SE2 principal Sarah Kurz has been named one of ColoradoBiz Magazine’s “Top 25 Most Influential Young Professionals in Colorado.”
Category: Awards
Weber Shandwick, CLS Win PR News Awards
Congratulations to Weber Shandwick and Carmichael Lynch Spong for taking home the hardware at PR News’ annual awards event. Weber Shandwick was named the “Digital PR Firm of the Year,” and CLS was named “Midsize PR Firm of the Year.”
Best Companies for Working Mothers
Congratulations to the Colorado companies that made Working Mother magazine’s “Best Companies for Working Mothers,” including … wait, never mind.
CHC ‘Gold Leaf Award’ Nominations Due Aug. 27
Nominations for the annual Colorado Healthcare Communicators (CHC) Gold Leaf Awards are due Friday, Aug. 27. The Gold Leaf Awards, which will be presented at a dinner on Thursday, Oct. 21, honor public relations, communications and marketing professionals for their work in the healthcare industry.
DBJ ‘Best Places to Work’ Nominations Due Aug. 13
The Denver Business Journal is accepting nominations for its annual “Best Places to Work in Denver” awards. The deadline to submit your company or agency is Friday, August 13.
Linhart Named Finalist for PR News Award
For the second consecutive year, Linhart PR has been named a finalist for PR News’ “Small Firm of the Year.” The winner will be announced Oct. 5.
DBJ Names ‘Outstanding Women in Business’ Nominees
The Denver Business Journal is out with its annual nominees for Outstanding Women in Business, and there are a number from the world of public relations and advertising:
- Wendy Aiello, Aiello Public Relations & Marketing
- Leanna Clark, IMA Financial Group
- Lisa Cutter, Cutter Communications
- Terri Douglas, Catapult PR-IR
- Cindy Jennings, Cohn Marketing
- Lora Ledermann, Scream Agency
- Cathy McClain Finlon, Denver Art Museum
- Alana Morris, VOCA PR
- Ramonna Tooley, GroundFloor Media
Winners will be announced at a DBJ luncheon on Thursday, Aug. 26.
‘Entrepreneur of the Year’ Award Winners Named
Congratulations to the 2010 Ernst & Young Rocky Mountain Entrepreneur of the Year award winners:
- Retail and consumer products — Trevor Tice, CorePower Yoga
- Healthcare — Jack McClurg, HealthTrans
- Services — Anita Padilla-Fitzgerald, MegaStar Financial Corp.
- Energy — Blake Jones, Namaste Solar
- Technology — Paul Ford, NetQuote
- Hospitality — Kevin Reddy, Noodles & Company
The Rocky Mountain region winners will move on to the national Entrepreneur of the Year awards in Palm Springs, Calif., in November.
5280 Names Westword’s Roberts ‘Top Blogger’
Congratulations to Westword’s Michael Roberts for being named Top Blogger in 5280‘s annual Top of the Town issue. His “Latest Word” blog is the first one I read every morning, and the first one I recommend to anyone looking to fill their RSS reader.
Chicken Feature Lands Award for CPR Reporter
Congratulations to Colorado Public Radio (CPR) reporter Megan Verlee for her second-place award for “Use of Sound” from the 2010 Colorado Associated Press Broadcasters Association Contest. Verlee’s story, featuring sounds mixed by CPR Audio Producer David Fender, covered the changing nature of municipal ordinances for livestock in urban areas, with a special focus on her neighbor’s chickens living on a converted sun porch in northeast Denver.
Hughes & Stuart Wins Awards for Video Project
PRSA Colorado’s ‘Business Person of the Year’ Threatens to Break KMGH/Channel 7 Reporter’s Finger
How’s this for irony: A week after accepting PRSA Colorado’s “Business Person of the Year” award at the organization’s annual awards gala, Pinnacol Assurance CEO Ken Ross (allegedly) had to be restrained from attacking KMGH/Channel 7 investigative reporter Tony Kovaleski and threatened to break the reporter’s finger.
The confrontation (allegedly) took place at the famed Pebble Beach resort in California, where Pinnacol was hosting a controversial junket for board members and its top sales brokers.
From KMGH/Channel 7:
Following a golf round on May 13, Kovaleski asked Johnson about whether it was appropriate for him to be on the trip.
“What do you think the governor is going to think about you taking this kind of golf with you and your wife,” Kovaleski was asking (Pinnacol board chairman Gary) Johnson when Ross interrupted and prevented the board member from answering.
Ross, on the 18th hole, seemed very agitated.
“You point your finger at me again, and I’m going to break it,” Ross said while pointing his finger at Kovaleski. He turned to the camera and demanded that it be turned off.
“This has nothing to do with Pinnacol,” Ross said.
“It doesn’t?” Kovaleski asked. “Then why did your employees let us know you were here? Why are your employees outraged? You are spending a lot of money on a trip and you have board members who are appointed by the governor.”
CALL7 Investigators were tipped of to the trip by a source who had information from inside Pinnacol.
Ross, who was being restrained by colleagues, surged at Kovaleski.
“Please, don’t push me,” Kovaleski said.
Amelie Company Wins Hermes Creative Awards
Denver-based Amélie Company Advertising & PR won two Gold awards from the 2010 Hermes Creative Awards, an international competition for creative professionals. Amélie’s awards recognized its work performed on behalf of its client Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT).
