NEWS: PR EUROPE

BUDAPEST: Polgar takes over at H&K

Viktor Polgar has been appointed managing director of Hill and Knowlton

Hungary. He replaces founder Andy Gollner, who is returning to Canada to

take up the chair of political economy at Concordia University,

Montreal. Polgar is a former diplomat and was most recently director of

communications for the Hungarian Privatisation and State Holding

Company. H&K is Hungary’s second biggest PR agency with clients

including Tesco, PepsiCo, Nissan and the ministries of transport and the

interior.

BRUSSELS: Generali shortlists two

Italian insurance group Generali is looking for a PR agency to help

raise its corporate profile in Belgium. Two agencies have been

shortlisted for the account: Attitudes Public Relations and

Communication Partners. Pitches for the media relations programme will

take place next week.

LONDON: Woodstock Leasor launches pils

Elbrewery, the largest producer of beer in central and eastern Europe,

has hired Woodstock Leasor to manage the UK launch of EB Special Pils,

its biggest selling beer in Poland. A public relations specialist for

central and eastern Europe, the agency will manage a promotional

campaign which includes introducing the beer at food and drink shows and

at Polish sporting and cultural events. ‘So far the association has

worked out brilliantly,’ said Wojtek Olczak, managing director of EB

(UK), Elbrewery’s UK sales arm.

PARIS: Text 100 takes over Cisco PR

Cisco Systems, the US computer inter networking company, has handed its

PR account to Text 100 following the financial collapse of its previous

PR adviser Neuf Associes last month (PR Week, 13 September). ‘We will

use local industry opinions and case studies as tools to promote Cisco’s

product value,’ said Patrick Frison-Roche, general manager at Text 100

in France. The contract is worth around pounds 48,000 a year in fees.

Text 100 already co-ordinates Cisco’s European PR from London.

BRUSSELS: Interel seeks health specialist

Interel is hunting for a UK healthcare agency to join Euromed, its

international medical PR network. Interel was previously aligned with

MC2 but the relationship ended after MC2 went into receivership last

year and was subsequently bought by Lowe Bell Communications. It now

operates as Green Moon Healthcare. Jean-Leopold Schuybroek, managing

director of Interel, said that Euromed would also consider a partnership

with another network.

PARIS: Honours for Moreau Lascombe

Moreau Lascombe GCI has been named Public Relations Agency of the Year

and handed a special award for public communication by the 17th Grand

Prix des Agences de l’Annee. The annual prize honours the creativity and

business success of advertising and public relations firms. ‘It rewards

the work we’ve done to increase the fidelity and satisfaction of our

clients,’ said Gilles Moreau, president of Moreau Lascombe GCI.

edited by John-Pierre Joyce