Spencer | Sarah Jane Spooner | Katie Stainer | Ben Surtees | Elizabeth Tagge | John Thompson | Ruth Warder | Eleanor Wilcox | Mark Williams | Ed Williams[20]

March 2014-May 2014

Stephanie Bailey | Nick Barron | Rishi Bhattacharya | Alex Bigg | Kevin Bossi | Rachel Bower | Gary Clelland | Toby Conlon | Clementine Cowton | Laura Crooks | Lucy Davies | Emily Dimmock | Susan Eastoe | Ben Fenton | Rebecca Flynn | Laura Furness | Duncan Gallagher | Victoria Gomes | Lucinda Harrington | Nick Hay | Robert Henderson | Siobhan Hill | Mel Hinds | Anji Hunter | Rob Jeffery | Efthymia Kli | Michelle Lavipour | Rebecca Leavey | Jessica Lennard | Stephen Lotinga | James Lundie | Aoife MacDonald | Jorn Madslien | Anthony Marlowe | Benedict McAleenan | Peter McIntyre | Jonathan Mitchell | Rosie Morris | Sarah Nash | Sam Nash | Jules Norton Selzer | Carolyn Paul | Dominic Pendry | Philipe Polman | Emma Popham | Vanessa Pymble | Lola Reid | Sarah Richardson | David Robertson | Ben Russell | Rachael Shanahan | Cassandra Simpson | Harry Spencer | Sarah Jane Spooner | Katie Stainer | Ben Surtees | Elizabeth Tagge | Tom Waller | Ruth Warder | Tim Weber | Eleanor Wilcox | Ed Williams[21]

Executives 2011-13 included

  • Ed Williams - former BBC director of communications (2008-2011), joined Edelman in October 2011 as UK Chief Executive Officer [22]
  • James Lundie - Group Managing Director Corporate & Financial at PR and lobbying firm Edelman. He was previously Edelman's joint managing director of public affairs, alongside Chris Rumfitt. [23][24]

Former lobbyists

  • Luke Pollard, Senior account manager at Edelman. Pollard has a long history in politics as an advisor to two former Government Ministers, he was also seconded to the Labour Party for the 05 General Election and stood for Labour in the Local Elections in May 06. Prior to working in politics Luke worked in children’s TV as a studio manager for ITV. Luke is standing for the Labour party in South West Devon at the next General Election (expected 2010). South West Water is a client of Edelman. Is Labour's candidate for Plymouth Sutton and Devonport in the 2015 general election.
  • Paul Lockstone, Managing Director, responsible for Financial Communications and Investor Relations. He also oversaw Edelman’s Strategic Media Unit. He was previously Director of Group Communications at Alliance & Leicester; Head of European Public Relations for the Tax and Legal Services arm of PricewaterhouseCoopers; Head of Public Relations at NatWest UK. Paul is Co-Chair of the Financial Services Forum at British American Business. Lockstone worked closely with Stanley Fink, the ‘Godfather of hedge funds’ during Fink's tenure as Man Group CEO.[25] Left Edelman to work at Aviva Investors[26] and is now managing director of corporate affairs at Barclaycard.[27]
  • David Noble, International Head of Bioscience, based in London and part of Edelman's larger Healthcare team.[28] Was made redundant as part of a restructuring.[29] Is now head of PeerVoice at Global P\S\L Group.[30]
  • Michael Burrell, Edelman’s Vice Chairman, Europe based in London. Described as one of the industry’s “big hitters”. Burrell is also on the management committee of the Association of Professional Political Consultants (APPC). Educated at St Peter's College, Oxford, Burrell started out in journalism before moving to lobbying in 1983, founding Westminster Strategy in 1986. He is opposed to the current efforts to introduce lobbying transparency in the EU, stating that the EU Commission’s plans to include financial disclosure in its register of lobbyists “would not be acceptable”. Is currently senior counsel, public affairs, Europe APCO Worldwide and CEO at Michael Burrell Consultancy [31]
  • James Lundie, former group managing director, corporate and financial (replaced by Nick Barron). Has also worked as an adviser and speechwriter for the former Lib Dem leader Paddy Ashdown and as a senior researcher and deputy press secretary to the next leader Charles Kennedy. In March 2015 he joined Barclays bank's personal and corporate banking division as managing director and head of corporate communications.[32]

