has been named group account director at OLSON, in recognition of her astounding success leading agency accounts including University of Minnesota, UHG companies Ovations and OptumHealth, Boston Scientific, Imation and Memorex. She was promoted from account director, and has worked at the agency since 2005.

Bastian joined after a stint in Zimbabwe with her family, where she lived after leaving Carmichael Lynch Spong in 2002. She began her career at a German fashion and retail agency and holds a degree in journalism from Drake University, Des Moines, Iowa.

“Jennifer has an amazing ability to take some of OLSON’s most complex business and reduce it down to its essence. She has been associated with industry award-winning work, including Jay Chiat Awards and Effies — demonstrating her strategic ability to develop programs for clients that truly deliver return on investment,” says Kevin DiLorenzo, president and CEO, OLSON. “And with all her health care client experience, we’re hoping she’ll be ready this year to do our agency flu shots too.”

Haberman announced that has joined the agency as Managing Director. His addition to the Haberman tribe helps amplify the agency’s capabilities, including comprehensive branding and communications programs that build connections between consumers and socially responsible, mission driven organizations. The agency, founded in 1994, has bucked trends and continues to grow its client and employee rosters.

Block will be leading and growing client engagements to help tell the stories of pioneering and socially responsible organizations. Throughout his 25+ year career, Block has specialized in building client relationships, developing new business, creating branding and communication strategies, recruiting and managing creative resources and improving marketing performance. Eric’s experience has included leading highly effective branding solutions for a wide range of clients including Coca-Cola, United Airlines, Federal Express, Jim Beam Brands, HandsOn Network, and Panera Bread.

"What attracted me to Haberman is its mission and its people. This team has an incredible track record of helping values-based organizations tell their unique stories,” Block said. "All trends point to the fact that people are increasingly interested in doing business with socially responsible companies. As the lines between marketing, PR, communication and social responsibility continue to blur, great stories of doing good need to be told in a compelling fashion and permeate all facets of the brand experience.”

Fred Haberman, co-founder and CEO of Haberman commented, “We are building the agency of the future, an agency that serves the increased social and environmental awareness of corporations, organizations and consumers worldwide. Eric’s extensive experience in virtually all marketing disciplines complements our distinctive approach to telling the stories of brand pioneers who are making a difference in the world—be they small or large, new or established. This positions us to deliver on our clients’ desire for more capabilities and solutions from our firm.”

Block’s work experience includes 17 years with Fallon Worldwide, most recently as Chief Operating Officer. At Fallon, he was the chief architect of the company’s global expansion and broadened integrated marketing capabilities. In 2004, he left Fallon to become one of the founding partners of Duffy & Partners, the internationally recognized branding and design firm, where he led operations and business development efforts and served as senior strategist for branding initiatives for key clients.

Before joining Fallon, Block was VP/Creative Services for Fox Television in Los Angeles, where he helped launch FOX, the fourth television network. He began his career in the television industry.

October 7, 5:30 pm–8:00 pm

• Location: Vescio’s Cucina | ,
• Website: http://www.vescioscucina.com
• Non-members are welcome at this event.
• Paid registration is required.
  

  MWMC members:	$15.00
  Non-members:	$20.00

Event Information

Presentation by Cindy and Brad Martin of bSharp Creative and Debra Fisher Goldstein of Gold Fish Communications.

MWMC Seasoned Professionals will kick off their year with an exploration of video and photography. Cindy and Brad Martin of bSharp Creative will talk about video in communications, including YouTube. Debra Fisher Goldstein of Gold Fish Communications will tell the story of her journey into photography at the Minnesota State Fair. Event registration includes appetizers and a cash bar is available.

Register now online>

Camera ready!

Thursday, October 7, 2010
5:30 p.m. Registration; 6:00 p.m. Program
Vescio’s Cucina
|
www.vescioscucina.com

Presentation by Cindy and Brad Martin of bSharp Creative and Debra Fisher Goldstein of Goldfish Communications

Minnesota Women in Marketing and Communications (MWMC) Seasoned Professionals will kick off their year with an exploration of video and photography. Cindy and Brad Martin of bSharp Creative will demonstrate how they use video in communications, including YouTube. Debra Fisher Goldstein of Goldfish Communications will tell the story of her journey into photography at the Minnesota State Fair. Event registration includes appetizers and a cash bar is available.

Registration
Seating is limited! Register online at www.mnwc.org

Non-members are welcome at this event.
Paid registration is required.

NOTE: If you plan to register at the door, MWMC can only accept payment via cash or check; credit cards will not be accepted the night of the event.

