As the reported sale of the Barclays Center and Nassau Coliseum operating companies to Joe Tsai--also to become full owner of the Brooklyn Nets--percolates, as Mikhail Prokhorov's ambitious to be a venue entrepreneur seemingly fade, and TrueHoop's Henry Abbott raises lots of questions about Mikhail Prokhorov's background, it's worth looking back at the extraordinary public relations effort that turned the Russian oligarch--with some questionable business history--into a warm and fuzzy team owner.
Remember Prokhorov's 2010 "charm offensive" in New York City, his softball "60 Minutes" profile, and that extraordinary New York Times Magazine cover story, "An Oligarch of Our Own."
None of this would have worked without Prokhorov's own charm and skill, but he had highly-qualified--and surely well-paid--assistance.
Who was responsible?
On 2/22/10, in a roundup headlined Team Prokhorov, "Net Income" (aka Bob Windrem) credited:
The award
Check out this the 1/31/13 press release from Mikhailov & Partners, "NBA Nets Basketball Team Moves to Brooklyn. America Gets to Know Russian Owner” Project wins Silver Archer USA 2013 Award:
31st January 2013 – The results of the second Silver Archer USA competition were announced today at the National Press Club in Washington DC. The competition drew a total of 20 entries in several categories: Culture and Education; Business, Technology and Innovation; Means of Communication; Charity; Sports; and “Persona”.
The competition jury and expert panel consist of heads of top Russian and global PR agencies together with representatives of the scientific community and communications experts from major Russian and global companies.
Competition entries were judged based on their humanitarian significance and their potential for developing relations between Russia and the United States.
The winner in the Sports category was the “NBA Nets Basketball Team Moves to Brooklyn. America Gets to Know the Russian Owner” project by Onexim Sports and Entertainment with support from Mikhailov & Partners. Strategic Communications.
2012 saw the final phase of the 3-year project to revitalize the Nets team and build a new sports arena in Brooklyn, thereby transforming the image of New York’s most populous borough.
In 2010, Russian entrepreneur and long-time basketball fan Mikhail Prokhorov became the first foreign owner of an NBA basketball team by buying the Nets club, as well as a 45% stake in the project to build a new, state-of-the-art sports arena in New York.
One of the main aims of that acquisition was to create opportunities to take Russian basketball up to a new level and gain access to the most up-to-date technologies in the field of sports management and training young basketball players with potential.
Onexim Sports and Entertainment joined the ambitious development project and provided funding for construction of the magnificent new Barclays Center arena in Brooklyn, which subsequently became the home court for the Nets .
“This is one of the most exceptional projects our team has ever been involved in. Winning the Silver Archer USA award is further confirmation of the results of our joint work with Onexim Sports and Entertainment. Mikhail Prokhorov is today one of the most recognized Russians in the United States, with an excellent reputation among Americans, and the purchase of the Nets and construction of the new sports arena have laid a foundation for building closer ties between the Russian and American sports communities. We are delighted that this project has helped to bring our nations closer together, creating a strong platform for future development”, said Ellen Pinchuk, Director, International Projects at Mikhailov & Partners. Strategic Communications.
The Mikhailov & Partners team led the work in every stage of this project, from designing its positioning strategy to launching the new club brand.
The chosen strategy and day-to-day communications activities emphasized the openness of the key speakers and transparency of their activities. This allowed all involved to engage the US public and to overcome any concerns about the first-ever purchase of an NBA franchise by a foreigner and the building of the arena in the heart of Brooklyn.
“Winning the prize is clear recognition of our team’s professional achievements by industry colleagues and experts. We are delighted that our clients pursue these types of positive initiatives and we are always ready to support them. We sincerely congratulate Onexim Sports and Entertainment and the M&P international projects team that handled all the project communications on their well-deserved success”, said Alexey Yudin, General Director, Mikhailov & Partners. Strategic Communications.
About the Silver Archer USA Awards
The Silver Archer USA Award was established by the Board of Trustees of the Silver Archer national public relations awards as part of its Communications in a Global World category and is an independent competition for projects in the United States. The aim of the Silver Archer USA Award is to encourage participation by designers of projects that expand inter-state, cultural, economic and public relations aimed at promoting Russia’s integration into the global communications arena. The list of award categories is decided on an annual basis.
About the company
From the Mikhailov web site:
The respected public relations industry guide, The Holmes Report, places Mikhailov & Partners in the top 100 communications companies worldwide. At Mikhailov & Partners, we work across the full external and internal communications spectrum, helping our clients create strong reputations and build relationships with their key audiences: employees, partners, media and the general public.
