NEW YORK - January 20, 2010 - MWW Group (www.mww.com), one of the nation’s top ten public relations firms, announced today that Sav Banerjee has joined MWW Group as a senior digital strategist in the firm’s industry leading DialogueMedia practice. Banerjee brings more than six years of experience working in the digital marketing and social media space and his experience spans a number of sectors including technology, retail and consumer packaged goods. Banerjee has worked with such notable clients as HP, Visa, Proctor & Gamble, and eBay. In his new role at MWW Group, Banerjee will develop strategic social media campaigns for a number of MWW Group’s key clientele.

“Sav is a key addition to our DialogueMedia team and brings a range of expertise leading social media programs for some of the world’s largest and most respected brands.  His insight and expertise will be invaluable to clients spanning a number of sectors, from retail and technology to CPG and food and beverage,” said Michael W. Kempner, president and CEO of MWW Group.

Prior to joining MWW Group, Banerjee acted as social media engineer at Gannett Digital where he developed digital marketing strategies for such Fortune 500 companies as Unilever and Proctor & Gamble. Previously, Banerjee served as director of social strategy at Vercai Inc. where he led the development of Mintbox, the first interactive fashion platform connecting web to retail stores. Before joining Vercai, Banerjee managed client services and strategy at Agency.com where he launched social marketing applications for eBay, both in the US and Canada, and managed integrated campaigns with an emphasis on interactive web development.  

As a senior member of MWW Group’s DialogueMedia division, Banerjee joins a team that is recognized throughout the public relations industry for its award-winning work. DialogueMedia works with MWW’s clients across all of the company’s core practice areas: corporate communications, consumer marketing, public and government affairs, healthcare, internal communications, cause and social marketing.  

About MWW Group

MWW Group is one of the nation’s top ten public relations agencies and is known for its results-driven approach to public relations and “Aim High. Deliver” commitment to client service. For four years in a row, MWW Group was honored with the #1 ranking in the Holmes Report agency client satisfaction survey. MWW Group achieved top rankings in the categories of account leadership, strength of account team, creativity, strategy and planning, and program execution. In 2008, MWW Group was named PR Agency of the Year by The American Business Awards and Mid-size PR Firm of the Year by PR News, in recognition of the firm’s growth, strategic account leadership and industry-leading employee retention. MWW Group is part of the Interpublic Group of Companies (NYSE: IPG). 

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• Action Against Hunger, 877-777-1420
• American Red Cross, 800-733-2767
• AmeriCares, 800-486-4357
• CARE, 800-521-2273
• Direct Relief International, 805-964-4767
• Doctors Without Borders, 888-392-0392
• Friends of WFP, 866-929-1694
• Haiti Children, 877-424-8454
• Haitian Health Foundation, 860-886-4357
• Hope for Haiti, 239-434-7183
• International Medical Corps, 800-481-4462
• International Rescue Committee, 877-733-8433
• Meds and Food for Kids, 314-420-1634
• Operation USA, 800-678-7255
• Oxfam, 800-776-9326
• Partners in Health, 617-432-5298
• Save the Children, 800-728-3843
• UNICEF, 800-367-5437
• World Concern, 800-755-5022
• World Relief, 800-535-5433

You can also simply text “HAITI” to “90999″ and a donation of $10 will be given automatically to the Red Cross to help with relief efforts, charged to your cell phone bill.

Thank you in advance for your support and concern.

LOS ANGELES - January 14, 2010 - Coby King, senior vice president and general manager in MWW Group’s Los Angeles office, was named 2^nd Vice Chair of the Valley Industry and Commerce Association (VICA) during the VICA’s 60th Annual Meeting last month. King has been involved with VICA for twelve years and previously served as vice chair and a member of the executive committee.

VICA is considered among the most influential business advocacy organizations in Southern California. Their mission is to enhance the economic vitality of the greater San Fernando Valley region by advocating for a better business climate and quality of life. It strives to make the Greater San Fernando Valley the location of choice for Southern California businesses and families.

“Coby has been a dedicated leader since joining MWW Group in 2008, and it is no surprise - active as he is in the community and region - that he has been re-elected to a senior leadership role at VICA,” said Michael W. Kempner, president and CEO of MWW Group. “He is a trusted counselor, and will no doubt play a big part in helping VICA achieve its goals.”