Linhart, Webb Dominate 2010 ‘Gold Pick’ Agency Awards
If you see Sharon Linhart and Pete Webb at the Capital Grille today smoking cigars, swilling scotch and generally cackling like they own the town, there’s a reason: they were the big agency winners at last night’s PRSA Colorado Gold Pick Awards. Using the proprietary and highly sophisticated Denver PR Blog formula to determine which agencies fared best (two points for a gold, one point for a silver), the results are:
1. Linhart PR (10 points) – One grand gold, three gold, two silver
2. Pete Webb PR (9 points) – Three gold, three silver
3. Carmichael Lynch Spong (4 points) – Two gold
3. Pure (4 points) – Two gold
3. Philosophy (4 points) – One gold, two silver
6. Xstatic (3 points) – One gold, one silver
7. GroundFloor Media (2 points) – Two silver
7. Peri Marketing & PR (2 points) – Two silver
9. InView (1 point) – One silver
9. JDK – (1 point) – One silver
9. Vladimir Jones (1 point) – One silver
And congratulations to the Denver Art Museum, which if an agency would have placed third with 6 points (three gold). Also, congratulations to the big award winners:
• MGA’s Jeff Julin (Swede Johnson Lifetime Achievement Award)
• Pinnacol Assurance President & CEO Ken Ross (Business Person of the Year)
• Red Energy PR’s Amy Sufak (PR Person of the Year)
• Subaru’s Rachael Tucker Dorr (Joe Fuentes Rookie of the Year Award)
• Denver Art Museum (Nonprofit Award)
• Bonfil’s Julie Scott, Larimer Square’s Erika Sauerwein and Linhart’s Jennifer Tilliss (Chapter Service Awards)
• Applewood Plumbing & Heating/JKD (Small Business Award)
• Audubon Surgery Center/Vladimir Jones (Golden Spur Award)
PRSA Colorado to Honor Fuentes at ‘Gold Pick’ Awards
PRSA Colorado will pay tribute to Joe Fuentes at its annual Gold Pick Awards ceremony on Thursday, May 6. Joe, who lost his battle with cancer in March, was a longtime PRSA Colorado member and well-known in the Denver PR and media communities. According to PRSA Colorado, “The tribute to Joe will include a video featuring many of his friends and colleagues reminisremembering the five attributes he displayed daily throughout his life, including: professional excellence, community, mentorship, family and ethics/integrity.”
Following the video, Joe’s widow, Christine, and her family will present the “Joe Fuentes Rookie of the Year Award.” The award was renamed to honor Joe and will continue to be awarded annually at the awards ceremony. The tribute also will include a Coors toast in Joe’s memory as a nod to the 14 years he spent leading PR efforts for the Coors Brewing Company.
MGA Recognized for Philanthropy
Congratulations to MGA Communications, which was recognized by the Denver Business Journal as the 2010 ‘Partners in Philanthropy’ Small Business of the Year.
Post’s Walker Wins Pulitzer
Congratulations to Denver Post photographer Craig Walker for his Pulitzer Prize for photography. Walker was recognized for his series, “Ian Fisher: American Soldier” that chronicled 27 months in the life of soldier Ian Fisher.
MGA Campaign Named One of the Best of the Decade
Congratulations to Denver’s MGA Communications and its client Rocky Mountain Arsenal, which were named one of the top five public relations campaigns of the past decade by the Holmes Report. MGA President Jeff Julin said, “We are so pleased to have our clients and their programs recognized by our peers. We realize how fortunate we are to have clients who give us the opportunity to partner with them on programs that have a positive impact on the community.”
The four other campaigns recognized were:
- Ketchum and Frito-Lay for encouraging customers to create a SuperBowl ad for Doritos.
- Liz Claiborne and its agency Patrice Tanaka & Company (now part of CRT/tanaka) for their long-running Women’s Work cause-related marketing program.
- The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute and Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide for The Heart Truth campaign and its introduction of the Red Dress icon.
- Fleishman-Hillard and its support of SBC Communications, Yahoo! and Cingular Wireless for their efforts to help individuals displaced by Hurricane Katrina.
5280 Nominated for Multiple Awards
As publisher Dan Brogan noted, last week was a great one for 5280. The magazine was named again as a finalist for a National Magazine Award and was nominated for five awards from the City and Regional Magazine Association.
The National Magazine Award nod went to “Low on O2,” 5280’s in-depth look at the often-misunderstood effects of living at high altitude, which appeared in the October 2009 issue and was written by staffers Lindsey B. Koehler and Natasha Gardner.
The nominees for the City and Regional Magazine Association awards are:
- Writer of the Year: Robert Sanchez
- Photo Essay: “The Forgotten Plains,” by Jefferson Panis
- Reader Service: “Snow Business,” by Lindsey B. Koehler, Natasha Gardner, Patrick Doyle, Julie Dugdale, Geoff Van Dyke, Corey H. Jones
- E-Newsletter: “Table Talk,” by Amanda Faison
- Community Service Project: “Single in the City Event”
Cohn Wins Several Awards
Congratulations to Cohn Marketing, which nabbed three silver awards and one gold at the annual MAXI Awards, the shopping center industry’s highest marketing honor. Cohn also picked up a 2010 REBRAND 100 Global Award for is rebranding work with client Seattle Fish Company.
