Latest Headlines

GOLIN HARRIS APPOINTS BURSON VETERAN TONY TELLONI MANAGING DIRECTOR IN NEW YORK

CHICAGO (May 22, 2013) – GolinHarris announced today the appointment of Tony Telloni as managing director of its New York office. Telloni will start with the agency on June 10 and will report to Gary Rudnick, president of the Americas. Telloni will be responsible for driving growth, managing the office’s major account relationships, day-to-day business operations and new business development.

“Tony is the perfect person to take our New York office to the next level. He has the right mix of consumer, corporate and healthcare experience, fits very well in our culture, and has the same hunger as our leadership team to make our New York office a force in the market,” said Rudnick. “We have built a solid foundation in New York over the past few years, but needed somebody to realize our vision to be considered among the New York market leaders. We are very confident that Tony will take us there.”

Prior to joining GolinHarris, Telloni spent the last six years as Burson Marsteller’s New York market leader and managing director in the firm’s Consumer and Brand Marketing practice. In these roles, Telloni helped oversee an office of 200+ people while playing a critical role in new business efforts, client relationships and operations management. During his tenure, he also served as president of Proof, an integrated communications and marketing services offering inside Burson. Earlier in his career, Telloni spent four years at Edelman, where he led several consumer account teams including Canon, Hershey, Pfizer, Microsoft and Unilever, among others. He also held senior positions with Ruder Finn.

“I’m looking forward to joining GolinHarris,” said Telloni. “With its blue-chip client roster, creative campaigns, g4 model and innovative product offerings such as the Bridge, Golin is well positioned to lead the conversation while shaping the future of public relations. It is an exciting time to join a firm committed to elevating communications and integrated marketing for both clients and staff.”

Telloni replaces Jennifer Cohan who left the agency in December.

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GOLIN HARRIS APPOINTS KATIE WHITNEY AS DIRECTOR

 ATLANTA (May 16, 2013) – GolinHarris announced today the appointment of Katie Whitney as director in the consumer practice in its Atlanta office. Whitney will join the Catalyst community and will report to Mark Dvorak, executive director in Atlanta.

“Consumer marketing is our biggest and most robust practice at GolinHarris,” said Dvorak. “Katie’s exceptional communication and organizational skills, especially within a fast-paced environment, will help our consumer practice continue to succeed and grow.”

Whitney brings more than 15 years of marketing and client management experience to the team. Prior to joining GolinHarris, she managed client relations for Verizon Wireless and 20th Century Fox at Moxie Interactive. Her in-depth agency account management experience also stems from her work at 22squared and 360i with various clients such as BellSouth and Toyota Southeast. Whitney also worked with leading media and publishing giants, Gilt Groupe and Niche Media, where she developed and grew accounts and was responsible for sales growth in the travel, tourism, hospitality, arts and cultural sectors throughout Georgia.

“Katie’s proven experience in project management, strategy, experiential marketing and cross-channel campaigns will undoubtedly broaden new streams of revenue for the agency,” Dvorak added. “We’re eager to see what Katie’s diverse background will bring to future client campaigns.”

“I’m very excited to work for such an innovative agency,” said Whitney. “GolinHarris has proven that it’s not afraid to take calculated risks and lead the way in a highly competitive and constantly evolving industry. After reading about g4 and seeing the kind of thoughtful and creative work the agency is doing, I knew I wanted to be a part of it.”

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FROZEN FOOD GROUP SELECTS INTERPUBLIC’S McCANN, GOLIN HARRIS AND CASANOVA PENDRILL FOR NATIONAL CONSUMER CAMPAIGN

MCCLEAN, VA (May 14, 2013) – The American Frozen Food Institute (AFFI) has selected IPG’s McCann Erickson, GolinHarris and Casanova Pendrill to develop a comprehensive national consumer campaign on behalf of the newly-formed Frozen Food Roundtable (FFRT).

McCann will lead the advertising and integrated team of sister agencies that include GolinHarris for public relations and Casanova Pendrill for Hispanic communications.

The FFRT, which operates under the auspices of AFFI, was formed in late 2012 by a group of leading frozen food consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies and is comprised of ConAgra Foods Inc., General Mills, H.J. Heinz, Hillshire Brands, the Kellogg Company, Nestle USA, Pinnacle Foods and the Schwan Food Company.  The group is focused on promoting the benefits of frozen foods to consumers and encouraging a stronger appreciation for the multitude of outstanding products available in the frozen food aisle.

“Our goal is to engage consumers, invite them to think about frozen foods and learn how frozen foods can enhance their lives,” said Kraig R. Naasz, AFFI president and CEO.  “We believe McCann’s strategic, creative and multimedia approach will help us better connect with consumers and achieve our goals.”

Hank Summy, president of McCann Erickson North America, said, “We and our partner agencies are delighted with the opportunity to work with AFFI and the FFRT to communicate how frozen foods complement the lifestyles of today’s consumers.”

“We are excited to work with our partners to promote the many reasons consumers should choose frozen foods,” added Ellen Ryan Mardiks, vice chairman of GolinHarris.

The assignment, effective immediately, follows a formal agency review.

About the American Frozen Food Institute

The American Frozen Food Institute is the national trade association promoting and representing the interests of all segments of the frozen food industry. AFFI works to foster industry development and growth, and advocates before legislative and regulatory entities on the industry’s behalf.  More information can be found at www.affi.org.

About McCann Erickson

McCann Erickson New York (www.mccanny.com) is the flagship and largest office of McCann Erickson Worldwide, the world’s most extensive advertising agency network, with operations in more than 120 countries and a client roster that includes preeminent global marketers and many of the world’s most famous brands. The agency is a unit of McCann Worldgroup, a leading global marketing solutions network, and is part of the Interpublic Group (NYSE: IPG).

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GOLIN HARRIS APPOINTS FARAH SPEER NORTH AMERICA HEALTHCARE PRACTICE LEADER

CHICAGO (May 2, 2013) – GolinHarris announced today the appointment of Farah Speer as North America Healthcare Practice Leader. In this new role, Speer, a 13-year veteran with the agency and expert with more than 20 years of healthcare industry experience, will be responsible for aligning and expanding the healthcare practice across its North American offices, particularly Chicago, New York, Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles. GolinHarris represents consumer health and pharmaceutical giants such as Johnson & Johnson, GSK, Takeda, Teva, Astellas Biomet, Baxter and Novartis, among others.

Speer will partner closely with Golin’s global healthcare practice co-leaders, Angie Wiles and Sarah Matthew, on strategic growth initiatives for GH’s offices in the US. Speer has led the Chicago healthcare practice with impressive growth. Her promotion comes on the heels of the agency’s announcement about new healthcare practices and leadership in the UK and Singapore.

“With Farah’s appointment, and new leadership in Europe and Asia, GolinHarris is able to provide clients with a truly global and integrated service offering,” said Wiles. “Farah’s energy and expertise in healthcare, client relations and strategic planning will play a vital role in serving the needs of existing clients and will help to continue to drive the growth of our practice worldwide.”

Prior to joining GolinHarris, Farah was with Ketchum in New York and Chicago for six years. Farah’s accomplishments have resulted in numerous awards on behalf of clients, including the PRSA Silver Anvil Award, the Creativity in Public Relations Award, the SABRE Award and the International Association of Business Communicators Gold Quill Award.

“The North America healthcare practice has experienced double digit growth over the past several years and I look forward to continuing its expansion into 2013,” said Speer.

Farah graduated cum laude from the University of Notre Dame with a Master’s in Business Administration and has a Bachelor of Science in mass communication from Boston University’s College of Communication.

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GOLIN HARRIS NAMED LARGE AGENCY OF THE YEAR IN THE AMERICAS BY THE HOLMES REPORT
Honor marks third top agency award earned in 2013

CHICAGO, IL (Apr. 29, 2013) — GolinHarris was named the Holmes Report’s Americas region 2013 Large Agency of the Year today. This is the third top honor for the agency in 2013. Last month, the Holmes Report named GolinHarris 2103 UK Consultancy of the Year and Virgo HEALTH, which Golin acquired last year, was named 2013 Healthcare Consultancy of the Year. The agency was cited for its strong financial performance, new business growth and innovation specifically its g4 model and real-time marketing offering and engagement centers, known as The Bridge.

In 2011, GolinHarris completely redesigned the agency to combine strategy, creativity and engagement into one seamless package that is delivered to clients. The g4 model provides clients with a dedicated team of specialists, including strategists, creators, connectors and catalysts, who are embedded in every account.

“We knew when we launched g4 nearly two years ago that it was a bold move,” said Fred Cook, CEO. “But it has proven to be the right move for us. It’s propelling our agency forward, it’s differentiating us from our competitors, it’s expanding our capabilities, and most importantly, it’s delivering better results for our clients.”

“Our g4 model has not only helped drive our strong financial performance, it has been a key factor behind four acquisitions, attracted new kinds of talent and driven significant new business wins and organic growth,” said Gary Rudnick, president of GolinHarrris, Americas.

Earning the top spots in the Holmes Report follows three earlier prestigious agency recognitions in 2012: PRWeek International Consultancy of the Year, PRCA Large Consultancy of the Year and the Gold Medal Winner in the PRWeek Global Agency Report.

“It is very gratifying to be recognized by these organizations,” added Cook. “It acknowledges our team’s excellent work and dedication and reaffirms that GolinHarris is truly a leader and innovator in the PR industry.”

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GOLIN HARRIS SPEAKS ON CONTENT MARKETING AT B2B ASIA CONFERENCE

Jonathan Hughes, president international in Asia, will be speaking at the B2B Content Marketing Asia Roundtable in Shanghai (April 25-26, 2013).

