Marketer of the Year Awards

Celebrate Central Florida Marketing!
 

The American Marketing Association awards for Central Florida Marketer of the Year will be presented on September 15 at 11:30 am at the Orlando Marriott Downtown.  Three outstanding organizations and professionals will be honored for their amazing accomplishments in 2009. Below you will find a synopsis of why each of the three are being honored for their outstanding achievements in Central Florida Marketing.

People's Choice Award:

The Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida

Second Harvest experienced a virtual explosion in the need for food assistance in 2009. Approximately 55,000 different people a week received help representing 14 million meals per year. 731,900 people received food assistance in 2009—a 152 percent increase over 2006. To increase contributed food, donations and volunteer time to meet this need, Second Harvest Food Band adopted an aggressive new strategy built around several objectives:

• Strengthen the leadership provided to the community in providing emergency food
• Build upon strong “caring” perception by emphasizing that the organization is unusually competent and efficient—using 96 percent of every dollar to feed hungry people
• Assuring volunteers that their effort is worthy and the time spent will make a real difference in people’s lives.

The key to 2009’s remarkable results was clear marketing direction and a board that completely understood the magnitude of involvement and innovation necessary to implement the marketing strategy. The board embraced integrated marketing tactics and a commitment to a leading-edge web presence and social media.

The foundation was the new website (www.feedhopenow.org). The robust platform selected for the website provided better capabilities for email blasts, list creation and management and for handling contributions. In-house web support capabilities were added for the first time. Parallel to the website was the launch of an aggressive social media approach, including a hunger blog, electronic permission-based newsletter with over 4000 recipients, Facebook and Twitter pages, as well as news feeds, YouTube, Flickr and LinkedIn initiatives.  Click here to watch an emotional video that truly speaks to the mission and shows the direct impact of their efforts.

In addition to electronic media, marketing communications were expanded by using the Annual Report as a showcase for organizational results and donor/partner acknowledgement. A new video was developed to create an emotional and personal bond to food recipients and the mission of Second Harvest. A first-ever ad campaign was also launched.

Special events and cause-related opportunities are another category of successful marketing tactics. Second Harvest conducts ongoing tours, called “Food for Thought” that are great tool for encouraging volunteers. Hunger Action Month also generates a great deal of communications value for the organization. Reoccurring events, like Taste of the Nation and Wine, Women & Shoes create proceeds that are direct contributions. Third-party cause-related promotions, like the Five Guys Burgers and Fries 10% of sales promotion, are also encouraged by Second Harvest.

Measurable results were impressive. The annual amount of food distributed increased to 21,367,913 pounds in 2009. Online contributions exceeded $250,000 in 2009 compared to $60,000 in 2007. Finally, the number and time of volunteers reached 31,079 donated hours in 2009, the equivalent of more than 15 full-time staff members.

Critic's Choice Award:

Sonny’s Bar-B-Q

Since 2006, Sonny’s Bar-B-Q has been a long standing partner and proud supporter of the March of Dimes. In 2008, Sonny’s felt the need to take its partnership to the next level when they launched its first system wide “Baby Backs for Babies” fundraising promotion. This 5 week promotion was implemented at 125 restaurants in nine southern states. A portion of the proceeds from each Baby Back Rib meal purchased during this time went to benefit the March of Dimes, and in 2009, Sonny’s aimed to raise additional funds for the March of Dimes, while once again offering its guests one of its most popular entrees- Baby Back Ribs- at discounted prices for a limited time: half rack $ 7.99 and a full rack at $12.99.The “Baby Backs for Babies” campaign demonstrated Sonny’s strong commitment to a non-profit organization by developing a cause-related marketing campaign.

Sonny’s target market is primarily adults 35+ with a strong emphasis on families. Because Sonny’s has been a family restaurant since Sonny Tillman opened its first location more than 40 years ago, the choice to support the March of Dimes was a natural fit.

The messages communicated in the TV ads, radio spots, print ads and in-store point-of-purchase materials targeted the loyal Sonny’s consumer and those wishing to support the March of Dimes. The spots provide and emotional connection to the viewer showing the founder of Sonny’s support of the March of Dimes .

