Archive for the ‘USA’ Category
Tuesday, March 23rd, 2010
So, health insurance reform finally becomes law in the United States of America. Will it help solve the healthcare crisis and inequalities in the States? Maybe. Judy Viitanen and PRimage will be watching with interest. For sure this sweeping health care reform legislation has divided voters - and caused many to doubt President Obama.
Under provisions of the health care bill which will take effect this year, small businesses will receive tax credits to help cover insurance, insurance companies won’t be able to drop people’s coverage when they get sick, and uninsured Americans and parents of children with pre-existing conditions will be able to purchase coverage.
Stop press! - PRimage has just heard that the Republicans have opened a campaign to repeal it and use it as a weapon in midterm elections.
Posted in Blogging, Business, By the way, Children's Health, Consumers, Economy, Family, Financial, Healthcare, Lifestyles, Men's Health, Pharmaceuticals, Pharmacy, Political Scene, Social Issues, USA, Women's Health | No Comments »
Friday, March 19th, 2010
Posted in Advertising, Alternative therapies, Blogging, Business, By the way, Children's Health, Communications, Conferences, Consumers, Crime, Economy, Education, Employment, Environment, Europe, Event Management, Family, Financial, Food and diet, Healthcare, Humour, Leisure Market, Lifestyles, Market Research, Marketing, Media, Men's Health, NHS, News Bytes, PR, PRimage press releases, Pharmaceuticals, Pharmacy, Political Scene, Property, Public Affairs, Publishing and Literature, Retail, Social Issues, Tourism, Transport, Travel, Twitter, USA, Uncategorized, Web Links, Women's Health | No Comments »
Thursday, March 11th, 2010
Judy Viitanen sees that the Forbes Rich List has just been published – and Bill Gates has been knocked off pole position by Mexico’s Carlos Slim. This is the first time that a non-American has held the top spot for 16 years. Slim, a mobile phone telecoms tycoon has a net worth of £37.5bn! This listing of the world’s richest people makes fascinating reading. The ranking of more than 900 of the world’s richest people includes 29 Britons and a total of 97 new billionaires.
Posted in Blogging, Business, By the way, Communications, Financial, Lifestyles, Social Issues, USA | No Comments »
Sunday, February 21st, 2010
PRimage has been involved in ‘Saving Lives’ - a very worthwhile factually-based campaigning documentary, written and produced by Kenan Hudaverdi, which aims to bring awareness of the issues of bullying, racism, domestic violence, drugs and crime. The campaign will lobby Governments and decision makers around the world. 
PRimage managing director, Judy Viitanen, co-narrated the documentary - which can be viewed on YouTube - and she is developing a special campaign web site, with the aim of setting up a charity to support the campaign’s aims. Please view the documentary on YouTube – and give us your support and comments! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6dbJk4i0VY&feature=autofb
You can also become a member of the Saving Lives Face Book Group - ‘I bet I can find 1,000,000 people who want to save lives!’
Posted in Advertising, Alternative therapies, Blogging, Business, By the way, Children's Health, Communications, Consumers, Crime, Economy, Education, Employment, Environment, Europe, Family, Healthcare, Lifestyles, Market Research, Marketing, Media, Men's Health, PRimage press releases, Political Scene, Public Affairs, Social Issues, USA, Women's Health | No Comments »
Wednesday, January 20th, 2010
So, a Republican has convincingly won Ted Kennedy’s former Senate seat …..After opposing health reform. And supporting the waterboarding of terrorists. And appearing as a nude centrefold! But, most importantly, in a state where Democrats outnumber Republicans by three to one. Scott Brown’s victory can be seen as a referendum on US healthcare reform – and Obama’s first year in office – the anniversary of which falls today.
Judy Viitanen stayed up into the small hours to listen to the coverage and to see victory for Scott Brown, a state senator and property lawyer. He won by 52 per cent to 47 per cent over Democrat Martha Coakley, the state’s attorney general. Judy was not impressed by her campaign – which PRimage believe was poorly-run, unexciting and uninspired! She also made a number of gaffes - taking Christmas week off from campaigning and misspelling the state’s name in an advertisement!
The result means that the Democrats have lost the 60-seat majority in the senate that enables them to close debate on legislation. And the president’s cherished health care reform is now in grave danger of failing or being forced back to the drawing board, along with plans to tax carbon emissions and other ambitious items on his agenda. Obama now has the highest disapproval rating in the history of Gallup polling for a president entering his second year in office. In our view he has been handed a series of political humiliations. Watch this space!
Posted in Blogging, Business, By the way, Communications, Consumers, Healthcare, PRimage press releases, Political Scene, Public Affairs, Social Issues, USA | No Comments »
Monday, September 28th, 2009
This weekend Judy received an email from a friend and business colleague from ‘across the pond’ with an interesting opinion piece article attached, written by Theodore Dalrymple (aka Anthony Daniels). Entitled, ‘ The British Disease’ …… The press cutting was a critique and personal commentary of the current state of play in today’s Britain - with observations about the economy, education, our nation’s lack of attention to service, plus some scathing views on Gordon Brown and David Cameron.
