10. BLACKSMITH
gyro Public Relations
Get Back to Scratch at NRA
2011 Blacksmith Awards
#CincyPRSA
11. News Conference/Publicity Stunt gyro Public Relations
Back to Scratch at NRA
In support of the Get Back to Scratch
movement, Buddy Valastro created and
unveiled a custom cake creation for the
Get Back to Scratch booth at the 2011
National Restaurant Association (NRA)
Show. The cake’s design was kept secret,
and Valastro formally unveiled the cake in
conjunction with a brief press conference.
More than 30 registered media outlets
were present for the press conference
and unveil of the giant Hobart replica
mixer cake.
2011 Blacksmith Awards
#CincyPRSA
12. MEDIA RELATIONS
Press Kit or Media Website
2011 Blacksmith Awards
#CincyPRSA
13. BRONZE AWARD
Northlich for Face:Meth
Face:Meth Kit Focuses on Education
2011 Blacksmith Awards
#CincyPRSA
14. Press Kit or Media Website Northlich for Face:Meth
Face:Meth Kit Focuses on Education
Northlich’s strategic meth education
campaign built a partnership
between local law enforcement and
retailers to increase awareness of
the products used to cook meth and
how to report suspicious meth-
related purchases to ultimately
increase meth tips and arrests.
Northlich created a meth education
kit for law enforcement officials to
distribute to retailers and
pharmacies. The face:meth kit
included: a video, information
cards, a scavenger hunt, and a
poster and cashier cards.
2011 Blacksmith Awards
#CincyPRSA
15. MEDIA RELATIONS
Best Placement
2011 Blacksmith Awards
#CincyPRSA
16. SILVER AWARD
Game Day Communications: Jackie Reau & Betsy Ross
Flying Pig Marathon Photo Essay in Inc. Magazine
2011 Blacksmith Awards
#CincyPRSA
17. Best Placement Game Day Communications
Flying Pig Marathon Photo Essay in Inc. Magazine
In 2011, the Flying Pig Marathon
applied for and received green
certification. This major effort
became a primary theme in
Game Day’s media relations
outreach and was on their pitch
list for the 2011 race.
The two-page photo spread
appeared in the July/August issue
of Inc. Magazine with 700,000
impressions and $764,500
earned media value.
2011 Blacksmith Awards
#CincyPRSA
18. SILVER AWARD
gyro Public Relations
Cincinnati Bell/Taft High on ABC News
2011 Blacksmith Awards
#CincyPRSA
19. Best Placement gyro Public Relations
Cincinnati Bell/Taft High on ABC News
On March 18, 2011, ABC World News with
Diane Sawyer’s Person of the Week was the
principal of Robert A. Taft Information
Technology High School. The school went
from a graduation rate around 20 percent to
receiving an “Excellent” rating on its state
report card.
To promote the turnaround, professionals from
Taft High School, Cincinnati Public Schools,
Cincinnati Bell and gyro worked together to tell
a comprehensive story with ABC News. The
story sentiment was highly favorable resulting
in positive nationwide exposure for Cincinnati
Public Schools and Cincinnati Bell.
2011 Blacksmith Awards
#CincyPRSA
20. SILVER AWARD
Northlich for Buffalo Wings & Rings
Buffalo Wings & Rings Lands on Nation’s Restaurant News
2011 Blacksmith Awards
#CincyPRSA
21. Best Placement Northlich for Buffalo Wings & Rings
Buffalo Wings & Rings Lands on Nation’s Restaurant News
As part of a communication rollout of new
brand positioning to its franchisees, Buffalo
Wings & Rings looked to Northlich for
placement in a publication that would
reinforce the brand story to current and
potential franchise owners and investors.
Northlich identified Nation’s Restaurant News
as the top choice publication.
Following the successful interview with
Nation’s Restaurant News, they announced
the brand re-launch to all franchisees during
the annual BW&R Franchise Meeting. During
the first day of the meeting, Nation’s
Restaurant News released the latest issue
featuring the interview.
2011 Blacksmith Awards
#CincyPRSA
22. BLACKSMITH
Mary Beth Weaver & James Czar
Cincy Blues Society’s Winter Blues Fest Coverage in
Metromix Cincinnati
2011 Blacksmith Awards
#CincyPRSA
23. Best Placement Cincy Blues Society
Winter Blues Fest Coverage–Metromix Cincinnati
The Society’s Winter Blues Fest event is
the organization’s primary fundraiser for
the Blues in the Schools program,
Having the Winter Blues Fest
highlighted in Metromix Cincinnati was
significant in raising awareness and
excitement, as well as increasing ticket
sales.
Metromix Cincinnati featured the Winter
Blues Fest as the primary cover story, in
a full-page article with photos and as the
largest call-out event on the “Get Out”
calendar section.
2011 Blacksmith Awards
#CincyPRSA
24. MEDIA RELATIONS
Op-Ed/Bylined Article
2011 Blacksmith Awards
#CincyPRSA
26. Op-Ed/Bylined Article Strata-G Communications
Neace Lukens Financial Executive Article
As part of the public relations engagement
with Neace Lukens, Strata-G was charged
with the task of increasing Neace Lukens’
brand awareness and helping to position
the company as a thought leader in the
insurance and financial industries.