King currently serves as a member of the Board of the California Motor Vehicle Recovery Corporation, which helps consumers recover monies from auto dealers, and on various Democratic Party committees, including the State Central Committee and State Executive Board.  He served on the MTA’s San Fernando Valley Service Sector Governance Council from 2003 to 2008, representing the City of Los Angeles.  He also served as President of the Van Nuys Airport Citizens Advisory Council from 1999 to 2006, and was instrumental in achieving a long-delayed airport master plan.  He served as a member of the Board of Commissioners of the City of Los Angeles Community Redevelopment Agency from 2000 to 2002, and on the California Council on Criminal Justice from 2002 through 2004.   

About MWW Group

MWW Group is one of the nation’s top ten public relations agencies and is known for its results-driven approach to public relations and “Aim High. Deliver” commitment to client service. For four years in a row, MWW Group was honored with the #1 ranking in the Holmes Report agency client satisfaction survey. MWW Group achieved top rankings in the categories of account leadership, strength of account team, creativity, strategy and planning, and program execution. In 2008, MWW Group was named PR Agency of the Year by The American Business Awards and Mid-size PR Firm of the Year by PR News, in recognition of the firm’s growth, strategic account leadership and industry-leading employee retention. MWW Group is part of the Interpublic Group of Companies (NYSE: IPG).

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“Matt has been an instrumental member of our Dallas team since joining MWW Group in 2007 and he consistently delivers outstanding results for clients. His leadership, dedication and passion have helped MWW Group’s Dallas office continue to thrive and both clients and colleagues trust and rely upon his leadership and counsel,” said Michael W. Kempner, president and CEO of MWW Group.

Prior to joining MWW Group, Averitt worked at Burson-Marsteller where he led account teams and was responsible for new business development and writing and media relations activities.

About MWW Group

MWW Group is one of the nation’s top ten public relations agencies and is known for its results-driven approach to public relations and “Aim High. Deliver” commitment to client service. For four years in a row, MWW Group was honored with the #1 ranking in the Holmes Report agency client satisfaction survey. MWW Group achieved top rankings in the categories of account leadership, strength of account team, creativity, strategy and planning, and program execution. In 2008, MWW Group was named PR Agency of the Year by The American Business Awards and Mid-size PR Firm of the Year by PR News, in recognition of the firm’s growth, strategic account leadership and industry-leading employee retention. MWW Group is part of the Interpublic Group of Companies (NYSE: IPG).

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We are pleased to announce that Claire Koeneman has won “Best Executive- Service Businesses” in the 6th Annual Stevie Awards for Women in Business. The Stevie Awards for Women in Business is an international competition recognizing the accomplishments of outstanding women executives, business owners, and the organizations they run.

Claire Koeneman, President of the Financial Relations Board (FRB) and General Manager of MWW Group’s Midwest Region, has focused her career on helping public and private clients achieve financial, strategic and business goals. She is known for her sophisticated C-suite advice, refined people skills and deep expertise in financial and corporate communications, public relations and media. CEOs and CFOs across the country – and across the world – seek her counsel as they make critical decisions about how to build their reputation in the financial markets, convey the strength of their executive team and effectively communicate their assets, both tangible and intangible. Claire also serves as a trusted advisor to some of the leading companies in the world, be it working on a major M&A deal that needs to be communicated to multiple stakeholders or strategizing how to communicate earnings to the markets for optimum results. Proving herself as a thought leader in today’s trying times, Claire has authored numerous white papers and acted as an industry spokesperson, quoted frequently in financial and trade press. Throughout all of her work with FRB and MWW Group, Claire balances her work successes with devotion to her family and philanthropic work.

DALLAS - November 10, 2009 - MWW Group (www.mww.com), one of the nation’s top ten public relations firms, announced today it has been hired by Geoforce, Inc. to drive strategic communications that generate brand awareness and sales. A leading provider of global asset tracking and management technology, Geoforce is redefining how organizations leverage the power of asset visibility to achieve increased efficiency, business intelligence and profitability in the oil and gas, power and utility, heavy equipment and fleet markets.