DPC Names P.J. O’Rourke Winner of 2010 Damon Runyon Award
I don’t know how Bruce Goldberg and the Denver Press Club does it year after year, but they have once again landed an impressive honoree for the DPC’s annual Damon Runyon award. This year’s winner is author and political satirist P.J. O’Rourke, who will be feted at a banquet in his honor on Friday, April 9, at the Denver Marriott City Center . Tickets are $100, or $80 for members of the DPC and PRSA Colorado (click here for tickets).
O’Rourke is the latest A-list winner of the award, and follows the likes of Jimmy Breslin, Mike Royko, Molly Ivins, Herb Caen, Pete Hamill, Ted Turner, Maureen Dowd, Tom Brokaw, David Halberstam, Ed Bradley, Carl Hiaasen, Seymour Hersh, George Will, Bob Costas, Tim Russert and last year’s winner, Rick Reilly.
JohnstonWells Lands E&Y Entrepreneur Awards
JohnstonWells has been named the public relations partner for the Rocky Mountain region of Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year program. Public relations support for E&Y’s awards program was formerly handled by LeGrand Hart.
Post’s Svaldi Wins SABEW Award
I have been tough on Denver Post business reporter Aldo Svaldi in the past for what must be the toughest job in town – reporting on the financials of your own paper. But today Svaldi deserves congratulations for his Society of American Business Editors and Writers award for best investigative project for large publications. Svaldi, along with colleague Miles Moffeit, won for their story investigating how state and federal regulator mistakes allowed Greeley’s New Frontier Bank to fail.
PRSA Extends ‘Silver Anvil’ Award Deadline
PRSA has extended its deadline for early entries for its Silver Anvil awards until Feb. 16 due to the snowstorms on the East Coast.
Early Entry Deadline for ‘Gold Pick’ Awards This Month
The early entry deadline for the PRSA Colorado Chapter’s Gold Pick awards is Feb. 26. You’d be foolish not to enter, especially after a recent study by Sarah Rasmussen found that you can raise your billable rates 138.75 percent for each Gold Pick you’ve won.
Linhart, Shanley Finalists in PR Week Awards
Congratulations to Linhart PR, which has been named a PR Week award finalist in two categories: Boutique Agency of the Year and Business-to-Business Campaign of the Year. Additionally, United Healthcare director of Public Relations (and former Linhart employee and Denver Post reporter) Will Shanley has been named a finalist for PR Week’s Young Professional of the Year award. Winners will be announced in March.
KMGH/Channel 7 Wins Prestigious duPont-Columbia Award
Congratulations to reporter Tony Kovaleski, producer Arthur Kane and the rest of the team at KMGH/Channel 7 for winning the Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University award for its half-hour report on the December 2008 Continental airlines crash at DIA. Michael Roberts at Westword has the details.
DDP Accepting Nominations for Annual Awards
The Downtown Denver Partnership is accepting nominations for its Annual Downtown Denver Awards. The awards celebrate businesses, organizations, events and projects that have made significant contributions toward creating a unique, vibrant and diverse Downtown environment, and have made a lasting, positive impact on Downtown Denver. To nominate a colleague or client, click here.
Bawmann, SE2, Weise Nab CHC Awards
Congratulations to The Bawmann Group, SE2 and Weise Communications for picking up the hardware at Colorado Healthcare Communicators’ 2009 Gold Leaf Awards. And to Bawmann’s Tammy Stratton who was named the CHC 2009 “Professional of the Year.”
GG Johnson Named DBJ Top Business Newsmaker
Congratulations to JohnstonWells CEO GG Johnston, who was named a Denver Business Journal 2009-2010 Top Business Newsmaker in the Media & Communications category.
GBSM Named Finalist for PR News’ Nonprofit Award
Congratulations to Tracy Boyle and her team at GBSM, which was named as a finalist in the annual PR News’ Nonprofit PR Awards for their work with client Delta Dental Foundation.
Cohn Named ‘Top Place to Work in PR’ by PR Week
Congratulations to Denver-based Cohn Marketing, which was among the winners in PR Week’s first annual “Top Places to Work in PR.”
Traction’s Hamling Named ‘Outstanding Woman in Business’
Congratulations to Traction Communications’ Kirtsen Hamling, who was named an “Outstanding Woman in Business” by the Denver Business Journal in its communications category.
‘Ladies Who Launch’ Award Nominations
The Colorado chapter of “Ladies Who Launch” is accepting nominations for its First Annual Leading Lady Awards recognizing Colorado’s women entrepreneurs. Nominations will be accepted through October 16. Details are here.
Denver Companies Make Inc. 5000 List
Congratulations to the Denver communications and advertising companies who made the 2009 Inc. 5000 list:
644. Cactus ($18.4M in revenue; 429.6% growth)
1279. Cohn Marketing ($3.3M in revenue; 247.3% growth)
1425. Location3 Media ($12.6M in revenue; 224.4% growth)
1682. 90octane ($2.6M in revenue; 190.1% growth)
1767. Worldways Social Marketing ($5.5M in revenue; 178.9% growth)
1929. Memolink ($34.9M in revenue; 165.0% growth)
3516. Vladimir Jones ($25.9M in revenue; 68.7% growth)
Linhart Finalist for PR News Award
Linhart PR has been named a finalist for PR News’ “Small PR Firm of the Year” Platinum PR award. Award winners will be announced on October 21 at an awards event in New York City.