UK lobbying clients

December 2014-February 2015

Air Products | Alfa Group | Anglian Water | Anglo American | Astra Zeneca | Balfour Beatty | Barclays | Cambridge Assessment | Channel 4 | Chevron City and Guilds | Climate Kic | Cornwall and Isles of Scilly LEP | Diageo GB | Diageo plc | Endurance Wind Power | Energy UK | Gateway 120 Ltd | GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy | Grosvenor Square Ltd | Hitachi GE | Intu Properties | Keoghs | LetterOne | London First (Let Britain Fly Campaign) | Microsoft | News UK | Pfizer | QE Prize for Engineering | Regis Group | Renewable Energy Association (REA) Back Biomass Campaign | Roche | Royal Mail | Sainsburys | Sedgemoor District Council | Shire Pharmaceuticals | South West Water | Symantec | Syngenta | Task Force on Shale Gas | Tempus Energy | UKTV | Unilever | University of Chicago Booth Business School | UPS | Verny Capital | Walt Disney Company | WR Berkley[18]

September 2014-November 2014

Air Products | Alfa Group | Anglian Water | Anglo American | Astra Zeneca | Balfour Beatty | Barclays | Cambridge Assessment | Channel 4 | Chevron City and Guilds | Climate Kic | Cornwall and Isles of Scilly LEP | Diageo GB | Diageo plc | Eggborough Power Limited | Electricity Storage Network | Endurance Wind Power | Exxon Mobil | Gateway 120 Ltd | GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy | Grosvenor Square Ltd | Hitachi GE | Intu Properties | Keoghs | LetterOne | London First (Let Britain Fly Campaign) | Microsoft | News UK | Pfizer | QE Prize for Engineering | Regis Group | Renewable Energy Association (REA) Back Biomass Campaign | Roche | Sainsburys | Sedgemoor District Council | Shell | Shire Pharmaceuticals | South West Water | Symantec | Syngenta | Task Force on Shale Gas | UKTV | Unilever | University of Chicago Booth Business School | UPS | URS | Verny Capital | Walt Disney Company | WR Berkley[19]

June 2014-August 2014

Air Products | Alfa Group | All Party Group on Unconventional Oil and Gas | Anglian Water | Anglo American | Astra Zeneca | Balfour Beatty | Barclays | Cambridge Assessment | Carbon Tracker | Channel 4 | Chevron City and Guilds | Cornwall and Isles of Scilly LEP | Dearman Engine Company | Diageo GB | Diageo plc | Endurance Wind Power | Edwardian Group London | Eggborough Power Limited | Electricity Storage Network | Ericsson | Exxon Mobil | Gateway 120 Ltd | GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy | Grosvenor Square Ltd | Hitachi GE | HP | Intu Properties | Keoghs | LetterOne | London First (Let Britain Fly Campaign) | Maxxium UK | Microsoft | News UK | Orbit Group | Ovo Energy | Petrofac | QE Prize for Engineering | Quick Move Group | Regis Group | Renewable Energy Association (REA) Back Biomass Campaign]] | Roche | Sainsburys | Sedgemoor District Council | Shell | Smart Meter Central Delivery Body | South West Water | STA | Stansted Airport | Starbucks UK & Ireland | Symantec | Syngenta | UKTV | Unilever | UPS | URS | Verny Capital | Walt Disney Company | WR Berkley[20]