By bringing together professional consultants from different backgrounds with a wide range of competencies, we are able to create the tailor-made teams necessary for the effective execution of communications projects both in Russia and abroad.
At various times to implement sophisticated communications projects Mikhailov & Partners have estableshed special divisions which have subsequently become independent companies. Thanks to them, today we can support branding and research projects for our clients, develop solutions in digital communications, conduct advertising campaigns and support events of different scales.
Mikhailov & Partners’ head office in Moscow acts as the communications center for national and international projects, while the St. Petersburg team is responsible for supporting clients in the North-West Federal Region and other parts of Russia.
Our Kiev office provides communications support to Ukrainian, Russian and global companies in Ukraine and other key CIS markets.
Mikhailov & Partners is Russia’s largest domestic strategic communications company with project experience in over 20 industries.
Our team of international communications experts delivers projects across Europe, Asia, and both North and Latin America. We are able to provide maximum global reach by drawing on the services of our partners at Burson-Marsteller, the world’s biggest communications firm.
Company history
From the web site:
Founded in 1993, Mikhailov & Partners was one of the first PR consultancies in Russia. The Company initially specialized in the kind of political projects that largely determined the future of business in Russia, generating new ideas and training many of the new generation of specialists. Mikhailov & Partners later shifted its focus to strategic communications for the rapidly developing business sector. Working alongside the Mikhailov & Partners team, the Company’s first clients learned how to handle their public relations and how to present their rapidly expanding businesses to both the expert community and the public.
As one of the industry’s pioneers, Mikhailov & Partners made a strong commitment to developing the PR profession in Russia. The Company was involved in founding the Russian Public Relations Association, initiated two professional publications: the «PR World» newsletter (1995) and the monthly magazine «So-Obschenie» (1999), established Russia’s first PR School — «Smart Enterprises Services Inc.» — under the aegis of the International Business School, and was amongst the first companies to ratify the Rome Charter, which sets out international standards for the PR industry.
At Mikhailov & Partners, we have always sought to enrich our profession with best practices from related industries. These efforts have not only helped Mikhailov & Partners successfully execute client projects, but have also resulted in recognition from the professional community. Mikhailov & Partners is a longstanding member of the Russian Society of Sociologists at the Russian Academy of Sciences (since 1996), was awarded the first Silver Archer national public relations prize in the Best Business Project category (1999), and has been rated amongst the top communications companies in Russia («Top PR Agency in Business Segment» in ROMIR 2001 rating; «Best PR Agency in Business PR Category» in «Karyera» magazine rating 2004; and a leader in IPO support, according to Offerings.ru 2007 and 2011).
The Company’s focus on developing the strategic communications segment has enabled it to acquire unique expertise in all key business areas and sectors of the economy. This experience has attracted the attention of international players, and in 2009 Mikhailov & Partners entered into a strategic partnership agreement with the Burson-Marsteller global network. The development of this partnership, interaction with local players on foreign markets, and the expertise of its own offices in the CIS countries enable Mikhailov & Partners to support its clients’ projects around the world while retaining its strengths as a single consulting center in Russia.
About Ellen Pinchuk
From the web site:
Ellen Pinchuk,
Deputy CEO
Ellen Pinchuk manages the development and implementation of programs for the positioning of Russian companies and their senior management abroad.
Ellen came to Russia in 1991 from California to make television programs for international stations. In 1999, she began working as a producer, and then as a reporter and bureau-chief, for CTV Canada in Moscow. Ellen covered many important stories in Russia and the CIS countries. She reported on the Chechen conflict, the problems of North Ossetia, space tourism, energy, and sports. She has also worked as a special correspondent for CTV in Iraq, Afghanistan and Israel. Among her achievements are interviews with Viktor Yushchenko and Yasser Arafat.
From 2007–2009, Ellen was a correspondent for Bloomberg News TV in Moscow. During that time, she arranged interviews with several senior Russian businessmen and politicians, including Vladimir Putin and Dmitry Medvedev. Ellen’s work has been lauded by the journalistic community, twice being the recipient of the New York Press Club Journalism Award.
Ellen began her career in strategic communications in 2010 when she joined the Mikhailov & Partners team.
Ellen holds a Bachelor’s degree in History and Literature and a Master’s degree with honors in History from Harvard University.
None of this would have worked without Prokhorov's own charm and skill, but he had highly-qualified--and surely well-paid--assistance.
Who was responsible?