In the fourth quarter of 2010, as a result of a
proactive thought leadership pitch, Strata-G
secured a bylined article opportunity about
Health Care Reform for Scott Heiser,
president of Neace Lukens' outsourced
employee benefits division, in Financial
Executive magazine.
2011 Blacksmith Awards
#CincyPRSA
29. Annual Report Tom Schick & Denis Orner
Mission. Momentum. Results.
Founded in 2007 through the merger of
three previously existing social
agencies, Mercy Neighborhood
Ministries faced many communication
challenges as it sought to bring the
cultures and supporter bases of the
predecessor agencies into a single
organization. The 2010 annual report
provides a modern professional
approach.
Annual report donations for 2010
were18% more than the total of all
those received in 2009, and the
average gift was15.6% larger.
2011 Blacksmith Awards
#CincyPRSA
32. Internal Magazine Sunglass Hut Communications Team
Fyi Magazine
FYi Magazine is a monthly publication
for Sunglass Hut used to make a
connection about company culture. It
is a fun way to provide insight on the
overall brand strategy, career
development opportunities,
community events and recognize
associates. In return, associates feel
more connected to what's happening
with the brand.
In an FYi Associate Satisfaction
Survey polled earlier this year, more
than 80% of responds noted that
almost always the material provided
content that was useful to connect
with customers.
2011 Blacksmith Awards
#CincyPRSA
34. SILVER AWARD
The Eisen Agency
Stevenson Color: 85th Anniversary Employee Event
2011 Blacksmith Awards
#CincyPRSA
35. Employee Event The Eisen Agency
Stevenson Color: 85th Anniversary
To celebrate 85 years of successful
business, Stevenson color launched a
rebrand that included a new logo and
website. To kick off their new look and
thank employees, they hosted an
employee event.
Out of the 150 employees that were
invited to attend, 140 attended the
event. As a result of the media relation
efforts, the Cincinnati Enquirer wrote a
Sunday Business Feature on
Stevenson Color that covered their
extensive history and success in
business.
2011 Blacksmith Awards
#CincyPRSA
36. SILVER AWARD
Northlich
Northlich “Lifts” Employees With Creative Storytelling
2011 Blacksmith Awards
#CincyPRSA
37. Employee Event Northlich
Northlich “Lifts” Employees With Creative Storytelling
Northlich leadership wanted to unite
employees around the agency’s ability to
differentiate itself in a crowded marketplace
through its unique approach to creative
storytelling. They transported employees for a
day-long meeting to Aileron, a banquet center
designed specifically for company events.
The agenda included a facilitated working
morning session as well as an afternoon
awards ceremony. During lunch and
scheduled breaks, employees enjoyed the
beautiful grounds.
The results of the post-event survey were
overwhelmingly positive, with 64 percent of
employees raving about the venue.
2011 Blacksmith Awards
#CincyPRSA
39. Employee Event Luxottica Corporate Communications Team
Luxottica Imagine Event
Luxottica held a company-wide event
in downtown Cincinnati to celebrate its
50th anniversary and present new
corporate Characteristics. Nick
Clooney emceed the program.
Clooney provided historical context
and narration to go with a series of
videos shown at the event.
Pre and post-surveys were sent to
associates before and after the event.
Among the results: 65 percent said
they have a clear understanding of
company direction and a compelling
vision of the future compared to 54
percent before the event.
2011 Blacksmith Awards
#CincyPRSA
41. SILVER AWARD
Northlich for DSW
Where’d You Get Those Shoes Leg Installation
2011 Blacksmith Awards
#CincyPRSA
42. Non-Traditional Marketing Northlich for DSW
Where’d You Get Those Shoes Leg Installation
As part of an integrated campaign,
Northlich applied non-traditional tactics to
encourage conversations around the DSW
brand for store grand openings. Northlich
leveraged the unique geography of each
market to fabricate and install playful art
installations featuring DSW shoes from the
spring collection.
Results in both locations included positive
verbatim among venues and sites and
grand opening day sales 57 and 54
percent above projections.
2011 Blacksmith Awards
#CincyPRSA
45. Brochure Cincinnati USA Regional Tourism Network
Pocket Brochure
The Cincinnati USA Regional Tourism
Network’s Pocket Brochures are a
quarterly piece of collateral distributed by
request regionally. Highlighting the
region’s attractions and events by season,
this piece is a resource to visitors planning
their visit as well as helpful tool once they
are in the market.
More than 500,000 brochures will be
distributed this year to customers through
online request as well as at Cincinnati
USA signature events.
2011 Blacksmith Awards
#CincyPRSA
47. BRONZE AWARD
Empower MediaMarketing
Tailgate Tour Reminds Game Day Fans of Bush’s Baked Beans
& Creates Fourth Grilling Holiday
2011 Blacksmith Awards
#CincyPRSA
48. Experiential Marketing Empower MediaMarketing
Tailgate Tour Reminds Game Day Fans of Bush’s Baked Beans & Creates Fourth
Grilling Holiday
In fall 2010, Bush’s kicked off its
Tailgate Research Institute (TRI)
mobile tour, which visited NFL and
college football game tailgates,
NASCAR and retail all over the
nation for 14 weeks. Bush’s Ultimate
Tailgate Spot showcased how a
“TRI Approved” space should be
arranged.