Cost
MWMC members: $15
Non-members: $20

has been promoted to senior brand planner at advertising agency Carmichael Lynch. She joined the agency in May 2009 and provides strategic guidance and leadership on several accounts. In her new role, Ahlstrom is charged with establishing and managing client objectives, while developing and defining key concepts for their brands.

Before joining Carmichael Lynch, Ahlstrom served as a brand planner for Fallon in Minneapolis, providing strategic planning on the Purina Latin America, Boston Market, Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express accounts. She also served as a cognitive anthropologist for Crispin Porter + Bogusky in Boulder, Colo., where she conducted primary research and provided strategic insights for Volkswagen and Domino’s Pizza.

“Carolyn is an enthusiastic and dedicated professional,” says Mike Lescarbeau, CEO, Carmichael Lynch. “She has a knack for developing a vision for our clients and is diligent in everything she does. Carolyn is very deserving of this recognition.”

Ahlstrom is a graduate of the University of Minnesota’s school of journalism, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in professional strategic communications with an emphasis in advertising.

Meet & Mingle with PRSA and Beehive PR on the St. Paul side of the river. October’s event will be held at McGovern’s Pub in the heart of St. Paul.

Hosted by Beehive PR, this event will allow you to network with other public relations professionals while learning more about an up-and-coming PR agency.

One drink ticket ($5 maximum

During its 15 years as one of Minneapolis’ most strategic and thoughtful PR agencies, Maccabee Group has been chosen by such respected brands as Gold’n Plump Poultry, Deluxe Corp., OfficeMax, Carlson Companies, AmericInn hotels, M & M/Mars, Caribou Coffee, Cirque de Soleil, Shock Doctor, General Mills, Malt-O-Meal, American Medical Systems and Octane Fitness.

Maccabee Group’s drive for real-world results goes beyond the media impressions the firm has generated for clients, from ABC-TV’s “Good Morning America” and National Public Radio to the pages of the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Times, Inc. and Newsweek. Typical of the agency’s successes was its helping OfficeMax secure a 20% bump in traffic and 444,000,000 page views on the Web, assisting General Mills in achieving a sell-out of 10 million boxes of Cheerios withn a 90-day window, and supporting “Go Organic for Earth Day” in driving awareness of organic food from 65% to 75% nationwide.

In an industry prone to turf battles, Maccabee Group embraces a collaborative philosophy that puts clients first, agency hubris last. Rather than force clients to use “in-network” agencies to drive profits to holding companies, independently-owned Maccabee Group balances its own capabilities with graphic design, event marketing, sales promotion, interactive and SEO services from other best-of-breed firms. That collegial attitude inspired Medvec Eppers Advertising to enthuse, “Maccabee Group is hands down the Best Damn PR Firm Period.” Experiential agency Innova Marketing adds: “Innova has worked side-by side with a lot of agencies, but Maccabee Group’s the best of them – truly collaborative, creative and competent, with lots of trust, no egos and great results for clients.”

Nationally recognized for its creativity, Maccabee Group broke a Guinness Record with OfficeMax’s World’s Largest Rubberband Ball, hired Pet Psychics to read the minds of cats and dogs for PETCO stores, employed a Gypsy fortuneteller to dramatize palm reading technology for Internet Service Provider, VISI; carved Jesse Ventura out of 5,000 pounds of Kemps Ice Cream and used Dueling Elvis Presley impersonators to drive sales of M & M/Mars candy.

Maccabee Group’s strength is in concepting game-changing programs that move client companies to their next level of growth. Consider the “Stand Up For Your Right to Write Checks” consumer advocacy campaign for Deluxe Corp; the pathbreaking “Four Generations Overcoming Addiction” and “Making Recovery America’s Business” public education programs for Hazelden; the “Keeping Sexual Intimacy Alive” healthcare marketing campaign with Dr. Ruth Westheimer for American Medical Systems; and the “Bring Home the Bac-O’s” cause marketing initiative, which earned Maccabee and General Mills a “Best PR Campaign of the Year” award.

Maccabee Group’s NODE online practice guides clients to the most effective use of Web assets, interactive technologies and social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter. Maccabee Group – winner of “Best Interactive Viral Promotion” from Promo magazine for its ElfYourself campaign for OfficeMax – offers clients proprietary Web planning and online reputation measurement tools that drive powerful engagement with clients’ most important audiences.