The conference, which is in its fifth year, is focused on B2B marketers and brings together thought leaders from across the region.  The event serves as a professional learning platform for discussion on the forces, tactics, strategies and best practices that are impacting the B2B environment in Asia.

“I am delighted to have this opportunity to share our knowledge with industry leaders from across Asia. Content is king, in both the B2C and B2B environment, but it has become necessary to deliver relevant content to increasingly segmented audiences. Organizations need to share their own unique compelling story.  Speed and agility is key to engaging B2B audiences, building your brand reputation, and generating leads. I hope that in sharing our agency’s experience we will add value for conference attendees,” Hughes commented.

Senior executives from a diverse range of industry backgrounds are scheduled to speak at the two-day conference, including those from Cisco, Coca-Cola, Infosys, Interbrand, GIA Group, and TE Connectivity.

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CONSUMER INSIGHTS EXPERT KRISTEN BERRY-OWEN JOINS GOLIN HARRIS

 LOS ANGELES (Apr. 15, 2013) – GolinHarris announced today the appointment of Kristen Berry-Owen as director of research & analytics for its West Coast offices. In this new position, Berry-Owen will join the agency’s Strategist community, where she will lead this community on the West coast, and be responsible for leading and managing primary and secondary research initiatives for clients in the CPG, food and beverage, automotive, technology and healthcare industries. She will be based in Los Angeles and will report to Judy Johnson, president of the agency’s Western region.

“Kristen’s research and consumer insight experience will have an immediate impact on our success,” said Johnson. “Her intelligence, perceptiveness and mastery of analytical tools and technologies drive her passion for using research to develop unique insights that will help our clients achieve their objectives. Additionally, she brings a deep understanding and experience of how to reach multi-cultural and hard-to-reach consumers.”

Berry-Owen joins GolinHarris with more than 15 years of experience in quantitative and qualitative survey design, primary and secondary research and consumer segmentation. Most recently, she served as director of creative research at market research and consulting firm, TideWatch Partners, where she led the qualitative research practice. Prior to TideWatch, Berry-Owens led large-scale custom research projects for CPG, food and beverage, entertainment, financial services, telecommunications, public interest and healthcare clients as senior director of consumer insights at New American Dimensions. Clients have included Abbott Laboratories, Ad Council, American Greetings, Citibank/Banamex, ConAgra, ESPN, Estée Lauder, Nike, Novartis, P&G, Pepsi, Target and Wells Fargo.

“Since we launched our g4 model, we’ve invested heavily in bringing new resources and capabilities, such as research and analytics, planning and creative production to the agency,” Johnson added. “Kristen is a wonderful addition to our senior team and our Strategist community.”

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GOLIN HARRIS APPOINTS MICHAEL MILLS AS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 

ATLANTA (Apr. 4, 2013) – GolinHarris announced today the appointment of Michael P. Mills as executive director and head of its Public Affairs and Sustainability practice in Atlanta. Mills will join the Strategist community and be responsible for growing the practice area that includes issue and crisis management, community engagement and Corporate Social Responsibility services. He will report to Kathy Cosgrove, managing director of GolinHarris Atlanta.

“The public affairs and sustainability practice has always been an important segment of our team’s work,” said Cosgrove. “Michael’s issues management expertise is deep. His experience serving as Wal-Mart’s reputation point person in the Southeast and at various public relations and policy firms allowed him to cover everything from energy and climate change to water, education,employee relations and healthcare issues, which gives us significant new resources to expand on existing offerings in a competitive marketplace.”

Mills comes to GolinHarris with more than 15 years of political, PR and organizational management experience. Most recently, he served as president of the Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance (SEEA), an organization that partners with policymakers, utilities, governments, industry and non-governmental organizations to create more energy efficient futures for the communities they serve. Mills also has significant political experience, which culminated in a 2010 run for Georgia Secretary of State. His reputation earned him a spot in the 2006 class of Outstanding Atlanta, Georgia Trend magazine’s 2001 list of “40 Under 40” and he published his first book Battling Democracy’s Decline in 2009.

“Michael is further proof that we are committed to hiring specialists with focused expertise to lead our agency into the future,” Cosgrove added. “He is a fantastic addition to our team and I know that the impact he will make for the agency and our clients will be immediate and far reaching.”

“I’m thrilled to join the GolinHarris team,” said Mills. “I’ve actively helped Southeastern communities, governments and the private sector tackle critical issues, and I’m excited to be a part of an agency who shares my passion for continuing thatwork in a smart, thoughtful and sustainable way, leveraging proprietary tools to do so.”

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GOLIN HARRIS APPOINTS ALAN DANZIS DIRECTOR AND BRIDGE CHIEF IN NEW YORK

NEW YORK (Mar.27, 2013) – GolinHarris announced today the appointment of Alan Danzis as media director and Bridge chief in its New York office.

The Bridge™ is the agency’s global network of multimedia hubs where staff uses traditional media analysis, social media conversations, daily briefings with key influencers and monitoring of live broadcast coverage to take advantage of short-term opportunities to share clients’ stories and maximize planned storytelling windows. Teams build relationships and pitch stories, and also create hyper-relevant content based on real-time insights, in real-time.  As Bridge chief, Danzis will lead a team of traditional and digital media relations specialists and content creators to help the agency’s consumer clients and their brands become part of the daily news cycle.

Danzis brings more than ten year of public relations, media relations and social media experience to the agency. Danzis’ prior experience includes stints with Atomic PR, Ketchum, RLM Public Relations and Spector and Associates. He is a regular contributor to numerous technology and entertainment blogs including DVICE; NYPost.com; Complex.com; BuzzFocus.com, BuddyTV, Starpulse; and AboutFoursquare.com.

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GOLIN HARRIS LAUNCHES UK HEALTHCARE PRACTICE TODAY

LONDON (March 13th 2013) — GolinHarris today launches a dedicated Healthcare practice, for the first time enabling the award-winning agency to offer specialist in-house health communications from its London operation. Virgo HEALTH became part of the group in July 2012 and has driven the formation of the new team, led by long standing Virgo director Siân Boisseau.

Kicking off with a team of five, the practice offers the complete range of healthcare services at international and domestic levels from public relations for prescription and over the counter products or consumer goods with a health positioning, through to medical education and scientific writing. GolinHarris now has specialist health teams in Chicago, New York,
London and Singapore.

Angie Wiles, joint Global Healthcare Practice Leader explained: “The GolinHarris Healthcare Practice and Virgo HEALTH brands sit alongside each other within IPG, collaborating where appropriate but separate where client conflicts exist. It is therefore a very natural but important progression for us to establish a healthcare team within GolinHarris London that can also deliver the uncompromised health communications for which Virgo has become known.”

The GolinHarris Healthcare Practice team has already won several new business opportunities including Omega Pharma’s entire portfolio comprising weight loss aid XLSMedical, sleep aid Nytol, pain relief brand Solpadeine plus family favourites such as TCP and Jungle Formula.

Siân commented, “Establishing a healthcare team in London opens up wonderful opportunities to work with new and different clients and to be an integral part of GolinHarris, while also bringing Virgo’s unmatched healthcare insight to the table. We have enjoyed an excellent relationship with Omega Pharma in recent years so we are overjoyed to have the
opportunity to support their entire portfolio!”

Omega Pharma’s Marketing Director Yianni Papadopoulos commented, “We have been very impressed with Virgo over the last two years and have complete faith in the team who are now working within the new GolinHarris Healthcare Practice. Our ambition is to become a top three company in the over-the-counter medicines sector in the next five years and we feel GolinHarris Healthcare is an excellent partner to help us achieve that goal.”

Matt Neale, president international, GolinHarris said: “With Siân and her team joining GolinHarris London, we’re able to offer award-winning healthcare work from day one and our new clients are immediately able to benefit from the agency’s g4 creator community and industry-leading Bridge.”

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GOLIN HARRIS LAUNCHES SX SCOUT: A MARKETER’S GUIDE TO SXSW ‘13

CHICAGO (Mar. 4, 2013) – Global communications agency GolinHarris has launched SX Scout, a digital guide to South by Southwest (SX), the world’s most important interactive marketing festival. As an agency purposefully built to deliver insights, ideas, engagement and integration, SX Scouts were dispatched to examine, inspect, hand-pick and curate content for the most important events taking place at SX.

“With an overwhelming number of sessions to choose from this year – more than 650 planned SX sessions – we wanted to provide guidance and support to marketers in their selection process,” said Jeff Beringer, global digital practice leader. “Specialists from our global team scoured the full line-up and hand-picked 40 can’t-miss events for marketers heading to Austin or following from afar.”

The 20th annual SXSW Interactive Festival will take place March 8-12, 2013, in Austin, Texas. The event features five days of compelling presentations from the brightest minds in emerging technology and marketing.

“The GH SX Scouts shine a light on important trends and SX panel discussions related to brand strategy and analytics, connecting with communities, content creation and idea generation, and integration and execution,” said Beringer. “For any marketer trying to navigate SX, this guide helps outline what our agency thinks is important now, what’s next, and where to hear about both during SXSW 2013.”

GolinHarris SX Scouts will be on the ground reporting live during the festival from each of the 40 sessions and will provide recaps post-SX, including the Top Ten Lessons for Communicators from SxSW 2013. Follow along on Twitter using #SXScout and visit sxscout.com for real-time updates.

About SXSW Interactive
The 20th annual SXSW Interactive Festival will take place March 8-12, 2013, in Austin, Texas. An incubator of cutting-edge technologies and digital creativity, the event features five days of compelling presentations from the  brightest minds in emerging technology, scores of exciting networking events hosted by industry leaders and an unbeatable line-up of special programs showcasing the best new websites, video games and startup ideas the community has to offer. From hands-on training to big-picture analysis of the future, SXSW Interactive has become the place to experience a preview of what is unfolding in the world of technology. Join us March 2013 for the sessions, the networking, the parties, the 16th Annual SXSW Interactive Awards, SXSW Startup Village, the SXSW Gaming Expo, the SXSW Trade Show and, of course, the inspirational experience that only SXSW can deliver.

