Contact:
Erin Howard
Peppercom
212-931-6174
ehoward@peppercom.com
Lea-Ann Germinder, APR, Fellow PRSA
Germinder & Associates, Inc.
212-367-2170
Lgerminder@germinder.com
PRSA-NY Celebrates 25th Annual Big Apple Awards
M Booth Wins "The Best of the Best" for Small Business Saturday, American Express OPEN
Prestigious John W. Hill Award Presented to Margi Booth
Dan Rather Featured as Keynote Speaker
NEW YORK (May 25, 2012) – Public relations and communications professionals gathered last night to
celebrate the 25th Annual Big Apple Awards. Special Keynote Speaker was legendary news anchor, Dan
Rather. Held annually, the awards ceremony presented by the New York Chapter of the Public Relations Society
of America (PRSA-NY, www.prsany.org) recognizes excellence in public relations. The dinner was held at the
Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Columbus Circle.
In an interview prior to the event with Doug Simon of DS Productions, Dan Rather said:
“Public relations at its best, it serves the client of course, but it serves the larger public interest. And this stuff
deals with reporters such as myself and journalism which at its best, quality journalism with integrity is in the
public interest. Yes it can make money, and yes it can serve the stockholders and stockholder value, but at its
best it’s in the public interest.”
"The Big Apple Awards highlight the exceptional work of New York area public relations professionals and this
year’s awards brought a diverse group of winners who represent the best and brightest in the industry,” said LeaAnn Germinder, APR, Fellow PRSA, President-Elect and 2012 Big Apple Chair of PRSA-NY and President of
Germinder & Associates, Inc. “Having Dan Rather as our special keynote speaker was a wonderful way to mark
the 25th anniversary of the awards. His appreciation for the hard work of public relations professionals was
evident in his remarks.”
American Express OPEN with M Booth accepted the prestigious Best of the Best award for the “Small Business
Saturday” program in the Corporate Social Responsibility: Business category. The award for Best Use of
Research, Measurement and Evaluation was presented to JetBlue Airways with MWW Group for the “Flight
Plan for the Future: JetBlue Preserves Its Direct Relationship with Pilots” campaign in the Issues Management:
Business category.
At the event, three individuals were honored with special awards for their contributions, leadership and
accomplishments:
▪ The John W. Hill award was presented to Margi Booth, CEO of M Booth, for her demonstration of
leadership in the practice of public relations and the highest standards of ethical conduct.
▪ The Philip Dorf Award was presented to Maria P. Russell, APR, Fellow PRSA and professor of public
relations and director of executive education programs at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public
Communications at Syracuse University, for outstanding accomplishments in mentoring PR practitioners and
students.
▪ The President’s Award was presented to Barri Rafferty, senior partner and director at Ketchum and a
past-president of PRSA-NY, for outstanding service and contributions to PRSA-NY.
The 2012 Big Apple Awards competition was open to all public relations professionals in New York, New
Jersey and Connecticut for programs created in 2011 and implemented anywhere in the United States. To
qualify, professionals in the Tri-State Area had to perform most or all of the actual work on the programs. The
panel of judges was comprised of experienced, senior level public relations practitioners, representing a broad
range of disciplines. A complete list of winners follows.
2012 Big Apple Winners
Reputation & Brand Management: Business
Flight Plan for the Future: JetBlue Preserves Its Direct Relationship with Pilots, JetBlue Airways with MWW
Group
Reputation & Brand Management: Campaigns with Budgets of $100,000 or Less
Applied Materials Shines a Light on Summer Solstice, Applied Materials with Ketchum
Public Service: Business
Small Business Saturday, American Express OPEN with M Booth
Public Service: Government, Associations & Non-Profit Organizations
Immunizing Americans against Flu Complacency: A Media-Driven Public Health Program, The National
Foundation for Infectious Diseases with Alembic Health Communications
Public Service: Campaigns with Budgets of $100,000 or Less
Kids Kicking Cancer Public Service Announcement Campaign and Breath Brake Smartphone App Launch, Kids
Kicking Cancer with Chamberlain Healthcare Public Relations
Annual Reports
B + Q, Catholic Charities of Brooklyn and Queens with 15 Degrees
Community Relations: Business Products & Services
IBM Stages Largest Corporate Volunteer Event in History, Reaching Communities in 120 Countries, IBM with
Ketchum
Community Relations: Government, Associations & Non-Profit Organizations
MoMath Ramps Up the Rebirth of MoMath, Museum of Mathematics (MoMath) with MWW Group
Marketing Business-to-Business: Other
Rethinking the Business-to-Business Approach, AT&T Business Solutions with Fleishman-Hillard, Inc.
