In this week’s installment of the Women Leaders in PR series, we talk with Margery Kraus, who launched APCO Worldwide in 1984. Though the firm is now a well-established, international business, it was once a startup, like many of the organizations that Kraus had worked with before striking out on her own.

For Kraus, the most important factor in having a successful business is being a daring (though strategic) businesswoman. She tells us what exactly that means, and what you need to get your business started.

Tune in next week for the final (bonus!) installment of our Women Leaders in PR series.

Read more

On February 15, we reported on APCO Worldwide‘s purchase of ad agency StrawberryFrog. On Friday, we had news that Bailey Gardiner, a PR and integrated marketing agency, and Fishtank Brand Advertising had come together to create i.d.e.a., a “full-service creative group.”

All across PR, advertising, and marketing, there’s been much talk about the “blurring” of marketing disciplines. Fleishman-Hillard‘s chief exec has talked with us about how their work is cutting across a variety of marketing areas. And firm leaders Richard Edelman (Edelman), Fred Cook (GolinHarris), and Rob Flaherty (Ketchum) all spoke at the last PRWeek NEXT conference about the competition between advertising and PR, and the client’s new openness for “big ideas” that come from the PR agency.

Increasingly, PR firms are tackling their work with this sort of boundary-free approach that opens doors for more business as well as greater integration. Indra Gardiner, founder and chief influence officer at i.d.e.a., says the relationship between BG and Fishtank started with eight months of joint pitching and business wins. Eventually, blending the two together “started making more and more sense.”

Read more

Speaking of the Council of PR Firms, they’ve announced the 2012 board of directors for the organization. Weber Shandwick president Andy Polansky will serve another year as the chairman of the Council. Also re-elected are Porter Novelli’s Gary Stockman as chair-elect, Airfoil’s Janet Tyler as treasurer, and Laura Tomasetti from 360 Public Relations as secretary.

A number of CEOs and principals will also be joining them as directors: Christine Barney, rbb Public Relations; Amy Binder, RF Binder; Dave Senay, Fleishman-Hillard; Melissa Waggener Zorkin, Waggener Edstrom Worldwide; Sharon Linhart, Linhart Public Relations; Elise Mitchell, Mitchell Communications; Jennifer Prose, CJP Communications; Donna Imperato, Cohn & Wolfe; and Margery Kraus , APCO Worldwide.

Congrats to everyone!

Rob Flaherty, President and Senior Partner, Ketchum delivered the opening remarks at today’s sold out Critical Issues Forum, hosted by the Council of PR Firms. The theme of this year’s event was, “Aftershock: Restoring Confidence and Trust in 2010,” and Flaherty pointed out that 80 years ago today was Black Tuesday, which led to the stock market crash of 1929.

“Statistics on drop in trust are incredible, like nothing we’ve seen our career,” said Flaherty. “Are we willing to anticipate stakeholder expectations and push companies to change? Are we willing to step up to the plate and shape corporate character, not just words?” he asked.

Following Flaherty’s remarks was a panel discussion that got contentious at a few points, mostly between James Wiggins, Executive Director, Corporate Communications, Morgan Stanley and Susie Gharib, Anchor and Senior Strategic Advisor, Night Business Report.

Read more

The Council of PR Firms announced this morning that APCO CEO Margery Kraus will serve as 2010 Chair of the industry trade group, following Ketchum CEO Ray Kotcher‘s run. The release was issued at the same time the Council meets for its annual high-end Critical Issues Forum.

The PR Council lists exactly a hundred member firms on its website ranging from boutiques with under ten employees to megafirms like Ogilvy, Porter Novelli and Weber Shandwick.

The executive officers joining Kraus are Andy Polansky (Weber Shandwick) as Chair-Elect, Jens Bang (Cone) as Treasurer, Otis Wragg (Wragg & Casas Public Relations) as secretary, and Kotcher as immediate past chair.

The Council also elected new board members Christine Barney (rbb Public Relations), Donna Imperato (Cohn & Wolfe), Jennifer Prosek (CJP Communications), Dave Senay (Fleishman-Hillard), Laura Tomasetti (360 Public Relations) and Melissa Waggener Zorkin (Waggener Edstrom Worldwide).