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VIRGO HEALTH LAUNCHES FIRST OFFICES IN U.S. AND SINGAPORE
Executive Directors Susan Cuozzo and Rachel Norager will lead New York and Singapore respectively

CHICAGO (Feb. 25, 2013) – Virgo HEALTH, the award-winning UK healthcare communications agency, has launched its first US office in NYC and a second hub in Singapore.  Both offices will offer the full range of communications services including prescription and consumer PR and medical communications and add a further dimension to Virgo’s already established global healthcare practice delivering major above country and in-market campaigns.  Susan Cuozzo, has been appointed Executive Director to lead the New York office, having over 15 years of domestic and global medical communications expertise while Rachel Norager, Executive Director, will lead the Singapore offer.

Founded in 2003 by Angie Wiles and Sarah Matthew, Virgo HEALTH’s mission is to raise the bar in healthcare communications with its “Communications Without Compromise” proposition. Virgo HEALTH’s blue-chip client roster includes some of the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies, such as Roche, GSK, Novartis, Takeda, Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca.  Sarah Matthew, Joint CEO, Virgo HEALTH said, “We have wanted to extend the Virgo offer globally for some time and New York and Singapore are the logical and exciting first steps. We look forward to bringing our “Communications without Compromise” approach to life for clients in the US and Asia and to advancing our mission to provide service where the exceptional is ALWAYS the rule.”

Virgo HEALTH joined global public relations agency GolinHarris last summer, extending Virgo’s geographical reach and ability to support clients globally leveraging GolinHarris’ network of 39 offices across the U.S., Europe and Asia, including emerging markets. GolinHarris’ cutting-edge digital, consumer and corporate practices complement Virgo HEALTH’s extensive healthcare communications, education and strategic consultancy capabilities. New York is the first Virgo office to open outside the UK and will share office space with GolinHarris in midtown NYC.

“What really sets Virgo HEALTH apart from the other agencies, particularly in the U.S., is our dynamic team model and exceptional creative approach,” said Cuozzo. “Our diverse and experienced senior teams provide customized strategic insights that balance science and practical creativity culminating in value and quality that surpasses client expectations.”

The Singapore office will be co-located with GolinHarris’ highly successful healthcare practice team already in Singapore.  “I am excited by the opportunity to grow our already highly successful healthcare practice team in Singapore,” Rachel Norager said. “Through the introduction of Virgo HEALTH, we look forward to establishing the agency as the leading provider of truly integrated medical communications for the first time in the region.”

Virgo HEALTH has earned numerous awards for its work and culture, including Communiqué’s “Consultancy of the Year” in 2006, 2009 and 2010, and 2012 Medical Communications Consultancy of the Year, PR Week Specialist Consultancy of the Year, and it has been cited for the past three years as one of the top small workplaces in the UK (Great Places to Work Institute). 

For further information:

Angie Wiles: angie.wiles@virgohealth.com
Sarah Matthew: sarah.matthew@virgohealth.com
London: +44 20 8939 2450
Web: www.virgohealth.com

Susan Cuozzo

Prior to joining Virgo HEALTH, Susan Cuozzo served as vice president at Medicus International (formerly Science and Medicine), where she supported a range of domestic and global medical communications activities across multiple therapeutic areas for clients such as Abbott Nutrition, Merck, Pfizer, EMD Serono, and Alcon Laboratories. In addition, she led Medicus’ scientific and editorial teams. Cuozzo is an active member of the American Medical Writers Association and the International Society for Medical Publication Professionals. She is also an editorial board member for the Journal for Communication in Healthcare. In her new role at Virgo HEALTH, Cuozzo will lead editorial and account teams responsible for delivering strategic communications plans and materials, publications, advocacy development and digital for both the US and global markets 

Rachel Norager

Rachel brings more than a decade of healthcare communications and medical education expertise gained working for pharmaceutical companies such as Roche, and whilst working in international and Singapore agencies including integrated product and disease area public relations and medical education programmes, corporate reputation and issues management.

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GOLIN HARRIS HIRES 4 MORE IN CHICAGO, CREDITS SUCCESS OF SPECIALIST MODEL
Agency’s focus on specialization attracts diverse talents with 40+ years combined experience

CHICAGO (Feb. 11, 2013) – Global communications agency GolinHarris welcomed new specialist talent to its Chicago headquarters this month. According to GolinHarris leadership, new hires Ron D’Innocenzo, Karen Stillman, Erika Bohl and Christie Shein joined largely because of the firm’s unique and increasingly successful g4 model.

“We do things differently here at GolinHarris,” said Patti Temple Rocks, GolinHarris managing director in Chicago. “Our new approach is helping us win with new clients, win more assignments from current clients and win over some of the most talented professionals inside and outside of the PR industry. Most importantly, it’s helping us do better work.”

The g4 model is a departure from traditional agency structures and silos. According to Rocks, it gives clients more of what they want and need, including greater access to expert services, tools and technologies. Each new GolinHarris hire will join one of four specialist communities. D’Innocenzo becomes a Creator, Stillman a Catalyst, Bohl a Strategist, and Shein a Connector.

Ron D’Innocenzo, executive director in the Creator community, will lead creative programs for current and prospective clients in the Midwest. Before joining GolinHarris, D’Innocenzo held posts at Leo Burnett, Arnold Communications, and most recently served as creative director at Draft FCB. He has more than 17 years of experience working with brands like The Dow Chemical Company, Gatorade, Sands Hotel Corporation, Nintendo, Kellogg’s, Crayola, McDonald’s, Volkswagen and Allstate. 

Karen Stillman, executive director in the Catalyst community, will cultivate and grow GolinHarris relationships on the Unilever account. Stillman joins GolinHarris after 14 years with Fleishman Hillard, as well as previous posts including MSL Group and a boutique integrated marketing agency in Detroit. She boasts a diverse background in consumer marketing, serving brands such as Gatorade, Kellogg’s, Abbott Nutrition/Similac Infant Formula, Office Depot, Nike, Converse, McDonald’s and General Motors.

Erika Bohl, a research specialist and director in the Strategist community, will provide strategic insights and guidance to GolinHarris health care accounts. With vast experiences in both the consumer packaged goods and health care industries, Bohl was most recently a senior strategist at CarbonSix (formerly LJS Healthcare) where she led global research studies. 

Christie Shein, director in the Connector community, will develop integrated media plans to give GolinHarris clients the broadest engagement opportunities. Shein is a marketing communications executive with 11 years of agency, in-house and entrepreneurial experience. She joined GolinHarris from MSL Group where her client portfolio included Underwriters Laboratories, Easton-Bell Sports, General Motors, Aegis, Eckrich, Mazola, Zurich, P&G, and Chicago Ideas Week. 

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GOLIN HARRIS APPOINTS GLENN SCHLOSS AS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CORPORATE IN HONG KONG
Appointment strengthens the agency’s regional corporate communications capabilities

HONG KONG (31 January 2012) – Global communications agency GolinHarris announced today the appointment of Glenn Schloss as executive director in its Corporate Communications practice in Hong Kong. Schloss will be a key member of the team leading an expanding roster of corporate communications business, including engagements in corporate reputation, issues and crisis management, corporate governance, corporate social responsibility and business-to-business communications. He will report to Jeremy Walker, managing director of GolinHarris Hong Kong.

“The corporate communications practice has experienced tremendous growth over the past year and continues its expansion into the New Year,” said Walker. “Glenn’s energy, award winning background in journalism, his strategic approach to solving challenges and ability to get ahead of the story for clients will play a vital role in driving the growth of our practice in Hong Kong.”

Schloss comes to GolinHarris with more than a decade of experience as a corporate communications adviser to senior executives and has 17 years of experience as an award-winning journalist. He has provided counsel to a broad range of blue-chip multinational and Asian companies including those from the financial, energy, technology, healthcare and FMCG sectors as well as leading conglomerates. As a journalist, he received a number of awards including the Amnesty International/Foreign Correspondents Club Human Rights Press Award, and the Newspaper Society of Hong Kong’s Award for Best General News Story.

“I am thrilled that Glenn has joined us,” commented Jonathan Hughes, International President for Asia, “Attracting specialists of Glenn’s undoubted calibre and stature is what is at the very heart of our new agency model and is key to providing the highest levels of counsel and expertise to our clients in Hong Kong and across the region.”

“Corporate communications is changing quickly from the reactive stance of companies tending to shy away from engaging externally to a more proactive stance where leading businesses embrace stakeholders and even collaborate with groups such as NGOs,” said Schloss, “GolinHarris with its heritage and strength in corporate communications and public affairs have a unique understanding of the complex stakeholder environment and I am pleased to be joining this award winning team.”

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GOLIN HARRIS APPOINTS PIERRE-HUBERT MEILHAC AS MANAGING DIRECTOR FOR FRANCE

CHICAGO (Feb. 4, 2013) – GolinHarris today announced the appointment of Pierre-Hubert Meilhac as managing director for its Paris office.

Meilhac will manage day-to-day business, cultivate major client relationships and lead the marketing and new business development efforts for the agency in France.  In addition, he is charged with strengthening synergies with its sister Interpublic agency Lowe Stratéus – as its integrated public relations and e-reputation hot shop.

“I am delighted to join such a dynamic, trail-blazing network as GolinHarris,” commented Meilhac. “Over these past two past years, GolinHarris has revolutionized the industry with its g4 model and I am very excited to introduce the model to our French clients and the market. Thanks to g4 and our integration with Lowe Stratéus, we are now able to bring innovative and efficiency driven strategies across paid, owned, shared and earned media, which is quite unique in France.”