On 2/22/10, in a roundup headlined Team Prokhorov, "Net Income" (aka Bob Windrem) credited:
Ellen Pinchuk, American, Deputy CEO, Mikhailov & PartnersPinchuk is Prokhorov's Moscow-based public relations counsel. She is generally credited with the public relations effort that produced the "60 Minutes", Bloomberg Television and New York Times Sunday Magazine profiles of Prokhorov as well as Prokhorov's successful two-day introductory visit to New York in mid-May 2010.Note that last line: "she will deny." In other words, someone supplies them, and likely her.
Pinchuk, a fluent Russian speaker, accompanied Prokhorov to the NBA Draft Lottery, ran his press conference at the Four Seasons Hotel and set up a brunch with beat writers during his May visit, then returned with him for the tour of the Prudential Center and a visit to the NBA Finals in June. She, along with Razumov, Charlier, Pavlova and Kushchenko, accompanied Prokhorov to the Nets' season opener in October.
Nets insiders call her one of Prokhorov's most trusted aides, particularly on issues related to the US media. One insider described her this way: "They listen to what she says. Very sharp. There's no BS and a good sense of humor." She will deny that she provides Prokhorov with one-liners for his US press conferences.
The award
Check out this the 1/31/13 press release from Mikhailov & Partners, "NBA Nets Basketball Team Moves to Brooklyn. America Gets to Know Russian Owner” Project wins Silver Archer USA 2013 Award:
31st January 2013 – The results of the second Silver Archer USA competition were announced today at the National Press Club in Washington DC. The competition drew a total of 20 entries in several categories: Culture and Education; Business, Technology and Innovation; Means of Communication; Charity; Sports; and “Persona”.
The competition jury and expert panel consist of heads of top Russian and global PR agencies together with representatives of the scientific community and communications experts from major Russian and global companies.
Competition entries were judged based on their humanitarian significance and their potential for developing relations between Russia and the United States.
The winner in the Sports category was the “NBA Nets Basketball Team Moves to Brooklyn. America Gets to Know the Russian Owner” project by Onexim Sports and Entertainment with support from Mikhailov & Partners. Strategic Communications.
2012 saw the final phase of the 3-year project to revitalize the Nets team and build a new sports arena in Brooklyn, thereby transforming the image of New York’s most populous borough.
In 2010, Russian entrepreneur and long-time basketball fan Mikhail Prokhorov became the first foreign owner of an NBA basketball team by buying the Nets club, as well as a 45% stake in the project to build a new, state-of-the-art sports arena in New York.
One of the main aims of that acquisition was to create opportunities to take Russian basketball up to a new level and gain access to the most up-to-date technologies in the field of sports management and training young basketball players with potential.
Onexim Sports and Entertainment joined the ambitious development project and provided funding for construction of the magnificent new Barclays Center arena in Brooklyn, which subsequently became the home court for the Nets .
“This is one of the most exceptional projects our team has ever been involved in. Winning the Silver Archer USA award is further confirmation of the results of our joint work with Onexim Sports and Entertainment. Mikhail Prokhorov is today one of the most recognized Russians in the United States, with an excellent reputation among Americans, and the purchase of the Nets and construction of the new sports arena have laid a foundation for building closer ties between the Russian and American sports communities. We are delighted that this project has helped to bring our nations closer together, creating a strong platform for future development”, said Ellen Pinchuk, Director, International Projects at Mikhailov & Partners. Strategic Communications.
The Mikhailov & Partners team led the work in every stage of this project, from designing its positioning strategy to launching the new club brand.
The chosen strategy and day-to-day communications activities emphasized the openness of the key speakers and transparency of their activities. This allowed all involved to engage the US public and to overcome any concerns about the first-ever purchase of an NBA franchise by a foreigner and the building of the arena in the heart of Brooklyn.
“Winning the prize is clear recognition of our team’s professional achievements by industry colleagues and experts. We are delighted that our clients pursue these types of positive initiatives and we are always ready to support them. We sincerely congratulate Onexim Sports and Entertainment and the M&P international projects team that handled all the project communications on their well-deserved success”, said Alexey Yudin, General Director, Mikhailov & Partners. Strategic Communications.
About the Silver Archer USA Awards
The Silver Archer USA Award was established by the Board of Trustees of the Silver Archer national public relations awards as part of its Communications in a Global World category and is an independent competition for projects in the United States. The aim of the Silver Archer USA Award is to encourage participation by designers of projects that expand inter-state, cultural, economic and public relations aimed at promoting Russia’s integration into the global communications arena. The list of award categories is decided on an annual basis.
