Edelman UK

Tech and Telco Remain Trusted Businesses amid Economic Uncertainty

2012-02-23T13:48:16Z

London 21st February, 2012 – Despite a tumultuous year for trust, technology remains the most trusted industry sector globally, with telecommunications remaining in the top five, according to the 2012 Edelman Trust Barometer. The Barometer, Edelman’s 12th annual trust and credibility survey, was produced by research firm StrategyOne.

Among the general population technology, at 76% is most trusted sector, while telecommunications was fifth at 58%. Predictably, trust in banks and financial services were the lowest amongst industry sectors, with 47% and 43% respectively.

People’s trust in telecoms and technology brands can be linked to the critical role communications and technology are playing in every aspect of their personal and professional lives. For an emerging class of tech savvy individuals, it is the life blood for their creative and collective lives. Generation ME has focused on information sharing and digital entertainment as core products and come to rely on content and connectivity from technology and telecommunications companies to be their source of enjoyment as well as a core element of their employment going forward.

The intersection of content and communications

In addition to this the Trust Barometer shows that regular employees and everyday peers have emerged as a well trusted source. These findings mean that more than ever we should reach out to the public to encourage them to tell their stories for the world to see. Members of Generation ME are now the ideal spokespeople for brands and by appealing to them; businesses can create conversations and communities where before it was only possible to broadcast corporate messaging.

“As multi-platform content continues in its ascendancy, mobile is clearly the preferred channel for seamless sharing,” said Jon Hargreaves, managing director, Edelman Europe. “Trust is the critical issue the mobile industry must address. In particular tackling the thorny the issues of privacy and security is vital to sustaining trust in mobile content and services.”

At the center of this new proposition is content, encapsulating videos and images, blog posts and social media. Edelman believes that every company can become a media company across multiple platforms to reach a much broader audience than ever before. Whether communicating through traditional media such as newspapers and their online equivalents, or through brands’ owned media and social networks, we can help navigate the complexity that has emerged through developments in technology.

Opportunities for Engagement

Content created across multiple screens (tablets, connected TVs, smartphones etc) is now regularly used by today’s media to bring insight where traditional means fall short. Technology has helped enfranchise millions of people and they are discovering increasingly innovative ways to create content from sending phones into near space or attaching professional lenses to shoot movie quality videos. The smartphone has quickly embedded itself as the most important electrical device available.

There is now an opportunity for brands to seize everything that makes a smartphone amazing in order to re-evaluate their proposition to their customers. By creating new services and new ways to engage with companies, brands can make themselves heard across an ever-broadening spectrum. There has also never been such importance placed upon building brand advocacy, as to not engage with the public is to hand significant advantage to competitors.

Through entering the conversation and playing on the same field as these digital natives, brands can both build their trust and be an authentic voice that is increasingly influential not just in pushing product but creating a lasting engagement with the individuals who like and want to know more about their brand. Technology, telecoms and trust are redefining brand opportunities and showing that all of these things are now closely intertwined, and demonstrating understanding of this new environment is critical to communicating beyond traditional means.

Edelman Appoints Matthew Harrington Global Chief Operating Officer

2012-02-16T16:19:20Z

NEW YORK – Edelman, the world‘s largest public relations firm, has named Matthew J. Harrington chief operating officer (COO), effective July 1. In the newly created position, Harrington, head of the agency‘s U.S. operation, will oversee the firm‘s four geographies – the United States, Europe/Middle East/Africa, Asia-Pacific, and Canada/Latin America. He will serve as chairman of the firm‘s Conflict Management Committee and will take over management of Edelman‘s human resources, legal, and IT functions. Harrington will report to Richard Edelman, president and CEO, who will continue to directly manage the firm‘s global practices and clients, diversified businesses, and finance operations. This new structure is intended to help more efficiently manage the firm‘s future expansion and its unprecedented growth over the last several years.

“The size of our firm has more than tripled over the last ten years, and with 60 offices across the globe, the time couldn‘t be more right to appoint a global COO to help ensure we‘re well-positioned globally for continued growth and dimensionalization,” said Edelman. “Having successfully led our largest operation and run several of our most complicated and important accounts, Matt is uniquely qualified to step in to this new role. Not only is Matt an exemplary business leader, but he also is a sophisticated practitioner with deep corporate and reputation management experience.”