Walk into Maccabee Group’s headquarters in Minneapolis, and you’ll sense the agency’s high-energy culture -- a jukebox stuffed with 1950s R & B, a rotating disco ball and an animated Elvis Presley robot head, and a “College of Marketing Knowledge” library that back up NODE Presents events and other professional development workshops for employees.

“The lifeblood of any PR agency is trust,” says president Paul Maccabee. “Building trust with consumers, keeping trust with clients, reinforcing trust with media, bloggers and other influencers who affect a company’s success.” Maccabee Group’s integrity has attracted socially responsible groups like Go Organic for Earth Day and Sunrise Community Banks. It’s led the agency to champion domestic partnership legislation for gays with a coalition of 30 other creative agencies; pursue pro bono work for Sierra Club Minnesota; and turn down the opportunity to promote casinos, liquor and nuclear weapons. Go figure, a PR agency with a conscience?

Fast Horse has launched a new “Intern-For-A-Day” program for its Facebook community. The agency introduced the page, “The Fast Horse Experience”, in 2009 to offer opportunities for a “digital informational interview.” Its goal was to provide a resource for aspiring professionals seeking internships or entry-level positions in advertising, graphic design, marketing, PR, interactive, etc.

Since activating the page, Fast Horse has hired a few interns it met through the page. Today it started The Fast Horse Experience Intern for a Day program in which the firm will put out calls for guest posts for its blog, The Idea Peepshow, once every two months. Interested applicants will then have two weeks to send a post and Fast Horse will pick its favorite and publish it on the blog. The agency will also hire that person for a one-day paid internship.

Along with the guest blogging gig and one-day (eight hours, $12/hour) contract to work at Fast Horse, each intern will get an office tour, free lunch, and the opportunity to showcase his or her creativity, do real client work and get a sense of what agency life is like.

The call goes out to anyone. Any age with any set of interests or skills. The only requirement is that applicants be a member of Fast Horse’s Facebook page. After the intern-for-a-day is selected, Fast Horse will tailor the work day to fit the winner’s interests. The winners can pick their day — and if they aren’t based in the Twin Cities or able to make the trip, they can , or work outside of Fast Horse walls for the day and keep in touch via phone/email/Skype, etc.

Here are the application instructions for the first open call - which starts today:

• Write a blog post on the broad subject of your reaction to a marketing campaign or message that caught your attention recently. Whether you found it to be effective or poorly done, just make sure to tell why.
• Send the post to by 5 p.m. Oct. 4
• Keep the posts to about 400 words
• If you’d rather submit a video, MP3 of a podcast, collection of photos telling a story, or whatever else, feel free to do so

Each of the following open calls will be made on Fast Horse’s Facebook page, so ‘like’ the page and visit the ‘Discussions’ tab for questions about this program.

Kasey Skala

This post of "Journey to My Job" features Kasey Skala, who started his job as communications specialist at in July.



4.  What would you have done differently in your most recent job search?

Job searching can be quite stressful and you can lose hope quickly. In the beginning, I think I took the process a bit too personal and got down on myself if I didn’t get an interview or got passed over for another candidate. It took a while to realize that it’s not personal and that I needed to keep my head up and continue to plug away.

5.  What advice do you have for job seekers today?

Network. The community in Minneapolis is such a social and supportive group that you’re only doing yourself a disservice if you aren’t attending events, having coffee with professionals and getting your name out there. Recommendations go a long way in our industry and you never know who or where your next lead will come from.

Also, I’d preach patience. Be picky and make sure you find the right fit. Don’t jump at every opening you see. While it might be frustrating not having a job or being in a position you don’t enjoy, it’ll be a lot worse having to go through the job search a second time.


Connect with Kasey through or .

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OLSON has promoted marketing director to vice president. At the agency, he leads the charge on all new business efforts. Linder joined OLSON from Jack Morton Worldwide in January 2007 as an interactive account supervisor, and moved to new business marketing director the following year.

“Ryan’s hard work has really helped land us where we are today — one of the top 10 independent agencies in the United States,” says Kevin DiLorenzo, president and CEO, OLSON. “He uses his diverse and integrated background to drive the development of strategic and creative brand communications. With Ryan’s help, in just the last two years, OLSON has experienced phenomenal growth and recognition.”

“My proudest moments happen every time we pursue and secure new client partnerships,” says Ryan Linder, OLSON’s marketing director, VP. “Success in agency business development relies heavily on team chemistry and expertise, and OLSON’s collective and perfectly focused team effort has allowed us to experience success even during this most recent turbulent economic period.”