After tailgates, Bush’s continued its
emotional connection with
consumers online by directing fans
to the brand’s Facebook page where
tailgaters could view event photos,
find future tour stops, interact with
event-related wall posts, and enter
Bush’s Best Tailgate Contest.
2011 Blacksmith Awards
#CincyPRSA
50. BRONZE AWARD
gyro Public Relations
Makino – Radical Departures
2011 Blacksmith Awards
#CincyPRSA
51. Website gyro Public Relations
Makino – Radical Departures
To meet audiences' desire for the latest,
most relevant content, Makino looked to
gyro to provide a unique digital
experience that could offer new content
without the need to increase print
magazines. In June 2011, gyro created a
new, mobile-platform-optimized Radical
Departures website capable of
automatically aggregating and publishing
content from Makino's numerous web
properties.
After just two months, the website has
provided Makino with dozens of new
sales leads and new subscribers to the
magazine.
2011 Blacksmith Awards
#CincyPRSA
52. BRONZE AWARD
Topic Design
MidPoint Music Festival Website
2011 Blacksmith Awards
#CincyPRSA
53. Website Topic Design
MidPoint Music Festival Website
Topic has given birth to the
MPMF (MidPoint Music Festival) brand
and acronym, the MPMFer community,
a twitter/text visualizer and more. The
festival has surged on to the national
scene, growing in all manner of scale –
venues, bands, sponsorships,
attendance and reputation.
MPMF.com is the official online
resource for communicating all festival
information. Among the results: festival
attendance increased, 3-day ticket
sales doubled over the prior year, and
the festival had its first year of
profitability in its 9-year history.
2011 Blacksmith Awards
#CincyPRSA
54. SILVER AWARD
Northlich for the Ohio Lottery
New Online Experience Reaches Future Gamers
2011 Blacksmith Awards
#CincyPRSA
55. Website Northlich for the Ohio Lottery
New Online Experience Reaches Future Gamers
The site, www.ohiolottery.com, was designed
to enhance the player’s entertainment value
of the Lottery and create a deeper, more
engaged relationship with the brand. As part
of the website redesign, a new mobile
version of the site was also created.
One month after the site launched, unique
page views increased by more than one
million views. Pages viewed per visit
increased more than 12 percent. The
average time spent on the site increased by
nearly one minute per visit and new visits
increased more than 7 percent.
2011 Blacksmith Awards
#CincyPRSA
56. BLACKSMITH
The Staff of the Greater Cincinnati Foundation
GCF Building a Foundation Online
2011 Blacksmith Awards
#CincyPRSA
57. Website Greater Cincinnati Foundation
GCF Building a Foundation Online
In August 2010, The Greater
Cincinnati Foundation launched its
new website to better serve the
Foundation’s three main
audiences: donors, donors’
professional advisors and local
nonprofits. To keep the needs of
the audiences top of mind, an
internal staff committee was
formed to gain user insight.
From January – June 2011,
website visits were up 33 percent
over same period in 2010.
2011 Blacksmith Awards
#CincyPRSA
59. Website gyro Public Relations
Get Back to Scratch
The Get Back to Scratch website
serves as an entertaining and engaging
resource for professionals to share the
importance of scratch baking and
cooking. The website features an
online directory, videos, a scratch
baking blog, integrated Twitter and
Facebook feeds, and tips from some of
the industry’s top scratch professionals.
The initiative has already seen 500+
establishments registered in the
Scratch Directory and averages 32,000
unique monthly visitors. User
engagement is high with hundreds of
comments in support of scratch profiles
and blog posts.
2011 Blacksmith Awards
#CincyPRSA
61. BRONZE AWARD
Time Warner Cable – Cynthia Godby
“In the Community” Microsite
2011 Blacksmith Awards
#CincyPRSA
62. Intranet Time Warner Cable-Cynthia Godby
“In the Community” Microsite
In a company-wide employee opinion survey, it was
discovered that employees weren’t aware of TWC
community support. The “In the Community”
microsite was built to showcase the many ways
TWC contributes to its communities; encourage
volunteerism and to create a “one-stop spot” where
employees could find information.
After the site was previewed at a regional meeting,
all other Midwest Region divisions indicated they
would be borrowing concepts to use on their
intranets. Volunteer hours have increased by 25%
and are expected to increase an additional 20% by
Dec. 31.
2011 Blacksmith Awards
#CincyPRSA
64. BRONZE AWARD
gyro Public Relations
Get Back to Scratch with The Cake Boss
2011 Blacksmith Awards
#CincyPRSA
65. Video gyro Public Relations
Get Back to Scratch with The Cake Boss
Hobart, Traulsen and Baxter partnered
with Buddy Valastro, star of the popular
TLC show “Cake Boss,” to promote Get
Back to Scratch, a movement highlighting
the growing demand for high-quality
goods made from scratch. They spent
three days with Valastro and his crew in
Hoboken, New Jersey to film the creation
of the cake and discuss the movement.
