Global: The Week in Global PR

Industry body Beef Products responded by placing an op-ed-style ad in The Wall Street Journal and launching website BeefIsBeef.com.

Waggener Edstrom is formally entering the Korean market with an investment in long-time partner Shout Communications, which will be rebranded as Shout Waggener Edstrom.

BETC, Europe's largest creative agency, has appointed PR firm FinchFactor to help support the agency's global expansion.

Fleishman-Hillard has named John McNeel global MD of strategic integration. Reporting to agency president and CEO Dave Senay, McNeel will work to integrate PR, social, digital and marketing and will be based in New York.

Room Key, a hotel search engine owned by six of the largest international hospitality companies, has hired Porter Novelli in the US. Room Key did not conduct a formal review, but spoke with up to five agencies about working with the brand.

Propeller has expanded its portfolio of ad technology businesses after being appointed as the European PR agency for Turn, one of the world's largest data-driven cloud marketing platforms.