Harrington assumes his new role at a time of considerable global growth for Edelman. In 2011, Edelman‘s global revenue topped $614 million, up from $531 million in 2010. Edelman, which has more than 4,000 employees worldwide, increased its global footprint over the last two years through its partnership with the Tata Group in India, and the acquisitions of Significa in Brazil and digital agencies in the UK and Berlin.

“I‘m honored by the opportunity to further develop Edelman’s global aspirations in partnership with Richard and our leadership team,” said Harrington. “Our continued success depends on drawing on the extraordinary talents of our people to benefit our clients and their goal to deepen stakeholder engagement. As COO, my focus will be to ensure Edelman has the right operational structures in place so that our clients and business continue to thrive globally and our culture fosters collaboration and rewarding career opportunities.”

Harrington, who started his career at Edelman 28 years ago, is a specialist in corporate positioning and reputation management, with expertise in crisis communications, merger and acquisition activity, and initial public offerings. He counsels numerous companies including General Electric, Samsung, Starbucks, and Charles Schwab Inc. In 2005, Harrington led Edelman‘s firm-wide initiative to introduce a code of conduct, a first among PR firms. Harrington was awarded the Silver Anvil for Crisis Communications from the Public Relations Society of America for his work on Odwalla. This program also received the Silver Anvil for “Best Communications Program for 1996″ and the International Public Relations Association‘s Golden Award.

Prior to running Edelman U.S., Harrington was president of the Eastern region overseeing Edelman‘s New York and Atlanta offices. And before that he served as president of the Western region. Harrington is a graduate of Denison University, where he serves on the Board of Trustees. He is a member of the Public Relations Society of America and is a board member of the World Food Program USA and the Classic Stage Company.

Mark Hass Appointed President and CEO, Edelman U.S.

Replacing Harrington as president and CEO of Edelman U.S. is Mark Hass, formerly president of Edelman China.
―Mark is an industry pioneer who was one of the first to truly ‗get‘ digital and the need for a more fully dimensionalized public relations offering,‖ said Edelman. ―A focused business leader, Mark has doubled our China business in the past two years. With his global experience as CEO of MS&L Worldwide for five years, strong business acumen and focus on client service, I couldn‘t be more pleased to have Mark coming back to the U.S. to manage our largest geography.

Edelman‘s U.S. business grew to $383 million in 2011, up from $349 million the year prior. In the U.S., Edelman added 170 employees in 2011 and currently has a staff of more than 2,100.

Hass, who also becomes a member of Edelman‘s nine-person operating committee, joined Edelman as president of China in February 2010. He is responsible for the agency‘s business operations on the mainland, which includes five offices in three cities, with more than 200 employees working for Edelman and Pegasus, the agency‘s two brands in China. Throughout his public relations career Hass has been a leader in integrating digital into the communications activities of large organizations. He served as the global CEO of Publicis Groupe‘s MS&L Worldwide from 2005 to 2009, overseeing 51 offices and more than 1,200 employees and counseling top executives at companies such as General Motors, Procter & Gamble, and United Airlines. He joined MS&L Worldwide in 2002 when Publicis acquired his first agency, Hass Associates, a Michigan-based digital communications specialty firm. Before entering the public relations field, Hass worked as a reporter and editor in Washington, Miami and Detroit, where his staff won the Pulitzer Prize. He is a member of the Arthur Page Society and a trustee of the Institute for Public Relations.

“Working in a fast-moving, and complex market such as China for the past two years has been an incredible experience,‖ said Hass. “I‘m excited and energized by the opportunity now to work closely with Richard, Matt, and the leadership team in the U.S. I‘m also looking forward to bringing additional global perspective to the U.S. business and to helping build on the U.S. team‘s enormous recent success.”

Thomas Mattia, Former Global Head of Communications for Coke, Named Chair of Edelman China

Stepping in as chair of Edelman China is Thomas G. Mattia, a former Cola-Cola Company senior executive, who most recently served as chief communications officer at Yale University. Mattia will report directly to David Brain, president and CEO, Asia Pacific.

“I‘m pleased to have Tom join our stellar team in China as we continue to grow in the market,” said Edelman. “Tom‘s CSR and corporate experience, coupled with his market knowledge and expertise will truly be an asset for our firm.”