PRimage found it an interesting article (in part) …… we totally agree with the comments on Brown and the state of the British economy … BUT …. we totally disagree with Mr Daniels’ views on David Cameron, whom we rate highly! Cameron and the Tories are way ahead of Brown and Labour in the opinion polls …. A ComRes poll in today’s Independent newspaper puts Labour support on 23 per cent, level-pegging with the Liberal Democrats, while the Conservatives are on 38 per cent. So, unless something goes drastically amiss in the coming months, he looks set to win the next General Election (thank God!).
Judy has read other articles penned from Mr Daniels ….. He positions himself as a ‘caring conservative’ (which is much in line with Judy’s political stance). But we are disappointed by his disparaging comments about the public relations industry in this article; and our professional integrity prompts us to take issue!
Suffice to say that as a PR practitioner of many years standing and achievement, Judy gets very weary with some of the misconceptions, ‘labels’ and myths about public relations …. which include: ‘fluffy, insubstantial hype’, ‘the work of spin doctors’, or ‘a sneaky way to hide things’. Certainly, by its very nature, PR can never be as transparent as advertising or direct marketing, and perhaps this is the essence of its perception problem.
Mr Daniels views are yet another unfair reflection of what PR does. His comment on Cameron’s pre-political career in PR and observation that public relations is ‘hardly a school for intellectual and moral probity’ is both damaging and totally unjustified!
For the benefit of ill-informed individuals (Mr Daniels, take note) …. PR is about informing, influencing, improving, and initiating, with the resulting outcome being a desired, legitimate change in behaviour. Maybe some overlapping synergy with politics?
Anyway, here’s the article in full ….. post a blog comment and let Judy and the PRimage team know what you think …..
Posted in Advertising, Blogging, Business, By the way, Communications, Consumers, Crime, Economy, Education, Employment, Europe, Financial, Food and diet, Lifestyles, Market Research, Marketing, PR, PRimage press releases, Political Scene, Public Affairs, Social Issues, Tourism, Travel, USA | No Comments »
Wednesday, July 29th, 2009
As the UK and NHS struggles to cope with the crisis planning for the swine flu pandemic, PRimage has heard that across the Atlantic, America’s Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices is currently deciding on an approach for inoculating Americans against the H1N1 virus. That comes after the agency projected that the virus could affect up to 40% of the U.S. population.
The CDC’s prediction includes both individuals who contract the swine flu and an estimated number of people who will forgo work to take care of sick friends or family members. The CDC also predicts that anywhere between 90,000 and “several hundred thousand” Americans could die of swine flu or swine flu-related illnesses over the course of the next two years.
Posted in Blogging, By the way, Children's Health, Healthcare, Men's Health, Pharmaceuticals, Pharmacy, Social Issues, USA, Women's Health | 2 Comments »
Sunday, July 26th, 2009
As a specialist healthcare communications consultancy PRimage has been following with great interest Barack Obama’s bold plans to reform America’s healthcare system. This week the President used a prime-time news conference marking six months in office to make the case for his blueprint for health-care reform, which Judy Viitanen watched on CNN. However, opinion polls show Americans increasingly disapprove of the president’s plans and some Democratic congressmen are questioning the cost. Three committees in the House of Representatives have presented a plan to provide health cover for the uninsured with the help of hefty tax increases on the rich. In its latest estimate, the Congressional Budget Office said the health-care bill would add $239 billion to the federal deficit over ten years. 
Barack Obama has promised that health-care reform will be deficit-neutral, but this is a difficult concept to consider – particularly in the current recession. A plan may be deficit-neutral over ten years, but add significantly to it thereafter by front-loading revenue and back loading costs. Many presidents have seen their ambitions frustrated by the realities of red ink – and Judy Viitanen believes this might be the case for Mr. Obama … watch this space
Posted in Blogging, Business, By the way, Children's Health, Consumers, Economy, Healthcare, Lifestyles, Men's Health, Pharmaceuticals, Political Scene, Public Affairs, Social Issues, USA, Women's Health | No Comments »
Saturday, July 4th, 2009
Independence Day celebrates the birthday of the United States of America! Founded July 4 1776, with the signing of the Declaration of Independence, America is celebrating its 233rd birthday today! Judy Viitanen and the PRimage team are thinking of all our friends, family and business colleagues in the States – we wish you all a very happy Independence Day – with smiles and cheers!
The fourth of July is a time for red white and blue! A time for family, picnics, parades and marching bands – and a great time for BBQ’s too! Enjoy! J
Posted in Blogging, Business, By the way, Communications, Consumers, Event Management, Family, Food and diet, Lifestyles, PRimage press releases, Social Issues, USA | No Comments »
Saturday, June 6th, 2009
British and American veterans are taking part in a series of emotional and touching events in Normandy today to mark the 65th anniversary of D-Day and and to pay their own tributes to those who did not return. PRimage Managing Director has a home in Normandy, and has seen first-hand just how loved and revered these liberating, brave veterans are in the towns and villages along that coastline. The American and British cemeteries are beautifully maintained – and words simply cannot explain how deeply poignant and moving it is to visit the landing beaches and the various memorials and museums – a total privilege! Judy believes that these veterans were truly the greatest generation! The Allies suffered 215,000 casualties on D-Day and in the Normandy campaign, and Caen was virtually flattened.
Posted in Blogging, By the way, Consumers, Europe, Family, Lifestyles, Political Scene, Social Issues, USA | No Comments »
