Press Room
PGA tees it up to Colle McVoy’s PR division, Exponent
Posted 10/25/2007
Agency awarded 2009 PGA Championship marketing campaign
MINNEAPOLIS (Oct. 25, 2007)—The PGA of America and Hazeltine National Golf Club has selected Exponent to provide public relations and related services for the 2009 PGA Championship. One of the four major professional golf tournaments for men, it will be hosted by Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minn., August 10-16, 2009. This marks the second PGA Championship where Exponent has provided public relations services.
“We were looking for a public relations agency that could take the Championship to the next level in this market utilizing traditional and non-traditional communication vehicles,” said Michael Belot, 2009 PGA Championship tournament director. “Exponent clearly demonstrated their category experience, creativity and commitment to make the 2009 PGA Championship our most successful one yet.”
“Exponent delivered great results in 2002,” said Patrick Hunt, 2009 PGA Championship Executive Committee member and partner of Hunt Adkins Advertising Agency. “Already, their sports expertise has helped the Championship to get off to an unprecedented start.”
“We could not be happier the PGA saw value in our sports marketing experience and we’re thrilled to be partnering with such a prestigious organization again,” said Riff Yeager, Exponent’s managing director. “Our goal is to saturate this region and generate excitement and awareness, elevating the PGA Championship’s stature as a premier global sporting event.”
About the 2009 PGA Championship
The 2009 PGA Championship will be played August 10-16, 2009, at the Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota. The PGA Championship features the strongest field in golf and is considered one of the largest sporting events in the world. Since 1916, golf’s best professionals have been competing for the PGA Championship’s coveted Wanamaker Trophy; including past champions Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Vijay Singh, Davis Love III, Jack Nicklaus, Sam Snead, Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan and Walter Hagen.
About the PGA of America
The PGA of America is the world’s largest working sports organization comprising 28,000 men and women golf professionals who are the recognized experts in growing, teaching and managing the game of golf while serving millions of people throughout its 41 PGA Sections nationwide. Since its founding in 1916, The PGA of America has enhanced its leadership position in a $62 billion-a-year industry by growing the game of golf through its premier spectator events, world-class education and training programs, significant philanthropic outreach initiatives and award-winning golf promotions. Today’s PGA professional is the public’s link to the game, serving an essential role in the operation of golf facilities throughout the country.
About Exponent PR
Exponent Public Relations delivers smart, insight-driven campaigns that shake up the status quo and build share-of-voice leadership for its clients. Founded in 1980 as Colle+McVoy Public Relations, the award-winning public relations agency creates and sustains believers in its clients’ brands, including Buffets, Inc.; CHS Inc.; DuPont Crop Protection; Erbert & Gerbert’s Subs & Clubs; General Mills; Minnesota State Lottery; Nestlé Purina; North American Olive Oil Association; Novartis Animal Health; and Vistakon, a division of Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc. Exponent Public Relations is a Colle+McVoy partner and a member of the MDC Partners network. For more information, visit http://www.exponentpr.com.
Colle+McVoy Sweeps “The Show”
Posted 10/20/2007
Capturing Best of Show, gold, silver, bronze and merit awards
MINNEAPOLIS (October 20, 2007) - Colle+McVoy earned top honors last night for its work for Wisconsin-based Erbert&Gerbert’s Subs, during "The Show," the annual advertising industry awards sponsored by the Advertising Federation of Minnesota. In addition to "Best of Show," Colle+McVoy was given 21 gold awards, 24 silver honors, 16 bronze and eight merit honors.
"The ‘Best of Show’ work is a great example of the creative approach that we look for to help our clients activate their brands," said executive creative director Mike Fetrow. "This work is the type of work that Colle+McVoy is quickly becoming known for."
Among the creative work awarded: the August Schell Brewing Company out of home and multi-media campaign; the New Holland Tractor Company’s print and photography; The Minnesota Twins scratch banner tickets; Red Wing Shoe Company print, Nestlé Purina photography and Cenex television and more.
"We are humbled and proud to be recognized by our peers" said Christine Fruechte, president of Colle+McVoy. "This is not only a rewarding night for us and our clients, but it is also a tribute to the tremendous creative talent in Minneapolis."
The Show is a widely recognized standard of excellence in the advertising industry. The awards honor the year’s best work in advertising, design, interactive and student work.
Colle+McVoy is creating more Buzz
Posted 10/12/2007
Agency named ADWEEK MAGAZINES Buzz Awards Finalist
MINNEAPOLIS (October 12, 2007) — Adweek has named Colle+McVoy a finalist for the ADWEEK MAGAZINES Buzz Awards. The Buzz Awards recognize excellence in the marketing industry’s best efforts to connect consumers with brands. Colle+McVoy is a finalist in the special events category.
