PUBLIC RELATIONS

Singapore - Tsao Foundation has retained Ruder Finn as their PR agency for a two year period.

Hong Kong - Ketchum has appointed Stanley Lam as general manager of its digital business, monitoring and measurement solutions for Greater China.

Malaysia - The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) has appointed Text 100 Malaysia as its public relations agency for the domestic market.

Malaysia - The chaos which arose during the Energizer Night Race 2011 on 16 April due to inadequate organization and management has garnered ample negative publicity for the brand and hate mail from hundreds of disgruntled participants.

Hong Kong - Hong Kong's largest education portal Hong Kong Education City has appointed Waggener Edstrom as its public relations agency of record.

Beijing - The potential market in China for green products and services may be hugely underestimated, a research by Ogilvy's sustainability practice OgilvyEarth revealed.

Malaysia – Are you passionate about communication? Do you relish the deep satisfaction in coming up with effective solutions yielding great results for clients? Do you live and breathe for the Public Relations industry? Then you are the person Essence Communications is looking for.

Hong Kong - Weber Shandwick has appointed Penny Cheung as director of information technology practice as it moves to further strengthen the unit in the fast-growing tech sector.

Singapore - TaylorMade-adidas Golf has appointed thePRelement as its official PR agency of record, running all PR and social media activities for the brand in Singapore.

Hong Kong - Telecom group ec Plus has appointed Fleishman Hillard to handle public relations for its newly launched online shopping and bidding site BidderSpot.com.

Singapore - The Singapore Sports Council has called a pitch for Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore 2011's public relations business.

Beijing - The Boao Forum for Asia has appointed Ogilvy PR Beijing as its public relations partner for the fifth year in a row.

Mumbai - Public relations consultancy Ketchum has acquired a majority stake in Indian PR firm Sampark PR, as its expands its global presence.

Malaysia - Burson-Marsteller has appointed former Fleishman-Hillard account director Irene Yong, to the role of associate director for healthcare and corporate responsibility for the firm, effective immediately.

Hong Kong - NTT Com Asia, the Hong Kong subsidiary of Japan's largest communications network NTT Communications Corporation, has appointed The Hoffman Agency as its PR partner for the Hong Kong market.

Regional - Tourism Australia has called a tender for a public relations agency support its promotional and marketing activities in China.

Hong Kong - In a bid to boost its green credentials, Yahoo! Hong Kong has struck a number of partnerships with Hong Kong businesses to promote its new e-billing service.

Singapore - Hong Kong based Celestial Pictures has engaged Strategic Public Relations Group (SPRG) Singapore on a one-year retainer to oversee all its communications and publicity efforts.

Global - British Airways has confirmed the appointment of Grayling to handle its public relations across Europe and Asia Pacific under a three-year contract.

Sydney - Chris Newman has been tapped to run the Australian operations of PR firm Fleishman-Hillard, replacing Walter Jennings who resigned.

“How in this day and age do blue-chip listed companies still make PR mistakes?” ran November’s ed’s letter in Marketing. The simple answer is too many CEOs are still too far removed from their PR and communications strategists.

Malaysia - Local fashion brand, Le Ann Maxima has appointed SPRG Malaysia, to support its growth in the local market and region.

Malaysia - Malaysia's Public Relations Consultants' Association (PRCA) has elected a new committee following its thirteenth annual general meeting, with Hill & Knowlton MD Julia Ahmad named president.

Regional - Internet payment platform PayPal has appointed The Hoffman Agency as its public relations agency for the markets of Japan, China, Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia.

Malaysia – Following a two-way pitch in January 2011, Edelman has been awarded the World Islamic Economic Forum Foundation’s (WIEF) PR business to handle its seventh international forum in Astana, Kazakhstan.

Hong Kong - JP Morgan Asia Pacific head of corporate and media relations Ray Bashford will join PR group Financial Dynamics as chairman of its APAC operation from May.

Hong Kong - Expedia's global hotel website Hotels.com has appointed impactasia to handle all public relations activities in Hong Kong and China.

Regional - Edelman China's president Mark Hass explains why public relations agencies could do a lot worse than hiring Peggy Olson (Mad Men's rising agency star).

Hong Kong - With the Manila hostage crisis still making front page news, the Philippine government is looking for a PR agency to help regain the confidence of the Hong Kong general public.

Hong Kong - Content creation, the need to reorganise marketing functions and agency relationships have been flagged as key areas of major changes to marketing, a new report has found.