Firestone Now Spending At Least $2 Million a Month On PR

18 September 2000

Firestone Now Spending At Least $2 Million a Month On PR, According To PRWeek's Estimate

    NEW YORK--Sept. 18, 2000--Industry sources estimate that Bridgestone/Firestone Inc. is spending at least $2 million per month on crisis management efforts relating to its product crisis, according to next week's PRWeek.
    "The company has hired Ketchum Public Relations to handle a full range of PR issues, including employee communications, public affairs and consumer relations," said John Frank, Midwest Correspondent for PRWeek. " Many large corporations don't spend this amount in a year."
    Since retaining Ketchum, Firestone has gone on the offensive, becoming openly critical of the Ford Explorer and its role in the current crisis.
    Crisis management experts from around the globe are being brought in to work on Ketchum's crisis management team. Survival of the Firestone brand will depend on their efforts.
    PRWeek correspondent John Frank is available to discuss what Firestone is doing and needs to do to save its brand - and other PR issues relating to the story.
    He can also discuss how Ford has taken the lead in the PR battle.
    PRWeek is the first and only weekly newsmagazine about public relations. It is based in New York City and published by the HAYMARKET GROUP, the largest privately held magazine publisher in Britain.