“Pierre-Hubert is a strong leader with extensive experience in developing creative programs and big ideas for clients,” said Matt Neale, president GolinHarris International. “We look forward to working with him to continue to build the GolinHarris brand in France. He will be a valuable addition to our EMEA leadership team.”

A specialist in influencer and opinion programs, Meilhac was previously an associate director at Le Public Systeme agency where he successfully grew the public relations practice. His experience ranges from consumer to issues management in diverse sectors from entertainment and IT, food, tourism and travel through to the environment. He is also an expert in CSR-related branding strategies.

In France, GolinHarris represents clients such as the Florida Department of Citrus, Foods International (OVOmaltine, Twinings, La Tisaniere, and Jordans), the French Ministry for Agriculture and the Biomedecine agency, to name a few.

Meilhac replaces Julie Gaye who left the agency last year.

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GOLIN HARRIS PROMOTES JUDY JOHNSON TO PRESIDENT, WESTERN REGION

CHICAGO (Jan. 28, 2013) – GolinHarris announced today the promotion of Judy Johnson to president of the Western Region, a new position. Johnson, a 16-year veteran of the agency, most recently served as Western Region managing director. In this new role, Johnson will continue to lead the agency’s operations in the West, which include full-service offices in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Orange County and a satellite office in Seattle. In addition, Johnson will be responsible for growing existing client relationships, new business development and managing the integration and evolution of the agency’s g4 model in the West and across the agency.

“Judy is an outstanding leader and has been a constant contributor to our success. We’ve achieved significant growth in the region under her leadership, and expect to continue to do so,” said Gary Rudnick, president, Americas. “She is a trusted counselor and strategic advisor to many of our key clients including  the California Avocado Commission, Dole Food Company, Farmer John, McDonald’s and Toyota, among others. We are proud to have her serve the agency in this new role, and look forward to her continued impact on our business and our people.”

Prior to joining GolinHarris in 1997, Johnson worked for Fleishman-Hillard and Manning Selvage & Lee (MS&L) and served as public relations manager at Glendale Memorial Hospital and Health Center. She began her career as a news writer. Johnson is a graduate of the UCLA School of Communications magna cum laude and holds several dozen industry awards for her sound strategic programs and the results they have achieved for her clients. She served as a vice president of the Los Angeles Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America and was named PR Professional of the Year by the chapter in 2012. Johnson currently serves on GolinHarris’ Executive Management Committee and is an adjunct professor at the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism.

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GOLIN HARRIS STRENGTHENS DALLAS G4 TEAM WITH TWO NEW STRATEGIC HIRES

DALLAS, TX. (January 22, 2013) – GolinHarris today announced the appointment of two new directors in its Dallas office, Christine Danuser and Eric Swayne. With these strategic hires, GolinHarris Dallas continues to strengthen the region’s g4 agency model, in which clients are served by integrated teams of dedicated experts: strategists, creators, catalysts and connectors.

“With Christine and Eric, we’ve recruited stellar talent with demonstrated expertise that will help our clients win in today’s complex, connected marketplace,” said Ginger Porter, managing director of GolinHarris Dallas. “Together they bring more than 20 years of experience delivering high-impact results that will allow them to make an immediate impact for our clients.”

Danuser will serve the Dallas team as a client relationship leader for the consumer practice, helping to lead consumer campaigns for accounts like PetSmart and Red Bull. In her role, she will manage  a multi-dimensional team of strategists, creative talent, media relations and social media practitioners and event managers.

Danuser rejoins the agency from Dr Pepper Snapple Group where she was manager of brand and corporate public relations. There she managed strategic PR planning and award-winning program execution for the company’s brand portfolio, including leading brands Snapple, Mott’s, 7UP and Dr Pepper. She also directed consumer-facing aspects of the company’s signature philanthropy program, Let’s Play. Her 12 years of industry experience include developing and implementing brand building campaigns in the consumer, technology and interactive entertainment groups at GolinHarris’ offices in Dallas and Los Angeles, and as part of the marketing communications team at Hill & Knowlton Los Angeles.

In a newly created position, Swayne will lead the region’s strategist community, heading up research and insights for clients in various industries including consumer, technology, consumer electronics, retail and energy.

Swayne will also lead digital advances to GolinHarris’ proprietary measurement framework, The Delta Set, to help clients better measure the effectiveness of their communication programs. An experienced social marketer and strategist, Swayne brings the ability to deliver insights across a variety of platforms and channels — such as web analytics, qualitative and quantitative field research, predictive modeling and social ethnography.

Swayne joins GolinHarris from M/A/R/C Research, where he was Director and founder of the Social Analytics and Insights practice. Previously he served as Senior Social/Digital Strategist at Rockfish, and as a Digital Strategist at RAPP. Earlier in his career, Swayne also worked on-site with Texas Instruments and American Airlines.

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GOLIN HARRIS AND VIRGO HEALTH LAUNCH GO DIGITAL HEALTH
New global practice launches with a look at how digital is personalizing health

CHICAGO (January 17,  2013) – GolinHarris and Virgo HEALTH announced today the launch of go digital health, a new global digital practice. go digital health merges Virgo HEALTH’s healthcare heritage and experience with the deep digital expertise and insight from Architect – an interactive team within GolinHarris. The cross-sector team will utilize technology and communications savvy to create meaningful connections in health.

The launch comes at a time when consumers are increasingly engaged in managing their health through online/digital platforms. In a survey conducted as part of the launch, more than 73% of respondents cited the internet as the first place they seek health information, before discussions with friends, family or a doctor. The poll also showed that the top device for accessing health information was a laptop (44%), followed by a smartphone (29%), tablet and desktop (both 12%), with 70% of respondents using what they found online to self-diagnose. However, the survey also revealed a demand for greater customization.

While 51% had downloaded an app to track or monitor their personal health, the ‘most wanted’ health gadgets would improve holistic health management and enable greater automation, avoiding the need to input data in order to track or monitor progress.

Emily Brooks, practice leader at go digital health said, “We are no doubt seeing a boom in consumer engagement in digital health but as consumers become more accustomed to digital, they will demand more customization. In many ways we are already at a point of health app and information overload – something our survey participants picked up as one of the biggest frustrations with information online – so ensuring cut-through requires a smart approach. We’re really excited about go and what our unique experience – from inside and outside health – can bring.”

Jon Meggitt, head of innovation at go digital health said, “For us it’s about using technology innovatively to create meaningful connections in health – connecting the right people with the right information, based on deep consumer-centric, health-enriched insights. Our mantra of ‘go beyond’ fits our ambition to continually challenge ourselves to think laterally, think smartly and use technology to make these connections easier and simpler.”

go digital health has been formed as part of Virgo HEALTH’s relationship with GolinHarris, announced in July 2012. The go-to team of more than 25 people offers full service in-house digital health marketing capability including strategy, creative, design and development, and social media – pulling in understanding and inspiration from outside of health via the Architect team. Architect’s clients include Unilever, Tesco and Winning Moves.

To read more about some of the tech that is individualizing healthcare and delivery including mhealth, telehealth and virtual interactions; and how people are customizing their health journeys via websites, apps and tools; read MYdicine – the first go Thoughts post.

Read more about the go approach and the go-to people on the team: www.godigitalhealth.com Find us on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter. The team will also have a stand at the Digital Advances in Pharma Conference, in  London on  January 31st.

For further information please contact:

Emily Brooks, practice lead, go digital health
emily@godigitalhealth.com/ +44 20 8939 2462 / @godigitalhealth / @emilybrooks

Linda Blakley, executive director, GolinHarris
lblakley@golinharris.com / 312 729 4153

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AWARD-WINNING WRITER AND CREATIVE DIRECTOR CHARLIE TERCEK JOINS GOLIN HARRIS AS EXECUTIVE CREATIVE DIRECTOR

CHICAGO (January 16, 2013) – GolinHarris announced today the appointment of award-winning writer and creative director Charlie Tercek, as the agency’s executive creative director. Tercek will report to Gary Rudnick, president, Americas and be based in the firm’s Los Angeles office.

Tercek will lead the development of creative ideas based on strategic insights for new and existing clients and on new business opportunities. In addition, he will lead the agency’s global creator community and work closely with teams to inspire their creativity through a more disciplined and focused creative process.

“Charlie brings an incredibly diverse and unique background to GolinHarris. He’s worked for large advertising agencies and small, run his own consultancy, and has written across mediums including television and branded entertainment,” said Rudnick. “Our creative process and product will continue to improve under his leadership, and his experiences will be valuable to our clients. We are thrilled about his joining our agency.”

Over the course of his career, Tercek has worked at some of the top advertising agencies in the business – Ogilvy & Mather, DDB, Chiat, McGarry Bowen and Saatchi – for clients including IBM, Microsoft, McDonald’s, New Balance, Kraft, Toyota, Jamba Juice, Petco, Barnes & Noble, Safeway and Disney, among others. He’s perhaps best known for writing and producing IBM’s “Solutions for a Small Planet” campaign, which ran in 64 countries, was a winner or finalist for every major advertising award and is now part of the permanent collection of New York’s Museum of Modern Art. Tercek has also written movies for the Disney Channel and spent three years as an executive writer for TV’s “Sabrina, the Teenage Witch.”

Tercek’s work has been honored as a Cannes finalist, a CLIO winner, Addy winner and AdWeek All-Star.

“PR is the new advertising – the frontier of everything in communications that’s fresh, exciting and interesting,” said Tercek. “I’m thrilled to help GolinHarris become the most creative PR agency in the world.”