Ryan holds a degree in advertising and public relations, and is pursuing an MBA at the University of St. Thomas, Minneapolis. He and his wife have two small boys — which means when he rides his semi-custom motorcycle he always wears his helmet.

During the months of July and August, Risdall Marketing Group (RMG) entered into new engagements with 10 diverse and exciting organizations. With an emphasis on internet related activities as well as traditional marketing and advertising support, the engagements are a reflection of Risdall’s unique client-centric approach.

has joined Beehive PR as an account director. Nelson has nearly 10 years of experience managing public relations programs, leading crisis communications and securing high-profile media coverage for agency clients, publicly traded companies and nonprofit associations.

Before joining Beehive, Nelson was an account supervisor at Weber Shandwick, where she helped lead the national public relations campaign for the 2010 U.S. Census. She also represented clients Prudential Retirement, Amway and the YMCA of North America. Nelson previously led public affairs efforts at Education Minnesota and corporate communications for PLATO Learning. Her award-winning work has been recognized by the national and Minnesota chapters of PRSA, Minnesota IABC, PR Week and the American Federation of Teachers.

A summa cum laude graduate of Concordia College, Nelson earned a bachelor’s degree in public relations with a minor in English. She also earned a project management certificate from the University of St. Thomas. She is a member of Minnesota PRSA, the Education Writer’s Association and the Association of Education Publishers.

Where do geeks go to find out what’s new in the fast-paced world of interactive before the rest of us? For hundreds of leading interactive and software developers, the answer is the Minnesota Developers Conference on Sept. 29 in Bloomington – the largest gathering of its type in the Midwest.

Created and hosted by Minneapolis-based interactive development shop, and its parent company ILM, the event showcases the latest in mobile apps, software technology and all things Web 4.0 with developers from some the hottest boutique advertising and digital agencies to software giant Microsoft.

Wed., Sept. 29th
7:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Sheraton Bloomington Hotel
7800 Normandale Blvd.

“The conference is designed to highlight the latest advancements developers will use to create the next iPhone app everyone will be talking about, or build an internationally-renowned consumer brand Web site,” said , founder of the event and ILM/Fusion Room’s president and chief architect. “I feel the event is delivering what the industry demands as the conference has practically doubled from the first year to an expected 400 this year.”

See the full agenda and speakers here.

This Friday, September 17, one of the most decorated public relations firms in the world, Carmichael Lynch Spong, will turn 20. To commemorate this important milestone, the firm is hosting an invitation-only, green-tie celebration on its rooftop patio for agency clients, employees and friends at in downtown Minneapolis on Thursday, September 16.

“I am honored to celebrate the past 20 years and raise my glass to the next 20,” said Douglas K. Spong, APR, founder and president of Carmichael Lynch Spong. “Over the past two decades I’ve had the privilege of working hand-in-glove with some of the most envied clients and high achieving PR professionals to entrench Carmichael Lynch Spong as the national champion of best practices. I couldn’t be more proud of the successes we’ve achieved together, and I look forward to many more milestones to come.”

Spong founded Carmichael Lynch Spong in 1990 on three basic principles:

1) to represent a select and envied portfolio of big name-clients;
2) attract like-minded achievement addicts who desire to produce their career-best work; and
3) be the undisputed champion of best practices.

Twenty years later, the firm ranks among the top 30 PR firms in the U.S., and has grown from its headquarters in Minneapolis to include staff in New York, Chicago, Denver and San Francisco.

Spong and his staff have built a national reputation for producing creative, award-winning work for a select portfolio of clients, including American Standard, Calphalon, Cargill, Jack Link’s Beef Jerky, Sherwin-Williams, SUPERVALU and Trane, to name a few.

Over the years the firm has introduced America to Silk Soymilk, given Americans the confidence to flush and never look back with the launch of the American Standard Champion toilet and found friends for Maytag’s Ol’ Lonely Repairman.

Under Spong’s passionate leadership, the firm has consistently dominated the big three national public relations awards plus the firm’s regional awards programs. Carmichael Lynch Spong has won more than 300 awards for its clients, including 11 PRWeek Awards, 58 Silver Anvils and 38 Bronze Anvils. Recently, the firm was named an “Agency of the Year” by trade journal The Holmes Report, the third time in four years it was recognized as an “Agency of the Year.”

In April 2010 Julie Batliner was promoted to managing director of the firm, a move that was part of a planned succession following Spong’s added responsibility as president of parent agency Carmichael Lynch. Batliner continues to report to Spong, who now serves as president of the entire 200+ staff creative agency as part of a new leadership structure designed to foster collaboration across all disciplines—from advertising and public relations to digital communications and consumer engagement.