The video built suspense for Valastro’s
appearance at the National Restaurant
Association show, increased awareness
of the movement among the target
audience and drove traffic to the NRA
show booth.
2011 Blacksmith Awards
#CincyPRSA
66. SILVER AWARD
The Eisen Agency
Roto Rooter: Thanksgiving Video
2011 Blacksmith Awards
#CincyPRSA
67. Video The Eisen Agency
Roto-Rooter Thanksgiving Video
The busiest day of the entire year for the
nation's #1 plumbing and drain cleaning
giant is Thanksgiving. As part of an
orchestrated effort and media relations
strategy to share with consumers across
the country that Roto-Rooter service
experts would like to enjoy a little time at
home with their family this year, Eisen
created a short video for homeowners to
view and learn a few "do's" and "don'ts"
when it comes to Thanksgiving and
plumbing.
As part of the media relations push, the
video has received more than 5 million
views, and calls on Thanksgiving Day were
down in 2010 for the first time in 20 years.
2011 Blacksmith Awards
#CincyPRSA
68. BLACKSMITH
Northlich for Face:Meth
Face:Meth Video Shows Dark Side of Meth
2011 Blacksmith Awards
#CincyPRSA
69. Video Northlich for Face:Meth
Face:Meth Video Shows Dark Side of Meth
Several tactics were identified to raise
awareness of the dangers of meth
through an educational campaign,
including an informational video.
Branded as face:meth, Northlich’s
strategic meth education campaign
aimed to build a partnership between
local law enforcement and retailers.
The purpose of the face:meth video
was to engage viewers and keep them
interested while communicating a large
amount of information. There were 350
videos distributed.
2011 Blacksmith Awards
#CincyPRSA
71. BRONZE AWARD
Strata-G Communications
Neace Lukens Blog
2011 Blacksmith Awards
#CincyPRSA
72. Blog Strata-G Communications
Neace Lukens Blog
To position Neace Lukens as a thought
leader in the insurance industry and
enhance its presence online, Strata-G
partnered with Neace Lukens to develop
a thought leadership blog. To meet the
individual needs and interests of its
customer base, Strata-G developed four
blogs, one for each key division.
During the first six months of the blog,
Strata-G worked to create 21 postings for the
Employee Benefits blog, nine postings for the
Property & Casualty 360 blog, three postings
for the CORE Solutions blog and eight
postings for the Personal Insurance blog.
2011 Blacksmith Awards
#CincyPRSA
73. SOCIAL MEDIA
Facebook
2011 Blacksmith Awards
#CincyPRSA
74. SILVER AWARD
Empower MediaMarketing
Research & Compelling Story
Drive Successful Facebook Re-Launch
2011 Blacksmith Awards
#CincyPRSA
75. Facebook Empower MediaMarketing
Research & Compelling Story Drive Successful Facebook Re-Launch
Michaels Arts & Crafts set the goal of
converting its Facebook page into a
thriving craft community. Using paid ads,
display advertising and tagged creative,
the brand built awareness of the
Facebook page and drove traffic. Once
consumers were on the page, Michaels
posted content that encouraged
engagement and provided exclusive
offers and information.
Over the course of five months, Michaels’
Facebook likes grew by 770% from
25,000 likes to more than 250,000. Total
impressions were 182% over the previous
year on a flat budget.
2011 Blacksmith Awards
#CincyPRSA
76. SILVER AWARD
Northlich for Random House Children’s Books
Bringing the Emerald Atlas to Life on Facebook
2011 Blacksmith Awards
#CincyPRSA
77. Facebook Northlich for Random House Children’s Books
Bringing the Emerald Atlas to Life on Facebook
In April 2011, RHCB published “The
Emerald Atlas,” the first book in The Books
of Beginning series by John Stephens. To
continue the momentum surrounding the
first book in a planned trilogy, RHCB
turned to Northlich to develop and execute
a word of mouth campaign throughout the
summer.
Northlich garnered more than 7,000 new
“likes” in less than three months, a 300
percent increase in the number of fans;
secured more than 80,000 social
impressions, a 358 percent increase in
engagement with fans on the Page.
2011 Blacksmith Awards
#CincyPRSA
78. SOCIAL MEDIA
Twitter
2011 Blacksmith Awards
#CincyPRSA
79. BRONZE AWARD
gyro Public Relations
Get Back to Scratch
2011 Blacksmith Awards
#CincyPRSA
80. Twitter gyro Public Relations
Get Back to Scratch
In March 2011, Hobart, Traulsen and
Baxter launched “Get Back to Scratch,” a
social media propelled movement
highlighting the growing demand for high-
quality goods made from scratch. When
the movement launched, they established
the @Back2Scratch twitter handle,
created the profile and began to follow key
influencers.
The Twitter account has seen amazing
support, garnering hundreds of Twitter
mentions, RT’s, “favorite” tweets and more
than 500 Twitter followers specific to the
precise target audience.
2011 Blacksmith Awards
#CincyPRSA
81. BLACKSMITH
Northlich for White Castle
Tweeting With a New Generation of Cravers
2011 Blacksmith Awards
#CincyPRSA
82. Twitter Northlich for White Castle
Tweeting With a New Generation of Cravers
Research found that Twitter was an
ideal communication channel for White
Castle to reach its target consumer.