“We selected MWW Group as our strategic communications partner not only due to their deep technology and vertical market expertise, but more importantly their ability to deliver our story in relevant ways to our target audiences,” said James MacLean, president and founder of Geoforce. “We are a results-focused, high-growth organization and are intensely focused on driving sales and establishing our brand in the markets we serve. MWW Group’s entrepreneurial drive aligns with our own high-performance culture and we look forward to taking our company to the next level together.”

Geoforce dramatically simplifies the way companies track and remotely monitor their valuable equipment wherever it’s located around the world. By leveraging Geoforce’s Web-based software platform that taps a blend of GPS, radio frequency identification (RFID) and other wireless technologies, companies can automate and streamline the process of tracking their assets in the field. Formed in 2007 by industry veterans from the oil and gas, equipment rental and related industries, Geoforce has a fast-growing customer base and manages the largest GPS oilfield equipment tracking and remote monitoring deployment in the Gulf of Mexico.

“Geoforce was founded by industry veterans who knew first-hand the challenges companies across industries historically have faced tracking and managing their valuable equipment in the field,” said Cherie Gary, senior vice president and general manager, MWW Group’s Dallas office. “Having identified a significant business challenge, Geoforce created an innovative, differentiated solution and is well positioned for strong growth. We are excited about the opportunity to partner with them and play a key role in helping Geoforce achieve its business objectives.”

About MWW Group

MWW Group is one of the nation’s top ten public relations agencies and is known for its results-driven approach to public relations and “Aim High. Deliver” commitment to client service. For four years in a row, MWW Group was honored with the #1 ranking in the Holmes Report agency client satisfaction survey. MWW Group achieved top rankings in the categories of account leadership, strength of account team, creativity, strategy and planning, and program execution. In 2008, MWW Group was named PR Agency of the Year by The American Business Awards and Mid-size PR Firm of the Year by PR News, in recognition of the firm’s growth, strategic account leadership and industry-leading employee retention. MWW Group is part of the Interpublic Group of Companies (NYSE: IPG).

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The VW program was feature in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times Wheels Blog, ABC News, on top gaming blogs like Joystiq and Touch Arcade and in many other news outlets and blogs, like Cool Hunting.

Consumers with an iPhone or iPod Touch can get the free game and see how well you drive the 2010 GTI by visiting the iTunes Store.

Furthermore, registering during game play enters you to win 1 of 6 limited edition cars – 1 car awarded per week through December 2, 2009.

MWW Group was recently honored with GALAXY Awards for excellent work for Nikon, Samsung, and Keep a Child Alive. In addition, MWW Group’s first annual Corporate Social Responsibility report was also recognized. These awards are truly a testament to MWW Group’s passion for high quality public relations work and our commitment to change the game for our clients.  What truly makes MWW Group great are the talented people who come each day motivated to deliver best & brightest work for our clients and we’re honored so many campaigns were selected as GALAXY Award winners.

GOLD

Look Good in Pictures: Nikon’s How to Series with

Carson Kressley

Category: Website/Consumer

MWW Group designed an interactive website for Nikon’s Look Good in Pictures Series with Carson Kressley to build awareness for Nikon among a key audience as the brand that makes being photographed fun. The Look Good in Pictures campaign resulted in more than 200,000 visitors to the site and presented visitors with real life moments and practical, easy-to-use tips.

SILVER

Samsung Electronics: MWW Group Scores a Touchdown for Samsung

Category: PR Awareness Campaign

MWW Group launched an integrated marketing campaign for Samsung leveraging their partnership with the NFL that gave fans the opportunity to share their passion and stories surrounding America’s favorite sport. The campaign was one of the most successful marketing campaigns for Samsung ever implemented with the NFL, garnering more than 64 million media impressions.

Keep a Child Alive’s 5th Annual Black Ball

Category: PR Special Events

MWW Group secured over 250 million media impressions and raised a record breaking $2.45 million in donations at Keep a Child Alive’s red carpet event, the Black Ball Gala.

BRONZE

MWW Group CSR Report

Category: Annual Reports/Corporate Responsibility

MWW Group’s inaugural report shares the values and principles that guide our corporate citizenship and highlights examples of our citizenship in practice, demonstrating that our commitments are backed by actions that have made, and continue to make, a difference.

