July 12, 2007

Calling all Twin Cities Agencies and Creative Firms

This is your opportunity to participate in the premier career and networking event for Minnesota’s advertising and creative services community.
This is no ordinary job fair. In fact, is being featured as part of the Professional & Executive Diversity Job Fair at the 78th Annual Kappa Alpha Psi Grand Chapter Meeting.

Over 2,000 Pre-qualified Attendees
Attendees will be required to have a 4-year degree or more to walk the job fair. Aside from that, everyone is welcome — regardless of gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, social background, etc.

Why Be An Exhibitor?
This is the advertising and creative community’s opportunity to be a leader by proactively supporting the diversification of our workforce. Reserve your company’s booth in the Ad Fed Job Fair and take advantage of over 2000 attendees—from recent grads to seasoned veterans, seeking professional jobs in the advertising industry.

Event Information
Date: July 12, 2007
Place: Minneapolis Convention Center
Time: 10:00AM – 4:00PM

Booth Packages
Discounted advertising industry rates:
All packages include company ID sign, hospitality and company name listed in event program guide:

• $1295 - 8' X 10' booth
  
• $1595 - 8' X 10' booth, full-page ad in official event program guide
  
• $1995 - 8' X 10' booth, full-page ad in official event program guide, access to online event resume database

Ask about sponsorship opportunities.

For more information contact Chris Mackenzie Aburime at ext. 109 or .

Minneapolis-based reputation management agency LaBreche announced today the addition of four new professionals that will strengthen the firm’s already robust account team roster.

Jamie Patterson joins LaBreche as an assistant account executive. Patterson brings with her six years of experience in public relations and broadcast. She has previously worked as an assignment editor for the Fox affiliate in King City , Missouri , as well as the public relations coordinator for both the Red Cross and The Girl Scouts of America.

Molly Ryan and Erika Iverson join LaBreche as account assistants. Ryan comes to LaBreche from Roepke Public Relations, where she worked on numerous accounts spanning health care, technology, financial services, real estate, hospitality/entertainment and luxury consumer goods. Iverson comes to LaBreche from People Serving People where she managed external communications, media relations and event promotion.

LaBreche also welcomes Elliot Ramos as office manager. Ramos previously worked at Habitat for Humanity and will bring his diverse project management, advertising and marketing background to LaBreche.

"We are delighted to welcome these talented individuals to our staff," said Jacob Trippel, Partner and Principal with LaBreche. "Each of our new team members bring with them a unique and valuable skill set to the firm, which is critical as we look to expand our core services to current and incoming clients."

The new employees will also help fuel the firm’s aggressive 2007 growth goals.

"We are constantly seeking out the best of the best in regional talent to match the rapid growth of our firm," said Trippel, "This is truly an exciting time for us."

Minneapolis-based reputation management agency LaBreche announced today that Kathy Jalivay has joined the firm as an account manager. Jalivay will provide strategic media and marketing counsel for a variety of clients, as well as streamline development of the firm’s booming architecture, engineering and construction (A/E/C) strategic communications practice.

"I am thrilled to join the outstanding team at LaBreche and I look forward to working with clients to help build, strengthen and protect their reputations," said Jalivay.

Jalivay brings more than 20 years of public relations and marketing experience to her position. In her last role as marketing and research director at Welsh Companies, one of the Midwest ’s commercial real estate leaders, she successfully re-branded the company and managed the overarching public relations, advertising and research efforts. Prior to Welsh, Jalivay helped launch Macy’s brand in the Minnesota market and headed her own practice, Jalivay and Associates, which focused primarily on small businesses’ marketing initiatives. Early in her career, Jalivay worked as a producer for WJKS in Jacksonville , Fla. , and as a marketing director for the Continental Basketball Association.

Complementing her professional credentials, Jalivay brings strong community ties to LaBreche. Jalivay serves as chair of the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP) community enhancement committee, and is an active member of Hope for the City, a non-profit organization that provides corporate surplus to more than 85 local Minneapolis charities.

"It's rare to find a candidate with the broad and prestigious blend of professional experience that Kathy offers," said Jacob Trippel, LaBreche principal and vice president of operations. "We're ecstatic to welcome her on as a senior leader in our agency."

Morsekode, a Twin Cities-based marketing communications company, announced the addition of four new members to its growing team of creative professionals. The introductions promise to add direction and organization in addition to enhancing the agency’s public relations capabilities.