The strategy was to make this successful promotion an annual expectation by building on the momentum gained in the first year. Still only in its second year and growing, Sonny’s wanted to once again give back to the communities in which it operates with a cause that is relatable.

Sonny’s was able to raise awareness  of the campaign by utilizing multiple advertising and public relations campaigns; these included in-store promotional materials presented directly to Sonny’s guests, as well as system-wide television and radio advertisements. Sonny’s also sent out and e-blast to all e-club members of the R U Smoking? Club while the March of Dimes sent an e-blast out to its newsletter members. Local radio stations produced and communicated our Public Service announcements throughout the system to help create awareness for this effort. The promotion had a healthy amount of free coverage as a result of the press release distribution through St. Petersburg Times, Rome News Tribune and Chain Leader, to name a few.

Upon analyzing the sales data of 2008 and 2009 sales, it was determined that the cumulative sales for the Baby Back Ribs surpassed 2008 by more than 3%, while counting for almost 15% in sales.

Individual Leadership Award:

Barb Scherer, President of Engauge

Barb Scherer, president of the Orlando office of Engauge, a national advertising agency, is a marketing industry professional veteran and leader with more than 24 years of diverse experience. She’s held a variety of roles within the industry since she began her career working on the diet coke account in New York City. After returning to Florida and working for several years in the Tampa market, Barb came to Orlando and has since held senior level positions within several national advertising agencies, including the offices of Greenstone/ Roberts and Cramer Krasselt.  She  was also instrumental in building the new business, public relations and research/strategy capabilities at PUSH.

When Barb, one of Orlando Business Journal’s Top 100 “Most Influential” Business People in Central Florida in 2000, accepted the role of president of the Orlando Engauge office in June of 2007, the agency had a niche focus on real estate and shelter industry channels. Barb had the foresight to see that in order to survive and flourish, the agency needed to diversify its client base and expand the services offered to its clients.

 While under Barb’s leadership, the agency secured Rosen Hotels & Resorts, the City of Eustis, AmeriFactors, Galaxy Nutritional Foods, and most recently, Sonny’s Bar-B-Q, helping diversify the agency’s client base to include clients in the government, consumer goods, restaurant and travel industries.  The new direction of the agency and Barb’s enthusiasm to bring change about quickly and efficiently have helped ensure the agency thrived despite the downfall of the real estate market.  This also helped Engauge secure a spot as the only female-headed agency in the top 10 of the Orlando Business Jounal’s 2009 Book of Lists of the Largest Advertising Agencies. At Engauge Barb has also overseen the management of multiple accounts including Baldwin Park, Insight Financial Credit Union, Crosland, DR Horton, K. Hovnanian Homes and ICI Homes. Additionally, Barb has expanded the services offered by the Orlando office of Engauge in two critical areas: public relations and research/strategy.

Since 2007, Barb has served on the board of directors of the American Advertising Federation- Orlando in a variety of roles including President, Past President/Trustee, Vice President and ADDY Awards Chair.  During her term as President of the organization, Barb led AAF-O to receive the highest recognition from the American Advertising Federation. The group was named both National and District “Club of the Year” and Barb was named “President of the Year”. She was also a recipient of the prestigious Silver Medal Award from AAF-O in 2005, which honors advertising professionals who have made outstanding contributions to industry standards, creative excellence and responsibility in areas of social concern and industry education.  Since receiving the Silver Medal Award, Barb has served on the selection committee for the awards each year.  Barb also served in all officer positions, then as Governor of the 4^th District AAF, the statewide organization that oversees 25 chapters in Florida and the Caribbean, in 2005-2008.

MOYA Awards: September 15, 2010 from 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.

For more information on the MOYA awards, please click here



Congratulations to Daniel Moye from  Alianda! Your  logo design was chosen by the Central Florida AMA members to represent the chapter's Marketer of the Year Awards program.  Want to learn more about Alianda? Visit www. alianda.com