Edelman entered China in 1993. Since then it has grown the business from one office to five (Edelman Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, and Pegasus Beijing and Shanghai) with a staff of 210 and affiliates in major second-tier cities including Chengdu, Dalian, and Wuhan. In 2007, Edelman expanded its presence in the region via a merger with Pegasus, which was then one of the top 10 local PR Agencies in China, according to the China International Public Relations Association. Over the past two years, Edelman has nearly doubled its revenue in the market from almost $9 million to over $17 million.

Mattia, who retired from Coca-Cola as SVP of global Public Affairs and Communications in March 2009, has served as the senior communications officer of two Fortune 100 companies, directly counseled four CEOs and managed reputational issues for four major global brands — Coca-Cola, Ford, IBM, and EDS. After joining IBM in 1980, he helped launch the original IBM PC and managed communications for the company‘s divestiture of operations in South Africa. After a five-year stint on the agency side at Hill & Knowlton in Hong Kong, where he managed the Asia Pacific region, Mattia joined the Ford Motor Company in 1995 as director of a newly created international communications department. There he also served as director of North American Public Affairs and vice president of Lincoln Mercury.

“I have always been an admirer of Edelman and the highly innovative and industry-leading work it produces for its clients,” said Mattia. “I‘m delighted by the opportunity and excited about returning to China and APAC and contributing to the growth of Edelman China.”

Whom Do We Trust?

2012-01-24T13:07:27Z

Whom Do We Trust?

Do you want the good news or the bad news first? The good news is that some countries do have even less trust in their governments than we do – the Germans, the French and the Spanish, for example. The bad news is that the Brits are becoming almost as sceptical, with only 29 per cent of the general public saying they still trust the government.

The 2012 Edelman Trust Barometer has confirmed what you may have suspected. We have seen a huge chasm open up between the public’s expectations of government and what they think it actually delivers. Take managing our finances, which is considered the most important task of government. There’s a gap of almost 60% between expectations and performance. The same picture is true for the top handful of tasks the public expect government to perform, such as listening to citizens, acting transparently, creating jobs and opportunities, and building communities.

The public simply don’t believe politicians will tell the truth, and the vast majority think the country is on the wrong track. Lower levels of trust in government were fuelled by perceived broken promises, the response to the economic crisis and the growing divide between rich and poor. In addition, given the radioactive half-life of the MP expenses scandal, and seen through the prism of phone hacking, the relationship between politicians and the press may also be driving these numbers down.

But it’s not just a story about trust in government. Trust in business remains in the doldrums, and trust in CEOs has slipped further, with people trusting almost every other type of spokesperson higher than the boss. The CEO is now one of the most distrusted authority figures – with an almost 10 point decline. Inevitably perceptions around big pay are driving this. We’re in a place, fair or not, where the title CEO is inextricably linked to unjustified high levels of pay.

The challenge for business is that to become more trusted – to move from simply protecting its “licence to operate” to establishing a “licence to lead” – it needs to move beyond operational excellence to addressing society’s priorities. And that is one of the key findings this year – large numbers of the public expect business to do more than just make money and create jobs. They expect business to improve the world it operates in for the better, act ethically, treat employees well, and help local communities. This is the difference between responsible, respected companies and distrusted ones. This is the trust fulcrum for business.

The picture for media companies is just as complex. While we saw a rise of 15% in trust in media companies this year, with more that 60% of the public distrusting it’s hardly time to break out the champagne. If we go below the top-line figures, you see that most of the increase is driven by trust in credible “upmarket” media – TV, broadsheets and radio. Perhaps this is no surprise given our reliance on TV correspondents to explain in plain English the complex world we inhabit.

It’s clear that there is a separation taking place in the media. Like two continents splitting, an ocean is opening up between trusted media and distrusted media – between serious news and entertainment. Despite selling millions of copies, only 14% trust the tabloids to tell the truth. While broadsheets command around 50% trust, TV and radio is almost 60%. For media companies it may be time to decide whether you’re in the entertainment business, or whether you’re in the serious news business.
Like the breakdown in party allegiances and the emergence of massive volatility in the electorate, trust and perceptions of trust shift quickly. The one message that is loud and clear, and pertinent to all institutions – act with integrity, in an open and honest way, and deliver results, and you will be trusted.