Friday is the DBJ Deadline for ‘Best Places to Work’
Is your agency a great place to work. Or can you trick people into thinking your agency is a great place to work? If you said yes to either of those questions, you have another couple of days to nominate yourself for a Denver Business Journal “Best Places to Work” award.
MGA Lands Two More Awards with Rocky Mountain Arsenal
MGA, with its clients at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal,was awarded the IABC’s Bronze Quill Award and the AMA’s Gold Peak Award for its campaign for the Refuge Roundup 2008. The communications program for the event is credited with doubling visitation over the previous year.
Guttau Honored by Kidney Foundation
Congratulations to Guttau’s Jim Guttau, who received the Mission Champion Award from the National Kidney Foundation of Colorado, Montana and Wyoming for the agency’s efforts to expand awareness about kidney disease to a generation of young adults who otherwise would know very little about kidney disease.
Guttau Picks Up Education Awards
Guttau Public Relations picked up two Colorado School Public Relations Association (COSPRA) awards with its client, Colorado Springs School District 11.
CIGNA’s Wilson Elected to OSU AA BOD
Congratulations to CIGNA HealthCare public relations manager Kathryn Wilson, who has been elected to the Ohio State University Alumni Association’s Board of Directors. She will start her five-year term in September.
Westwordies Land AAN Awards
Congratulations to Westword’s Michael Roberts, Joel Warner, Jared Jacang Maher and Kenny Be, all of whom picked up awards at the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies annual conference.
MGA, Cattlemen’s Association Win Silver Anvils
The national PRSA finally posted the list of 2009 Silver Anvil winners, and there are two Denver connections. Denver-based MGA won a Silver Anvil in the Events and Observances category for its campaign “Refuge Roundup 2008 at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge,” and Centennial-based National Cattlemen’s Beef Association won in the Issues Management category for its campaign “Better Safe & Savory Than Sorry.”
Additionally, Linhart PR received a Silver Anvil Award of Excellence for its work with Rudi’s Organic Bakery.
Let’s Just Call it SA, Because the PR Seems to be Missing
Want to know who the winners were from last night’s 2009 Silver Anvil Awards? Me too. But the national PRSA won’t announce the list of winners until tomorrow, 48 hours after the event ended and cleverly buried on a Saturday. Nice.
Dovetail Picks Up DBJ Philanthropy Award
Congratulations to Dovetail Solutions, which recently won the Denver Business Journal’s Small Business Partners in Philanthropy award.
CLS, Linhart, JohnstonWells Lead 2009 PRSA ‘Gold Pick’ Awards
The tables have been cleared, the floors vacuumed, the rented tuxedos returned, Elaine Ellis has posted bail and LoDo’s has agreed not to press charges, which can mean only one thing – The 2009 PRSA Colorado ‘Gold Pick” Awards ceremony is officially over. PRSA Colorado has posted the winners from Thursday’s event, and the Denver PR Blog has once again used a proprietary and highly sophisticated formula (two points for a gold, one point for a silver) to determine which agencies fared best:
1. Carmichael Lynch Spong (13 points) – Three gold, seven silver
2. Linhart PR (9 points) – Three gold, three silver
3. JohnstonWells (8 points) – One grand gold, two gold, two silver
3. Pure Brand (8 points) – Three gold, two silver
5. GroundFloor Media (7 points) – Two gold, three silver
6. Philosophy (6 points) – One grand gold, two gold
7. Xstatic (4 points) – One gold, two silver
8. 104 West Partners (2 points) – One gold
8. GolinHarris (2 points) – One gold
8. MGA Communications (2 points) – One gold
8. Room 214 (2 points) – One gold
8. SSA (2 points) – One gold
8. Cohn Marketing (2 points) – Two silver
14. Dressel-Martin MediaWorks (1 point) – One silver
Also, congratulations to the big award winners: Comcast’s Scott Binder and Goodwill’s Tim Welker (Business Persons of the Year), Denver Art Museum’s Ashley Pritchard (Rookie of the Year), Aurora Organic Dairy’s Sonja Tuitele (PR Person of the Year), First Data’s Cara Taylor (Chapter Service Award), Don Kirchoffner & Associates’ Don Kirchoffner (Swede Johnson Lifetime Achievement Award), and Morris Animal Hospital (Nonprofit Award).
104 West Picks Up Three Hermes Awards
104 West Partners won two Platinum and one Gold Hermes Creative Awards for its work on behalf of BitGravity, The March of Dimes Colorado Chapter and MX Logic. The Hermes Creative Awards recognizes outstanding work in the industry while promoting the philanthropic nature of marketing and communication professionals.
Linhart Named SABRE Finalist
Congratulations to Linhart PR, which was named a finalist for a SABRE award for its work with Red Robin.
Volume, Linhart Win BMA Colorado Awards
Volume PR and Linhart picked up hardware at the BMA Colorado Gold Key awards. Volume won a Silver Key award for its work with its client The Alternative Board, and Linhart nabbed a Silver Key award for its work with client MWH’s hydropower practice.