About the company
From the Mikhailov web site:
The respected public relations industry guide, The Holmes Report, places Mikhailov & Partners in the top 100 communications companies worldwide. At Mikhailov & Partners, we work across the full external and internal communications spectrum, helping our clients create strong reputations and build relationships with their key audiences: employees, partners, media and the general public.
By bringing together professional consultants from different backgrounds with a wide range of competencies, we are able to create the tailor-made teams necessary for the effective execution of communications projects both in Russia and abroad.
At various times to implement sophisticated communications projects Mikhailov & Partners have estableshed special divisions which have subsequently become independent companies. Thanks to them, today we can support branding and research projects for our clients, develop solutions in digital communications, conduct advertising campaigns and support events of different scales.
Mikhailov & Partners’ head office in Moscow acts as the communications center for national and international projects, while the St. Petersburg team is responsible for supporting clients in the North-West Federal Region and other parts of Russia.
Our Kiev office provides communications support to Ukrainian, Russian and global companies in Ukraine and other key CIS markets.
Mikhailov & Partners is Russia’s largest domestic strategic communications company with project experience in over 20 industries.
Our team of international communications experts delivers projects across Europe, Asia, and both North and Latin America. We are able to provide maximum global reach by drawing on the services of our partners at Burson-Marsteller, the world’s biggest communications firm.
Company history
From the web site:
Founded in 1993, Mikhailov & Partners was one of the first PR consultancies in Russia. The Company initially specialized in the kind of political projects that largely determined the future of business in Russia, generating new ideas and training many of the new generation of specialists. Mikhailov & Partners later shifted its focus to strategic communications for the rapidly developing business sector. Working alongside the Mikhailov & Partners team, the Company’s first clients learned how to handle their public relations and how to present their rapidly expanding businesses to both the expert community and the public.
As one of the industry’s pioneers, Mikhailov & Partners made a strong commitment to developing the PR profession in Russia. The Company was involved in founding the Russian Public Relations Association, initiated two professional publications: the «PR World» newsletter (1995) and the monthly magazine «So-Obschenie» (1999), established Russia’s first PR School — «Smart Enterprises Services Inc.» — under the aegis of the International Business School, and was amongst the first companies to ratify the Rome Charter, which sets out international standards for the PR industry.
At Mikhailov & Partners, we have always sought to enrich our profession with best practices from related industries. These efforts have not only helped Mikhailov & Partners successfully execute client projects, but have also resulted in recognition from the professional community. Mikhailov & Partners is a longstanding member of the Russian Society of Sociologists at the Russian Academy of Sciences (since 1996), was awarded the first Silver Archer national public relations prize in the Best Business Project category (1999), and has been rated amongst the top communications companies in Russia («Top PR Agency in Business Segment» in ROMIR 2001 rating; «Best PR Agency in Business PR Category» in «Karyera» magazine rating 2004; and a leader in IPO support, according to Offerings.ru 2007 and 2011).
The Company’s focus on developing the strategic communications segment has enabled it to acquire unique expertise in all key business areas and sectors of the economy. This experience has attracted the attention of international players, and in 2009 Mikhailov & Partners entered into a strategic partnership agreement with the Burson-Marsteller global network. The development of this partnership, interaction with local players on foreign markets, and the expertise of its own offices in the CIS countries enable Mikhailov & Partners to support its clients’ projects around the world while retaining its strengths as a single consulting center in Russia.
About Ellen Pinchuk
From the web site:
Ellen Pinchuk,
Deputy CEO
Ellen Pinchuk manages the development and implementation of programs for the positioning of Russian companies and their senior management abroad.
Ellen came to Russia in 1991 from California to make television programs for international stations. In 1999, she began working as a producer, and then as a reporter and bureau-chief, for CTV Canada in Moscow. Ellen covered many important stories in Russia and the CIS countries. She reported on the Chechen conflict, the problems of North Ossetia, space tourism, energy, and sports. She has also worked as a special correspondent for CTV in Iraq, Afghanistan and Israel. Among her achievements are interviews with Viktor Yushchenko and Yasser Arafat.
From 2007–2009, Ellen was a correspondent for Bloomberg News TV in Moscow. During that time, she arranged interviews with several senior Russian businessmen and politicians, including Vladimir Putin and Dmitry Medvedev. Ellen’s work has been lauded by the journalistic community, twice being the recipient of the New York Press Club Journalism Award.
Ellen began her career in strategic communications in 2010 when she joined the Mikhailov & Partners team.
Ellen holds a Bachelor’s degree in History and Literature and a Master’s degree with honors in History from Harvard University.
Comments
Post a Comment