Ed Williams, UK CEO, @EdWilliamsUK

For further information click here

Levels of trust hit new lows among UK public, survey finds

2012-01-24T12:54:50Z

Trust in government and CEOs slumps in the 2012 Edelman Trust Barometer

January 24, 2012, LONDON – A picture of a deeply sceptical British public emerges from the latest annual Edelman Trust Barometer, published today. Trust in government and business is down on a year ago. Just 29 per cent of people expressed confidence that government is doing the right thing, with only slightly more people (38 per cent) trusting in business. Even NGOs were trusted by a mere 42 per cent of the general public.

As far as government is concerned, a huge gap has opened up between what people see as important and how well they think important tasks are being handled. While 71 per cent of people say it is important that the country’s financial affairs are managed effectively, only 12 per cent think this is happening – an “underperformance gap” of 59 points. 69 per cent believe it is important that the government communicates frequently and honestly. Only 11 per cent (58 point gap) think this is happening.

“There is a chasm between the public’s expectations of government and what they think is actually being delivered,” says Ed Williams, Edelman’s UK Chief Executive. “The public simply don’t believe politicians tell the truth, and the vast majority (68 per cent) thinks the country is on the wrong track.”

Business is confronted by an equal degree of scepticism. Reflecting the current debate about ‘responsible capitalism’, this year’s survey found that to be trusted, business needs to do more than succeed commercially. 72 per cent of respondents say companies should be involved in solving social and environmental problems. But CEOs face another hurdle in convincing the public that they deserve a hearing: they are the least credible public spokesperson for a business or organisation (only 30 per cent of respondents find them credible). More credible are academics or experts (by 73 per cent), a “person like yourself” (60 per cent), a technical expert (56 per cent), or a “regular employee” or “financial/industry analyst” (55 per cent).

“The public expects business to do more than just make money and create jobs. They expect business to improve the world it operates in, act ethically, treat employees well and help local communities,” Williams adds. “This is the difference between trusted and distrusted companies. This is the trust fulcrum for business.”

The Global Perspective

Globally, blame for the financial and political chaos of 2011 landed at the doorstep of government, as trust in that institution fell a record nine points to 43 per cent. In seventeen of the 25 countries surveyed, government is now trusted by less than half to do what is right. In twelve, it trails business, media, and non-governmental organizations as the least trusted institution. France, Spain, Brazil, China, Russia, and Japan, as well as six other countries, saw government trust drop by more than ten points. Government officials are now the least credible spokespeople, with only 29 per cent considering them credible. Nearly half of the general population—the first time the Barometer looked at this broader group—say they do not trust government leaders to tell the truth.

“Business is now better placed than government to lead the way out of the trust crisis,” said Richard Edelman, president and CEO, Edelman. “But the balance must change so that business is seen both as a force for good and an engine for profit.”

Although globally business experienced fewer and generally less severe declines in trust, it has its own hurdles to clear. Overall, trust in business fell from 56 per cent to 53 per cent, with countries like France and Germany, in the heart of the Eurozone economic crisis, experiencing double-digit decreases. Meanwhile, CEO credibility declined 12 points to 38 per cent, its biggest drop in nine years. In South Korea and Japan, it dropped by 34 and 43 points, respectively.

Although business is substantially more trusted than government, 49 per cent of global respondents believe government does not regulate business enough. Nearly one-third want government to protect them from irresponsible business practices and one-quarter want regulation that will ensure responsible corporate behavior. “The interventions people are asking government to take are changes business can step up and implement on its own,” said Richard Edelman.

In Japan, site of last March’s earthquake and subsequent nuclear disaster, trust fell severely in three of the four institutions including government (down 26 points), media (12 points), and NGOs (21 points) . That loss of trust extended to five industry sectors, including energy (down 46 points), media (21 points), banks (20 points) and financial services (17 points).

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Contact:

Vanessa Pymble

vanessa.pymble@edelman.com

0203 047 2064

Kayleigh Ryan

kayleigh.ryan@edelman.com

0203 047 2173

About the Edelman Trust Barometer

The 2012 Edelman Trust Barometer is the firm’s 12th annual trust and credibility survey. The survey was produced by research firm StrategyOne and consisted of 20-minute online interviews conducted from October 10 – November 30, 2011. The 2012 Edelman Trust Barometer online survey sampled 25,000 general population respondents with an oversample of 5,600 informed publics in two age groups (25-34 and 35-64) across 25 countries. The UK survey sampled 1,000 adults 18+ and 200 informed publics. All informed publics met the following criteria: college-educated; household income in the top quartile for their age in their country; read or watch business/news media at least several times a week; follow public policy issues in the news at least several times a week. For more information, visit http://www.edelman.com/trust or call 0203 047 2064.