“Doug is an extraordinary leader and an iconic PR professional,” says Batliner. “He has been a great mentor, and I look forward to partnering with him to continue the outstanding success he has established since he founded Carmichael Lynch Spong 20 years ago.”

Popular Front, an interactive agency based in Minneapolis, announces the launch of the new Chuck & Friends website, located at http://www.hasbro.com/tonka-chuck-and-friends/en_US/play/browse.cfm. The site showcases Popular Front’s kids and engagement media expertise by creating an online experience which allows both kids and parents to connect with the storied Hasbro brand. Chuck himself guides users through the PlaYard, which features six interactive games and five storybooks.

Popular Front’s VP of Creative, Jay Miller, said, “Creating the new Chuck & Friends website was a great experience for our team. We’re very proud of the work and are excited to showcase our design animation and interactive development expertise. Our six year relationship with Hasbro enabled us to closely collaborate with the Chuck & Friends team to create a successful, engaging site which will deliver results for Hasbro.”

Margaret Ann Hennen, APR, Fellow PRSA

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Chances are that every organization will experience some kind of a crisis. And when it happens, how you handle that crisis during and after the event will directly affect the company’s reputation and, ultimately, their bottom line, especially in today’s media and social media environment.

Minnesota PRSA's September Core Training session will feature two crisis communication experts to share how they have planned for and successfully navigated recent major local crises:

• , senior partner at J Austin & Associates
  He served for 10 years as the principal spokesperson for Northwest Airlines in all crises involving corporate operations and reputation, and draws from experience with more than 125 companies.
  
• , director at Himle Horner.
  She worked on the core communications team that guided public relations for the I-35W Bridge Project, and provided strategic counsel to the Twin Cities Hospitals during the 2010 contract negotiations with the Minnesota Nurses Association.

Take away best practices for the must-have elements in building your crisis communication plan and learn key lessons from the experts in this lively, engaging panel discussion and Q&A session.

Details & Registration:
Time: 7:30 a.m. Registration & Continental Breakfast
8:00–9:00 a.m. Program
9:00-9:30 a.m. Networking

Location: University of St. Thomas (Minneapolis campus)
Opus Hall, Room 201

» Driving and parking information
Parking is available in a number of nearby ramps as well as parking meters.

Price: PRSA Member - $25
Nonmember - $35
Student - $15

Exponent PR today announced two promotions, a result of the agency’s momentum and commitment to professional development.

Annie Dubsky Promoted to Counselor
has been promoted to the position of counselor. Dubsky offers strategic and creative guidance to clients in the agency’s growing food practice.

Exponent has experienced a remarkable period of client roster growth and increased industry recognition in 2010. Dubsky played a key role in new brand assignments from Muir Glen, Nature Valley, Fiber One and others.

Christine Scherping Promoted to Senior Associate
has been promoted to the position of senior associate. Scherping will continue to manage and execute campaign initiatives and offer strategic and creative judgment to consumer campaigns.

Scherping has been involved with many of Exponent’s high-profile assignments for clients such as the Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) and General Mills. Locally, she recently spearheaded efforts to promote Share Our Strength’s Taste of the Nation HOTlist event.

“We’ve had the great fortune of attracting tremendous talent to Exponent and our team’s work is paying off in the outstanding results for our clients,” said Tom Lindell, managing director of Exponent. “We are so excited to build on these strong and inspiring foundations.”

Exponent PR has added to its social media expertise by hiring as an associate.

“Allison’s thoughtful and results-oriented approach to integrating new and traditional media is invaluable to our clients,” said Tom Lindell, managing director for Exponent PR. “It’s no wonder we first brought her on as an intern after her enthusiastic outreach to us on Twitter.”

Janney started at Exponent as an intern. Ad Age recently featured Janney’s first-person account of how she landed her Exponent internship through Twitter in a story titled “How to Find a Job on Twitter.”

Janney offers clients strategic thinking and flawless execution that uses her new media savvy and traditional media knowledge. Janney is involved in many of Exponent’s consumer brand accounts and helped launch the People for Bikes Campaign to unite 1 million bikers across the country. She led an interactive project using Squawq, a Twitter analytic tool, to monitor the World Cup. She’s also heavily involved in Exponent’s blogger relations practice.

John R. Beardsley, retired chief executive officer of Minneapolis-based communications firm Padilla Speer Beardsley, died Thursday night from complications following heart surgery. He was 73.