Morsekode has added Keith Negrin as its Director of Public Relations. An attorney-turned-public relations practitioner, Keith joins Morsekode from Carmichael Lynch Spong, where he developed an expertise working on consumer brands in various industries. After graduating from Princeton University and receiving his law degree from George Washington, Keith spent several years as a practicing attorney before turning his talents towards the communications field. "Morsekode is clearly an agency on the rise, and I’m honored to join the team and continue to develop its public relations expertise," says Keith. "I'm excited to bring my background and unique perspective to advance the goals of each of our clients."

"Public relations has been a fast growing segment of our business," says Mark Morse, principal of Morsekode. "We believe that with our concentrated approach to the discipline we can deliver very meaningful platforms that will extend our reach into deeper opportunities. Keith’s a perfect fit for this charge. It's an exciting time."

Sean Lien, Morsekode's new Senior Art Director, brings a wealth of experience and passion to an already thriving creative group. With a history of award-winning work and a decade of agency experience, Sean has proven again and again that he has what it takes to produce the highest-quality creative. Sean has worked with a diverse list of organizations, from Red Wing Shoes to Bailey Nurseries to current Morsekode clients Moog and UnitedHealth. Sean adds, "I'm excited for the opportunity to join Morsekode and look forward to getting my white-boy Brand Groove™ on. As non-funky as it may be."

Morsekode has also added Paul Afong, Jr. to its creative team as an Associate Creative Director. Paul has a rich history of working with top-flight consumer brands at agencies like Initio, Spangler Design Team, Whitney Morse, Ashanti Eaton and Baker Associates. Paul has worked on high profile consumer brands such as Nabisco, General Mills and Con Agra. “I’m so pumped by the opportunity to help mold and elevate the ’kode’s creative level in all facets.”

Finally, Morsekode has also added Alyssa Shute as its new Office Manager. Alyssa has been charged with the daunting task of keeping the work flowing smoothly, the books in order and generally ensuring that the inmates aren’t running the asylum. With a wealth of experience dealing with unruly ‘suits,’ Alyssa welcomes the challenge of keeping the ‘koders in line. “You can feel the energy just walking in the door at Morsekode,” says Alyssa, “I am so glad to be associated with such a hard-working and energetic group of people.”

Carmichael Lynch Spong won top honors at the 20th Annual Big Apple Awards, held at the Rainbow Room in New York City. The awards are sponsored by the New York Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA).

Carmichael Lynch Spong received the first-ever “Best Use of Research, Measurement and Evaluation Award” on behalf of client TRANE. The award was presented by the Institute for Public Relations, an independent foundation dedicated to the Science Beneath the Art of Public Relationsä. Carmichael Lynch Spong also brought home two additional honors: a Big Apple Award for TRANE and an honorable mention for Martek Biosciences.

Carmichael Lynch Spong earned the following honors:

Best Use of Research, Measurement and Evaluation Award

• “Selling the Invisible: The TRANE CleanEffects Story” - Carmichael Lynch Spong with TRANE
  
  Big Apple Award
  
  
• Marketing Consumer Products: Non-Packaged Goods "Selling the Invisible: The TRANE CleanEffects Story" - Carmichael Lynch Spong with TRANE
  
  Honorable Mention
  
  
• Marketing Consumer Products, Food & Beverage “The ‘Big 3 For Baby And Me’ Boosts DHA Omega-3 Into The Limelight” - Carmichael Lynch Spong with Martek Biosciences
  
  "It's an honor for our firm to be recognized as a leader in research, measurement and evaluation, as this is one of the most challenging and rapidly evolving areas of our industry," says Douglas K. Spong, APR, president of Carmichael Lynch Spong. "Our team of achievement addicts is proud to produce award-winning work for our clients."

Fast Horse, a Minneapolis-based marketing services agency, received two SABRE Awards from the New York-based Holmes Group at a ceremony in New York City on May 8, 2007. Fast Horse was one of only four Twin Cities agencies to win a SABRE award and one of only two local agencies to win multiple awards.

The SABRE Awards, celebrating "Superior Achievement in Branding and Reputation," recognize the nation's best public relations and marketing programs in specific practice areas and industry sectors, as well as specific program tactics – with an emphasis on creativity.

Fast Horse received a Silver SABRE Award in the "Educational and Cultural Institutions" category for its work on behalf of MacPhail Center for Music. Fast Horse helped MacPhail significantly increase its visibility among key stakeholders in the highly competitive Minneapolis arts community. The agency developed a brand campaign surrounding the construction of MacPhail's new building in downtown Minneapolis, which included the wildly popular "Construction Concerto," as part of the organization’s ground-breaking celebration.

