New York and Washington: Last week, the PR industry took its first
official steps toward playing a significant role in America's war
against terrorism.
The Rendon Group signed on with the Department of Defense to help
explain the goals of the American military campaign overseas, a message
many critics say the government is failing to convey to the public. The
contract, awarded on a non-competitive, sole-source basis, is worth
almost $400,000 over four months, and has the option to extend
for a full year.
Rendon's familiarity with the region was likely a contributing factor to
its appointment. During the Gulf War, the agency represented the Kuwaiti
royal family and its Ministry of Information.
Meanwhile, the Council of PR Firms has offered its hand to the Ad
Council, which is currently running domestic spots to reassure Americans
and provide practical advice such as how to talk to one's children about
terrorism.
The two organizations have discussed the possibility of working together
on an overseas campaign to increase American sympathies in the Arab
world.
Talk of such a campaign began when Charlotte Beers, US under secretary
for public affairs and public diplomacy, signaled that she may employ
the Ad Council to create an advertising campaign to run on the
Qatar-based Al-Jazeera news network. Beers has yet to make any formal
announcements regarding her intentions, however, and both councils
agreed that no overseas campaign could take place prior to her doing
so.
"We believe that public relations has an important role both
domestically and internationally in building understanding of what the
US government is doing and why they're doing it," said Jack Bergen,
president of the Council of PR Firms.