John Beardsley dies at 73

Beardsley, who began his career as a journalist with the Associated Press, was part of the communications departments at Pillsbury Co. and Dayton Hudson Corp. before joining Padilla and Speer, Inc. in 1970. He was named CEO in 1987 shortly after the firm merged with Brum and Anderson and became Padilla Speer Beardsley. He retired at the end of 2001.

“One of our firm’s core values – Keep Learning – reflects John’s intense desire to understand the triggers that motivate action from customers, investors, employees and voters,” said Lynn Casey, Padilla Speer Beardsley’s current CEO and Beardsley’s successor. “His inspiration came from astonishingly diverse sources ranging from classic literature to pop culture to neuroscience. His most recent passion, social network theory, is at the root of the social media campaigns and word-of-mouth marketing programs that communications firms like ours are now creating for our clients.”

Professionalizing the public relations field was another of Beardsley’s interests. He presided over the Minnesota chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) and became the Society’s national president in 1995. An early adopter of information technology, he is credited with putting PRSA on the Internet, giving members across the country ready access to tools for advancing the profession.

Beardsley is survived by Sharon, his wife of 50 years; daughters Elizabeth (Liz) Hlavac of Minnetonka (fiance Paul Sprain), Alison Mezzenga of Hopkins (fiance Ray Beasley) and Leslie Yetka of Minnetonka (husband Christopher); grandchildren Justin Mezzenga, Lauren Hlavac, and Benjamin and Katherine Yetka; siblings Doug Foster, Ross Foster, Deborah (Deb) Tinney and Sandra Barkman; and numerous cousins.

Plans for a memorial service are pending. In lieu of gifts or flowers, the family has requested donations be made to Washburn Center for Children, 2430 Nicollet Avenue South, .

Greater Twin Cities United Way’s workplace campaign has launched with ads donated by local agency . The “When you can’t do, donate” campaign emphasizes the make-a-difference power of a donation to the United Way.  Ads feature people (real donors, by the way) who want “to do something” for others but feel ill-equipped to give hands-on help: a cook offers a burned turkey, a handyman falls off a ladder, etc.

Ready, Set, Network! Connect with fellow business communicators and discuss the latest industry trends while speed networking at September’s Networking Event.

Bring your friends and participate in a lively night of speed networking on Tuesday, Sept. 14 at Ciento Tequila Bar and Mexican Kitchen in Golden Valley, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Speed networking begins at 6 p.m. Parking is free, so get there early.

Whether you’re a newcomer looking for potential job opportunities or a seasoned professional wanting to stay on top of our ever-evolving industry, you’re sure to build connections here. You have the chance to speak with everyone at this popular event in five minute intervals, so be sure to bring plenty of business cards!

When Tuesday, September 14, 2010 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM
Where
Ciento Tequila Bar and Mexican Kitchen
6440 Wayzata Blvd
Golden Valley, Minnesota 55426


Register here:
http://guest.cvent.com/EVENTS/Info/Summary.aspx?e=5671da5c-a07b-44f1-ac84-5fd4e307229e

OLSON has promoted two associate media directors, Steve Lynch and Stephanie Thompson, to group directors of the agency’s media discipline.

Here is a picture of the two of them.

Lynch joined OLSON’s media group in 2005 from Campbell Mithun, and quickly rose through the ranks, directing work for clients including Fifth Third Bank, the Minnesota State Lottery, Imation Brands and UHG Ovations. He holds a BA in economics from Saint John’s University in Collegeville, Minn.

Thompson came to OLSON in 2008 from Carmichael Lynch and before that, Martin Williams, and has led media efforts for OLSON clients including Northwestern Mutual, KraftMaid Cabinetry, Country Inns & Suites by Carlson and Discover Boating. She is a graduate of the University of Minnesota, Duluth, holds degrees in organizational management and marketing, and serves as alumni association marketing chair for the UMD Labovitz School of Business and Economics.

Lynch and Thompson and their department have been recognized with national awards including Effies and a Creative Media Award finalist for Creative Use of Newspaper. And, in an environment where “flat is the new up,” OLSON has been up, thanks in part to the work of these two and their group. In fact, media has experienced 1,600 percent in billings growth in the last five years.

“What makes these two great is that they’re the ultimate yin and yang, which means they’re perfect to serve together as media group directors,” says Kevin DiLorenzo, president and CEO, OLSON. “Stephanie and Steve balance each other with how they work, think and lead their team— and that’s important with the wide variety of programs we manage in our media department each day.”

Read the Twin Cities Business Journal article here.