NEW YORK: Kaplow has laid off six employees at the mid and junior level, including two administrative assistants, the agency leadership told PRWeek. The firm had around 60-plus employees; none of the layoffs were at the management level. “It is no secret that clients in every industry are having difficulty forecasting their budgets for the coming year,” said Liz Kaplow, founder and CEO, in an e-mailed statement. “As a result of our budget projections going into 2009, we decided to immediately trim 6 account staff and 2 administrative staff.”

Kaplow added that it has “gone out of our way to make sure that all of our client partners have the very best talent in place for their programs,” including bolstering teams by moving talent “with digital media and brand strategy skills into key roles.”

NEW YORK: Burson-Marsteller launched a new practice within its Issues and Crisis Group (ICG) that will focus on product-related issues and crises such as recalls, as well as regulatory communications and stakeholder engagement. The Product Integrity Practice will be led from Washington by the former head of communications at the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Julie Vallese. As MD of the new practice, Vallese will be responsible for growing the new specialty. She will leave her CPSC post as director of the Office of Information and Public Affairs January 16. Her past experience also includes work as a CNN correspondent covering consumer issues.

NEW YORK: Medis Technologies hired Omer Masud as its SVP of corporate strategy, IR, and PR. Masud previously worked in the alternative assets group of Citi’s investment banking division. He will focus on investor marketing strategy for the technology company as it works to launch its first products, portable fuel cell products. The company is transitioning from a research-driven platform to marketing and sales, and last month it hired Weber Shandwick to aid its PR and IR function.

NEW YORK: Mark Penn, CEO of Burson-Marsteller, will author a regular column for The Wall Street Journal online called “Microtrends,” focusing on demographic trends in society and business. He wrote a book under the same title. The was published December 11; it will appear in the Media & Marketing section of WSJ.com.

NEW YORK: Newsweek recently hired Frank De Maria for the new position of VP, communications. He most recently was global head of media relations at Thomson Reuters where he was responsible for external communications. Prior to that, he spent 11 years at Brunswick. The De Maria appointment “completes the new leadership team that CEO Tom Ascheim has built to take the company forward,” the company said. He reports directly to Ascheim.

DEERFIELD, IL: Beam Global Spirits & Wine hired Paula Erickson as VP of global external communications and brand public relations, effective December 1. She most recently was director of advertising and brand development at Ace Hardware Corp. where she spent the last 15 years. In October, Beam also hired Dan Cohen from Edelman, where he was an account supervisor on consumer brands, as its brand PR manager for a number of products including Courvoisier Cognac. Erickson reports to Chris Swonger, SVP of corporate affairs, while Cohen reports to Kate Laufer, senior PR manager.

DENVER: Niman Ranch, known for its natural meat products, hired Linhart PR as its US AOR. Linhart, beginning work in September, aims to create brand awareness through media relations, community outreach, and strategic communications.

WASHINGTON: Weber Merritt added Christine Nyirjesy Bragale as MD in its public affairs practice, reporting directly to president Rob Tappan. She most recently spent 10 years as the international spokesperson and media relations director at Goodwill Industries International. Bragale also has a journalism background, and spent a decade in the DC press corps, including a stint with the AP where she helped launch its new television service in 1994.

CHILE: ProChile, the trade commission of Chile, selected Ogilvy PR Worldwide as its global AOR for a multi-year account to help position the country’s brand around the world. The campaign will emphasize the country’s leadership in exports, tourism, and foreign investment. Led by the agency’s consumer marketing and corporate practices from multiple offices, the work includes media relations, digital, support and counsel for events, trade shows, partnerships, and sponsorships.

PURCHASE, NY: PepsiCo hired Bonin Bough, EVP and leader of Weber Shandwick’s (WS) social media practice Screengrab, as its new global director of social media across all brands, effective September 29, according to the executive search firm that aided Pepsi’s search. Pepsi was not immediately available for comment, but Matthew Schwartz, president of the MJS Executive Search, said it interviewed more than 300 candidates during the process, which began in April. WS said that Chad Boettcher, its SVP of corporate responsibility who was hired in July, will take on the role of campaign manager for Screengrab. The agency noted Boettcher’s past experience at MTV and Nike.