The creation of a clear brand voice
that leveraged opportunities to
reinforce White Castle’s overall brand
strategies led to the rapid development
of the White Castle Twitter community.
Northlich was able to secure 4,921
Twitter followers, which was 53.78
percent above the goal, and 6,320 @
replies, mentions and retweets, which
was 5.3 percent above the goal.
2011 Blacksmith Awards
#CincyPRSA
83. SOCIAL MEDIA
YouTube/Vimeo
2011 Blacksmith Awards
#CincyPRSA
84. BLACKSMITH
Northlich
The Voice of a Generation
2011 Blacksmith Awards
#CincyPRSA
85. YouTube Northlich
The Voice of a Generation
In order to reach Gen Y, American
Greetings created justWink, a quirky
greeting card line that aimed to make its
brand more relevant to this audience.
The new card line was designed around
the sarcastic, hipster and colorful
expressions of this generation. Each
headline is brought to life through a
series of 15-second videos.
Twelve videos were uploaded to the
“justdashwink” YouTube Channel, and
the positive impact was seen
immediately. In less than two months,
these 12 justWink videos had a
combined total of 20,053 views for the
channel.
2011 Blacksmith Awards
#CincyPRSA
86. SOCIAL MEDIA
Blogger Outreach
2011 Blacksmith Awards
#CincyPRSA
87. SILVER AWARD
Northlich for White Castle
Bloggers Enjoy Breakfast with White Castle
2011 Blacksmith Awards
#CincyPRSA
88. Blogger Outreach Northlich for White Castle
Bloggers Enjoy Breakfast with White Castle
White Castle wanted to test featuring
their breakfast items as a way to attract
female consumers. A select group of
influential food and lifestyle bloggers in
the St. Louis market were targeted and
invited to an invitation-only event.
Bloggers were encouraged to tweet about
the event using a specific hashtag, and
share a coupon using a trackable URL.
The event was hosted by White Castle’s
executive chef.
Attending bloggers’ posts received
290,643 views, a 45.32 percent increase
above the goal. The hashtag was tweeted
177 times; a 77 percent increase above
the goal.
2011 Blacksmith Awards
#CincyPRSA
89. BLACKSMITH
Empower MediaMarketing
Rust-Oleum Pre-Launches New Product
with Bloggers to Earn Credibility
2011 Blacksmith Awards
#CincyPRSA
90. Blogger Outreach Empower MediaMarketing
Rust-Oleum Pre-Launches New Product with Bloggers
Rust-Oleum was on the brink of launching
a new product line, Rust-Oleum Kitchen
Transformations, but research uncovered
that consumers didn’t believe the product
would work. Rust-Oleum took to the
blogosphere and identified the nation’s top
10 DIY and design bloggers and invited
them to attend a three-day, hands-on
workshop to experience the products.
With more than 3,000 mentions of the new
product line, the Bloggers drove significant
buzz creating demand before the product
even hit shelves. It drove 21,000 visits to
the new website.
2011 Blacksmith Awards
#CincyPRSA
91. SOCIAL MEDIA
Other Social Media
2011 Blacksmith Awards
#CincyPRSA
93. Other Social Media Wordsworth Communications on behalf of Verizon
Verizon’s Gadget Play Date
Wireless
Starting in December 2010, Verizon
Wireless began activating its 4G Long
Term Evolution (LTE) network. WW
conceptualized, planned and executed
a Verizon Wireless 4G LTE “Gadget
Play Date” in order to officially
welcome the new network to local
social media aficionados.
The event provided social media
influencers and “gadget geeks” an
opportunity to interact with the latest
and greatest Verizon Wireless 4G LTE
– essentially, serving as an interactive
focus group.
2011 Blacksmith Awards
#CincyPRSA
94. SILVER AWARD
Northlich for Schneck Medical Center
Leveraging Passionate Employees to Launch a Facebook Page
2011 Blacksmith Awards
#CincyPRSA
95. Other Social Media Northlich for Schneck Medical Center
Leveraging Passionate Employees to Launch a Facebook Page
While Schneck had a strong internal
communications system in place to involve
employees and share updates on the hospital
system, Schneck was not active in social media. To
officially launch the Facebook page, Northlich and
Schneck planned an employee event at the hospital
to excite employees about participating on the
Facebook page and educate them on how to
participate as necessary.
On the day of the employee Facebook launch event,
the page added 210 fans in three hours and more
than 250 fans within the next three days. In addition,
employee-focused status updates have the highest
engagement with an average of over 800
impressions and 5.5% feedback.
2011 Blacksmith Awards
#CincyPRSA
97. SILVER AWARD
Gail Myers Public Relations & Bethany House Services
Bethany House Services Ripple Effect Cabaret
2011 Blacksmith Awards
#CincyPRSA
98. Special Events Gail Myers Public Relations & Bethany House Services
Ripple Effect Cabaret
As with many nonprofits, the funding of
Bethany House Services has decreased,
and Bethany House was looking for a new
fund raising event. Susan Emerson Ansel,
Vice President of Private Health News, is a
professional singer-actress and a volunteer
and friend of BHS. She agreed to create a
cabaret performance to benefit Bethany
House Services.