Although the data shows that a significant number of homeless in Los Angeles are still without shelter, it also demonstrates progress in the City’s and County’s efforts at reducing homelessness. The decrease reflects a combination of increased focus on homelessness by Los Angeles City and County leaders, investments in housing and innovative programs, and a strong network of agencies focused on ending homelessness. While progress has been made, two out of three homeless people in Los Angeles remain on the streets, including families and children.

LAHSA, a Joint Powers Authority created and managed by both the City and County of Los Angeles, is the lead agency for the Los Angeles Continuum of Care, a consortium of homeless service providers that encompasses all but three cities throughout Los Angeles County, including the City of Los Angeles. As required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), LAHSA conducts a homeless census every two years during the last 10 days in January. Service providers in the Continuum of Care, which includes approximately 200 independent agencies, use these census estimates to plan for critically-needed services. The 2009 count was conducted from January 27-29, and excludes the cities of Glendale, Long Beach and Pasadena, which all conduct their own counts. Adding these three cities to the Los Angeles homeless count, the total homeless population for Los Angeles County is approximately 50,000, on any given night.

“Los Angeles’ new homeless data shows tangible results from the efforts of the City, County and the Continuum of Care agencies to address poverty and homelessness,” said Michael Arnold, LAHSA’s Executive Director.

“We will continue to build on our momentum and progress, but more needs to be done - we still have almost 15,000 people in shelters and temporary housing, and more than 30,000 unsheltered people on our streets every night,” said Supervisor Don Knabe, Chairman of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.

The decline in the numbers for Los Angeles appears consistent with similar national decreases seen in areas like New York (-30% in street homelessness), Indianapolis (-22%) and Riverside County (-22%), which have also experienced significant reductions in homelessness between 2007 and 2009. According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, 44% of the nation’s 2009 local homeless counts report decreases. “We have not won the war against homelessness in Los Angeles, but we are making progress,” Arnold continued. “Ironically, the recession may have had a counter-intuitive impact on homelessness as the declining real estate market has also helped lower housing rental rates, giving more people access to affordable housing.”

However, thousands of people have lost jobs in the Los Angeles region. As the unemployment rate continues to rise there are signs that homelessness could increase again. It is estimated that nearly 10,000 people were found living on private property in areas not meant for human habitation.

Major region-wide efforts to reduce homelessness are ongoing. Many factors likely contributed to this decline including new and expanded programs implemented by the Los Angeles CoC network of housing and service providers. Many of these new programs are funded by the County and City of Los Angeles, such as the County’s $100-million Homeless Prevention Initiative, the City’s Permanent Supportive Housing Program and expanded Section 8 vouchers that specifically target homeless individuals and families. Most importantly, local housing and service providers are making an important paradigm shift with programs centered on housing homeless families and individuals, and providing them with the tools and skills they need to remain housed. The City and County have embarked on an unprecedented expansion of a collaborative effort to reduce homelessness in recent years. The decline reflects their success.

“The good news here — that homelessness has declined significantly in Los Angeles — can be attributed to a new spirit of joint cooperation between the City, the County and the service providers who make up the Continuum of Care. We still have a long way to go, but this is real progress, and we are very gratified to see it,” said Commissioner Howard Katz, Chair of the LAHSA Board of Commissioners.

Like previous years, to collect the most reliable figures, four distinct components of the census count were completed: (1) a street count, (2) a shelter count, (3) a demographic survey and (4) a “hidden homeless” telephone survey. To ensure greater accuracy of these elements, more than 3,000 volunteers participated in the data collection process conducted over 13,000 square miles of the region - an area larger than nine states in the nation. Additionally, experts from the University of North Carolina’s Survey Research Unit, skilled in tracking hard-to-reach populations, provided data collection tools and statistical analysis.