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GOLIN HARRIS RENEWS FOCUS ON INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS PRACTICE, INSIDEDGE, WITH LINDA KINGMAN AT HELM

CHICAGO (Jan. 9, 2013) – GolinHarris announced today leadership changes in its internal communications specialty practice, Insidedge, intended to drive additional growth in the agency’s offering. The practice will be led by managing director Linda Kingman who takes over the leadership of Insidedge from Keith Burton, who left the agency to pursue other opportunities. Kingman, who brings 30 years of experience, including eight with the agency, will be based in Chicago.

“Insidedge is the industry-leading employee and change communications consultancy, delivering award-winning work for a wide range of clients at GolinHarris and within the IPG network,” said CEO Fred Cook. “Linda has been managing the day-to-day operations for the past six months and I am confident she will continue to build the practice.”

Under Kingman’s leadership Insidedge will focus on developing deeper strength in internal branding, M&A communications and training and facilitation as well as continue to build its team. This week, Carolyn Hoenk rejoined Insidedge as a vice president to lead its work in crisis communications.

“I’m thrilled to be able to lead Insidedge in a new direction and to a new level,” said Kingman. “I am looking forward to working more broadly with our clients and our people to continue to build our reputation for excellence in internal communications.”

Prior to joining GolinHarris and Insidedge, Kingman spent seven years as vice president of corporate communications for Kemper Insurance Co., Chicago, where she led external and internal communications. She was on the senior management team handling Kemper’s response to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack on the World Trade Center, where 225 Kemper employees worked. Earlier in her career, she was an executive with Hill & Knowlton and chief of staff to Illinois Senate President Philip J. Rock. Beyond her leadership role with Insidedge, Kingman also serves on the national executive committee of the Women’s Leadership Network (WLN), an Interpublic Group (IPG) of Companies’ organization that promotes the advancement, retention and recruitment of women.  She is a member of the Arthur W. Page Society and previously served as a Leadership Greater Chicago Fellow and as president of Illinois Women in Government.

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GOLIN HARRIS AWARDED GOLD MEDAL IN PRWEEK’S GLOBAL AGENCY REPORT
Agency’s #1 ranking marks fourth top award earned in 2012 

SHANGHAI (December 12, 2012) — GolinHarris has been awarded the gold medal in PRWeek’s Global Agency Report 2012. In the annual review of top global firms, GolinHarris earned the top performance honor for its continued growth, network initiatives, client work and new talent. Also cited was the journey the agency has undertaken to transform its skills, capabilities and resources.

In 2011, GolinHarris completely redesigned the agency to combine strategy, creativity and engagement into one seamless package in order to produce better results for clients.  At the core of this strategy is a belief that specialism is the key to excellence.

“Our new approach not only helped drive our strong financial performance, it was a key factor behind four acquisitions, significant new business wins and organic growth. It also helped us to attract new kinds of talent,” said Fred Cook, GolinHarris CEO.

This year, GolinHarris added adidas, Equinix, Hansgrohe, Redbox, Discover Financial Services, Teva and Motel 6 to its client portfolio, among others. 2012 acquisitions included S2Publicom, Brazil’s fifth largest PR agency; Nicole Weber Communications in Germany; digital agency Fuse; and Virgo Health in London.

Earning the top spot in the Global Agency Report follows four earlier prestigious agency recognitions including being named an Ad Age A-List Agency to Watch; PR Consultancy of the Year at the Asia Pacific PR Awards; PR Week International Consultancy of the Year; and  PRCA Large Consultancy of the Year.

“It is very gratifying to be recognized by these organizations,” added Cook. “It acknowledges our team’s excellent work and dedication and reaffirms that GolinHarris is truly a leader and innovator in the PR industry.”

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HANSGROHE SELECTS GOLINHARRIS AS PR AGENCY IN CHINA

CHICAGO (November 15, 2012) – Hansgrohe has announced the signing of a 2012-2013 PR retainer agreement with GolinHarris Shanghai. This follows the recent appointment of GolinHarris London to provide global PR services to the company. GolinHarris Shanghai will provide media communications and digital services across the Greater China region, covering both the Hansgrohe and AXOR brands.

China is currently the largest foreign market to Hansgrohe, one of the world’s premium luxury sanitation product providers. Founded in Germany more than a century ago, the company has been a trendsetter in the international sanitation product industry, through innovation in technology, design, and sustainability. Hansgrohe has tasked GolinHarris with leveraging its excellent global communication network and understanding of the local markets to increase Hansgrohe’s brand awareness and influence in China.

GolinHarris prevailed over other international PR firms to win the business. Sarah Chin, VP & GM of GolinHarris Shanghai, says: “GolinHarris is delighted to be working with Hansgrohe, offering them our global capabilities locally. We previously worked with Hansgrohe on a four-year retainer agreement from 2006 to 2009. We believe that by telling their compelling brand story, combined with our communication and digital expertise, we’ll provide Hansgrohe with a powerful integrated communication service.”

About Hansgrohe

During its 111-year history, the company Hansgrohe (www.hansgrohe.com), with headquarters in Schiltach in the Black Forest, has acquired a reputation in the sanitation sector as one of the innovative leaders in technology, design and sustainability. With its mixers, showers and shower systems, Hansgrohe creates the original products that make the bathroom more functional, more comfortable and more beautiful. It is no coincidence that they can be found in prominent prestige projects such as on the giant cruiser “Queen Mary II”, in Terminal 5 of Heathrow Airport in London, in the tallest man-made structure ever built, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, as well as at the Chancellor’s office in Berlin, in the Yoo luxury apartments in New York or at the Masdar City Institute of Science and Technology in Abu Dhabi. The company and its products were honored with a myriad awards, among the latest ones being the “Umsicht Science Award”, the “German Design Award” in Gold and the “iF Gold Award 2012.” In 2011, the company generated sales of about EUR  764 million with its Axor, Hansgrohe, Pharo and Pontos brands (2010: EUR 693 million). The Hansgrohe Group currently has a global workforce of about 3,300 employees, with about two-thirds of them working in Germany. The company, which takes tough action against product piracy and intellectual property theft, manufactures its products in six German plants, in France, the Netherlands, in the U.S. and in China

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GOLIN HARRIS WESTERN REGION FURTHER STRENGTHENS AGENCY’S G4 MODEL WITH SIX NEW HIRES

LOS ANGELES (Nov. 12, 2012) – GolinHarris today announced new hires to expand and deepen the firm’s creative capabilities. Joining the agency’s western region staff are

• Lisa Charlebois as creative director
• Chris Baccus as executive director, digital strategy
• Hugo Cabrera as interactive designer
• and three dedicated writers for the creator community: veteran journalist Valli Herman, technology writer Asami Novak and corporate/technology writer Elizabeth Winter.

“With these new appointments, we’ve continued to enhance the expertise that powers our g4 model,” said Judy Johnson, GolinHarris regional managing director for GolinHarris. “By tapping key sources of talent – both traditional and new – we have expanded our capabilities and serve clients in new and better ways.”

Creative director Lisa Charlebois is the agency’s first 360-integrated creative from the ad world. Her role at GolinHarris follows her work at Ogilvy in Toronto, NY and LA; Digitas and BBDO. Creative and collaborative, Charlebois’ formative years in advertising included work as an ad agency copywriter. Her new responsibilities include developing integrated campaigns that include PR, digital, social, paid advertising and collateral. She will also provide art direction for  creative projects, digital initiatives, brand identity systems, packaging/point of sale and broadcast/print advertising initiatives.

Chris Baccus, executive director of digital strategy, is a trusted digital expert who can guide  clients through the ever-changing online and mobile worlds, including creating and managing online properties and communities, developing mobile marketing strategies, integrating earned and owned campaigns with paid strategies, and reaching digital influencers with the greatest reach to share clients’ stories. Baccus joined GolinHarris from AT&T, where he was the executive director of digital and social media. Baccus’ career also includes positions at  Wunderman, Digitas and Pfizer.

Interactive designer Hugo Cabrera is a trained designer in on- and offline mediums.  He earned a degree in animation and is also an illustrator/artist and a cartoonist.  Since joining GolinHarris he has helped clients with package design, point of sale, logos, video animation, educational collateral with cartoons, storyboards, websites, mobile applications, Facebook and Twitter pages, and more.

Three dedicated writers have also recently joined the agency:  established journalist Valli Herman; technology writer Asami Novak; and automotive/technology writer Elizabeth Winter.

With a masters in journalism from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Valli Herman has spent more than 20 years as a reporter. She worked at the Los Angeles Times for a decade, covering lifestyle, food, fashion and travel.  Prior to that, she was at the Dallas Morning News and the Daily News of Los Angeles in similar roles.

Novak works from the GH office in San Francisco bringing a strong background in high-technology copywriting.  She was an editorial assistant at Wired magazine and a copywriter in-house and at a marketing firm.  She earned her degree in journalism at San Francisco State University.

With a journalism degree from Michigan State University and several years as a reporter in Pennsylvania and Michigan under her belt, Elizabeth Winter moved out West to Washington state, where she worked at Edelman and Sprinklr before coming to GolinHarris.

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GOLIN HARRIS’ INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT JONATHAN HUGHES RELOCATING TO ASIA TO DRIVE EXPANSION
Based in Hong Kong, Hughes will lead the agency’s operations across Asia Pacific

CHICAGO (Nov. 6, 2012) – GolinHarris announced today that international president, Jonathan Hughes, will relocate to Asia to lead the agency’s expansion and growth across the region. Hughes, who was appointed as one of GolinHarris’ three new presidents last year, will be based in Hong Kong and will continue to report to CEO Fred Cook.

Hughes is expected to be in the region in January 2013, a move signaling the agency’s commitment to grow its operations throughout this extremely important and dynamic region. GolinHarris has had a presence in the region for many years and was named Asia Pacific PR Consultancy of the Year in 2011 and 2009.

The agency currently operates in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, Korea, Indonesia and Malaysia.