Edelman Appoints Nick Howard as Director of Employee Engagement

2011-12-16T11:46:07Z

London – Nick was most recently Communication Director for Lloyds Banking Group where he was responsible for all communications within the retail bank. This role covered the Lloyds TSB, Halifax and Bank of Scotland high street brands, together with the mortgages, cards, current accounts, loans and savings businesses. He will report to Edelman’s Group Managing Director for Corporate and Financial, Alex Bigg, and will be based in London.

Commenting on the appointment, Alex said: “We’re thrilled that Nick is joining Edelman. He brings a wealth of employee engagement experience from his time at Lloyds, during the most turbulent period in the bank’s history. In particular his understanding of how to build employee advocacy and focus the activities of employees during tough economic conditions will be invaluable to our clients. Nick also has great international experience having advised organisations across Europe, North America and the Middle East.”

Nick joined Lloyds Banking Group in 2009 shortly after its creation when Lloyds TSB acquired HBOS. He advised the Retail Chief Executive and Board on engaging employees during the largest financial services integration in Europe. This included designing and setting up a new communication function, developing campaigns for the integration and new business strategy, and advising on customer communication improvements. His work at Lloyds won several awards including a New York Film Festival world medal and Institute of Internal Communication Best Change Communication class winner. Nick was also shortlisted as Melcrum’s Communication Leader of the Year. Before joining Lloyds Nick led and grew the European Workforce Engagement and Change practice of the world’s largest HR consulting firm, Mercer.

Nick said: “It was both a privilege and a challenge to work at Lloyds Banking Group during the most difficult time for the bank. During the ‘perfect storm’ of economic uncertainty, massive integration, loss of trust and Government ownership I was proud that my team helped take employee engagement levels to their highest point ever. Edelman shares my views on employee engagement – that it is a vital reputational lever at the disposal of every organisation. Edelman is the one PR firm that really ‘gets’ this and is able to advise clients, in a joined up way, across the full range of engagement disciplines. I am delighted to be joining the team.”

One in Five Brits is Not Motivated to Change Their Bad Habits

2011-10-26T10:26:21Z

New Study Reveals That 20% of Brits Who Engage in Negative Health Behaviours are Not Motivated to Change Them; Almost Twice as High as the Global Average

London – Twenty percent of British people claim that they are not motivated to change negative health behaviours, such as poor nutrition, smoking/tobacco use and consuming alcohol or other drugs. This figure is almost twice as high as the global average, as revealed in the Edelman Health Barometer 2011, a study of more than 15,000 people across 12 countries.

Psychologist Donna Dawson thinks this refusal to change is reflective of British culture and indicative of the times that we live in, “In times of constant economic doom-and-gloom, the British personality will plod on, doing the right thing, but his inner rebel will fight back, and hold on to those few things that can still be enjoyed – be it food, drink or cigarettes – even when health professionals call them vices. At such times, we are also more concerned with living in the here-and-now, not carrying out tasks aimed at an uncertain future.”

The study showed that the motivation to make a long-term change is clearly not strong enough. While 66% of UK respondents have attempted a behaviour change, 52% of those who tried to change, admit to failing – a higher rate of failure than that of counterparts in France, Italy and Germany. When asked why they returned to negative heath behaviours, British people cited the following as their top reasons:
• 32% enjoyed the negative behaviour
• 20% blamed addiction/dependency
• 19% didn’t experience the benefits quickly enough

When it comes to making positive behaviour changes, an overwhelming 84% of Brits said they would be motivated to change their health behaviours if a negative behaviour would limit them from doing something that they are used to doing.

“Human Nature is programmed to respond the fastest to positive incentives that involve the immediate self, and to prefer reward over the threat of punishment. We always work out ‘what’s in it for me?’ and then act accordingly; which is why being told that losing weight will make us fitter to enjoy playing with our children or grandchildren in the park (immediate positive), always works better than it helps to prevent illness or an early death (long-term negative). We each need to work out what would personally motivate us to live healthier, and then acknowledge what lifestyle factors either help or hinder us,” said Dawson.

