Visitors to the International Herald Tribune’s Web site, whether checking for the latest on the markets or updates from the in London, are surely wondering if they clicked on the wrong bookmark.

Parent organization The New York Times Co. rebranded the publication’s Web site “The Global Edition of The New York Times” on March 29, combining the content created by its staff on the page with that of Times journalists. It also has a new URL: global.nytimes.com.

The Times Co. is also promoting the reorganized page, which visitors to IHT.com are automatically transferred to, at the top of .

Agent Provocateur, a UK-based luxury lingerie brand privy to risqué viral videos, recently launched a Web site (http://helloagentprovocateur.com) featuring a blog and Twitter feed. The company is leveraging the platform as part of a larger campaign to boost awareness and sales in the US.

“In the UK, Agent Provocateur is absolutely everywhere…In the US, we have nine store locations. We’re doing amazingly but could stand for more awareness,” said Jeanann Williams, US press manager for the brand.

She adds that the site focuses on empowering women and provides an extra look into “the world of AP.”

Working with StrawberryFrog, a marketing agency that created and maintains the site, the PR team plans to interact with anyone who sends messages or comments via twitter or a blog.

StrawberryFrog founder Scott Goodson said, “We’re not trying for a massive bang at the beginning, but an organic growth.”

According to , foreign correspondents in Israel trying to cover the latest conflict have not received permission to cross the border into Gaza, which inhibits attempts to report accurately. The cause? A two-month-old Israeli ban on foreign journalists entering Gaza. The Times attributes part of the reasoning to Israel’s desire to “control the message.”

Like all wars, this one is partly about public relations. But unlike any war in Israel’s history, in this one the government is seeking to entirely control the message and narrative for reasons both of politics and military strategy.

The ban is a result of the media’s effect on Israel’s 2006 war against Hezbollah, a former Israeli army spokesperson told the Times. Apparently, reporters on and off the battlefields in Lebanon got in the way of military operations.

Much of the outcry from the ban is related to foreign media relying on local Palestinian news from Gaza. To contribute to the message filling international airwaves, the Times reports that Israeli political and military commentators and private groups, “financed mostly by Americans,” are helping guide the press around Israel.

One of these groups is the Israel-based nonprofit organization MediaCentral. Read more »

The Washington Post today writes about the new communications work in Iraq awarded to four firms. PRWeek also reported on the story, which has an upwards of $300 million budget. We hope to have an update with more details soon.

It’s not the first time that questions have been raised in the media about the Pentagon’s use of communications firms to aid its messaging in Iraq.

The LPGA said it punishments for players who do not speak English proficiently after facing a storm of criticism from media outlets, sponsors, and civil rights groups in the last two weeks.

The announcement was made just before a news conference in which activists and legislators planned to sign a letter to demand the league reverse its policy.

On September 3, the LPGA Advertising Age that it would stand by its policy even as civil rights organizations began speaking out against the policy.

A revised approach to the issue of English proficiency will be announced by the end of 2008, according to the league’s statement.

The story of the LPGA’s decision to require its athletes to speak English continues. Yesterday, the league posted a statement - its first major move to clarify perceived misconceptions and counteract negative news coverage.

Sponsors, like State Farm, have forward to tell Ad Age it will reassess its sponsorship if the policy remains in place. Choice Hotels International, another sponsor, also told the magazine it would also closely monitor the policy over the next few months.

Last week, we mentioned a number of Asian-American community groups that had issued statements about the policy. Now, several civil rights organizations have spoken out again the policy, including the California National Organization for Women, Equality California, American Civil Liberties Union, National Center for Lesbian Rights, and Legal Aid Society – Employment Law Center.

It’s nice to know that while you’re packing your sunblock and setting your out of office message, the government is still working hard.

The SEC voted to open up a public comment period for the eventual adoption of the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). It would be used by all companies in the US by 2014 replacing the US GAAP system currently in use. Owing to the global state of the capital markets and the fact that over 100 countries use IFRS already, Chairman Cox calls an international system “a goal worth pursuing.” Here’s the with the reaction, including investor concerns. It was a topic that came up at this year’s NIRI conference, so IROs seem to be preparing already.

In related SEC news, the commission also voted to update the disclosure requirements for international companies trading in the US. Read that release here.

The fallout begins for the LPGA, which announced via Golfweek that it would require all of its athletes to be proficient in English by 2009 or face suspension.

At least five organizations and public figures issued statements about the policy, calling on sponsors to withdraw support and the tour to end the policy, which they say is discriminatory. Forty-five tour golfers are and claims have been raised that the LPGA is targeting Asian players.

The Asian American Justice Center statement encourages current LPGA sponsors to withdraw support, stating in a news release that the “policy is tantamount to national origin discrimination.”

California State Assemblymember Mike Eng issued a statement about a letter he wrote to the LPGA expressing his disappointment about the “discriminatory policy,” as did the Japanese American Citizens League and the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association. The Korean American Coalition, Los Angeles chapter, says the policy targets South Korean players.

Libba Galloway, deputy commissioner of the LPGA, told the International Herald Tribune that: “We live in a sports-entertainment environment … For an athlete to be successful today in the sports entertainment world we live in, they need to be great performers on and off the course, and being able to communicate effectively with sponsors and fans is a big part of this.”

PRWeek previously reported that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) had hired Hill & Knowlton to handle outreach in Asia and the Middle East for it, and that the group intended to hire a second firm shortly. It looks like that second agency is Euro RSCG, according to a Reuters report.  AMO, a global network of strategic and financial communications consultancies, was hired as the second firm, responsible (for outreach in Africa and Latin America outreach, Reuters said.) for outreach in Africa, Latin America, and Europe.

More on this story to come. 

Read more »

There are some activities tomorrow, but exhibitors are packing up and I’ll be making my way eastward, back to New York tomorrow morning. Based on the past couple of days, it’s clear that there are discussions in the IR community about the uses and application of technology in investor relations, but another topic of interest was clearly globalization. Some of the discussion topics included “Around the world in 80 days: Attracting international shareholders” and “IR in the global economy.” Any thoughts? Add your two cents in the comments section.

Speaking of technology, there were some interesting uses of technology at the conference. Here’s the conference’s Friendfeed page and a Twitter page covering the conference.

Finally, once I’m back in the office, I’ll be working on this year’s IR special. If you have any suggestions, please feel free to let me know.