Fast Horse also received a Bronze SABRE Award in the “Trade Show” category on behalf of its work with Pure Fishing. Fast Horse helped Pure Fishing, the nation’s largest manufacturer of fishing tackle, improve communication among key audiences and ultimately secure the “Best in Show” award at ICAST, the fishing industry’s largest trade show – an accomplishment the company hadn’t achieved in more than ten years.

"It's always an honor to have your work recognized nationally by your peers as best-in-category, particularly when competing against firms many times our size," said Jörg Pierach, Fast Horse president and creative director. "These awards are a testament to our talented and creative staff, as well as our outstanding clients, who provide us with the opportunity to do great work."

The Twin Cities office of Weber Shandwick today announced the hiring of Erika Frederick.

Upon completion of her internship, Frederick has joined the corporate, community and public affairs practice group as an assistant account executive.

Prior to joining Weber Shandwick, Frederick held internships with the Center for Patient partnerships, a patient advocacy group, and Z104 – both in Madison, Wis. At the Center for Patient Partnerships, Frederick worked on print and Web materials to help create brand awareness. At Z104, she worked under the promotions director, assisting with broadcasts and interacting with listeners. She also worked as a part-time, on-air talent.

Frederick is a 2006 graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She holds a bachelors degree in Communications and is a native of New Richmond, Wis.

Carmichael Lynch Spong experienced a strong showing at the PRSA/Chicago Skyline Awards. The agency captured five awards, including one Skyline Award and four Merit Awards. The PRSA Skyline Awards recognize Chicago area PR campaigns that have successfully addressed communications opportunities and challenges with superior skill, creativity, and resourcefulness.

The event, held Wednesday night at the Mid-America Club, was sponsored by the Chicago Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA).

Carmichael Lynch Spong earned the following honors:

Skyline Award

• Brochures - Clearing the Air with American Standard HVAC
  
  Merit Awards
  
  
• Brochures - Taking a Peek Behind the Bathroom Door with American Standard Bath & Kitchen
  
• Marketing Consumer Products/Non-Packaged Goods -
  American Ingenuity at Work in the Bathroom with American Standard Bath & Kitchen
  
• Press Kits/Media Kits - Stirring Up Dust and Results with American Standard HVAC's Dust Bunny Challenge
  
• Events and Observances/Business Products (more than seven days) -Stirring Up Dust and Results with American Standard HVAC's Dust Bunny Challenge

"It's an honor to be recognized for producing exemplary work in Chicago , and to remain one of most decorated PR firms in the nation" says Douglas K. Spong, APR, president of Carmichael Lynch Spong. "The Skyline Awards are an excellent opportunity to recognize our clients for the great work we’ve produced together in the past year."

HEY YOU GUYS! The Show is back on the grid and it gets its electricity from creative people like you.

So don't wait for a lightning strike, act now and enter your 2006-07 advertising into The Show - The Advertising Federation of Minnesota's premier opportunity to get your name, business, and general excellence some recognition and acclaim. Will your creative efforts light up the city or merely generate static electricity? It's too soon to tell, but you can't win if you don't enter. So designate one point person for your agency, business, or school and have them register online. If you registered last year, you'll need to register again. Once you're plugged in, you can submit entries, change your info & review your submissions. Make sure to read the category instructions and FAQ because 2007 brings new categories and rules. But, there are still the three biggies to shoot for: Best of Show, Best of Show - Interactive, and Best of Show - Student (which has 2 $2500 scholarships sponsored by The Twin Cities Council of the AAAA's.)

If you need further assistance, contact us or email your questions to .

Recognize the Outstanding PR Professional on Your Team Today!
(Self-nominations are accepted)

PR News' PR People Awards are open to All Communications Professionals Worldwide - corporate, agency, non-profit, government. Winners and honorable mentions will be honored during a luncheon at the National Press Club in Washington, DC.

• Categories
  
• Program Information
  
• Questions?

Don’t Miss Your Chance To Be Honored By PR News, The Industry’s Most Respected PR Publication.

Enter today!

The Twin Cities office of Weber Shandwick won two SABRE awards for strategic marketing communications work at an awards program on May 8 sponsored by The Holmes Report, a leading public relations industry journal.

