When Coca-Cola announced it would fund a joint water conservation initiative with WWF, it identified seven major water reserves around the world where it would fund projects. But none of the projects will be in India, where the company has been embroiled in controversy. A Coca-Cola plant at Plachimada, in the Indian state of Kerala, was shut down in 2004 following community protests over the depletion of ground water resources. Qu Yongxiang, an analyst at China Pingan Securities, told the Atlanta Journal Constitution that "there's no big cost to them [Coca-Cola], since they can save money by reducing water use and they can improve their image." To help boost coverage of their "good deeds," Coca-Cola issued a b-roll video, produced by Multi-Vu, which features both Coke and WWF executives. (B-roll is file video footage and interview soundbites, without the scripted narration used in a video news release.)

A display at a DSEI exhibition

Reed Elsevier, a major publishing company, has bowed to pressure from peace groups and academics, announcing that it will end its role in organizing arms fairs by the end of the year. Reed Exhibitions, a division of Reed Elsevier, organizes events including the Defence Systems and Equipment International (DSEI) in London in September, IDEX in Abu Dhabi and the Latin American Aero and Defence exhibition in Rio de Janeiro. In a media statement, the company stated that "the defence shows are no longer compatible with Reed Elsevier's position as a leading publisher of scientific, medical, legal and business content." The Campaign Against Arms Trade welcomed the decision as did the medical journal The Lancet, which is published by Reed Elsevier. In 2005 the company defended its role in organizing weapons shows on the grounds that the defense industry was "necessary for upholding national security for the preservation of democratic values."

The U.S. Department of Energy's (DoE's) "division in charge of disposal and storage of spent nuclear fuel and radioactive waste, notably the controversial Yucca Mountain project, is on the hunt for a PR firm to develop its communications and public outreach," reports O'Dwyer's. DoE's Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management wants "strategic communications support targeting stakeholders and the public, through outreach programs in public schools and communities, and other elements like web work." The PR contract is for one year, with four one-year renewals possible. One objective is to develop "fact sheets and other informational materials including traditional hard copy materials as well as electronic media including but not limited to CDs, DVDs, and on-line streaming video." In 2006, the industry group Nuclear Energy Institute hired the PR firm Hill & Knowlton to promote the Yucca Mountain waste repository, and nuclear power in general.

In an attempt to deflect criticism that its fast food makes children fat, McDonald's is recruiting mothers as "quality correspondents" to observe and report on its operations. In a message sent to "mother-oriented social networks and freebie product sites," McDonald's is offering mothers "behind-the-scenes access to the farms [where] our fresh ingredients are grown." The winning mothers "are expected to participate in as many as three 'field trips' lasting two to three days, and receive payment for 'reasonable travel expenses,'" reports AdAge. A McDonald's spokesperson said the company will then give the mothers "avenues to be able to share their findings." According to Time magazine, McDonald's is also "lobbying dictionary publishers to change the meaning of the word McJob -- or remove it altogether -- on the grounds that it denigrates the company's employees." McJob is commonly used to refer to "an unstimulating, low-paid job with few prospects," as defined in the Oxford English Dictionary. McDonald's wants to redefine McJob as "a job that is stimulating, rewarding ... and offers skills that last a lifetime."