E
GREAT YEAR END
CLEARANCE
WORDSMITHS page 53
1996 Sedan DeVille
$38,345
$7,448
Total List Price
Total Savings
$30,897
DEMO PRICE
1996 Eldorado
$43,360
$9,589
Total List Price
Total Savings
$33,771
DEMO PRICE
NEW 1996 Fleetwood Brougham
$40,662
$6,664
Total List Price
Total Savings
$33,998
DEMO PRICE
NON1996 Seville STS
$49,553
$11,225
Total List Price
$38,328
DEMO PRICE
NEW 1996 Concours
Total List Price
Total Savings
543,545
$7,697
$35,848
DEMO PRICE
Ntw1996 Seville SLS
TH E DE TROI T J E WIS H NE WS
Total List Price
Total Savings
50
546,670
$9,713
DEMO PRICE
RINKE CADILLAC
1-696 AT VAN DYKE
A
Gyt i enri ti 4 1 tm
11
758-1800
If traveling west on 1-696, exit Hoover, follow Service Drive to RI NKE.
If traveling east on 1-696, exit Van Dyke; take to second bridge past Van Dyke over expressway to RINKE.
$36,957
. • . .
•
717-7
fr
MASTER
DEALER
DEDICATED TO
EXCELLENCE
Fred Marx's business has grown substantially.
uation of the world and the qual-
ity of debate about important so-
cial issues."
Most of the smaller public re-
lations firms steer clear of con-
troversy or complex subjects.
Wendy. Rose, a sole practitioner,
is an exception. Her firm, Rose
Communications of Bloomfield
Hills, represents two abortion ser-
vices clinics. She holds up a rig-
orous criterion before working for
a client, she said. "I wouldn't work
for a client that I didn't believe in,
or didn't feel good about." That
type of principled position is com-
mon in the profession, said Jeff
Caponigro, president of Caponi-
gro Public Relations in Southfield.
His firm, established in July of
1995, specializes in public affairs,
investor relations and law firm
marketing. "To be credible, you
have to be honest," he said. "We
focus on the positives and are
forthright about the negatives."
Like any growing profession,
there are many niches among p.r.
firms. Some firms specialize in
event planning and publicity,
while other firms work within an
industry with trade associations,
conducting business-to-business
communications.
In general, the more sophisti-
cated public relations firms pro-
vide advice on how to effectively
communicate to a specific "pub-
lic," assess the feelings of an au-
dience through focus group and
market studies, tailor corporate
messages, and instruct compa-
ny officials how to respond to a
question from the media.
And of course, when their client
is doing anything newsworthy,
a successful firm will work to get
the story favorable publicity.
"Public relations is a way to en-
hance relationships with your
publics," said Mr. Caponigro, for-
mer president of Casey Commu-
nications, owned by Shandwick,
a worldwide public relations firm.
These publics, according to Mr.
Caponigro, include consumers,
employees, vendors, the commu-
nity at large and the news media.
"All public relations is local," he
said. "It's a relatively inexpensive
way to reach out to many of your
publics."
Fees at MarxLayne Co., one of
the fastest growing local public re-
lations companies, range from $50
to $200 an hour, said Fred Marx,
president of the Farmington Hills
-firm. Ten years ago, they start-
ed with four clients and today
they have more than 100.
"Our primary thrust is concep-
tualizing and developing planning
strategies, which doesn't have to
do with media relations," said Mr.
Marx, who said the bulk of their
work comes from developing
brochures, booklets, seminars and
other collateral materials for
clients.
Yet when it comes to promoting
a client to the media, MarxLayne
cranks up a publicity machine
that spits out press releases and
background information that pre-
sents their clients as experts and
compelling personalities. "Repe-
tition becomes reputation," he
said.
One of their clients, Arthur
Liss, an attorney from Bloomfield
Hills, is touted for his positions on
legal reform. Indeed, promoting
attorneys, law firms and their
causes is one of the fastest grow-
ing areas in public relations.
"Look at what [Dr. Jack] Ker-
vorkian did for [Geoferey] Feiger,"
said Mark Nolan, manager at PR
Newswire in Southfield. "Law
firms recognize the value of press
coverage as a marketing tool."
Primarily a public relations
wire service that circulates the
latest earning statements of pub-
lic corporations, PR Newswire is
accessible to all major media out-
lets in the region. Mr. Nolan not-
ed that law firm press releases is
one of the fasting-growing areas
on the wire.
Since the emergence of the In-
ternet, the PR Newswire press
release archives has been linked
to company home pages. In ad-
dition, press releases are circu-
lated through Nexus/Lexus
database, America Online and
Compuserve.
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