"This recognition is a testament to the imagination and forward thinking of our clients and our shared commitment to creativity and professionalism," said Sara Gavin, president of Weber Shandwick’s Twin Cities office." Weber Shandwick received Gold SABREs in each of the following categories:

Social Marketing: Keep the Drive USA: Empowering Teens to Drive Change, The Allstate Foundation
Marketing to Youth: Chevy Aveo Livin' Large Campus Challenge, Chevrolet/General Motors

Risdall McKinney Public Relations is celebrating Sarah Ryder’s election to president of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA), University of Minnesota chapter.

Ryder, a Risdall McKinney assistant account executive and current PRSSA vice president, will assume the organization’s presidency beginning in June 2007. Ryder is currently an honors student in the School of Journalism and Mass Communications at the University of Minnesota . She expects to graduate in May 2008.

"Sarah's leadership is evident across the board," says McKinney , who is president of the Minnesota chapter of Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) and a community faculty member at Metropolitan State University . "She's a model student. She consistently demonstrates her ambitions to expand PRSSA members’ knowledge of the profession and industry, and she brings new and fresh ideas to our work at Risdall McKinney. She's in a terrific position to lead the next generation of PR professionals."

McKinney , whose team of seasoned PR staff has more than doubled in size since opening its doors as Risdall McKinney Public Relations in March 2006, says having someone like Ryder on board dovetails with the agency’s philosophy that the strongest PR work is derived from a combination of tried-and-true strategies coupled with contemporary concepts and tactics.

"The power and potential of PR to evolve brands and affect business goals is the cornerstone of our work," says McKinney . "The next generation of professionals will need to achieve those objectives in their work, and for Sarah to share that information with her peers early on advances the profession, immeasurably."

For Ryder, the opportunity to work with the current PRSA chapter president as she simultaneously leads the student chapter is a unique privilege. "PRSA and PRSSA exist to advance the PR profession and its professionals, or future professionals," says Ryder. McKinney , she says "has a vision for the industry’s future. Her interest in my work for PRSSA and her personal guidance were instrumental in my decision to pursue the presidency and will, undoubtedly, impact my leadership of PRSSA."

Advancement of new talent is a core commitment at Risdall McKinney. "An investment in the next generation is an investment in the professional leadership of the future," says McKinney.

Carmichael Lynch Spong celebrated another success at the U.S. SABRE Awards last night in New York City . The agency continues to show off its best practices as a leader in the home and garden arena by winning a Gold SABRE Award for client MasterBrand Cabinets in the Business- to-Business Marketing category. Overall Carmichael Lynch Spong was honored with eight nominations at the award ceremony, which was held at the Sheraton New York Hotel and Towers.

Carmichael Lynch Spong earned a Gold SABRE award in the following category:

Business-to-Business Marketing – Existing Product “Designs on Designer Loyalty,” with MasterBrand Cabinets

"We're proud of our firm's performance last night, and specifically our continued success within the home products industry," says Douglas K. Spong, APR, president of Carmichael Lynch Spong. "With the majority of our client base being in the home and garden arena, it’s an honor to be recognized for this level of creative work."

Several interesting articles in this month's . One of them falls in the section of things I wish I knew. The article gives several guidelines for decision making in the workplace. The one point I liked the best from, author Joanna Schroeder's article was, "decide things on your own. Don't run away from your life by allowing others to make decisions for you. Don't let other people control your life.

Get the rest of her insightful tips here or check out her blog.

1.6 Trillion Reasons:
Marketing to the most powerful economic force on the planet!

With buying power at $1.6 trillion, women are undeniably the most powerful economic force on the planet! As chief purchasing officer of the household, women make 85% of all purchase decisions, including: 88% of all packaged goods, 82% of all retail purchases, 68% of all cars…and yet, women feel mostly misunderstood by marketers.

As founder and CEO of WomanWise, Dori Molitor, will reveal her insights on marketing brands to women, why traditional marketing is failing, and how to gain a profound competitive advantage by fostering a deep soul connection with women.

After graduating Summa Cum Laude from the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management, Molitor worked at General Mills across Big G and Betty Crocker portfolios. Since then, she has gone on to create an internationally-recognized brand marketing agency consulting companies such as Dunkin' Donuts, Hasbro, Serta, Land O'Lakes, and many other leading brands. Her firm has earned nine "Best in the World" honors, including eight Globe Awards from the Marketing Agencies Association Worldwide.

Location:
Metropolitan Ballroom

Golden Valley, MN 55416

Time:
Friday, May 18, 2007
8:00 a.m. - Registration and Breakfast
8:30 to 10:00 a.m. - Program and Discussion

Cost:
Members $25
Nonmembers $35

The Twin Cities office of Weber Shandwick today announced the hiring of three new employees in the healthcare and technology practices.