The theme was “The Ripple Effect: One
Person Can Make a Difference.” In 2010,
The Ripple Effect’s second airing raised
$50,000 for Bethany House Services, a 50
percent increase over the previous year’s
proceeds.
2011 Blacksmith Awards
#CincyPRSA
99. SILVER AWARD
Northlich for DSW
Fashion Gives – A DSW Grand Opening
2011 Blacksmith Awards
#CincyPRSA
100. Special Events Northlich for DSW
Fashion Gives – A DSW Grand Opening
DSW tapped Northlich to design and execute an
eight-week integrated local store marketing
campaign to support two DSW grand openings
A grand opening event called Fashion Gives
was executed to help create buzz around the
new stores. Northlich leveraged 50 local fashion
influencers tapped as Agents of Chic to spark
word of mouth recommendations around the
brand.
Between the two sites, there were more than
100 active and engaged Agents of Chic and
more than 1,800 attendees to Fashion Gives as
a result of Agents of Chic.
2011 Blacksmith Awards
#CincyPRSA
101. SILVER AWARD
Wordsworth Communications on behalf of
The Kenwood by Senior Star
A Grand Affair at the Kenwood by Senior Star
2011 Blacksmith Awards
#CincyPRSA
102. Special Events Wordsworth Communications on behalf of The Kenwood by Senior Star
A Grand Affair at the Kenwood by Senior Star
The Kenwood by Senior Star is a new,
luxury retirement community located in
Cincinnati. In March of 2011,
Wordsworth began planning three grand
opening events to officially unveil it to
the community. The objectives of the
events were to increase awareness and
generate sales leads.
There were approximately 355 guests
across all three events. The Kenwood’s
sales lead database doubled.
Wordsworth secured 19 total media
placements about the grand opening,
more than triple the number expected.
2011 Blacksmith Awards
#CincyPRSA
104. Special Events Strata-G Communications – Rob Foster
Husqvarna R&D Event
Strata-G recommended conducting a
hands-on media event to support the
grand opening of Husqvarna's North
American R&D facility to provide the
media with a deeper understanding and
appreciation of Husqvarna's brand
culture and personality and to reinforce
Husqvarna's position as an industry
thought leader. The media experienced
the brand's various outdoor products
first-hand.
Husqvarna received nearly a dozen
online article postings, blog postings and
e-newsletter article mentions, totaling
more than 3.7 million media
impressions.
2011 Blacksmith Awards
#CincyPRSA
106. BRONZE AWARD
gyro Public Relations
Get Back to Scratch at NRA
2011 Blacksmith Awards
#CincyPRSA
107. Tradeshow gyro Public Relations
Get Back to Scratch at NRA
Get Back to Scratch partnered
with Buddy Valastro, star of the
popular TLC show “Cake Boss,”
to promote Get Back to Scratch at
the NRA show. In support of the
movement, Valastro created a
custom cake creation and
unveiled it at NRA.
More than 30 registered media
outlets and more than 500
individual NRA attendees
attended the unveiling of the giant
Hobart mixer replica cake and
press conference. 102
establishments added themselves
to the Scratch Directory.
2011 Blacksmith Awards
#CincyPRSA
108. BRONZE AWARD
gyro Public Relations
Luv the Nug at NAFEM
2011 Blacksmith Awards
#CincyPRSA
109. Tradeshow gyro Public Relations
Luv the Nug at NAFEM
At the 2011 North American Food Equipment
Manufacturers (NAFEM) show, Scotsman
Ice Systems launched the “Luv the Nug”
campaign, a digital community that unites
passionate ice chewers everywhere. The
Nug Truck, a mobile food truck serving
nugget ice, was parked in the Scotsman
NAFEM booth with “chew-in events”
throughout the show. Hundreds of attendees
stopped by the Scotsman booth to engage
with the Nug Truck.
An interview with Scotsman president Mark
McClanahan detailing the Luv the Nug
campaign was published in the NAFEM
Daily. Trade media meetings and press
release distribution resulted in 10 articles.
2011 Blacksmith Awards
#CincyPRSA
111. BRONZE AWARD
Gail Myers Public Relations
Lance Corporal John Droody: Finding Strength to Recover
2011 Blacksmith Awards
#CincyPRSA
112. Article/Feature Story Gail Myers Public Relations
Lance Corporal John Droody: Finding Strength to Recover
“Lance Corporate John Doody:
Finding Strength to Recover” was
written for Hill-Rom’s 2010 Annual
Report to Shareholders. The theme of
the annual report was to be “Portraits
of Innovation.”
The purpose of the article was to
show how Hill-Rom’s innovative
products make a difference in an
individual’s quality of life.
2011 Blacksmith Awards
#CincyPRSA
113. BRONZE AWARD
Gail Myers Public Relations
Rex Healthcare:
Collaboration, Innovation and Finding New Solutions
2011 Blacksmith Awards
#CincyPRSA
114. Article/Feature Story Gail Myers Public Relations
Rex Healthcare: Collaboration, Innovation and Finding New Solutions
“Rex Healthcare: Collaboration, Innovation
and Finding New Solutions” was written for
Hill-Rom’s 2010 Annual Report to
Shareholders. The theme of the annual
report was to be “Portraits of Innovation.”
