Mills leverages battle experience with world’s largest retailer to open reputation management firm

Atlanta, GA (August 4, 2008) - Wal-Mart executive Michael Mills is leaving the trenches of the company’s corporate reputation battles to share that knowledge and experience with clients across the southeast. Wal-Mart took a proactive community and media relations approach the past several years, which has led to increased sales and consumer approval. Mills, one of the company’s former regional directors of public affairs, is launching a full-service agency based upon his more than a decade of experience and the lessons and relationships built across the southeast the past several years.

In addition to Wal-Mart, Mills brings a unique reputation management pedigree and insight to client “brand” needs, having worked in politics as an aide to former Secretary of State Lewis Massey and campaign press secretary for former Lt. Gov. Mark Taylor. He also launched a successful non-profit and has counseled numerous organizations about fundraising and influencer outreach. He is an award winning public relations/public affairs professional having worked at Atlanta-based Hayslett Sorrel and communications21, where he represented organizations in the court of public opinion and in the halls of government. And Mills is a renowned corporate social responsibility practitioner, having worked on Wal-Mart’s “Save Money, Live Better” efforts and driving policy around clean water issues and the Kyoto Protocol. Much of this work is summarized in his upcoming book, “Battling Democracy’s Decline,” out this August.

“Corporations, non-profits, governments and individual ‘brands’ are increasingly squeezed by a flattening globe, and are experiencing increased competition, scrutiny, accountability and white noise – and diminished access to traditional media,” said Mills. “That’s why PR1776 provides clients with ‘Revolutionary Communications’ tools to build, protect and enhance ‘360-degrees’ of their reputation to succeed in today’s global marketplace.”

Today’s competitive environment and struggling economy means brands must differentiate themselves to reach and exceed their goals, which requires: a complete and articulate image and message; channels and tools to effectively tell their story to various audiences (governments, customers, donors, critics and influencers); and the right relationships to be heard above the din. Effectively communicating to the right audiences, at the right time and with the right message is required in this 24/7-media, iPod, blog, Myspace and Blackberry-driven society.

PR1776 is working with corporations, non-profits and individual brands, providing them full 360-degree communications capabilities, including traditional PR, corporate social responsibility, public affairs, crisis, web and collateral design, media training, strategic counsel and community relations. Clients already on-board include: Choicepoint; The Foundation for Educational Success; Communities in Schools of Georgia, The Georgia Mentoring Partnership and Barefoot Mailman Recordings, among others.

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