“We have a strong network in Asia with a dynamic leadership team,” said Hughes. “My job is to grow our presence by bringing our clients deeper insights, bigger ideas and broader engagement.”

Hughes was part of the team that orchestrated three acquisitions in the last 12 months, including digital agency Fuse, consumer lifestyle marketing firm Nicole Weber Communications and healthcare specialist Virgo Health. He will continue to look for similar opportunities in Asia.  In addition to growing the agency’s business and capabilities, Hughes will be responsible for bringing its new g4 model to life for clients and for leveraging its network of real-time engagement centers, known as The Bridge, across the region.

“Jon’s list of accomplishments is long and impressive,” said Fred Cook, CEO of GolinHarris. “Together with Matt Neale, he has led our global expansion across Europe while transforming our London office into one of the hottest brands in the market, which was named PRWeek’s 2012 International Consultancy of the Year. I have no doubt that he will do the same for our offices in Asia Pacific.”

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GOLIN HARRIS NAMED PRWEEK INTERNATIONAL CONSULTANCY OF THE YEAR

LONDON (October 26 , 2012) —GolinHarris, one of the world’s leading global public relations firms and a company within Interpublic Group (NYSE: IPG), was named ’International Consultancy of the Year’ at the annual PRWeek UK Awards, held on Tuesday night in London. The recognition builds on GolinHarris’ impressive awards success, which includes being named Asia Pacific PR Consultancy of the Year and an Ad Age Agency A-List Agency to Watch earlier this year.

Widely accepted by the PR and communications sector as the equivalent of the film industry’s ‘Oscars,’ the PRWeek Awards is the benchmark of excellence for PR in the UK.

PRWeek Judge Suzanne Morris complimented GH on its “bold and innovative approach to communications planning and delivery that has driven international growth.”

“We are incredibly proud of our London office and all they’ve accomplished,” said Fred Cook, CEO of GolinHarris. “Just last year, we appointed Matt Neale and Jonathan Hughes Presidents, International. While tripling our revenue, they have elevated our London office into a major international hub and one of the most respected and revered brands in the market.”

Matt Neale, President, International stated, “This award confirms GH London as a global innovator for our industry. It’s not about dots on a map. Rather, the award recognizes our compelling global strategy to deliver engaging content for our clients.”

In the last year, Hughes and Neale have helped strengthen the GolinHarris team in Germany with the acquisition of consumer hot shop Nicole Weber Communications with offices in Munich, Hamburg and Berlin; have expanded the agency’s digital capabilities through the acquisition of interactive agency Fuse; and have extended the agency’s global healthcare practice with the acquisition of Virgo Health.

“Our g4 model has allowed, and encouraged, us to seek out new and different talent and to cultivate the expertise and interests of our existing team,” said Jon Hughes, President,

International. “This recognition was awarded to us because of the bold and original way we have re-shaped our agency around the world so that, at the end of the day, we can do bigger and better work for our clients.”

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GOLIN HARRIS APPOINTS AWARD-WINNING BROADCAST JOURNALISTS TO LEAD ITS REAL-TIME, MULTI-MEDIA ENGAGEMENT CENTERS

CHICAGO (October 11, 2012) – GolinHarris announced today the appointment of two award-winning broadcast journalists to lead the Dallas and Chicago hubs of the Bridge™, the agency’s first-of-its-kind network of multi-media engagement centers. Industry-recognized television news producer Stephanie Matthews will serve as Bridge Chief in Dallas.

Veteran Chicago television news executive Jay Foot has been named Bridge Chief in Chicago. Matthews and Foot join Martin Frizell, who joined the agency’s London office as Bridge Chief last month.

Last year, GolinHarris implemented a major organizational redesign to address the increasing influence of digital and social media in communications. The agency’s new structure is supported by the Bridge™, where staff uses traditional media analysis, social media conversations, daily briefings with key influencers and monitoring of live broadcast coverage to take advantage of short-term opportunities to share clients’ stories and maximize planned storytelling windows. Teams build relationships and pitch stories, and also create hyper-relevant content based on real-time insights, in real-time.

In Dallas, Matthews will lead a team of traditional and digital media relations specialists and content creators to help companies and brands become part of the daily news cycle.

“With nearly 15 years of media expertise at the local and network level, Stephanie has a keen perspective on how to find and sell ideas to the decision makers in newsrooms and the community,”  said Ginger Porter, managing director GolinHarris Dallas.  “Stephanie’s role as Dallas Bridge Chief will be to help brands such as MetroPCS, PetSmart, Cisco and Texas Instruments turn real-time opportunities into meaningful results. She’ll work closely with Jay and later with other Bridge Chiefs, which we are currently in the process of hiring for all of our Bridge centers worldwide.”

Prior to joining GolinHarris, Matthews worked for ABC’s  World News Now and  Good Morning America, along with NBC stations in Dallas, Tampa, Charlotte and Austin. She was honored with an Edward R. Murrow award for Best Newscast and has received seven Emmy nominations.

Jay Foot takes on his new role following a 23-year career in Chicago television news where he produced and directed news, sports, public affairs, program specials and commercial campaigns.

“Jay is a seasoned news chief  who will apply an insider’s knowledge of the newsroom to shape content creation on behalf of global brands,” said Patti Temple Rocks, managing director, GolinHarris Chicago. “With media savvy borne of broad news experience across breaking news, business and lifestyle coverage, Jay will help us provide clients with storytelling opportunities across multiple channels.”

Foot’s work on the Chicago media scene includes serving as newsroom gatekeeper and planning manager for Fox Chicago News’ Good Day Chicago, Fox News at Noon and Fox News at 9pm newscasts plus weekly public affairs programming; executive producer and director of program and commercial development, CBS2 TV Chicago and executive producer and creator of the lifestyle and entertainment program 190 North, ABC7 TV, Chicago. He’s received 12 Emmy awards for work in commercials, news, program specials, public affairs and sports programming categories.

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GOLIN HARRIS NAMED AGENCY OF RECORD FOR DOW BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION
Expands Global Relationship with The Dow Chemical Company

CHICAGO, IL– October 8, 2012 – GolinHarris announced today, it has been named the public relations agency of record for Dow Building and Construction, a business unit of The Dow Chemical Company (NYSE: DOW) that unites Dow Building Solutions and Dow Construction Chemicals. GolinHarris will lead public relations work for the individual businesses in North America, and for the business unit as a whole.

“Dow Building and Construction unites two strategic businesses, and when we began looking for a communications partner, we knew we needed a full-service public relations agency like GolinHarris to meet our unique needs,” said Erik van Oosten, Global Business Communications Director Dow Building & Construction. “GolinHarris’ g4 approach to our business will give us exactly what we need in terms of smart strategy, creative ideas and content and smart engagement with our customers and prospects.”

“We are thrilled to expand our existing relationship with Dow to include Dow Building and Construction,” said Scott Farrell, President of Global Corporate Communications for GolinHarris. “Dow’s success is our passion, and our team is excited about taking the company’s existing leadership in high performance building solutions to new levels.”

GolinHarris has served as Dow’s public relations agency of record since 2006. During its six- year partnership, GolinHarris has supported a number of important programs including the launch of Dow’s Human Element campaign, the Dow Live Earth Run for Water, 2011’s International Year of Chemistry and most recently, communications surrounding Dow’s Worldwide Olympic partnership at the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Dow Building and Construction takes a whole-building approach with its market leadership with high performance building solutions that insulate, protect and enhance the entire building envelope for maximum performance and energy efficiency. Leading the industry in sustainable building science, Dow Building and Construction develops and offers high-performance and energy efficient solutions for both new construction and retrofits.

About Dow

Dow (NYSE: DOW) combines the power of science and technology to passionately innovate what is essential to human progress. The Company connects chemistry and innovation with the principles of sustainability to help address many of the world’s most challenging problems such as the need for clean water, renewable energy generation and conservation, and increasing agricultural productivity. Dow’s diversified industry-leading portfolio of specialty chemical, advanced materials, agrosciences and plastics businesses delivers a broad range of technology-based products and solutions to customers in approximately 160 countries and in high growth sectors such as electronics, water, energy, coatings and agriculture. In 2011, Dow had annual sales of $60 billion and employed approximately 52,000 people worldwide. The Company’s more than 5,000 products are manufactured at 197 sites in 36 countries across the globe. References to “Dow” or the “Company” mean The Dow Chemical Company and its consolidated subsidiaries unless otherwise expressly noted. More information about Dow can be found at www.dow.com.

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GOLIN HARRIS APPOINTS CHICAGO TRIBUNE HEALTHCARE REPORTER, TRINE TSOUDEROS, MEDIA DIRECTOR

CHICAGO (September 18, 2012) – GolinHarris announced today it has appointed award-winning Chicago Tribune science and healthcare journalist, Trine Tsouderos, healthcare media director. Tsouderos will be based in Chicago and will report to Farah Speer, executive director and leader of the healthcare practice in Chicago.

“Trine’s experience as a journalist will immediately benefit our clients and our teams,” Speer said. “As a member of the agency’s g4 connector community,

Trine brings a deep understanding of today’s healthcare environment and a proven ability to tell complex stories simply, in ways that gain attention and prompt action.”

Tsouderos joined the Tribune in 2003 and has been writing about science and medicine since 2009. She has also written features for the paper, and covered suburban planning. Before joining the Tribune, Tsouderos wrote for People magazine, The Tennessean newspaper in Nashville and The Wilson Daily Times in Wilson, N.C., where she started her professional career in 1995 as the paper’s health reporter and religion editor.

“In today’s fast-paced, digital society, our clients require new skill sets and perspectives,” said Patti Temple Rocks, managing director, Chicago. “What remains unchanged is our clients’ need for knowledge of their industry and exemplary writing.  Trine brings assets that allow us to meet those expectations.”

