The Empire Awards event at the Crossings of Colonie last night was incredible with over 100 practitioners and their families and friends in attendance. We want to thank everyone who came out in support of the profession, the finalists and our award winners – especially our special honorees, Gramercy Communications’ Tom Nardacci and Dr. Alain E. Kaloyeros of the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering at the University at Albany.
A special thanks also goes out to Kirk Hazlett, APR, for emceeing the evening and to our event sponsors Pierce Communications and Gramercy Communications.
Here is a rundown of who took home the coveted bronze flame last night:
Public Relations Campaign, For Profit
Gramercy Communications
City of Watervliet Launches New Boat House
• Gramercy executed an effective campaign, including a YouTube video, to raise awareness about a new boat house at Hudson Shores Park in Watervliet. The boat house is part of an ongoing effort to bring more people back down to the river.
Public Relations Campaign, Non Profit
Pierce Communications
Windham 2010 Mountain Bike World Cup and Festival
• Pierce Communications coordinated pre-event outreach, international media credentials and on-site coordination of event updates, results and interviews. The Pierce team worked with more than 125 journalists from four continents.
Public Affairs Campaign
Eric Mower and Associates
Lafarge Ravena Cement Plant Modernization Project
• Employing both community relations and media relations tactics, Eric Mower helped Lafarge translate complex scientific data into persuasive messaging. In the end, the DEC approved Lafarge’s application to expand its Ravena cement facility.
Integrated Campaign
Corning Place Consulting
Seeking A Solution to a $98 Million Problem
• The governor’s proposed executive budget cut $98 million to schools for the blind, deaf and severely disabled. Seeking to restore the aid, Corning Place Consulting’s 60-day campaign encouraged those affected to be seen, be heard and take a stand.
Media Relations: Regional, For Profit
Pierce Communications
Adirondack Small Cap Fund Announcement
• Adirondack Small Cap Fund was recognized with the prestigious Lipper Award as the best small cap value fund in the U.S. Using that as a springboard, Pierce Communications expanded recognition among financial planners and media.
Media Relations: Regional, Non Profit
United Way of the Greater Capital Region
VITA Media Relations Program 2011
• United Way’s free tax assistance program suffered from public misconceptions and a lack of a marketing budget. Using media relations, United Way dispelled misconceptions and increased usage of the program throughout a 5-county area.
Media Relations: Statewide and Beyond
The College of St. Rose
Friday Knights at The College of St. Rose
• Friday Knights is a unique program that involves dynamic kids with autism spectrum disorders, their grateful parents, and 200 college students who give up part of their Friday evenings. It was the subject of a Today Show feature last December.
Online Media
Rueckert Advertising & PR, and blue.0
33rd Annual Freihofer’s Run for Women
• Rueckert and blue.0 devised an aggressive social media strategy that led to the largest-ever turnout in the event’s 33 year history. After five years of relatively flat registrations, the number of runners who registered in 2011 increased 23%.
Newsletters
New York National Guard
Guard Times News Magazine
• Guard Times is a quarterly newsletter that captures the contributions of all elements of the state’s military forces. Its primary audience: the 16,500 uniformed members of New York’s Army and Air National Guard, and their families.
Annual Reports
The Sage Colleges
The Sage Colleges 2010 Horizons Magazine and Report of Appreciation
• An annual publication for alumni and friends, Horizons’s 2010 issue strove to accurately convey the educational experience at Sage today, to allay concerns about Sage’s future viability, and to show indicators of Sage’s long-term vitality.
Brochures
The Community Hospice
There’s Special Help
• The Community Hospice produced a brochure – one side in English, one side in Spanish – that could be given to prospective patients and family members. It showcased how hospice was a vital medical service that helped people live better.
Best in Show
Rueckert Advertising & PR, and blue.0
33rd Annual Freihofer’s Run for Women