“A primary objective for many of our clients is to create an experience that gets people talking about a brand,” said Mike Fetrow, executive creative at Colle+McVoy. “In this case, it was baking up a first-of-its-kind cake that would feed 72,000 Minnesota State Lottery winners at the Taste of Minnesota.”
The event reached more than 6.5 million people in Minnesota and across the nation, helping Scratch Games hit a four-year record high and increasing sales by 18 percent.
This is the second year in a row that ADWEEK MAGAZINES has nationally recognized Colle+McVoy for its guerilla marketing and grassroots event expertise.
Colle+McVoy is 2007 CEBA Awards Winner
Posted 10/09/2007
"Innovation" in New Holland North America Tractor Ads
MINNEAPOLIS (October 9, 2007) Colle+McVoy today announced it is the recipient of the 2007 Creative Excellence in Business (CEBA) Award for its New Holland North America "Innovation" campaign, which was presented at the 12th Annual Creative Excellence in Business Advertising Awards ceremony in New York City. The CEBA Awards honor outstanding business-to-business advertising in the communications industry with a $25,000 grand prize.
"We are honored to be recognized by our peers but also want to thank our client, New Holland, for embracing such a bold campaign. This work differentiates the New Holland brand and has had a tremendous impact on the dealer network and sales," said Christine Fruechte, president of Colle+McVoy.
The winning ad, which ran in Farm Progress Group publications, features a picture of a tractor parked on a desert with the headline: "Perhaps more innovation than spreading manure deserves." New Holland North America, a company steeped in a history of more than 100 years which was also linked to the Ford Motor Company at one time, charged the creative teams at Colle+McVoy with strengthening the New Holland brand, increasing market share and improving dealer satisfaction with the New Holland brand image during a time of declining sales in the high-horsepower tractor market. The result was a fresh campaign and a unique look at advertising tractors.
Listen For More Clicks At Colle+McVoy!
Posted 09/28/2007
Agency Expands Digital Capabilities – Response To 60 Percent Growth In Revenue
MINNEAPOLIS (September 28, 2007) Colle+McVoy, Inc., today announced the addition of several people to the agency’s Digital Group. The additions continue to fuel the agency’s growth in the rapidly evolving digital interactive arena now at the forefront of client brand activation, strategic planning and creative offerings at the advertising agency. The growth has been fueled by increasing client needs as well as new business from Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc.; Manhattan Toy; Shock Doctor Inc.; Courage Center; and the University of Illinois Foundation to name a few.
“It is an amazing time to be a part of this digital evolution,” said Patty Henderson, director of Colle+McVoy’s Digital Group. “We are excited about not only what this new talent brings to the agency, but also what it means to our clients in terms of depth of digital innovations, resources and experiences.”
Tony Lintner is Colle+McVoy’s newest interactive associate creative director. Lintner has led and contributed to Web site design and the concepting and art direction of many advertising campaigns for Microsoft, Target.com and Harley- Davidson.
Craig Pladson has been hired as a senior interactive strategist. Pladson has a broad range of consumer and professional interactive marketing experience. Prior to joining Colle+McVoy, Pladson worked for Digital River, Inc.; Target.com; Ameriprise Financial; and Fanball.com.
Jason Striegel joins the agency as technical lead on digital projects. Striegel brings extensive design, Web development and video streaming experience to the agency. Striegel previously spent several years at Fallon. He also founded his own interactive software development company, which specialized in creating custom content management systems.
Carlos Abler adds more than a decade of Web development to his role as an experience and content architect for Colle+McVoy. Abler’s eclectic background includes public speaking, broadcast radio and television, and forensic information design. His past employment includes projects with the Smithsonian and The History Channel.
Andrew Charon leads Colle+McVoy’s digital development efforts, focusing his experience with Flash software technology on digital projects. Charon joins the agency from Blue Earth Interactive, where he practiced multimedia development.
Braden Stadlman has assumed the role of interactive producer. With experience in live media and digital distribution technologies, Stadlman joins the agency from Live Nation, where he created interactive components and products for Universal Music Group and Napster.
Amanda Bastian was hired as a senior interactive producer and will concentrate on managing the production and execution of digital projects across teams at Colle+McVoy, as well as helping in the refinement of best practices. Bastian joins the agency from Wolfmotell, LTD.
Alix Johns joins Colle+McVoy as an interactive production specialist. Johns brings Web site, microsite and project management experience to the agency. Johns also has a background in digital photography, video streaming and interactive media. She recently worked with Fallon as an interactive production artist.
Pamela Brown will concentrate on managing the overall workload of the digital production team as well as specific digital projects at Colle+McVoy. Brown joins the agency from Target, where she was a creative specialist.