Colle+McVoy PR Partner Wins At Silver Anvil Awards 

MINNEAPOLIS, June 8, 2012 — Exponent PR, Colle+McVoy’s public relations division, won four awards during the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) 2012 Silver Anvil Awards ceremony in New York on June 7. The agency was one of only eight agencies nationwide to receive recognition in a least four categories. 

The Silver Anvil is an elite industry award honoring organizations that have successfully addressed a contemporary public relations issue with exemplary professional skill, creativity and resourcefulness. A prominent group of public relations professionals judge the awards. 

Exponent was recognized with a Silver Anvil Award in the Marketing Consumer Products category for work on behalf of Nestlé Purina with an entry titled, “Helping Pets Win a Losing Battle.” The agency developed Project Pet Slim Down, a groundbreaking initiative to help battle America’s pet obesity epidemic. 

Exponent received a Silver Anvil Award in the Marketing Consumer Products (Restaurants) category for work on behalf of Caribou Coffee — the nation’s second largest gourmet coffeehouse. The winning campaign honored Amy’s Garden, Caribou’s program to help raise awareness and donations for the Susan G. Komen Foundation. The program celebrates the memory of Amy Erickson, a beloved Caribou roastmaster who passed away from breast cancer. 

Exponent was also honored in Marketing Consumer Products (Healthcare) category with an Award of Excellence for the entry, “Novartis Uncovers the Dirty Truth about Fleas.” The Dirty Truth campaign for Novartis Animal Health helped educate consumers on how dog owners can deliver the best care to their pets. For this campaign, Novartis turned to the quirky personality of spokesperson Mike Rowe. 

The agency’s fourth award was an Award of Excellence in the Events/Observances (More Than Seven Days) category honoring the Amy’s Garden commemorative events hosted by Caribou Coffee.

“Our agency is expected to deliver innovative ideas that make a difference,” said Tom Lindell, managing director, Exponent PR. “This recognition demonstrates the creativity, passion and effectiveness of collaboration with our client partners,” 

PRSA selected 143 finalists out of a record 923 entries this year. 

To view PRSA’s official announcement, and a complete list of the 2012 Silver Anvil and Awards of Excellence winners, visit PRSA.org.

Colle+McVoy Promotes Senior Creative Staff

MINNEAPOLIS, April 12, 2012 – Colle+McVoy announced today promotions in its senior creative leadership. Mike Caguin has been named chief creative officer and Eric Husband has been promoted to executive creative director.

“This is wonderful recognition for two leaders who have guided the agency through years of strong growth, transformation and record-setting recognition,” said Christine Fruechte, president and CEO, Colle+McVoy. “As we continue down this path of expansion, we have the leadership in place to drive growth for us and our clients.”

Colle+McVoy has experienced six consecutive years of growth fueled by a significant investment in its social media and digital offering, organic growth from existing long-term client partners and the addition of new clients inspired by its ability to revitalize iconic brands, including most recently Indian Motorcycle and Mountain Hardwear. The agency’s work has received more national and international recognition than at any other time in its history and has been recognized by the O'Toole Awards, the Effies, the Webby Awards, The One Show, Communication Arts and Cannes Lions. It was also named a Best Place to Work in 2011 by Outside magazine, Advertising Age and the Star Tribune.

“It’s a great time to be at this agency,” said Caguin, who has led the creative team for the last three years as executive creative director. “Eric is an exceptional creative, our talent is at an all-time high and our clients are doing exciting things.”

Under Caguin’s leadership, the creative department has grown more than 35 percent in the last year alone. In addition to his time at Colle+McVoy, Caguin has worked at Butler, Shine, Stern & Partners and TBWA/Chiat/Day, among other agencies. He has worked with numerous leading national brands such as BMW MINI, Cannondale, Caribou Coffee, ESPN, GT, Indian Motorcycle, Infiniti, InterContinental Hotels, Land O’Lakes, Nestlé Purina, Nissan, Novartis, Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation, Sun Microsystems and Yahoo! His work has been recognized by The One Show, The One Show Interactive, D&AD, the Webby Awards, Cannes Lions, the Effies and the Kelly Awards.

Husband (previously group creative director) has been with Colle+McVoy for more than six years leading creative on numerous accounts, including Caribou Coffee, Schwinn, Mongoose Mountain Hardwear, Nestlé Purina and Explore Minnesota Tourism. He’s also created work for Target, Kellogg’s, BMW MINI and Sun Microsystems and spent time at Butler, Shine, Stern & Partners, as well as several local agencies. He’s won every color of Effie award (bronze, silver, gold), been recognized by the Kelly Awards, the Webby Awards, The One Show, and Cannes Lions. His work has been featured as ESPN's Play of the Day and enthusiastically discussed on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.
 

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