March 2014-May 2014

Air Products, Alfa Group, All Party Group on Unconventional Oil and Gas (funders include 3Legs Resources, Arup, Calor Gas, Celtique Energie, Centrica, Clear Solutions International LTD, CNG Services, Costain, Cuadrilla, Dow Chemical Ltd, Epi-V, Energy & Utilities Alliances, Essar Energy, Eversheds, Ground Gas Solutions, Igas Energy, Ineos UK, K&L Gates LLP, Mitsubishi Power Systems Europe Ltd, Macquarie Capital, MWH, Norwest Energy, Petrafiz, Peel Environmental, Quartre Limited, Reactive Downhole Tools Ltd, Savills, Shale Gas World UK, Shell, SLR Consulting, Statoil, Squire Sanders, Total, UK Onshore Operators Group, The Weir Group, GrowHow, Berwin Leighton Paisner, Lloyds Register, ASCO Group, Mcfarlanes LLP, ESB Asset Development, Tata Steel, Whessoe, Hydrock, Remsol, RPS Group, RDT, Terrafirma Roadways, atg UV Techonology, Schlumberger Oilfield, Shale Energy PLC, Quatre Limited), Anglian Water, Anglo American, Astra Zeneca, ATOS, Aviva, Bacardi Brown-Forman Brands, Balfour Beatty, Box, Box, Carbon Tracker, Chevron, City and Guilds, Cornwall and Isles of Scilly LEP, Dearman Engine Company, Diageo GB, Diageo plc, Dove, DP World London Gateway, Edurance Wind Power, Edwardian Group London, Eggborough Power Limited, Electricity Storage Network, Gateway 120 Ltd, GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy, Grosvenor Square Ltd, Hitachi GE, Intu Properties, Keoghs, Killik and Co., LetterOne, London First (Let Britain Fly Campaign), Mark Thompson, Maxxium UK, Melford Capital Partners, Microsoft News UK, Orbit Group, Ovo Energy, Pernod Ricard, Petrofac, QE Prize for Engineering, Renewable Energy Association (REA) Back Biomass Campaign, Roche, Sainsburys, Samsung, Sedgemoor District Council, Smart Meter Central Delivery Body, South West Water, Spectator, STA, Stansted Airport, Starbucks UK & Ireland, symantec, Syngenta, Unilever, UPS, URS, Verny Capital, WR Berkley [21]

Lobbying clients in 2013 include

Schlumberger Oilfield Services UK | Sedgemoor District Council | Shell | SLR Consulting | South West Water | STA | Stanhope PLC | Stansted Airport | Starbucks UK & Ireland | Statoil | Syngenta | The Hoseasons Group | The Weir Group | Total | UK Onshore Operators Group | UPS | Walkers Snacks Ltd | WR Berkley | Wyndhams Exchange & Rental |Malala Yousafzai and family

Lobbying clients in 2011-12 include

  • News Corporation - called in Edelman to help the embattled company handle mounting public anger and political pressure over the phone-hacking scandal in the UK. [33] Reporting directly to Will Lewis, general manager of News Corp subsidiary News International, the publisher of Rupert Murdoch's British newspapers, and to provide "communications and public affairs support and counsel" to its management and standards group.
  • GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy - Chris Rumfitt, Edelman's Joint Managing Director, Public Affairs handles the account[34] [35]


Lobbying Clients December 2010 to February 2011

AKW Medicare |Anglian Water (A&R Edelman) |Anglo American |Avanti Communications Group (A&R Edelman) |Aviva |Aviva Europe |Baker Botts |Balfour Beatty |BDO |Beyond Green Developments |BHP Billiton |British Virgin Islands Government |Capital and Counties |Capital Shopping Centres |Carbon Capture and Storage Association (CCSA) |Diageo GB |Diageo plc |Dove |Earls Court and Olympia Group |Falkland Islands Government |Terry Farrell and Partners |Gazprom |Havells Sylvania |The Hoseasons Group |Killik & Company |Leo Burnett |Living PlanIT |Merisant |Microsoft |Mitsubishi Corporation |Mubadala | NHS SBS |Network Rail |The Open University |PepsiCo |PepsiCo UK & Ireland |Pfizer |Reckitt Benckiser |Rosneft |Rydon Group |Samsung |Sainsbury’s |SC Johnson|Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) |Sime Darby |Shell |SNACMA |South West Water |SR Technics |Starbucks UK & Ireland |Steria |Visit London |Walkers Snacks Ltd |Wyndhams Exchange and Rental |Xstrata Auschwitz Birkenau Foundation [36]

