Back to Volume 10
	New Horizons By David Finn

We published an interview with Kitty Carlisle Hartt in MOVE not long ago, and we recently visited her again. When asked “How are you?”her answer was “Wonderful!” She is now 95 years old, and she practices every day on the piano to prepare for new performances. She is a perfect example of Martin Buber’s counsel for old people, not to unlearn what it means to begin (which is how I feel at the young age of 84). Michelangelo was still working on, his last Pieta when he died at the age of 89. He knew what it meant to begin at his old age, as was the case with so many others, including Donatello, Titian, Picasso, Matisse, Henry Moore, and others who created some of their greatest works in their last years. Young or old, we should be inspired always to begin anew!

Beginning anew in China, the oldest civilization in the world, is the subject of the article by Kathy Bloomgarden, co-CEO of Ruder·Finn. In Paving a Pathway in China,

she describes the spectacular growth now being experienced with the creation of 300 foreign research centers, the expansion of Chinese ports by 30 to 60 percent in the lastyear, and the 27.7 percent growth rate in pharmaceuticals. Effective public relations isbecoming crucial in this explosive economy.

In Food for Thought, Frank Walton, President of RF Binder Partners, takes a fresh look at the food we eat. He shows us what a dominant position food has taken in our lives as the subject of unprecedented media coverage, an explosion of retail outlets, and record-breaking bestsellers. He explains why the food we eat can play a critical role in preserving our physical health and even our spiritual well being. An historical perspective of what’s happening in America today is presented in The Fragility of Democracy by Maristella Lorch, Professor Emeritus of Columbia University, whose moving novel, Mama in her Village, was published by Ruder·Finn Press. She writes about the experiences of ancient Greece as a way of explaining how the lessons of the past can help us to develop a perspective on what is happening today.

Passion for the Arts describes nine CEOs whose companies were members of the Business Committee for the Arts. CEOs like David Rockefeller, Donald Hall, Donald B. Marron, Henry T. Segestrom and others tell how their personal interests led to the arts program created by their companies. They demonstrate how genuine devotion to the arts by CEOs led to significant corporate sponsorships. With Listening to the Next Generation, Dena Merriam, Vice Chairman of the Ruder· Finn Group, describes dialogues among young people in Africa, Latin America, and Asia, as well as among Israelis and Palestinians in the Middle East – all of whom are seeking a voice in the search for peace. She has spent many hours listening to young people from around the world and finds them eager to partner with young people in the U.S. to create a brighter future.

Emmanuel Tchividjian, who manages Ruder·Finn’s own public relations, writes about The Art of Networking as an increasingly important aspect of human relationships. He describes the growing number of opportunities we have to relate to one another and points out that networking is not only about contacts but about building relationships and bridging organizational divides.

Putting on the Chicken Suit is Scott Schneider’s way of introducing what he calls the mystery of viral marketing. Scott, the head of Ruder·Finn Digital Studios, explains that if one sends an image to a friend, and it turns out to be intriguing, the result can be staggering. Unfortunately, there’s no way to predict that a new Viral will be successful.However, bold marketers are making history with this new communications tool.

In Psychology & Persuasion John Preston, the head of our London office, describes an approach he took from his previous profession of clinical psychology and applied it to the practice of public relations. He points out that the classical defense mechanisms defined by Freud can all be seen in business as well as among individuals. He shows that defensive responses are less effective than taking positive action to address risks.

For twenty years, our good friend, 92- year-old Oscar Dystel, was the head of Bantam Books, one of the most successful publishing companies in the world. In his childhood his family had no money, but he got scholarships to NYU and Harvard and went into the publishing world. Bantam published as many as 600 to 1,000 books in a year, with many legendary bestsellers. Tragically, his brilliant son died of multiple sclerosis at the age of 54, an inconsolable loss for him and his wife.

Allison Clair, a recent Ruder·Finn intern, reviews the history of training young people in her article Crafting an Apprenticeship. Quotes from Disney’s Fantasia, Goethe’s Sorcerer’s Apprentice, and Mark Twain’s writings provide an insightful background for Ruder·Finn internships which help young people enter the practice of public relations.

In his article entitled Family, Ruder·Finn’s creative video producer, David Katzive, tells an amazing story about Matthew and Kim, his son and daughter-in-law, and Natasha and David, his daughter and son-in-law. The former have two children, the latter have none; Natasha cannot carry a baby. The article tells how Natasha’s eggs, fertilized by her husband, were harvested by her sister-in-law through the unbelievable devotion of a close and loving family.