PRemier Awards 2010

PRemier Award of Merit
The California Association of Business Brokers (CABB) is a non-profit trade organization that was struggling to gain attention of the media, the general public and current and potential new members. Leonard & Finco Public Relations worked closely with CABB to develop messaging and story ideas that would appeal to California media outlets. The result of the effort was an increase in public awareness of CABB members as experts in the business brokerage industry and steady growth of CABB members seeking their California certification.

PRemier Award of Merit
Green Bay Converting, Inc. wanted to roll-out its first ever lines of private-label consumer products via online and trade media only. L&F was called upon to develop and implement a plan that would raise awareness and drive sales for the new products, which included eco-friendly bathroom tissue and paper toweling, as well as an all-in-one cleaning tool. By the time the product roll-outs were complete, the products had been featured on countless online publications, on numerous blogs and in several national trade publications. Because of the PR campaign, demand for the new products was so high that Green Bay Converting found itself adding production time.

PRemier Entry in Category Award
Libertas Treatment Center, a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center, was looking to increase its overall brand awareness and grow its client count. Through a variety of tactics, including a media tour and media outreach, the development of a news release program, scheduling appearances on radio and television segments and reaching out to nontraditional media (to name just a few tactics), Leonard & Finco Public Relations has successfully helped position Libertas as “the” program to turn to for adolescent AODA treatment.

PRemier Entry in Category Award
Advance care directives are the most important medical documents someone can fill out, because they clearly spell out the type and extent of medical care they would want in the event they are unable to express their wishes. Bellin Health supported National Healthcare Decisions Day on April 16, 2010 by educating its staff and the public about the importance of discussing health care choices and the value of putting health care wishes in writing. The initiative combined internal and external PR with other marketing efforts to increase awareness of Advance Care Directives.

PRemier Award of Merit
The Fox River Cleanup Project is the largest river cleanup effort of its kind. The goal is to reduce the risk to human health and the environment due to the presence of PCBs in the Fox River sediment. Because of decades of controversy relating to the cleanup (was it needed, what was needed, when it would occur), it was clear that a comprehensive outreach effort was needed to tell the public that the cleanup was moving forward. Leonard & Finco Public Relations was enlisted to develop the outreach efforts for the project.

PRemier Award of Merit
Leonard & Finco Public Relations has a diverse client base, both in industry and geography. L&F looks to provide helpful PR information to its current clients in addition to reaching current contacts and potential clients. Through the PRactical (practical PR) electronic newsletter, L&F reaches these audiences and provides current, relevant PR news and tips while generating new business.

PRemier Entry in Category Award
Since the 1930s, the Kewaunee public school district used the name “Indians” along with a logo of an Indian headdress. The name and logo had been selected by students. In the past 10 to 15 years, as awareness of cultural sensitivity became more widespread, the District began phasing out the use of the name and logo. However the use was not completely gone from the District when a new state law went into effect; a law that allowed an individual to file a complaint requesting the name/logo use be discontinued. Such a complaint was filed in July 2010. That set a series of activities in motion leading to the District deciding to formally discontinue the name/logo use just two days before a formal legal hearing was to be held on the matter. Leonard & Finco was brought in at that time to help develop a communications strategy and plan.

PRemiere Award of Excellence
TransCanada’s Bison Pipeline, is a 302 mile natural gas pipeline, designed to provide natural gas producers in the Powder River Basin area near Gillette, Wyoming with additional natural gas pipeline capacity to access and meet the increasing natural gas demand of the Midwest market. The project involves crossing landowner’s property as well and state and federally owned lands in Wyoming, Montana and North Dakota. In order to win project approval from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), the project had to reach out to impacted individuals, communities, governments and agencies to gain acceptance of the project and develop plans to minimize impacts to the environment and communities.

PRemier Award of Merit
LZ Lambeau was a state-wide effort organized by Wisconsin Public Television, the Wisconsin Historical Society and the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs to “welcome home” and recognize Wisconsin’s Vietnam Veterans. Leonard & Finco Public Relations worked with Wisconsin Public Television on statewide media relations and media kit development.

PRemier Award of Merit
The Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary is a 700-acre urban wildlife refuge in Green Bay. The Sanctuary offers education programs, special events and has a volunteer driven wildlife rehabilitation program. In 2009, Leonard & Finco Public Relations ran an effective PR campaign that promoted Sanctuary events and programs and kept the Sanctuary in the public eye through feature article placement and television appearances covering various wildlife and conservation topics.