MINNEAPOLIS, April 19, 2011 - The National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA) awarded Colle+McVoy Best of Show (advertising) at the national 2011 Best of NAMA awards ceremony in Kansas City. The advertising Best of Show award was one of four first place wins for Colle+McVoy and its PR partner Exponent PR. The Best of NAMA program recognizes excellence in advertising, public relations and digital communications in agribusiness and related industries.

"Colle+McVoy strives to provide smart and creative work that achieves strong results for our agribusiness client partners," said Christine Fruechte, president and CEO, Colle+McVoy. "We are honored to have the work of our growing Food & Agribusiness practice recognized."

Colle+McVoy received the Best of Show and first place win for its Winfield Solutions, LLC 3-D direct mailing. The high-tech, high-impact direct mail piece featured mini-TV screens embedded in the brochure and played videos, highlighting Answer Plot® Knowledge Events and promoting products. In addition, NAMA awarded Colle+McVoy first place for its Winfield Solutions, LLC AgriSolutions® print ads (less than one page) that dealers could customize for their local markets. The agency received a merit award for an Answer Plot® direct mail campaign for Winfield Solutions, LLC.

Additionally, Colle+McVoy earned a first place award for the 2009 Annual Report and Stewardship Report for CHS, Inc. that featured dynamic photographs and stories highlighting individuals within the CHS system.

Colle+McVoy was awarded another first place award for the humorous invitations the agency created for the Region III Best of NAMA awards program.

The agency received a merit award for a DuPont Crop Protection advertorial describing the benefits of using DuPont® Matrix® herbicide for tree nut producers. The national awards are in addition to eleven regional NAMA awards won by Colle+McVoy and Exponent PR.

MINNEAPOLIS, April 12, 2011 - Minneapolis-based advertising agency Colle+McVoy and its public relations partner, Exponent PR, announced the expansion of their burgeoning Food & Agribusiness practice.

The agencies hired Carol Anderson as senior strategist and Julie Carver as account director to help lead the food and agriculture business.

"Carol and Julie are very strong additions to our team. They bring deep experience and leadership, as well as further expanding the offerings to our clients," said Phil Johnson, chief operating officer, Colle+McVoy.

The Food & Agribusiness practice offers integrated, multidisciplinary expertise in strategic planning, advertising, public relations, marketing, interactive, public affairs and media planning. Clients include CHS, DuPont, Purina Feed, Land O’Lakes, Novartis Animal Health, Winfield Solutions, General Mills and the North American Olive Oil Association.

Anderson, who worked at Colle+McVoy in the 1990s, rejoins the agency after founding Mariposa Partners, a boutique food and agriculture communications consultancy based in Kansas City. She also previously led the food and agribusiness practice at Fleishman-Hillard’s Kansas City office. A recent past president of the National Agri-Marketing Association, Anderson has counseled many leading brands, including Pfizer Animal Health, Iams, Washington Apple Commission, Chick-fil-A, National Pork Board, Monsanto, Welch’s, Caterpillar, Diamond Pet Food, DeKalb, Arysta LifeScience Corporation and John Deere, among others.

Carver has more than 20 years of communications experience in corporate, agency, nonprofit and journalism, including strategy development for clients in agriculture, food, health care and technology. She was most recently director of public affairs at Broadhead + Co. where she worked with several agencies within the U.S. Department of Agriculture, as well as Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc. Carver has held communications leadership positions at Honeywell Automation and Control Solutions and Andersen Windows. Her agency background includes Miller Meester, where she worked with American Cyanamid and its Harvest Partners program, as well as with clients in food, health and aviation markets. Previously she worked with DuPont and Agway brands at Saatchi & Saatchi/Rumrill Hoyt.

"Carol and Julie are joining us at an exciting time. We continue to integrate our successful legacy in food and agribusiness with our interactive expertise to develop breakthrough new ways for our clients to engage, connect and stand out," said Johnson.