IABC Colorado Award Entries Due by May 22
IABC Colorado is accepting entries for its annual Bronze Quill Awards through May 22. Details are here.
One Peabody, 40 Emmys, Zero Jobs
The number of Denver television anchors and reporters who have departed over the past year has been brutal, but the behind-the-camera exodus has been just as bad. Joanne Ostrow at the Denver Post reports today that CBS4 producer Vicki Hildner’s contract was not renewed. Hildner’s resume includes a Peabody Award and 40 Emmys in her two decades at CBS4.
PRSA Colorado Announces ‘Gold Pick’ Nominees
PRSA Colorado is out with its list of 2009 Gold Pick nominees. The organizations/agencies nominated are:
- 104 West Partners
- Bonfils Blood Center
- Carmichael Lynch Spong
- Cohn Marketing Group
- Denver Art Museum
- Denver Botanic Gardens
- First Data Marketing and Communications
- GroundFloor Media
- JohnstonWells Public Relations
- Linhart Public Relations
- Metropolitan State College of Denver, Office of College Communications
- Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation
- MGA Communications
- Morris Animal Foundation
- National Cattlemen’s Beef Association
- Newmont Mining Corporation
- Philosophy Communication
- Pure Brand Communications
- Rocky Mountain Health Plans
- Room 214
- SSA Public Relations
- University of Denver, University Communications
- Xstatic Public Relations
So far, Linhart leads the field with six nominations. If you know someone with more, let me know. You can register to attend the Gold Pick awards at http://www.prsacolorado.org/cde.cfm?event=257309.
UPDATE: Carmichael Lynch Spong is the new Gold Pick nominee leader with nine.
Linhart CFO Finalist for DBJ Award
Congratulations to Linhart PR partner and CFO Carri Clemens for being named a finalist in the annual Denver Business Journal “CFO of the Year” awards.
KMGH/Channel 7 Wins Prestigious Peabody Award
Congratulations to KMGH-Channel 7, reporter John Ferrugia, producers Art Kane and Tom Burke, and photojournalist Jason Foster for winning a prestigious Peabody Award for their investigation into the deaths of children in the care of the state of Colorado. Joanne Ostrow at the Denver Post has the details.
Linhart Finalist for CWCC Athena Award
Congratulations to Linhart PR’s Sharon Linhart, who was named a finalist for the annual Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce (CWCC) ATHENA Awards. The ATHENA Award “honors the Denver woman who best exemplifies exceptional professional achievement, devotion to community service and generosity in actively assisting other women in the attainment of professional excellence and leadership skills.”
Linhart’s fellow finalists include Cathy Hart, vice president, corporate services, corporate secretary and chief compliance officer, Xcel Energy; Tensie Homan, managing partner, KPMG,LLP; Caz Matthews, foundation president, Anthem Blue Cross & Blue Shield; and Jill S. Tietjen, president/CEO, TechnicallySpeaking. Winners will be announced April 30.
5280 Named Top 5 Magazine by CRMA
Congratulations to 5280 for being named a finalist for the City and Regional Magazine Association’s annual General Excellence award. 5280 joins Texas Monthly, Atlanta, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles magazines as the nation’s top local magazines with circulations greater than 60,000.
Linhart, MGA Finalists for 2009 Silver Anvil Awards
Congratulations to Linhart PR and MGA Communications for being finalists for the 2009 PRSA Silver Anvil awards. Winners will be announced on June 4 at the Silver Anvil Celebration Event in New York City.
Local Firms Win Awards
- Congratulations to Cohn Marketing, which picked up two Rebrand 100 Global Awards for its branding work for Mont Blanc Gourmet and Developers Diversified Realty’s Centros ISLA (located in Puerto Rico).
- And congratulations to Vladimir Jones, which picked up the APikes Peak Advertising Federation’s Best in Show award for a television spot the agency created for its client St. Francis Medical Center.
Linhart, Volume Finalists for PR Week Awards
Congratulations to Linhart and Volume for being finalists in PR Week’s annual public relations awards. Volume is a finalist in the B2B Campaign of the Year category, and Linhart is a finalist in the Cause-related Campaign of the Year and Boutique PR Agency of the Year categories. Winners will be announced March 5.
PRSA Gold Pick Award Deadline
The early entry deadline for the 2009 Colorado PRSA Gold Pick Awards is this Friday, February 27. Details are here.
PRSA Colorado to Host ‘Gold Pick’ Workshop
PRSA Colorado is hosting a Gold Pick preparation workshop that will explain the new guidelines and categories that will allow Gold Pick entries to also serve as national PRSA Silver Anvil entries. The workshop, which costs $15, will take place next Tuesday, January 27, from 5:00 – 6:30 p.m. at JohnstonWells’ new office downtown (1321 15th Street). Details are here.
Finlon Among the 2009 Colorado Business Hall of Fame Inductees
It has been a rough year for Cathy Finlon, but at least 2009 will be starting off on a positive note: She’ll be inducted into the Colorado Business Hall of Fame in February with Bruce Benson, Sam Maynes, Jordon Perlmutter, Jack Vickers and the Loo family.
