"The politics of Texas power and pollution have moved suddenly into the living rooms of millions of Texans," over "electric companies' plans to build 16 coal-burning plants using conventional technology that pollutes more than a newer coal system." In addition to lobbying, interested parties are launching ad campaigns and websites and forming new "pressure groups." Campaigning for the coal plants are: Texans for Affordable and Reliable Power, which receives funding from the Dallas-based energy company TXU and includes "mayors, officials and business leaders in towns with TXU plants"; and Texas Business for Clean, Affordable, Reliable Energy, which was founded by the Texas Association of Business. At least six groups are opposing the coal plants: Texas Business for Clean Air, which includes nearly 100 "local or state business leaders"; Texas Clean Air Cities Coalition, which includes the mayors of Dallas and Houston; Texas Clean Sky Coalition, which launched a $1 million ad campaign is funded "by unknown parties," though "natural-gas companies are involved"; Clean Coalition, which was founded by a Dallas developer; Stop the Coal Plant, a joint effort of Public Citizen and Sustainable Energy & Economic Development; and Robertson County: Our Land, Our Lives, which was founded by local citizens.

With 44,000 employees, Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) "is larger than the [U.S.] departments of Labor, Energy, and Housing and Urban Development combined," Donald Barlett and James Steele write, in an in-depth profile of the military contractor. "SAIC currently holds some 9,000 active federal contracts," more than any other company. But "several of SAIC's biggest projects have turned out to be colossal failures," including "Trailblazer," a system to manage incoming intelligence for the National Security Agency, and the "Virtual Case File," a centralized data repository for the FBI. "SAIC executives have been involved at every stage ... of the war in Iraq," from pushing WMD claims to helping "investigate how American intelligence could have been so disastrously wrong." Under "yet another no-bid contract," SAIC created the Iraqi Media Network, supposedly a "free and independent indigenous media network" that quickly became "a mouthpiece for the Pentagon." Eventually, "the network was turned over to Iraqi control. Today it is a tool of Iraq's Shiite majority and spews out virulently anti-American messages." Moreover, SAIC's work on the Iraqi Media Network was criticized by the Pentagon's Inspector General as having "widespread violations of normal contracting procedures."

Robin Raskin promoting Swiffer during a satellite media tour

Companies are exploring new ways to target women. "As word-of-mouth marketing has increased in use by marketers, 5.4% of moms have emerged as 'netfluencer' moms," writes PR Week, using data from the PR firm Porter Novelli. When Procter & Gamble decided to promote Febreeze and Swiffer as "allergen-reducing" products, it surveyed women and found they turned to pharmacists, physicians, medical websites, friends, family and local TV news for health-related information. The resulting marketing campaign included a partnership with the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA), "influencer" kits for physicians, and an AAFA member and physician serving as "third-party spokespeople" in TV satellite media tours and audio news releases for radio. When Georgia-Pacific wanted to boost Dixie cup sales, it used a "consumer segmentation study" and focus groups. The resulting "Make it a Dixie Day" campaign included sponsoring "Mommycast, a podcasting show hosted by and targeted to moms." The sponsorship, suggested by Porter Novelli, "has allowed Dixie to become a 'mom's advocate,'" said PN's Karen Weidenaar.