Compared with global results of the study, people in Britain are less likely to distance themselves from individuals who participate in negative health behaviours. The study found that one in five (21%) Brits spend less time with a friend because of poor health behaviours, which is less than the global average of 31%.

“The fact that we don’t abandon individuals who are participating in negative health behaviours can actually provide an opportunity for us to influence the behaviours of friends, family members and colleagues. There is extensive research in the fields of weight loss, smoking cessation and addiction showing that we are far more likely to successfully change behaviours through the intervention and support of those around us,” said Steven Spurr, Group Managing Director at Edelman UK.

This approach was reinforced by the finding that 81% of UK respondents stated that friends and family make a positive impact on their lifestyle as it relates to health.

When seeking support to make changes outside of the realm of our immediate communities, 59% of British people believe the food and beverage industry has a role to play in improving or maintaining the health of the public, 54% cite healthcare professionals and 51% look to the pharmaceutical industry.

“In an increasingly pressurised healthcare system, healthcare professionals cannot be held solely responsible for improving the public’s health. There is a real opportunity for food, beverage and pharmaceutical companies to provide resource and support that will enable the public to undertake meaningful and lasting behaviour change,” said Spurr.

To see the full results of the Edelman Health Barometers, visit: www.edelman.com/healthbarometer

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About the Edelman Health Barometer 2011

The Edelman Health Barometer 2011 global survey was conducted by Edelman’s research firm StrategyOne (www.strategyone.net) and consisted of online and face-to-face interviews. It was conducted from June 10 – July 26, 2011. The survey sampled 15,165 adults 18 years of age and older in 12 countries. Online interviews were conducted in Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States. Face-to-face interviews were conducted in Brazil, China, India and Mexico. The study was representative of the total country population in all markets. For more information, visit www.edelman.com/healthbarometer.

For further information contact:

Steven Spurr
steven.spurr@edelman.com
+44 (0)7740 038919

Vanessa Pymble
vanessa.pymble@edelman.com
+44 (0)2030 472 064

Friends and Family as Responsible as Health Care Professionals for Personal Health, Global Survey Finds

2011-10-06T08:56:52Z

People who are informed and proactive about their health tend to distance themselves from those with unhealthy habits, potentially missing opportunities to spread good health

Bad Gastein, Austria– Globally, people believe that friends and family have as much responsibility for their personal health as do their health care providers, according to the Edelman Health Barometer 2011. After ‘themselves’, nearly half (43%) of respondents believe that their friends and family have the most impact on their lifestyle as it relates to health, and more than a third (36%) believe friends and family have the most impact on personal nutrition.

Data also show that people who model a healthier lifestyle fail to connect actively with others who may benefit from their example, knowledge and support. Nearly one third of people (31%) – predominantly those with healthier behaviours – tend to distance themselves from friends who engage in unhealthy behaviours. But an even larger proportion (44%) does not factor health into their social interactions; this group tends to have less healthy behaviour, consume less health information and is least likely to sustain healthy behaviour change when they try.

The intensely social nature of health influence was a major theme of global findings from the more than 15,000-person, 12-country survey. Results were presented today at the 14th European Health Forum in Bad Gastein, Austria.

“Whether we mean to or not, we influence public and personal health in all aspects of our lives,” said Nancy Turett, Global President, Health, Edelman. “Health – good and bad — is communicable, and it is the responsibility of every citizen, especially those of us with leadership roles in any sector or industry, to act on this.”

Intention-action gap

The survey reveals an “action gap” between the desire to be healthier and the ability to change. More than half of the global public engages in at least one negative health behaviour, such as poor nutrition, lack of exercise or tobacco use. Though 62 percent of respondents said they tried to change a negative health behaviour, half of those people failed, primarily because of addiction/dependency and a lack of enjoyment or immediate reward. A lack of ongoing support, from friends, family or other resources, also contributed to an inability to make healthy changes stick.

“Individuals have a powerful influence not just over their own health but also those around them,” said Nick Fahy, Former Head of the Health Information Unit, Health and Consumers DG, European Commission, and Senior Health Policy Advisor to Edelman. “We must be aware of the impact that we can have. Just as poor health choices can be spread through social networks, so can good ones.”

