Edelman has announced the launch of the Daniel J. Edelman China Group to oversee the expansion of its four service brands in China. Starting January 2013, the Daniel J. Edelman China Group will be comprised of four major lines of business: flagship agency Edelman, the newly created Edelman Digital, national firm Pegasus and sister agency Zeno Group, which is scheduled to open its first China office by the end of 2012.

The new group structure brings some staffing changes and executive appointments. Effective 1 January 2013: Steven Cao, current Pegasus president, is promoted to the new role of CEO, Daniel J. Edelman China Group. Kevin Wang and Tony Tao, Edelman’s managing directors in Beijing and Shanghai, will assume joint responsibility for the flagship agency’s China operations as co-presidents of Edelman China. Jeffrey Yu, Pegasus managing director, assumes complete responsibility of Pegasus China. John Kerr, recently appointed regional president for Zeno Group, will be responsible for assembling the Zeno China team. (Release)

Bob Pickard, Burson-Marsteller‘s Asia Pacific Chief Executive Officer, has tendered his resignation, and will be stepping down from his leadership role to pursue another opportunity to be announced in the coming months. His last day with the firm will be December 31st. In his place, Patrick Ford has been named interim Chair for Asia-Pacific. Ford has been with the firm for 23 years and is currently the firm’s Worldwide Chief Client Officer. He will continue in that role, focusing on driving growth among Burson-Marsteller’s largest clients in the Asia Pacific region as well as around the world. Ford served as the firm’s U.S. Chief Executive Officer for five years before becoming a Vice Chairman in 2012. He has been working from Hong Kong for the last several months. (Release)

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Ogilvy PR has been chosen as AOR for the Standard Innovation Corporation, makers of the We-Vibe, a rechargeable couples vibrator and other “popular pleasure products.” Work will include media relations, events, and thought leadership. Oh really?

“Between the 50 Shades of Grey global phenomenon and films like Hysteria, people around the world are empowered to not only talk about, but take charge of their sexual health,” said Kate Cronin, global head of Ogilvy’s healthcare practice and MD of the firm’s New York office, in a statement.
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NUK USA, makers of pacifiers, teething rings, and other oral baby products and developmental tools, has chosen Hill+Knowlton Strategies for PR services. The firm’s consumer marketing practice will work on the account.

U.S. Cellular has chosen Ketchum after a competitive pitch that included MSLGroup, Ad Age reports. MSLGroup and a number of local agencies had previously worked on the account. U.S. Cellular has been steadily decreasing its ad spend over the past few years.

August Schell Brewing Co., makers of Schell’s and Grain Belt beers, has selected Padilla Speer Beardsley as its AOR. The firm will focus on brand strategy and an integrated marketing program (advertising, PR, digital) to promote the company’s 15 craft beers.

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Kevin Chaffee has joined Qorvis Communications as senior advisor. He was previously with Washington Life and will continue to serve as an editorial consultant for the magazine. Prior to that, he spent 17 years as a reporter and editor at Washington Times. [via FishbowlDC]

Padilla Speer Beardsley has appointed Curtis Smith as director of business development and marketing for the firm. He’s also in charge of internal comms, raising awareness of the firm across media. Previously, he was director of business development for both Carmichael Lynch (advertising) and Carmichael Lynch Spong (PR).

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A survey done jointly by Worldcom Public Relations Group and the Transworld Advertising Agency Network (TAAN) found both PR practitioners and advertising specialists think that PR is making better use of social media.

Both organizations are agency networks, and the two networks are unrelated. Worldcom agency members include Linhart Public Relations, M. Silver Associates, and Padilla Speer Beardsley. Members of TAAN include Bailey Gardiner, Krome Communications, and Pure. Twenty-five principals from each network responded to the survey. Elizabeth Sosnow, MD at BlissPR, also a Worldcom member, conducted the survey.

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John Beardsley, retired CEO of Padilla Speer Beardsley, died last Thursday at the age of 73 due to complications from heart surgery. Beardsley began his career as a journalist with newspapers in South Dakota and Minnesota, and the Associated Press. He made the move to PR in 1968 and joined Padilla and Speer in 1979. He was added to the company name when he became chairman of the firm in 1987. He retired in 2001.

During his career, Beardsley also served as national president of the PRSA for four years and oversaw the media relations effort behind former Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev’s 1990 visit to the Twin Cities.