While the methodology for the 2009 Homeless Count remained consistent with previous counts, enhancements to the data collection process have collectively enabled researchers to extrapolate more detailed information. Highlights of these enhancements include:

• 50% increase in the number of census tracts covered from 2007
• More than 3,000 volunteers covered more than 13,000 miles
• 3,073 interviews with the homeless were conducted
• More than 4,000 households were contacted during a telephone survey to locate the number of homeless living temporarily off the streets, but near private residences

About the Los Angeles Homeless Service Authority

The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) is a joint powers authority of the City and County of Los Angeles, created in 1993 to address the problems of homelessness in Los Angeles County. LAHSA plans, funds and administers programs that assist homeless individuals and families in their transition to permanent housing. LAHSA is the lead agency in the HUD-funded Los Angeles Continuum of Care, and coordinates and manages over $70 million annually in federal, state, county and city funds for programs providing shelter, housing and services to homeless persons. Additionally, LAHSA partners with the City and County to integrate services and housing opportunities to ensure wide distribution of service and housing options. LAHSA funds agencies that address many homeless populations including survivors of domestic violence and their children, persons struggling with chronic homelessness, veterans, youth transitioning from foster care, and individuals with mental health needs. For more information, please see http://www.lahsa.org

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Initial Discussion Will Focus on Sustainability and the Environment; Panel to Include Experts from Twilight Earth, Inhabitot, GreenbuildingsNYC, Green Mom Review and The Alternative Consumer

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - October 28, 2009 - MWW Group, one of the nation’s top ten public relations firms, today announced the launch of MWW Pulse (www.mww.com/mwwpulse).  Bringing together a diverse panel of online thought leaders, MWW Pulse will be focused on elevating the online conversation and shedding new insights relevant to critical industries and business categories.  MWW Pulse will provide a single platform where expert contributors will share opinion, answer questions and address relevant trends in their respective industries and sectors.  The first MWW Pulse panel will focus on Sustainability and the Environment followed by Health & Wellness, Consumer Technology and Personal Finance.

“MWW Pulse is a call-to-action urging companies and thought leaders to discuss and analyze issues that affect their respective industries from various stakeholder point-of-views and in an open and transparent manner.  This platform will serve as an online ‘think tank’ bringing together influencers in a productive, meaningful conversation,” said Michael W. Kempner, president and CEO of MWW Group. “We chose to tackle sustainability and responsible environmental stewardship as our first focus group as these issues are critical to our staff, clients, end users and the customers of our clients and have implications that go well beyond the course of normal business.”

As a web platform, the functional goal of MWW Pulse is to aggregate information and commentary from online influencers on major business issues. The panelists will use blog posts, video and audio media to share opinions and interact with industry audiences, consumers and MWW Group clients via http://www.mww.com/mwwpulse.

The Sustainability and Environment panel will feature industry experts Jasmin Malik Chua/ Inhabitot and Ecouterre; Adam Shake/Twilight Earth; Maureen O’Connor/The Alternative Consumer; Stephen Del Percio/GreenbuildingsNYC and Janet Dean/The Green Mom Review.  As part of the discussion, the panelists will highlight trends, offer predictions for enterprise sustainability and address urgent environmental events and news. Topics will include combating climate change; ways businesses can improve operations and drive revenue through strong corporate citizenship; and how businesses can be more responsible throughout functions like supply-chain management, sourcing, transportation, and community involvement.

“The purpose of MWW Pulse is to create a conversation that will enable our clients, consumers and industry stakeholders to stay current on the latest news and trends, share best practices and have a vibrant and productive dialogue on issues that matter to their businesses,” said Joseph Becker, GVP, Group Leader for DialogueMedia, MWW Group’s digital public relations practice. “These panels illustrate MWW’s commitment to innovation by offering a number of unparalleled strategic benefits for our clients; both helping our clients build relationships with key thought leaders while also giving them unique insights that can help move their business.”

About MWW Group

MWW Group is one of the nation’s top ten public relations agencies and is known for its results-driven approach to public relations and “Aim High… and Deliver” commitment to client service. For the past four years, MWW Group has been honored with the #1 ranking in the Holmes Report agency client satisfaction survey. MWW Group achieved top rankings in the categories of account leadership, strength of account team, creativity, strategy and planning, and program execution. In 2006, MWW Group was named PR Agency of the Year by The Holmes Report and Mid-size PR Firm of the Year by PR News, in recognition of the firm’s growth, strategic account leadership and industry-leading employee retention. MWW Group is part of the Interpublic Group of Companies (NYSE: IPG). 

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