Public Strategies, Inc.

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Public Strategies, Inc. is a public relations firm that says its "new business model" involves:

  • defining the public in a new way, as customers, employees, stockholders, voters, and political leaders
  • bringing a unique mix of talent combining corporate, government, policy, and entrepreneurial experience
  • identifying and managing public risk" [1]

PSI specializes in crisis management PR. Its website boasts, "Public Strategies has helped many corporations involved in high-profile crises successfully weather the storm and better prepare for the possibility of future turbulence. From the 'war room' to the public hearing room, the courtroom and America's living rooms, Public Strategies is many corporations' first phone call for crisis response." PSI's website then extends this invitation to crisis-afflicted corporations: "Trying to put out a fire at this very moment? No matter where you are or what time it is, don't hesitate to call. Our crisis team can work anywhere and they never sleep." [2]

Ownership

In August 2006, the giant advertising and PR conglomerate WPP announced that it had bought PSI. Brand Republic noted that in 2005 PSI employed 175 staff and had revenuse of $38.5 million. [3]

Clients

In 2004, Public Strategies, Inc. was engaged by Diebold Election Systems to perform crisis-management public relations work. Its employee David Bear was given an apparently full-time role with Diebold [4].

In June 2005, PSI was hired by the major video news release (VNR) company, Medialink Worldwide. Medialink retained PSI "to keep an ear to the ground" on discussions and proposals regarding VNR labeling before the U.S. Congress and Federal Communications Commission CEO Laurence Moskowitz told O'Dwyer's PR Daily. Working with Medialink are PSI's John Krueger and William Moore. Moore is the former chief of staff to Rep. David Price, a founding member of the Congressional "Future of American Media Caucus" that was established in April 2005. [5]

In February 2007, O'Dwyer's reported that Public Strategies "is bolstering PR for the record $43.8 billion buyout of Texas power company TXU. ... The buyout is expected to face regulatory, political and environmental concerns and the parties involved immediately moved to head off any immediate fallout. The news release announcing the buyout said the deal has been endorsed by Environmental Defense and the Natural Resources Defense Council." [6]

Public Strategies disappearing advisory board

In October 2004 PSI stated on its website (now dead link) (Internet Archive copy) (screengrab) that "Public Strategies' Advisory Board is comprised of some of the most highly regarded political, business, and communications experts in the world." However, by July 2005 only one, former Governor Ann Richards, remained.

The other six - José Angel Gurría, former Ambassador Richard Holbrooke, James Johnson, Thomas Meredith, former Ambassador Lyndon Olson, and former Ambassador Renato Ruggiero - were no longer listed on the company's website. Nor did Public Strategies mention whether the Advisory Board still existed.

Employees and other associates

Dan Bartlett, the former White House counsel to George W. Bush, is PSI's president and chief executive. He joined the firm in November 2007 as a senior strategist. Bartlett "provides counsel to the firm's largest accounts in key industries such as finance, telecommunications and defense. In addition, drawing on his years of foreign policy experience while serving in the White House, he has directed the firm's international growth, providing advice to leading multi-national firms and global institutions." [1]

The website for PSI provides this list of people associated with the company, current as at July 14, 2005. [7]:

In December 2004, O'Dwyer's PR Daily reported that Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton's former communications director, Joe Householder, had joined Public Strategies' Houston office.

Jill Bratina, Florida Governor Jeb Bush's former communications director was set to join Public Strategies' Washington DC office the following month. O'Dwyer's noted that Bratina "is a crisis expert who handled PA at Bridgestone/Firestone during its tire recall," and who, while at Ketchum, "worked on the Dow Chemical account handling silicone breast implant litigation and for Wyeth-Ayerst during the phen-fen lawsuits." [8]

Contact details

Public Strategies, Inc.
607 14th Street, N.W.
Suite 500
Washington, DC 20005
Phone: 202-354-8200
Fax: 202-354-8201
Web: http://www.pstrategies.com/


Articles and resources

Related SourceWatch articles

References

  1. ↑ "Bush White House Veteran Bartlett Named CEO at Public Strategies," The Holmes Report (sub req'd), March 9, 2009.

External resources

External articles

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