The purpose of the article was to show how
Hill-Rom’s partners with customers to
develop product improvements. Hill-Rom
wanted the article to demonstrate how Hill-
Rom and Rex Healthcare worked together to
improve Hill-Rom’s products for all
customers.
2011 Blacksmith Awards
#CincyPRSA
115. SILVER AWARD
The Eisen Agency
TechSolve: Collaboration Raises the Bar
of Customer Service at Bethesda North
2011 Blacksmith Awards
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116. Article/Feature Story The Eisen Agency
TechSolve: Collaboration Raises the Bar at Bethesda North
This bylined article was written to illustrate how
lean process improvements are effective in both
aligning physician leadership and nursing staffs
in providing better service and ultimately
increasing patient satisfaction ratings in a
hospital setting.
Group Practice Journal is a publication of the
American Medical Group Association with a
circulation of 69,207, reaching a large,
influential audience of decision-makers critical
to the client's health care division. The article is
also available on the client's website.
2011 Blacksmith Awards
#CincyPRSA
117. SILVER AWARD
Rumpke Consolidated – Jonathan Kissell
“Hauler Heroics” from Waste Age Magazine
2011 Blacksmith Awards
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118. Article/Feature Story Rumpke Consolidated – Jonathan Kissell
“Hauler Heroics” from Waste Age Magazine
Four Rumpke workers in Cleveland helped
evacuate 10 people from a burning building.
Waste Age Magazine, a trade publication for
the waste and recycling industries, requested
a feature article about the heroic deeds. The
goal of the article was to tell the story from the
perspective of the garbage workers and
convey how they followed safety procedures
as closely as possible.
It was published in the October 2010 issue of
Waste Age Magazine. The magazine reaches
more than 36,000 waste industry
professionals.
2011 Blacksmith Awards
#CincyPRSA
120. Article/Feature Story The Greater Cincinnati Foundation – Julia Mace
Weathering the Economic Storm
In 2009, as our economy hit a
downward spiral, GCF took the lead
in creating a community-wide
response to help families and the
nonprofit sector, convening the
Weathering the Economic Storm
Partnership. The feature article's
summary of the partnership’s large
body of work not only made it
interesting for audiences, it served
as a tool for staff as well.
Print copies made it easy to explain
this funding partnership as the work
continued.
2011 Blacksmith Awards
#CincyPRSA
122. Article/Feature Story The Greater Cincinnati Foundation – Julia Mace
Time to Start Over
The Greater Cincinnati Foundation uses stories to
inspire donors to give, to put a “face” on the
sometimes-complex work and to explain why
community foundations are important. The feature
story, “Time to Start Over” appeared in the Annual
Report. It tells the story of LaGracia Guice-Williams,
a college-educated woman in her 50s who lost her
job during the recession. Thanks to the Workforce
Network, she received training and embarked on a
new career.
This story made LaGracia a GCF superstar. E-mails
notes and phone calls received about the story and
report were positive.
2011 Blacksmith Awards
#CincyPRSA
124. BRONZE AWARD
Cincinnati USA Regional Tourism Network
Cincinnati USA 2011 Official Visitor Guide
2011 Blacksmith Awards
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125. Special Purpose Publication Cincinnati USA Regional Tourism Network
Cincinnati USA 2011 Official Visitor Guide
Once determining a Visitor Guide redesign
would occur, the Cincinnati USA Regional
Tourism Network decided that a successful
redesign would need to increase Visitor
Guide requests and elevate its perceived
value while also lengthening its shelf life.
The new guide included pertinent “driver
events” and was also entertaining.
The Regional Tourism Network ordered
300,000 Visitors Guide copies to keep up
with demand and that number was
exhausted by mid-October.
2011 Blacksmith Awards
#CincyPRSA
126. SILVER AWARD
Northlich for Cincinnati Northern Kentucky Airport
CVG Soars With Report to Community
2011 Blacksmith Awards
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127. Special Purpose Publication Northlich for CVG
CVG Soars With Report to Community
With a declining economy negatively impacting the
airline industry, a reduction in the flights available
and higher prices than desired, people were not
aware of the positive developments within
Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport.
Northlich recommended the development of key
messages that culminated in a community report to
educate and inform key audiences about CVG
operations and the benefits to the community.
Approximately 100 key stakeholders, including
Ohio legislators, attended a reception at the airport
and the messages in the report were positively
received. The community report also helped drive
positive news coverage.
2011 Blacksmith Awards
#CincyPRSA
128. BLACKSMITH
Northlich
Telling Northlich’s Health & Wellness Story
2011 Blacksmith Awards
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129. Special Purpose Publication Northlich
Telling Northlich’s Health & Wellness Story
Northlich offers a unique approach to
servicing its clients – otherwise known as the
“village” structure with members who
specialize in every discipline. Northlich
created a leave-behind book that housed the
unique Northlich approach as well as multiple
case studies to showcase the expansive
range of work that Northlich has managed in
the health care space.
