Hill and Knowlton, Public Relations Firm, New York, NY

Headquartered in New York, Hill and Knowlton is one of the five largest public relations firms in the world. Back in 1927, former journalist John W. Hill started up a PR firm and became partners with a banking client named Donald Knowlton during the Depression. Seven years later, they separated physically when Hill moved the headquarters to New York while Knowlton stayed in Cleveland, OH.

Today, the firm boasts 71 offices in 40 countries, including 19 in the United States, and has an employee base of 1,100 people. The firm is owned by the WPP Group, a leading communications-service group. Paul Taaffe is the chairman and chief executive officer.

Hill and Knowlton has been in the middle of several controversies. Several of its PR campaigns allegedly violated both industry ethics and civil statutes. In 1991, Hill and Knowlton received $14 million from countries known to abuse human rights, including China, Peru, Indonesia, and Egypt. It has also taken on cases from countries accused of abusing human rights, those who deal with corporate crime, and even some for the CIA. Hill and Knowlton has also been accused of using propaganda on behalf of clients such as the tobacco industry, the U.S.-funded and U.S.-directed Citizens for a Free Kuwait, and Coppertone.

Hill and Knowlton specializes in the areas of healthcare, technology, marketing, public affairs, online communications, and corporate and financial practice. Some of the companies for which Hill and Knowlton has prepared successful promotions are:

Allied Bakeries
Ambev - Cerveceria Rio
Ariel P&G
baidu.com
Boots Nurofen
British Horseracing
China State Council Information Office
Debswana
First Alert - Carbon Monoxide
Geox Respira
GlaxoSmithKline Singapore - Infanrix
Heal Florida Healthcare

HP Elle
HP Photo Big Bang
i.Dolphin
International Truck
Labatt Sterling
Lock & Lock
Lock & Lock - China, Taiwan & Thailand
London 2012
Lucky Loonie
McDonald's
Motorola RAZR
Motorola RAZR, Thailand & Malaysia
Oxy Reckitt Benckiser - Dettol
Pacific Gas & Electric
Pfizer Detrol
Procter & Gamble
Roche - Xenical
See's Candies
Sega Sonic
Smithsonian
Starbucks Muan Jai
The Maldives
The Palm
UK Trade & Investment
Watson's
Ziggs
ZTE

Finally, here is a list of some of the many publications produced by Hill and Knowlton (taken from www.hillandknowlton.com):

Ampersand showcases some of the best published work by our people and selected guest authors and provides insights on a broad spectrum of issues, industries, and geographies.

All Things Corporate is a corporate and finance practice quarterly newsletter.

Traffic is a marketing communication newsletter.

The Pulse is a public health, food safety, and pharmaceuticals European newsletter.

Corporate Seeds is a quarterly European newsletter on environmental, social, and ethical developments.

iBall is a consumer technology newsletter.

Netcoms Insider provides the latest on new communication trends, technology, and online PR.

Insights is our global public affairs newsletter.

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Hill and Knowlton, Public Relations Firm, New York, NY