Her work has earned state and national recognition. In 2012, she won a second place, beat reporting, from the Association of Health Care Journalists. In 2011, she and Chicago Tribune colleague Patricia Callahan won the Sarah Brown Boyden Award from the Chicago Journalists Association for their reporting on alternative medicine. In 2010, a series of stories she wrote with Callahan on alternative treatments for autism won two national journalism awards: First Place in the Association of Health Care Journalists’ Awards for Excellence in Health Care Journalism and Honorable Mention, Casey Medal for Meritorious Journalism.

Tsouderos also has given talks at institutions like The New York Academy of Sciences, the Illinois Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics and Taylor University.

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GOLIN HARRIS HIRES EXECUTIVE PRODUCER MARTIN FRIZELL TO LEAD LONDON MEDIA TEAM

LONDON (August 23, 2012) – GolinHarris today announced that executive producer and ex-editor of GMTV, Martin Frizell, is joining the agency as executive director, media. Frizell will lead the agency’s connector community of 16 dedicated media specialists and will sit on the London UK board. He will report into new London deputy managing director, Bibi Hilton.

Frizell is one of Britain’s most accomplished broadcast journalists. A former correspondent with Reuters, Sky News and ITV, and the winner of the Royal Television Society Award for News Reporting, he also has held the biggest job in breakfast television as editor of news magazine GMTV. During its most successful period Frizell was responsible for 900 hours per year of live topical programming broadcasting daily to five million viewers.  He was the first to persuade Tony Blair to appear on the program on a regular basis and in doing so turned the GMTV ‘sofa’ into the most sought after media spot in the country with senior politicians. He also has created campaigns on a huge range of issues including consumer rights, health, travel and family concerns.

Last year, GolinHarris announced a major organizational redesign to address the increasing influence of digital and social media in communications. The agency’s new model, called g4, is built around four global communities of dedicated specialists. Frizell’s remit as leader of the connector community will be to deepen the agency’s media and stakeholder relationships, counsel clients on media strategy, produce high quality media content and deliver impactful results across paid, owned, earned and shared media.

“Martin’s mix of experience as a media strategist and national news editor makes him the perfect candidate to lead and develop our connector community. He knows instinctively what makes a media story and how to balance that against the client’s objectives to achieve really strong results. With press releases becoming irrelevant, Martin’s broadcast experience is invaluable in helping us develop compelling content to tell our clients’ stories,” says Bibi Hilton, deputy managing director.

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GOLIN HARRIS PROMOTES BIBI HILTON TO DEPUTY MANAGING DIRECTOR IN LONDON

LONDON (August 20, 2012) – GolinHarris today announced the promotion of Bibi Hilton to deputy managing director of its London office. Hilton joined the agency six years ago as an account director from the Red Consultancy. She has been responsible for building the agency’s consumer practice up from scratch into a multi-million dollar business and currently leads their most important consumer client relationships. Hilton will report to Matt Neale, president, international.

Last year, GolinHarris announced a major organizational redesign to address the increasing influence of digital and social media in communications. The agency’s new model, called g4, is built around four global teams of dedicated specialists that work seamlessly to provide clients with deep business insights, bold ideas and broad engagement between earned, paid, owned and shared media.

In addition to continuing to lead the consumer practice, in her new role as deputy managing director, Hilton will be responsible for developing the overall UK business plan and will manage the four communities whose leadership team will report into her.

“Bibi is an outstanding leader. Her tenacious new business skills are matched by exceptional client management and her ability to spot and nurture talent,” noted Matt Neale. “She has pioneered the implementation of g4 ahead of any other team in the world. We are so excited to give her the stage she deserves – to help us transition GolinHarris from a great traditional PR agency, to a connected global agency with a bold strategy for the digital world.” 

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GOLIN HARRIS TO LEAD eBAY CLASSIFIEDS PR CAMPAIGN IN ASIA

CHICAGO (July 26, 2012) — eBay Classifieds Group – the world leader in online classifieds with eight unique brands that span the globe – has appointed public relations firm GolinHarris to promote the company’s business in major Asian markets. The remit includes supporting the launch of new sites in Asia as well as the Group’s existing Gumtree site in Singapore.

In addition to further increasing eBay Classifieds brand awareness and preference in the region, GolinHarris will be responsible for generating publicity in key print, online and social media; strengthening blogger relations; monitoring trends and relevant stories 24-7; and conceiving and executing innovative consumer events and campaigns.

GolinHarris was selected after a competitive agency pitch for its game-changing approach to public relations, extensive consumer experience, and enthusiasm for the eBay and eBay Classifieds brands.

“eBay Classifieds is the innovation leader in the market, so we value passion and creativity highly in our partners,” said Frances Chiu, General Manager of eBay Classifieds Group in Asia-Pacific. “GolinHarris demonstrated the kind of spark and innovation we were looking for. Their commitment to the digital space was equally apparent.”

A major part of GolinHarris’ approach to digital communications is The Bridge™, an award-winning multimedia hub that acts as a real-time engagement center designed to help spot opportunities, create compelling content, and engage influencers both online and offline.

The Bridge was introduced globally alongside the agency’s transformative “g4” model, which redesigned the traditional structure of PR generalists operating in a seniority-based hierarchy into four global teams of dedicated experts. These “communities” comprise Strategists, who are business analysts seeking insights to inspire successful campaigns; Creators, who are gifted at storytelling and generating game-changing ideas; Connectors, who are media and channel experts; and Catalysts, who drive client campaign execution. Each GolinHarris client gains access to experts within each of the four communities, receiving actionable insights, bold ideas, multimedia engagement and integrated execution.

“Ever since we introduced the g4 model, GolinHarris offices around the world have seen dramatic upticks in their success rates for winning new business,” said Jeremy Walker, managing director of the Hong Kong office of GolinHarris. “Clients are clearly responding to the prospect of having access to consultants who are passionate about specific fields of work.  We’re very excited about showing how our new approach to public relations and our considerable investment in online and digital media will benefit eBay Classified Group’s brands in Asia.”

Classified advertising sites under eBay Classifieds Group are free to use, easy to navigate, and dedicated to bringing people together for any kind of trade. They create close-knit online communities that offer an environmental friendly way to recycle and resell items one no longer needs. They also help buyers to find bargains by creating a vast second-hand market and the opportunity to barter.

eBay Classifieds Group and GolinHarris will begin rolling out major aspects of the campaign in July 2012. The account will be led out of the firm’s Hong Kong office.

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GOLIN HARRIS JOINS  A BILLION + CHANGE
Agency whose Trust Bank philosophy helped transform the industry joins 200 companies pledging nearly $1.8 billion in pro bono services to nonprofits

CHICAGO (June 27, 2012) — GolinHarris chairman Al Golin will appear on a White House panel today as part of the agency’s commitment to A Billion + Change, a national campaign to mobilize billions of dollars of pro bono and skills-based volunteer services from corporate America to build nonprofit capacity. As part of the forum, “A Billion + Change in Action: Connecting to the Future of Corporate Service,” leaders in industry, civic engagement and policy will discuss opportunities for businesses to scale efforts and partnerships to meet the social, economic and environmental challenges of the 21st century through skills-based service.

Half a century ago, Golin developed the “trust bank” philosophy recognizing the importance of ongoing public service and philanthropy. His pioneering approach has served as the foundation for successful community involvement for many of the nation’s leading companies and for the communications firm.

“Joining A Billion + Change is a natural extension of the trust bank we established at our agency. Every member of the GH team is encouraged to share his or her talents with organizations that enrich our communities,” said Golin. “We make our largest contribution each year in mid-June when 38 GolinHarris offices worldwide dedicate a day to completing a community service project. I am proud that it has come to be known as  ‘Al’s Day’.”

The leaders will also explore ways to align corporate skills-based service programs with national initiatives to boost innovation, competitiveness and models of effective collaboration. Today’s forum will challenge each pledge to look ahead at what they are poised to do.

“Our challenge now is to expand A Billion + Change while partnering effectively with nonprofit professionals so we can change communities for the better,” said Senator Mark Warner, Honorary Chairman of A Billion + Change. “It’s through collaboration and collective impact that A Billion Plus really does add up to meaningful change.”

In less than a year, 200 companies have pledged an estimated $1.8 billion worth of skills-based services to nonprofits, keeping the campaign on track to inspire 500 companies to create or expand a skills-based volunteer program in their workplace by 2013.

Every day, A Billion + Change pledge companies harness the skills and talents of their best and brightest to build nonprofit capacity, create empowering opportunities for veterans, strengthen our workforce, improve STEM education and to promote global development. Corporate skills-based volunteer programs have also proven to be effective talent management tools, and can help businesses boost their own competitiveness while giving back to their communities. According to True Impact, skills-based volunteers are 142 percent more likely to report job-related skills-gains than traditional volunteers, and 82 percent more likely to report that volunteerism generated new recruits for their company versus traditional volunteers. For nonprofits, the value of skilled support in areas such as general operations, technology and professional services can be 500 percent greater than the value of traditional volunteering.

A list of pledge companies, and information about how to take the pledge, is available at: www.abillionpluschange.org.

About A Billion + Change

A Billion + Change is a national campaign to mobilize billions of dollars of pro bono and skills-based volunteer services by 2013. It was launched by the Corporation for National and Community Service in 2008 and continues as an initiative of the federal agency. Reinvigorated in 2011 with expanded leadership under the honorary chairmanship of Senator Mark Warner, it is now housed and managed by Points of Light. The initiative is powered by the support of Deloitte, HP, the Case Foundation and IBM with additional founding support from State Farm, McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP and Morgan Stanley.