Since the final production of the book in
January 2011, Northlich’s health and wellness
team has experienced a 50 percent
conversation rate from the initial presentation
into a new client.
2011 Blacksmith Awards
#CincyPRSA
131. SILVER AWARD
Game Day Communications:
Jackie Reau, Betsy Ross, Michael Farris
A Community Analysis of the Tate & Lyle Championship
2011 Blacksmith Awards
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132. Research Game Day Communications
A Community Analysis of the Tate & Lyle Championship
Game Day Communications was
contracted by the LPGA to conduct a
Community Analysis of the Tate & Lyle
Players Championship during the 2011
tournament. The intent of the research was
to assist the new leadership of tournament
with positioning and enhanced awareness
on a year-round basis and to seek and
solicit new financial sponsors.
Currently, the local organizing committee is
pressing two key recommendations into
action – creation of the Jennifer Song
Community Spirit Award and research and
promotion of the tournament’s history with
co-branding efforts in association with the
host golf course.
2011 Blacksmith Awards
#CincyPRSA
134. Research gyro Public Relations
Luv the Nug
Social media monitoring for Scotsman
Ice Systems identified an untapped
group of consumers who are passionate
about chewing ice. Research of social
media properties showed these ice
chewers were expressing their love for
chewable ice, specifically the distinctive
Scotsman nugget ice found.
Insights from the research led to
development of the successful “Luv the
Nug” campaign. The campaign resulted
in 40 media placements, including the
Houston Chronicle, Newsday, Local TV
in Nashville and Birmingham, and key
third-party blog posts.
2011 Blacksmith Awards
#CincyPRSA
135. SPECIAL PROJECT
Partnership
2011 Blacksmith Awards
#CincyPRSA
136. BLACKSMITH
Beth Reiter Benson & Dacia Snider
Soapbox Media & The Greater Cincinnati Foundation
2011 Blacksmith Awards
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137. Partnership Beth Reiter Benson & Dacia Snider
Soapbox Media & The Greater Cincinnati Foundation
The Greater Cincinnati Foundation wanted to help
the non profit sector be more visible, while also
increasing the Foundation’s profile and
recognition of its role in community change.
Soapbox Media wished to better cover civic
affairs and innovation stories. In early 2011, GCF
provided a two-year sponsorship of Soapbox’s
new “For Good” section to cover our region's
nonprofits and key community issues.
“For Good” launched in February 2011. Since
launch, 115 “For Good” stories have run in
Soapbox. Dozens of these have been shared by
the featured nonprofits on their websites, blogs or
Facebook walls.
2011 Blacksmith Awards
#CincyPRSA
140. BRONZE AWARD
Cristofoli-Keeling, Inc.
Ault Park Concours d’Elegance 2011 Public Relations Plan
2011 Blacksmith Awards
#CincyPRSA
141. Community Relations Campaign Cristofoli-Keeling, Inc.
Ault Park Concours d’Elegance
The Ault Park Concours
d’Elegance relies heavily on
media relations to heighten
awareness to drive day of show
attendance, and provide parity
messaging with events in other
US cities. Year-round social
media strategy was executed to
maintain high level of awareness
and visibility.
Media measurement far exceeded
with over 175 stories, and
Facebook traffic activity goals
were met. The 2011 event was
the most attended show to date,
with 5,330 in attendance.
2011 Blacksmith Awards
#CincyPRSA
142. BRONZE AWARD
Cristofoli-Keeling, Inc.
Architreks/Cincinnati Walks Public Relations Campaign
2011 Blacksmith Awards
#CincyPRSA
143. Community Relations Campaign Cristofoli-Keeling, Inc.
Architreks/Cincinnati Walks
Offering educational, historic guided
walking tours of local neighborhoods,
Architreks/Cincinnati Walks wanted to
increase awareness of the organization.
The campaign involved social and
digital media and promotion, as well as
media relations. A social media editorial
calendar was developed and maintained
throughout the campaign, including
weekly trivia questions, event postings
and photos from tours.
Within the first month of activity, the
Facebook page had 455 monthly active
users and posts were viewed 17,024
times. In the second month post
feedback increased by 45%, and there
were a total of 14, 309 post views.
2011 Blacksmith Awards
#CincyPRSA
144. SILVER AWARD
Great American Financial Resources– Shara Clark,
Becky Marrington, Donna Carrelli
Great American Classroom Makeover
2011 Blacksmith Awards
#CincyPRSA
145. Community Relations Campaign Great American Financial Resources
Great American Classroom Makeover
The goal was to reach educators and
schools to show that Great American
supports educators while giving agents
a tool they could use to build
relationships and stand out from
competitors. Teachers submitted a
photo and essay about their classroom
needs, and gifts were given to the
classroom and the school. Winners
were chosen by the public through an
online vote.
Nearly 40,000 votes helped determine
winners in three local markets. There
was a 652% increase in website visits
and a 1,500% increase in page views
over normal website traffic.
2011 Blacksmith Awards
#CincyPRSA
146. SILVER AWARD
Time Warner Cable Southwest Ohio Division – Wende Wright
Time Warner Cable STEM Explorers – The Show
2011 Blacksmith Awards
#CincyPRSA