According to the study, digital tools can be leveraged to support health-positive behaviours. Fifty-one percent of respondents said they turn to digital sources such as social networks for information when making health decisions, and while only 20 percent of the public is currently using tools, devices and apps to manage or track their own health, 68 percent of those who do say these technologies have helped improve their health.

An imperative and opportunity for institutions

When asked about the impact of business and government on lifestyle related to health, respondents said both are having the least positive impact when compared to individuals, family and friends, and non-governmental organizations.

Globally, 82 percent of respondents believe it is important for business to improve and maintain the health of the public – yet only 32 percent said business is currently doing a good job. People want business to engage in health in a number of specific ways, including through educating the public, innovation, and improving the health of employees and their communities.

About the Edelman Health Barometer 2011

For further information contact:

Steven Spurr
Steven.Spurr@edelman.com
+44 (0)7740 038919

Todd Ringler
Todd.Ringler@edelman.com
+1 917 251 8613

Claudia Patton Appointed Chief Talent Officer, Edelman

2011-09-06T15:26:17Z

New Global Position Places Accomplished PR Leader at Helm of HR Function

New York – Edelman, the world’s largest public relations firm, has named Claudia Patton chief talent officer, effective September 1. She will report to Richard Edelman, president and CEO, and sit on the firm’s 14-member executive committee. Patton, who has more than thirty years of experience in the business of public relations, was most recently president of Edelman in the Southeast U.S. Patton will work closely with the firm’s leaders and HR on employee global mobility, training and development, performance management, senior recruitment, and career pathing.

“Claudia has a deep passion for our people and business and is a proven, results-driven executive, making her ideally suited for the role of chief talent officer,” Richard Edelman said. “Clients rely on Edelman to help solve complex business problems—and talent recruitment and management is critical to our success. Under Claudia’s leadership, we will integrate employee development into everything we do to ensure that we are attracting and developing the strongest talent in the industry.”

Patton assumes her role at the time when the firm is growing strongly, both in terms of expanding client remits and its own growth, with worldwide revenues up 18% in fiscal year 2011 (ending June 30, 2011); the addition of 500 new positions in the last twelve months; and recognition as one of the nation’s “best places to work” by Glassdoor.

Patton first joined Edelman in 2002 when Edelman acquired The Headline Group, which Patton founded in 1982 and turned into the Southeast’s top-ranking independent PR firm. She had a similar touch with Edelman—it went from not making the list of Atlanta PR firms to being ranked No. 1 in the market in 2009 and 2010. Patton also launched Edelman’s office in Orlando, where it now holds the No. 6 spot in central Florida.

“Edelman is at the forefront of transforming the industry,” Claudia Patton said. “We want to remain the firm of choice for talented professionals to grow their careers, work on diverse teams, learn new skills, and operate in a truly global environment. We want Edelman to be known as the firm where people can do their best work and make important contributions to society.”

Edelman offers a number of career-development programs to provide the hands-on experience and interaction that best foster global leaders. These include long- and short-term assignments in the firm’s 54 offices; the Edelman Fellows Program, inspired by the Fullbright Fellowship; the Stay a Day Program, an initiative that pays for employees who are on personal travel to stay an extra day in the closest Edelman office; mentoring programs; the Global Talent Sharing Program; an online Edelman University; and the Edelman Escape program that annually gives select employees time and money to do something they are passionate about.

In addition to her long career as a business woman, Patton, a breast cancer survivor, serves on several community boards and committees in Atlanta, where she has contributed significantly to their fundraising efforts.

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For Further Information:
Nancy Weltchek
+1.212.704.8235
nancy.weltchek@edelman.com

Edelman to represent Lithium, leading provider of social customer solutions

2011-08-11T10:06:19Z

Lithium leads in social success with global brands

London - Daniel J. Edelman, the world’s largest independent PR consultancy, has announced an agreement to represent Lithium Technologies, the leading global provider of Social Customer software and solutions. Under the agreement, Edelman London will represent Lithium Technologies in the UK for PR consultancy relating to its industry-leading solutions, go-to-market and partner strategy.