Lobbying clients 2008

Airtricity | BDO International | BDO Stoy Hayward | Bechtel | British Brands Group | British School of Motoring | British Toy and Hobby Association | British Virgin Islands Government | Capital & Counties | Carbon Capture and Storage Association | Consol Suncentres | Deutsche Post | World Net | E.ON Climate & Renewables | E.ON UK | Falkland Islands Government | GE | Inbev | Janssen Cilag | LIFFE | Lloyds Register | MeadWestvaco | Microsoft | Mitsubishi Corporation | Musgrave | NedRailways | Novartis | The Open University | PepsiCo UK & Ireland | Reed in Partnership | Shell | SNACMA | South West Water | Starbucks UK & Ireland | T-Systems | Thomas Cook | Toy Industries of Europe | Tube Lines | Visa Europe[37]

Lobbying Clients as at 2003

compiled from the online PR company directory of O’Dwyer’s PR Services and other sources as referenced - include(d):[38]

Abbott Laboratories | Adidas | American Health Care Association | American Petroleum Institute | Apple Computer | Association of American Railroads | AstraZeneca | AT&T Wireless |Barilla |Baxter | Bayer | Berlex Laboratories | Boeing | Bunge | Bush Brothers & Co | Butterball Turkey Co. | Campanha Serra | Charles Schwab and Co Inc. | Chiron Corporation | Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints | Citibank | ConAgra Foods Inc. | Cranium | Dairy Management Inc. | Diageo | Eli Lilly & Co. | European Society of Intensive Care Medicine | Expedia | First Pacific Co. Ltd. | Fuji Photo Film | Gap Inc. | General Motors | Georgia-Pacific Corp. | Gilead Sciences | GlaxoSmithKline | Henry Schein Inc. | Hershey Foods Corp. | Home Depot | Household International | IDA Singapore | Illinois Deptartment of Commerce & Community Affairs | Johnson & Johnson | Kaiser Permanente | Kimberly Clark | Kinko's Inc. | Kraft Foods | MasterCard International | Michelin | Microsoft | Motion Picture Association of America | Mutual of Omaha | National Association of Broadcasters | National Bedding Co. | Natuzzi | Netflix | New York City Economic Development Corporation | New York Life | Nissan | Novartis | Orange | Panama Canal Authority | Patton Boggs LLP | Philip Morris [39] | PhRMA | Pfizer | Procter & Gamble | Progress Energy | Puerto Rico Department of Economic Development | Raytheon | Roche | Rockwell Collins | Samsung | Schering-Plough | Solvay Pharmaceuticals | Starbucks Coffee Co. | Synopsys | Taiwan Semiconductor | Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. | Together Rx LLC | Unilever | United Parcel Service | VTech Industries LLC | Valvoline Co. Wm. | Wal-Mart Stores | [40] Wrigley Jr. Co. | Wyeth Consumer Healthcare | Wyndham International | YUM! Brands

2002

Edelman won a $400,000 tourism promotion contract from the Cancun Convention & Visitors Bureau. It has done travel PR campaigns for the Government of Mexico Egypt Scotland Texas Wyndham Hotels and Resorts and the Bitter End Yacht Club in the British Virgin Islands. [41]

2002

Edelman also won a $1 million issues management and government affairs account with the Puerto Rico Tourism Co. According to O’Dwyer’s PR Services Report one issue likely to be included in the work is the controversy over the US Navy’s use of one of the islands for target practice. [42]

2001

O’Dwyers reported that Edelman were working for the government of Jordan to promote trade and economic development. [43]

Lobbying clients in the US

Includes:

  • American Legislative Exchange Council - hired Edelman in 2012 to help it deal with recent corporate fallout and opposition to its legislative positions, according to PRWeek [44]
  • University of Michigan - hired Edelman in September 2014 to help support "communications about athletics," after criticism and protests over an american football player carrying on playing despite having concussion.[45]
  • The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill - hired Edelman after a scandal involving athletes and fake classes. The fee was expected to be $1.65 million a year, however it has now been confirmed that figure rose to $2 million.[45][46]
  • Penn State University - hired Edelman in 2011 in the aftermath of the Jerry Sandusky scandal. Sandusky was a former american football coach at the university who was sentenced to 30 to 60 years in prison after being found guilty of child sexual abuse. A spokesperson from Penn State has confirmed the university are not still working with the company.[45]