Rocky Mountain News Staff Awards
The Rocky Mountain News announced the winners of its annual staff awards, just in time for the journalists to add them to their resumes:
- Best Reporter – Sara Burnett
- Best Writer – Kevin Vaughan
- Best Copy Editor – Scott Gilbert
- Best Artist – Charles Chamberlin
- Best Designer – Steve Miller
- Best Photographer – Ellen Jaskol
- Best Web Producer – Amy Burke
- Unsung Hero – Lizzy McCormick
- Best YourHub Journalist – Charmaine Robledo
- Best YourHub Assistant – Kristin Morin
- Best Newsroom Contributor – Kathy Potter
- Editor’s Award – Joe Mahoney
Top PR Blunders of 2008
Fineman PR releases its annual list of the Top PR Blunders. Among the “winners” are AIG, John McCain, Nike, Mark Penn and Absolut.
CLS Wins PR News Nonprofit Award
Carmichael Lynch Spong has nabbed the Corporate/Nonprofit Partnership Award from PR News for its work with the Dunkin’ Brands Community Foundation. The campaign, which was led from CLS’s Denver office, helped address the growing problem of declining participation in volunteer fire departments.
At Least Sakic Isn’t a Two-Time Nominee Like Griese
How tough are hockey players? Slightly less tough than snowblowers, it turns out. It is bad enough for Avalanche star Joe Sakic that he is out for the next three months with broken fingers and tendon damage, but adding insult to injury (literally) is that he now qualifies as a Denver Post finalist for Dumbest Professional Athlete Injury. From the Post Web site:
Denver Post Poll – Stupid Jock Tricks
Joe Sakic’s freak snowblower accident Tuesday is the latest in a line of less-than-stellar injury stories from Denver professional athletes. Which story do you think is the dumbest?
- Dog trips Brian Griese: The Broncos QB Brian Griese sprained his left ankle when he said one of his dogs knocked him down the stairs at home, in 2002.
- Rockies Deer Meat: Shortstop Clint Barmes fell in his home in 2005 carrying a package of deer meat and broke his collarbone, causing him to miss three months.
- Brandon Marshall’s McDonald’s Bag: The Broncos WR said he was wrestling with family in the offseason when he slipped on a wrapper, fell and severed his right forearm.
- QB on Terrell Davis’ Driveway: While attending a party at Davis house in 2002, Griese trips on the driveway, is knocked out and suffers a black eye and chipped tooth.
- Larry Walker Fishing Trouble: The Rockies all-star right fielder separated his right shoulder after the 1996 season. He was fishing in Canada and fell down a hill.
- Mike Hampton’s Cheap Hotel Pillows: Former Rockies pitcher missed a start in 2001 because of a stiff neck, which he blamed on the pillows on his hotel bed.
‘And the Award for Worst Award Goes to …’
Guess which one of the following awards is legitimate real:
A. The Hearst Award for best left-handed news anchor
B. The Peabody Award for excellence in subtitle translations
C. The Emmy Award for outstanding promotional announcement
D. The Pulitzer Prize for headshot photography
Here’s the answer.
PR Watch ‘Falsies’ Award Finalists
Today is the last day to vote on PR Watch’s “Falsies Awards,” given annually to “those responsible for polluting our information environment.” Among the nominees: the U.S. Department of Defense, Burson-Marsteller’s Mark Penn, Chevron and China.
Linhart Lands Healthcare Award
Linhart PR won a Colorado Healthcare Communicators Bronze Leaf Award in the Newsletters-Electronic category for its work on behalf of New West Physicians’ Health E-Newsletter.
‘Turning Lemons into Lemonade’ Award
LeGrand Hart wins this award for its announcement that it has donated six Dell computers to a local Catholic school. Of course, with a headcount rumored to be half of what it was a little more than a year ago, LeGrand Hart probably didn’t feel much sting donating a half-dozen now-unused computers.
Pro Bono Opportunity: PRSA Award Winners
Is there anything sadder than having to submit your own YourHub article about an award you won?
DBJ: JohnstonWells, Xstatic Top PR Awards
We gave you our assessment of last week’s PRSA Gold Pick awards earlier. Here is the Denver Business Journal’s take.
Colorado’s Pinnacol Named a “Best Employer”
Congratulations to Pinnacol Assurance, the only Colorado-based company to make AARP’s annual list of the “Best Employers for Workers Over 50.”
GroundFloor, JW and XStatic Lead PRSA Gold Pick Awards
PRSA Colorado has posted the winners from Thursday’s Gold Pick Awards, and we have used a proprietary and highly sophisticated formula (two points for a gold, one point for a silver) to determine which agencies fared best:
1. GroundFloor Media (10 points) – Three gold, four silver
2. JohnstonWells (9 points) – Four gold, one silver
2. Xstatic (9 points) – Four gold, one silver
4. Linhart (8 points) – Two gold, four silver
5. Carmichael Lynch Spong (7 points) – Two gold, three silver
6. Schenkein (6 points) – Two gold, two silver
7. 104 West (5 points) – Two gold, one silver
8. Pete Webb (4 points) – One gold, two silver
9. Bawmann Group (3 points) – One gold, one silver
9. Philosophy (3 points) – One gold, one silver
11. CCS (2 points) – One gold
11. Metzger (2 points) – One gold
11. VisiTech (2 points) – One gold
14. Cutter (1 point) – One silver
14. Vladimir Jones (1 point) – One silver
Also, congratulations to the big award winners: Colorado State University, Colorado Springs Utilities and WhiteWave. And to Xstatic’s Amanda Clark and Scott System’s Liz Pope, both of whom won 2008 Rookie of the Year awards.