Leslie Williamson joined the healthcare practice group as an account group manager. Prior to joining Weber Shandwick, Williamson worked in the healthcare practice of Cohn & Wolfe Public Relations in Chicago and New York. A native of New York, Williamson earned her bachelor's degree in art history from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Mich. and completed graduate coursework at New York University’s Wagner School of Public Administration.

Jackie Dummer also joined the healthcare practice group as an assistant account executive. Prior to joining Weber Shandwick, Dummer worked at Media Relations, Inc., where she worked on clients in the nutraceuticals, information technology and education fields. A native of Menomonie, Wis., Dummer graduated with a bachelor’s degree in public relations from Northern Michigan University in Marquette, Mich.

After completing his internship, Mickey Nelson joined the technology practice as an assistant account executive. Prior to joining Weber Shandwick, Nelson interned at Iowa Health System in Des Moines, Iowa. A native of St. Paul, Minn., Nelson graduated with a bachelor's degree in journalism from Drake University in Des Moines.

Mike Weiner, former president of Art of Fact Media, LLC, his own multimedia content development agency, has joined Minneapolis-based Maccabee Group Public Relations as its new Account Supervisor.

Weiner’s 15-year communications background includes roles at Twin Cities agencies Karwoski & Courage and Tunheim. He brings experience in brand storytelling, strategic communications, media relations, multimedia production and viral/buzz marketing to Maccabee Group.

Details:
Wednesday, May 9
11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Woman's Club of Minneapolis

Cost: members = $30; non-members = $50;
full-time students = $20 (w/ID); Guests of members = $40

Register now. Space is limited.

The Annual Meeting of the Membership will take place in conjunction with the May learning lunch.

Interactive marketing is a conversation with your customer. Simply defined, it's the ability to address customers, remember what they say and address them again in a way that shows that you remember what they told you. In February, the Minnesota State Lottery launched a one-of-a-kind campaign for Powerball that gets TV viewers involved in an interactive game. This game communicates key message that the jackpot is always big and drives traffic to the Lucky, Minnesota web site. In this presentation, Colle+McVoy Account Director Jennifer Gove will talk about the strategy and work behind the campaign, as well as the results.

About our speaker:
Jennifer Gove is an Account Director at Colle+McVoy, the advertising agency of record for the Minnesota State Lottery. Jennifer has over 14 years of experience in account management and strategic planning for multiple disciplines including advertising, direct marketing, public relations and interactive. Before managing the Minnesota State Lottery account, Jennifer worked at agencies in Minnesota and Montana for clients such as Nestlé Purina, Stonyfield Farm Yogurt, the Minnesota Department of Health and United Way.

The Twin Cities office of Weber Shandwick today announced Steve Johnson has joined the agency as a senior vice president and will co-lead the agency’s fast-growing consumer marketing practice.

Prior to joining Weber Shandwick, Steve spent eight years at Chicago's Manning Selvage & Lee working with clients such as the U.S. Army, General Motors, Nike, and Merrill Lynch. With nearly five years put in leading the sports marketing PR component for the U.S. Army, Steve’s milestones included the launch of the Army’s NHRA team expansion; NASCAR, bull riding and rodeo team debuts; the U.S. Army All-American Bowl; and multi-cultural programs such as the Black History Month and the multi-dimension partnership with the Essence Music festival.

Steve earned a Publicity Club of Chicago Golden Trumpet award for his work with General Motors' North Central Region, which included leading communications for the opening of the Cadillac Palace Theater, GM's role in the city art attraction "Cows on Parade," and the partnership with then-Chicago Bull Elton Brand.

Johnson is a graduate of the University of Illinois – Urbana/Champaign.

What better way to celebrate spring than to go on the annual AdFed/Ad2 Pub Crawl!This year we will be "crawling" to Solera, Glueks and The Imperial Room. There are drink and appetizer specials at all the stops!

When: May 17, 2007
Where: Solera, Glueks, and The Imperial Room
Schedule:
6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. Solera will be offering $2 sangrias, $2 domestics, and tapas starting at only $2!
7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Stop at Glueks for 2 for 1's on all taps and rails! 8:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. or whenever you get into the cab...The Imperial Room features $3 domestic bottles, $3 any tap beer and 1/2 price martinis!

Click here to register!

The event cost is FREE for members of AdFed and Ad2!
Non-members: $10
Students: $10