Edelman extols the benefits of working with NGOs

Edelman has been one of the leaders in the PR industry in advocating the benefits of corporations ‘engaging’ with non-government organisations. “We recognized before anyone that NGOs, such as Greenpeace and Amnesty International, were influencing corporate social responsibility by highlighting environmental and labor practices”, Edelman’s claims on its website. [47]

Edelman PR tells clients that activists are winning because “they play offense all the time; they take their message to the consumer; they are ingenious at building coalitions; they always have a clear agenda; they move at Internet speed; they speak in the media's tone.”

The solution, it argues, are partnerships between NGO’s and business. “Our experience to date is positive,” they say, citing examples such as “Chiquita-Rainforest Alliance” and “Home Depot-Forest Stewardship Council.” [48]

A media release issued by Edelman touting for business described their advocacy of ‘partnerships’ between business and environmental groups more bluntly. “You've got an environmental disaster on your hands. Have you consulted with Greenpeace in developing your crisis response plan? Co-opting your would-be attackers may seem counter-intuitive, but it makes sense when you consider that NGOs (non-governmental organizations) are trusted by the public nearly two-to-one to 'do what's right' compared with government bodies, media organizations and corporations." [49]

In 2001 they launched a short-lived series of “Edelman NGO Seminars” to “discuss the ramifications of the NGO phenomenon”. [50]

Defending Wal-Mart

In October 2005, Reuters reported that Edelman is to mount an aggressive campaign against Robert Greenwald's new documentary Wal-Mart: The High Cost of a Low Price. In what is reported to be a movie industry first, Edelman's representatives emailed reporters press kits containing a point-by-point rebuttal of the film's trailer, which Wal-Mart is demanding be altered or removed from the walmartmovie.com website. (The trailer is under fire because the documentary itself will not be released until November 1, 2005.) "The press kit includes snippets from negative reviews of Greenwald's earlier works - one dating as far back as 1980 - and three examples of what the retailer calls factual errors in the latest documentary." [51]

Edelman "is working with the American Petroleum Institute (API), the oil industry's primary lobbying group, on a public issues campaign aimed at convincing Americans that the industry is facing severe challenges, even as its members pull in record quarterly profits," PR Week reported in November 2005. [52] Print ads designed by Edelman's advertising unit, Blue Worldwide, "have run in major daily newspapers across the nation, as well as in Roll Call and The Hill." The print ads urge "consumers to adopt conservation measures this winter" and push for the removal of "barriers on the production of natural gas on federal lands." Blue Worldwide also launched "a new TV campaign that will run during news and public affairs programming, which started with NBC Nightly News" on November 10.

France

On the 4th of September Edelman bought all the shares of ELAN, France's biggest independent communications consultancy, in an attempt to break into the top three agencies in the country. [53]

Blog Watchers

In April 2005, Edelman and the "marketing intelligence" firm Intelliseek released a directory of the most influential bloggers and a white paper detailing the importance of blogs to marketing and PR. The directory "profiles bloggers in business, consumer packaged goods, consumer technology, healthcare, and marketing and public relations," and also "gives advice on blogger behavior and jargon."

"Clients are calling us with increasing regularity, asking what's going on [with blogs] and how is this affecting the business," said Edelman executive vice-president and GM of diversified services Rick Murray. Murray also warned that companies face risks when "attempting to communicate with the blogosphere -- you will do yourself harm." [54]

Edelman's white paper on blogs [55], called "Trust MEdia?: How Real People Are Finally Being Heard," was a little less ominous. "For companies, bloggers represent an immediate source of information and feedback, but also an opportunity to engage a rapidly expanding global network of influential, credible, passionate and involved group of real people who communicate constantly," said Pam Talbot, the head of Edelman U.S. The paper also notes that Edelman was the first major PR firm to launch a corporate blog, that of [56].