(Our apologies to Liz Pope for initially omitting her award, and our thanks to Kristy Bassuener for pointing it out).
Three Hours of Sam Adams (the reporter, not the beer)
Dust off your tuxes and/or cocktail dresses — it is PRSA Colorado Gold Pick Awards night.
Denver Agency News
- Schenkein has landed Idea Work Studios as a client
- PRSourceCode named Catapult PR-IR’s Guy Murrel and VisiTech’s Kendra Westerkamp as Top Tech Communicators
- Cactus landed the Center for Healthy Living and Chronic Disease Prevention at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
JohnstonWells Wins ‘Best Place to Work’ Award
The Holmes Report named JohnstonWells the fourth best agency to work for in the small agency category. The agency ranked seventh last year.
CABJ Names Award Winners
The Colorado Association of Black Journalists held its annual awards ceremony this weekend. Among the winners:
- Public relations — Derrick Hudson, Metro State College
- Special “Trailblazer” Awards — Faye Wilson Tate, CH2M Hill; Bertha Lynn, KMGH/Channel 7
- Print news — Kevin Simpson, The Denver Post
- Print sports — John Henderson, The Denver Post
- Print enterprise — Mike Littwin, Rocky Mountain News
- Print investigative — Miles Moffeit/Susan Greene, The Denver Post
- Print series — David Olinger, The Denver Post
- Print feature — Chuck Plunkett/Jennifer Brown, The Denver Post
- Print business — Lisa Marie Martinez, Denver Urban Spectrum;
- Print photography (multiple images) — Bernard Grant, Denver Urban Spectrum
- Print photography (Single Image) — Hyoung Chang, The Denver Post
- Print overall Excellence — The Denver Post
- Radio Enterprise — Jerry Bell, 850 KOA Radio
- Radio feature — Donnie L. Betts, No Credit Productions
- TV news — TaRonda Thomas/Anne Herbst, 9News
- TV enterprise — Kirk Montgomery, 9News
- TV investigative — Kevin Hartfield, CBS 4
- TV series — Byron Reed, 9News
- TV feature — Nelson Garcia/Byron Reed, 9News
- TV business — TaRhonda Thomas/Byron Reed 9News
- TV public affairs — Bazi Kanani/Tom Cole/Colleen Locke, 9News
- TV photojournalism — Byron Reed, 9News; TV overall excellence — 9News
DBJ ‘Best Places to Work’ Deadline Today
Today is the last day to nominate your agency for the Denver Business Journal’s fifth annual “Best Places to Work” award.
PRSA Colorado ‘Gold Pick’ Snafu Leaves Seven Entries Missing
There has been some grumbling around town today after PRSA Colorado notified seven unlucky Gold Pick entrants that their submissions were lost prior to being judged. PRSA Colorado is refunding the entry fee and promises to evaluate any entries that are resubmitted.
PRSA Colorado Chapter President Amy Johnson contacted each of the seven entrants personally, and Gold Pick Award co-chair Maggie McMonigle says they have been understanding. But some of those responsible for assembling the original entries aren’t exactly thrilled at the prospect of recreating them. Said one of those affected, “Naturally I am pretty angry since I spent countless hours putting my entry together and simply don’t have the time to duplicate those efforts again this month.”
Locals Named to Ad Age’s Top Media & Marketing Blogs List
Congratulations to three of our favorite local bloggers who made Ad Age’s Top Media and Marketing Blogs. The Denver Egotist is ranked 185, while Steven Silvers’ Scatterbox blog is ranked 396 and Pure Brand’s Pure Thinking is 588.
Video Professor Stalls in Semifinals for ‘Golden Poo’ Award
Denver’s own Video Professor has been eliminated in its chase for the coveted “Golden Poo” award from Consumerist. The final, which pits Comcast against Countrywide Home Loans, will be decided today.
2008 Regional Emmy Award Winners
KUSA/Channel 9 was the big winner at the 2008 Regional Emmy Award ceremony this weekend. Among the individual awards:
- KUSA/Channel 9’s Nelson Garcia, winner of the journalistic enterprise trophy
- KUSA/Channel 9, winner of the overall station excellence and interactivity award
- KUSA/Channel 9’s Adam Schrager, winner of the award for general assignment reporting
- KMGH/Channel 7’s Anne Trujillo, winner for best news anchor
- KMGH/Channel 7’s Mike Landess, winner for his report on prostate cancer
- KMGH/Channel 7’s Tony Kovaleski, winner for his investigative report on the Denver Jail
- KCNC/Channel 4’s Brian Maas, winner for his investigative report on airplane de-icing
- KCNC/Channel 4’s Vic Lombardi, named as best sports anchor
- KDVR/Channel 31’s Sari Padorr, winner for her serious news features
And congratulations to the four inductees of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences’ Silver Circle for 25 years of service: KWGN/Channel 2 anchor Ernie Bjorkman, KCNC/Channel 4 reporter Suzanne McCarroll, KUSA/Channel 9 anchor Ward Lucas and KRMA/Channel 6 PBS president and GM James Morgese.