More than half of the agencie's 170 employees have experience in the food, nutrition and agriculture industries, making the practice one of the largest of its kind. More than 12 new employees have joined the practice in the last six months. Other members of senior leadership include:

- Greg Wetzel, group creative director, who has overseen the development of award-winning creative work for more than 20 years at Colle+McVoy

- Ed Bennett, design director, who has developed award-winning culturally relevant consumer design work

- Cynthia Clanton, practice leader, who is an all-around PR practitioner, writer and strategic counselor on award-winning agribusiness programs for more than 15 years at the agency

- Bernice Neumann, practice leader, a public relations counselor who has helped expand the consumer food business

- Craig Pladson, director of interactive innovation, who has been instrumental in the development and tremendous growth of the agency’s interactive practice

- Laurie Christen, media strategist, who has lead the media planning and buying activities, as well as helped guide the agency’s expertise on new and emerging media strategies

MINNEAPOLIS, April 1, 2011 - Exponent PR received 12 awards last night during the 33rd annual Minnesota PRSA Classics Awards, the most received by any agency or company. Sponsored by the Minnesota chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), the awards celebrate the best public relations campaigns of 2010.

"It’s an honor to have our work recognized as some of the region’s best," said Tom Lindell, managing director, Exponent PR. "This recognition is a tribute to great client partners and their success."

Exponent PR received recognition for its work on behalf of a range of clients, including Bikes Belong, Caribou Coffee, CHS Inc., DuPont Crop Protection, General Mills, Nestlé Purina and Winfield Solutions. Following are the specific awards:

- Marketing Products (Established budget more than $75,000): "Time’s Up, Cupcake. It’s Time for Pie!" for General Mills

- Public Service (Business/Industry): "Pedaling to Mainstream" for Bikes Belong

- Special Events/Observances (Less than seven days): "Caribou Coffee Grows Hope with Amy’s Garden" for Caribou Coffee

- Institutional Programs (Business/Industry): "Amy’s Blend Brews Hope" for Caribou Coffee

- Creative Tactics: "Staying Awake for Success" for Caribou Coffee

- Web sites: "Linking Advocates to peopleforbikes.org" for Bikes Belong

- Speech Writing: "Paying Respect to Environmental Respect" for DuPont Crop Protection

- Feature Writing: "Follow These Steps to Improve Pasture Productivity" for DuPont Crop Protection

- Magazines: "’C’ the World Through CHS" for CHS Inc.

- Newsletters: "Nourishing Veterinary Know-how" for Nestlé Purina

- Media Kits (More than $15,000): "Larger Than Life Granola Thins Make Media Hungry for Nature Valley" for General Mills

- Brochures: "Winfield Solutions Proves Seeing Is Believing" for Winfield Solutions

Minnesota PRSA is the tenth-largest chapter of the PRSA, the world’s largest organization for public relations professionals, with nearly 32,000 professional and student members. Minnesota PRSA comprises more than 400 members who represent business and industry, counseling firms, independent practitioners, military, government, associations, hospitals, schools, professional services firms, and nonprofit organizations.

MINNEAPOLIS, April 1, 2010 - Exponent PR, Colle+McVoy’s public relations division, is a finalist in two categories of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) 2010 Silver Anvil Awards. The Silver Anvils honor organizations that have successfully addressed a contemporary public relations issue with exemplary professional skill, creativity and resourcefulness. Silver Anvil and Award of Excellence winners will be announced at the Silver Anvil Celebration Event on June 3 in New York.

Exponent PR is a finalist in the Public Service (Business) Category for the "Helping Brand Lends Helping Hand to Fight Hunger" program, an effective cause-marketing campaign for General Mills and Feeding America, the nation’s largest domestic hunger-relief charity. To extend their commitment to fighting hunger in America, General Mills’ Hamburger Helper® launched Show Your Helping Hand®, a national hunger relief campaign in partnership with award-winning singer and actress Beyoncé Knowles and her Survivor Foundation. Exponent helped ignite awareness and build momentum for the campaign throughout the year.

The agency is also a finalist in the Marketing Business to Business (Products) Category for the New Vision Plants Seeds of Growth for DuPont program. To spark the imagination of employees, as well as bring a new customer promise to life for external audiences, DuPont Crop Protection tapped Exponent PR to implement a campaign the shifted perceptions and helped build sales in a declining market with sharp competition.

"Our clients expect game-changing ideas that make a significant impact on their business," said Tom Lindell, managing director, Exponent PR. "This recognition is a testament to our client partners and the creativity, passion and effectiveness of our work."

PRSA has selected 134 finalists from 823 entries this year. Silver Anvil winners in all categories are automatically considered for the Best of Silver Anvil Award, representing the finest example of public relations programming in 2009. The Best of Silver Anvil recipient also will be announced at the Silver Anvil Celebration Event.