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DEPAUL UNIVERSITY HONORS GOLIN HARRIS CHAIRMAN AL GOLIN
College of Communication Confers Honorary Degree on Pioneer Whose Trust Bank Philosophy Transformed the Industry

CHICAGO ( June 6, 2012) — The DePaul University College of Communication will award an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters to Alvin “Al” Golin, founder and chairman of GolinHarris, a major global public relations firm.  Golin will be honored on June 10th during the university’s 114^th commencement ceremony.

“Half a century ago, Al Golin developed a public relations philosophy that transformed the field, recognizing the importance of building a “trust bank,” or ongoing public service and philanthropy,” said Jacqueline Taylor, the dean of the College of Communication.    “His philosophy helped create a sea change in public relations and we are pleased to recognize his many contributions to the long-term success of businesses and communities he’s served.”

Golin pioneered the trust bank concept in 1957 with McDonald’s CEO Ray Kroc to help the young company give back to communities that were contributing to its success.  The concept has been engrained in McDonald’s ever since.  Perhaps the most vivid example is the Ronald McDonald House Charities, which operates more than 300 “homes away from home” near children’s hospitals allowing families to stay close to their children receiving treatment. McDonald’s remains one of GolinHarris’s major clients.

Golin’s pioneering approach to the trust bank has served as the foundation for community involvement for many other companies. The successful trust strategies of McDonald’s, Gerber, Toyota and other firms are outlined in Golin’s groundbreaking book “Trust or Consequences,” currently in distribution.

Golin also served as a consultant to the U.S. Department of Commerce, developing a major public relations awareness program for U.S. companies on the benefits of exporting to help our economy, increase employment, and reduce the balance of trade deficit.

He has also put the trust bank concept to work in his own firm. Every year on his birthday, GolinHarris offices worldwide dedicate a day to completing a community service project, known as “Al’s Day.”

“I am tremendously honored by this recognition from DePaul, an institution that has helped prepare so many to influence our industry and shape the city of Chicago, the place I am proud to call home,” Golin said. “It is truly a highlight of a long career in our field.”

An active philanthropist, Golin is on the boards of The Goodman Theatre of Chicago and Roosevelt University. He is a founding board member of Ronald McDonald House Charities and public relations advisor to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Golin has lectured at numerous institutions of higher learning, including Princeton University, Dartmouth College, Northwestern University, Syracuse University, Yale University and the Annenberg Communication School at the University of Southern California.

Golin, a graduate of Roosevelt University, holds lifetime achievement awards from the Public Relations Society of America, the Publicity Club of Chicago and Inside PR magazine. Golin was named one of the 100 most influential public relations people of the 20th century by PRWeek, holds the Alexander Hamilton medal from the Institute of Public Relations and received the Arthur W. Page Society Hall of Fame Award for “Career Achievements and Outstanding Contributions to the Profession.”

The commencement ceremony for the College of Communication and the College of Computing and Digital Media (combined) will be held June 10, 2012, beginning at noon at the Allstate Arena, 6920 N. Mannheim Road, Rosemont, Illinois.

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GOLIN HARRIS HIRES THREE DIGITAL EXPERTS
Appointments enhance agency’s g4 model, expand digital capabilities

CHICAGO (Apr. 11, 2012) – GolinHarris today announced the appointment of digital communications experts to three new positions at the agency, as it expands its digital and technology capabilities and strengthens its g4 model. All three will work closely with global digital practice leader Jeff Beringer to refine and grow digital offerings across the agency.

• Ian Campbell, former director of creative at the National Football League, has been appointed executive director and will join the agency’s connector community. He will be based in New York City.
• Mark Bonham, former managing partner of InterneXperts and a B2B technology, digital media and SEO expert, has been named executive director in the agency’s technology practice. He will be based in San Francisco, working with technology practice co-leaders Elke Heiss (B2B) and Lisa Falcetti (B2C).  Bonham will be a member of the strategist community.
• Brian Snyder, who previously led direct sales and e-commerce for Whirlpool’s consumer packaged goods business, has been named digital director.  He will be a member of the connector community and based in Chicago.

“The g4 agency model we’ve implemented is built around what clients want most: insights, ideas, engagement and integrated execution,” said Fred Cook, GolinHarris CEO. “Social media and digital present a host of opportunities for companies and brands. Today, nearly every campaign includes – or is led by – a social component. We’ve recruited exceptional talent whose vision and proven expertise will help our clients win in today’s complex, connected marketplace.”

Ian Campbell brings more than 12 years of UX and creative director level experience to GolinHarris, joining the agency from the National Football League (NFL) where he was director of creative, UI & UX.  A founding member of the Los Angeles-based NFL Digital Media Group, Campbell was responsible for UX, brand, design and product strategy for web, mobile, platform, marketing, editorial and outsourced initiatives. He also completed the product design for several mobile web and app initiatives, and was responsible for developing a social media platform for the Super Bowl for the 2011 season. Prior to the NFL, Campbell worked for leading brands while serving as interactive design director for Digitas and as creative director for Fry and Seven Interactive (now Schawk). Working from the agency’s New York office, Campbell will direct digital programs for clients.

Mark Bonham brings to GolinHarris more than 25 years in B2B technology, executive marketing and digital marketing leadership with both successful, venture-backed technology startups and high tech category-leading companies. Prior to joining GolinHarris, Bonham ran his own digital marketing and SEO firm. Previously, he was the founder and president of Full Degree, an early SaaS-enabled, content management company.  Bonham was also the original vice president of marketing at Exodus Communications where he helped define the high-end, Internet web hosting market. He spent his early career with Hewlett-Packard, Sun Microsystems and Accenture. Bonham will broaden the agency’s B2B strategic and digital expertise in the technology sector.

Brian Snyder joins from Whirlpool, the world’s largest maker of home appliances, where he held roles in IT, communications, marketing, innovation and sales. His diverse experience and technical expertise helped him bring together stakeholders from nearly every part of the global organization to solve complex problems – from customer issues to reputation crises to employee engagement – using digital and social media. Snyder will work from the firm’s Chicago office, directing interactive campaigns for clients in the Midwest.

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GOLIN HARRIS STUDY SHOWS IMPACT OF REAL TIME MARKETING (RTM) ON CONSUMER BEHAVIOR
Brands adding RTM to the marketing mix increase consideration by 25%

CHICAGO (Mar 12, 2012) – GolinHarris (GH) unveiled the results of a new study on the impact of real-time marketing (RTM) on consumer behavior during a panel today at the South by Southwest (SxSW) 2012 interactive marketing festival.

The GH-lead session, “The Promise and Pitfalls of Real-Time Marketing,” focused on a hot topic in the communications world: how companies can better reach their targets in the moments and media that matter most, in real-time. RTM is proactive, systematic, multi-channel engagement based upon real-time insights.

In its study, GH interviewed 3,200 U.S. consumers to learn about RTM’s impact on consumer behavior and potential value to brands. The research measured the likelihood of consumers engaging in particular behaviors with and without exposure to RTM. The research also explored the effect RTM has on other marketing activities.

“We learned that real-time marketing provides demonstrable value for companies that apply it as a strategic, systematic and sustained pillar of integrated communication and campaign management,” said Jeff Beringer, executive director and global digital practice leader. “No matter what type of brand or category in which you compete, RTM helps reach customers at the right places at the right times. Brands that make real-time marketing a core element of their everyday communications mix and customer relationship management create deeper, even more meaningful, connections and opportunities for engagement that build favorability, consideration, trial, preference, purchase and loyalty.”

The research revealed four key reasons why marketers should add RTM to their cross-channel marketing in today’s dynamic 24/7 communications environment.

• Real-time marketing delivers the business outcomes marketers seek most.
  Exposure to RTM led to a significant uptick in desirable consumer behaviors versus no exposure to RTM.  Regardless of product or category, marketers that engage in RTM can expect a 21% increase in positive brand perceptions; 19% increase in product interest; 26% increase in consideration; and 18% increase in likelihood to buy. Further, consumers exposed to RTM are 22% more likely to recommend brands associated with the communication. Marketers who serve as the stewards of brands should consider RTM strategies as part of any communication program intended to capture attention, drive WOM, increase preference, or bolster the likelihood to try or buy.

• Real-time marketing turbocharges other marketing efforts.
  RTM helps other traditional and online marketing investments work harder, amplifying each activity’s effectiveness. The research showed a significant lift in likelihood to seek out, pay attention to, and participate in various brand communications delivered in common channels when RTM is added to the mix.  For example, the likelihood for a consumer to follow, seek, pay attention to other media coverage and commentary about the brand increases 25% after RTM.

• From coffee to cars, real-time marketing increases positive behaviors.
  The research compared before/after RTM impact scores for market leaders, legacy brands, and challengers in several product categories. For market leaders, RTM can play an important role keeping loyal customers engaged. Legacy and challenger brands can leverage RTM to help level the playing field against competitors and enhance consumer receptivity to their stories.

• In RTM, brand matters.
  Communication delivered through RTM activities is dramatically more impactful when a brand is clearly defined. When specific brands were introduced into the research, the impact of RTM on consumer behavior is even more potent, resulting in a 55% likelihood to consider a brand identified in the RTM communication, and a 45% likelihood to buy. Marketers who apply RTM to their marketing mixes shouldn’t be bashful to associate their brands with relevant content.

Beringer added: “RTM should no longer be regarded as “icing on the cake” for modern marketing plans, but rather an integral ingredient for lean-forward communication with impact.”

Real-time Marketing in 60 Seconds is an infographic summarizing results of the research. More information on the study and specific findings are available online at www.RTMresearch.info.

Research Methodology

GolinHarris Real-Time Marketing research based upon 3,200 online consumer interviews, 10-15 February, 2012. Margin of Error ± 3.3% TO ± 3.7% at 95% Confidence.  Coffee, Diet and Auto respondents controlled for category interest and intent.

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Media Contact

Katherine Maiorana
+1.312.729.4246
kmaiorana@golinharris.com