Linhart’s DNC Efforts Result in ‘Volunteer of the Year’ Award
Congratulations to Sharon Linhart for being named one of the Downtown Denver Partnership’s Volunteers of the Year.
Regional Emmy Nominees Announced
The 2008 Heartland Regional Emmy Award nominations are out. The complete list of nominees is here.
Local Reporters Win Gracie Allen Awards
Congratulations to former Fox31 reporter Sari Padorr and current Fox31 sports reporter Marcia Neville for picking up Gracie Allen awards. The awards, presented by The Foundation of American Women in Radio and Television, recognize and encourage “positive and realistic portrayals of women in entertainment, commercials, news, features, and other programs.”
Comcast, Qwest, Dish Network Named to Hall of Shame
Comcast, Qwest and Dish Network are among the companies enshrined in this year’s Zogby-MSN Customer Service Hall of Shame.
How About a ’10 That Do It Okay’ Award?
Apparently Editor & Publisher had trouble coming up with 10 newspapers “That Do It Right!” The nomination window for the awards has been extended through May.
GroundFloor Media Named ‘Best Boutique Agency to Work For’
GroundFloor Media has picked up the SABRE award for “Best Boutique Agency to Work For.” Grammatics aside, it is quite an honor, and follows the agency being named by the Denver Business Journal as the “Best Place to Work in Denver” in the small company category last November.
Among other things, GroundFloor was recognized for its low turnover rate of approximately 6 percent, which got us thinking about which Denver agency has the highest turnover. If you think you have a contender, email us and let us know.
VisiTech, GroundFloor Finalists for SABRE Awards
Congratulations to VisiTech PR and GroundFloor Media, which have been named finalists for 2008 SABRE awards. VisiTech is a finalist in the Trade Show category for its work with Stockholm-based client Net Insight, and GroundFloor Media is a finalist in the Social Marketing category for its work with the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment.
Kettle: Pot, You’re Black
It looks like Rocky Mountain News publisher John Temple agrees with us that journalism awards are a bit of a racket, but that still hasn’t stopped him from being a willing participant.
VisiTech Finalist for PRSA Silver Anvil
Congratulations to Denver-based VisiTech Public Relations, which is a finalist for a PRSA Silver Anvil award for its work with Polycom. It may be a bittersweet honor, though, because we hear Polycom dropped VisiTech a couple of months ago as part of an agency review.
Congrats to Al Lewis
Congratulations to Denver Post business columnist Al Lewis, who won the “Best Business Column” award from the Society of American Business Editors and Writers for the second year in a row. Among the columns reviewed for the award was his piece on “Flacks Gone Wild,” also known as “Why Spend a Little Extra Money to Hire a Veteran PR Executive? Because He Won’t Create a Story By Arguing with Nutjob Protesters in the Parking Lot of the Marriott City Center.”
Senior PR Professionals Needed for Awards Judging
From PRSA Colorado: On March 28 and March 31, the PRSA Colorado chapter is looking for senior-level (with five or more years of PR experience) to judge the Ohio PRism Award entries. Judges receive a $10 Starbucks gift card, and lunch will be provided during both sessions. To sign up (or for more information), contact Maggie McMonigle at maggie@praco.com.
Details:
Friday, March 28, Session
At PRACO’s office
10 a.m. to Noon
Monday, March 31, Session
At Schenkein’s office
11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Linhart Wins Honorable Mention in PR Week Awards
Congratulations to Linhart PR, which was named an honorable mention in PR Week’s Small Agency of the Year category. Florida-based rbb walked away with the hardware, but Linhart has to be happy to be a finalist for this prestigious national award. And it gave them quite a platform to talk about their 31 percent revenue growth in 2007.
Why the Colorado Press Awards Are Like the Special Olympics
Everybody wins! You’d think it would be hard not to win a lot when you are one of only three entrants and there are literally dozens of categories of awards, but that hasn’t stopped the Denver Post and the Rocky Mountain News from going into overdrive to congratulate themselves. Westword has the details here and here.
Denver Hispanic Chamber Announces Award Recipients
The Denver Hispanic Chamber of Commerce is honoring several Denver executives at its annual awards luncheon on March 7. Among them:
- Coors Brewing Co.’s Olga Garcia as Business Woman of the Year
- Solera Bank’s James Perez Foster as Business Man of the Year
- State Sen. Abel Tapia as Public Official of the Year
- Allstate’s Mimi Bell as the Chamber Advocate of the Year
Fortune Finds 2 Colorado Companies Among Best 100 to Work For
Fortune has released its annual rankings of the 100 Best Companies to Work For, and two Colorado-based companies — CH2M Hill and PCL Construction Enterprises — made the list.
NBC’s Russert to Be Honored with DPC’s Damon Runyon Award
The Denver Press Club will honor NBC political analyst Tim Russert with its 14th annual Damon Runyon award. The banquet is Sunday, April 13, at the Denver Marriott City Center. Tickets presumably are going fast and can be found here.
Linhart, WhiteWave Finalists for PR Week Awards
PR Week announced the finalists for the 2008 PR Week Awards this morning. Congratulations to Linhart PR for being a finalist for the “Small PR Agency of the Year,” and to WhiteWave Foods for being a finalist for the “Crisis or Issues Management Campaign of the Year.”