Headquartered in Emeryville, California with offices in London, England and Zurich, Switzerland, Lithium helps build brand nations – an engaged community of your most passionate customers across Facebook, Twitter, or a branded community. With a client portfolio including high-volume, growth environments such as, SONY, Skype, giffgaff Best Buy, PayPal, and Research In Motion Limited (RIM), Lithium Technologies has been recognised as a Leader in Community Platforms by independent research firms, namely:

Lithium Technologies identified as a leader in the “The Forrester Wave™: Community Platforms, Q4 2010” report. Forrester Research, Inc., 1 November 2010.

Lithium Technologies Positioned in the Leaders Quadrant of the Gartner Magic Quadrant for Social CRM. Gartner, Inc., 28 July 2011.

“There is a lot of talk on how businesses will address the critical need for social customer strategies. Lithium is one of the few vendors with the technology and expertise to enable the world’s leading brands to navigate the complexity and innovate how they engage with customers,” says Cairbre Sugrue, Managing Director – Technology, Edelman UK. “That makes Lithium one of most exciting companies in the sector to work with and we’re looking forward to helping Lithium build its brand in the UK.”

Lithium’s business solutions help you find brand advocates, listen to their conversations, and respond in an intelligent way. Hence, Lithium assists leading brands with understanding the social customer’s influence, engaging their passions, and turning them into superfans—which means they’ll contribute to a company’s marketing, commerce, product support, and new ideas.

“Lithium has been leading the way by helping European and global brands with social customer solutions which result in more revenue, less churn and/or tremendous amounts of cost saving in customer services”, said Bruno Teuber, Vice President & GM Lithium International. “Aligning ourselves with a successful global agency will help us further strengthen our position in the marketplace.”

Edelman UK’s technology team based in London will be responsible for Lithium Technologies’ communications in the UK.

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For Further Information:
Terri Bloore
terri.bloore@edelman.com
+44 203 047 2403

About Lithium

We help great companies build brand nations for their most engaged customers. With Lithium, clients such as Best Buy, AT&T, Research In Motion Limited (RIM), Univision, and PayPal turn their customers’ passion into marketing, product development, sales and customer service assets. For more information, visit www.lithium.com. Or, engage with us on Twitter, Facebook, and our community – the Lithosphere. Lithium is privately held with headquarters in Emeryville, California with offices in London, England and Zurich, Switzerland.

About the Magic Quadrant

The Magic Quadrant is copyrighted 2011 by Gartner, Inc. and is reused with permission. The Magic Quadrant is a graphical representation of a marketplace at and for a specific time period. It depicts Gartner’s analysis of how certain vendors measure against criteria for that marketplace, as defined by Gartner. Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in the Magic Quadrant, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors placed in the “Leaders” quadrant. The Magic Quadrant is intended solely as a research tool, and is not meant to be a specific guide to action. Gartner disclaims all warranties, express or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

Jackie Cooper Appointed as Global Vice Chair, Brand Properties

2011-07-19T08:30:15Z

Edelman today announces the promotion of Jackie Cooper to the role of Global Vice-Chairman, Brand Properties.

Cooper is currently UK Creative Director and Vice Chair of Edelman’s UK business and has been with Edelman since selling JCPR, the business she co-founded with Robert Phillips in 2004.

In this new role, Cooper will be responsible for developing new products, concepts and relationships that lie at the critical intersection of brand, content and partnerships. She has been one of the pioneers in the Transmedia space and the appointment formalizes this global drive for the firm.

She comments “This is not about production alone: this is about leveraging the top branded content knowledge in the world to aid our consultative advice, particularly as the competition is increasingly intense in this field. Add this to our ability to distribute, amplify and exploit content and this is a very exciting proposition for us and our clients. We must offer pioneering and trailblazing intelligence and delivery in brand communication & content – with the best roll call of specialists, the most informed expertise and the most credible profile”.

Commenting on the move, Richard Edelman said in his announcement to staff “I have known Jackie for nearly twenty years. The acquisition of JCPR in 2004 was a pivotal and catalyst moment for our firm in the UK market and it has been a privilege to work with Jackie over the past seven years. I know that, in this new role, Jackie will drive even greater success for us all. The zeitgeist of change demands that we continue to pioneer and I am delighted that Jackie is taking on this role.”

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For Further Information:
Vanessa Pymble
Tel: 0203 047 2064
Email: vanessa.pymble@edelman.com

Jackie Cooper
Tel: 0203 047 2000
Email: jackie.cooper@edelman.com