Global executives

  • Richard Edelman
  • Michael Morley, is Deputy Chairman of Edelman Public Relations Worldwide and author of “How to manage your global reputation: a guide to the Dynamics of international public relations”, New York University Press, NY 2002.
  • Nancy Turett, President and Global Director, Health.
  • Kenneth Adelman, a senior counselor to Edelman, is a member of the Defense Policy Board Advisory Committee, a government-appointed group that advises the Pentagon. [57]
  • Michael Deaver, Vice-Chairman.
  • Leslie A. Dach, Vice-Chairman (Public Affairs specialist)
  • Michael Burrell, European Chairman
  • Mike Seymour, Global Leader, Crisis and Issues Management
  • Richard Sambrook - former director of BBC news until May 2010, Chief Content Officer and Global Vice-chairman, also heads the Global Crisis and Issues Practice.

Affiliations

In 2008, Edelman is listed as affiliated to Precom[58]

Resources

Contact Information

3rd Floor
Southside
105 Victoria Street
SW1E 6QT
London

website: http://www.edelman.co.uk

1500 Broadway
New York NY 10036
Phone: 212 768-0550 Fax 212/704-0128
Email: ny AT edelman.com
Web: http://www.edelman.com

Resources

See: Fracking lobbying firms

See: Fracking Spads

Notes

  1. O'Dwyers PR Daily; 2002 worldwide fees of Independent firms with major US operations, accessed 29.10.03
  2. Edelman, About Us
  3. Worldwide Fees of Top PR Firms With Major U.S. Operations O'Dwyers, March 2013, accessed 22 October 2014
  4. Steve Barrett Edelman shows no signs of slowing down PR Week, 20 February 2015
  5. John Harrington Edelman buys Dubai PR firm Dabo & Co to create 'regional powerhouse' PR Week', 12 April 2015, accessed 15 April 2015.
  6. APPC register, to December 2008
  7. Who’s Who in Public Affairs 2006; Dods
  8. The Sunday Times, 23 September 2007, date viewed 10/01/08
  9. APPC Code of Conduct
  10. PR Week, 9 November 2007 date viewed 10/01/08
  11. APPC website, About us, date viewed 10/01/08
  12. Guardian, 30 May 2007
  13. The Team Edelman, accessed 22 October 2014
  14. Rod Muir Myners takes Edelman top job Public Affairs News, 28 April 2015, accessed 30 April 2015.
  15. Ian Griggs Nick Barron appointed UK MD of corporate and financial at Edelman PR Week, 26 March 2015, accessed 27 March 2015
  16. 16.0 16.1 Anna Reynolds Edelman hires former Newgate partner Andrew Robinson as director PR Week, 6 January 2015, accessed 7 January 2015
  17. 17.0 17.1 Rod Muir Edelman nabs Euro commisioner's aide Public Affairs News, 15 January 2015, accessed 19 January 2015
  18. 18.0 18.1 Register 1st December 2014 - 28th February 2015 APPC, accessed 23 March 2015
  19. 19.0 19.1 Register 1st September 2014 - 30th November 2014 APPC, accessed 19 January 2015
  20. 20.0 20.1 Register 1st June 2014 - 31st August 2014 APPC, accessed 16 October 2014
  21. 21.0 21.1 Register for 1st March 2014 - 31st May 2014 APPC, accessed September 2014
  22. BBC’s Ed Williams to Join Edelman as UK CEO, Edelman London press release 6 July, 2011, accessed 14 July 2011
  23. [http://www.appc.org.uk/en/ourclients/ APPC Register, Entry for 1 March - 31 May 2011, accessed 20 September 2011
  24. The Budget 2009 - An Edelman analysis, Edelman UK, accessed 29 May 2010.
  25. Edelman press release, September 25th, 2008
  26. Alec Mattinson Edelman's Paul Lockstone to head up Aviva Investors' corporate affairs PR Week, 13 November 2009, accessed 19 October 2014
  27. Paul Lockstone Linkedin, accessed 19 October 2014
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