Marketing Business-to-Business: Campaigns with Budgets of $100,000 or Less
Affect Exposes Naked Security - IT Security Blog Established as Premier Industry News Source Garnering 1,067
Media Hits and Exceeding One Million Page Views Per Month, Sophos with Affect
New Media/Social Media Campaign: Consumer Products & Services
Pepto-Bismol Throws a Feast for All, Procter & Gamble with MSL New York
New Media/Social Media Campaign: Campaigns with Budgets of $100,000 or Less
Affect's New York Intern Project Contest Causes Social Media Stir, Over 14,000 Vote for Their Favorite Intern,
Affect
Use of Broadcast (Including Video News Release, B-Roll, Satellite Media Tour & Online Distribution)
We're Doin' It Live! Panasonic Breaks Down the Walls of CES and Brings the Excitement to Viewers Across the
Globe with Live Interactive Broadcast, Panasonic with Cohn & Wolfe
Public Service Announcement (Print & Broadcast)
Kids Kicking Cancer Public Service Announcement Campaign and Breath Brake Smartphone App Launch, Kids
Kicking Cancer with Chamberlain Healthcare Public Relations
Website (New or Newly Designed)
Inspiring a Generation of Beautiful Minds on www.beautiful-minds.com, life'sDHA, an Ingredient Brand of
DSM Nutritional Products with Carmichael Lynch Spong
Marketing Consumer Products: Healthcare
Plan B One-Step Full Over-The-Counter Decision: Unprecedented Decision, Unprecedented Results, Teva
Women’s Health with Communications Strategies Inc.
Marketing Consumer Products: Technology
Launching a New Category in Vision Technology and Building a National Sales Network, PixelOptics with
Makovsky + Company
Marketing Consumer Products: Food, Beverage & Hospitality
Drops of Good: The Maxwell House Community Project, Maxwell House with Hunter Public Relations
Marketing Consumer Products: Packaged Goods
A Plan Tailored for Success, SVP Worldwide with Seigenthaler Public Relations
Marketing Consumer Products: Other
Valvoline NextGen: Launching a “Green" Motor Oil without Making Influencers See Red, Valvoline with Cohn
& Wolfe
Crisis Communications: Business
Flight Plan for the Future: JetBlue Preserves Its Direct Relationship with Pilots, JetBlue Airways with MWW
Group
Marketing Consumer Services: Healthcare
A Hands On Approach For Pain Management, Purdue Pharma L.P. with Cooney/Waters Group
Marketing Consumer Services: Other
Marketing a New Nail Service to Consumers, CND with RED PR
Multicultural Public Relations: Business
Turning the HIV Fight into a Movement, Bristol-Myers Squibb with Ruder Finn, Inc.
Integrated Communications: Consumer Products & Services
Small Business Saturday, American Express OPEN with M Booth
Events & Observances (One to Seven Days): Business
Campari's “Year of the Negroni”Campaign Campari with Hanna Lee Communications, Inc.
Events & Observances (One to Seven Days): Campaigns with Budgets of $100,000 or Less
The French Will Never Forget, The French Will Never Forget with EURO RSCG Worldwide PR
Events & Observances (One to Seven Days): Government, Associations & Non-Profit
Organizations Immunizing Americans Against Flu Complacency: A Media-Driven Public Health Program, The
National Foundation for Infectious Diseases with Alembic Health Communications
Events and Observances: Business
IBM at 100: Focusing Its Place in the Past, Present, and Future, IBM with Ketchum
Global Communications
IBM at 100: Modernizing the Way the World Sees Big Blue, IBM with Ketchum
Internal Communications: Business
Communicating Value in the Absence of a Billable Hour Model, Pfizer Legal Alliance with Coyne Public
Relations
Internal Communications: Campaigns with Budgets of $100,000 or Less
The Sigi, Wunderman
Issues Management: Business
Flight Plan for the Future: JetBlue Preserves Its Direct Relationship with Pilots, JetBlue Airways with MWW
Group
Corporate Social Responsibility: Business
Small Business Saturday, American Express OPEN with M Booth
Corporate Social Responsibility: Government, Associations & Non-Profit Organizations
Fighting Breast Cancer with the Power of Storytelling, Ford Motor Company with Euro RSCG Worldwide PR
Corporate Social Responsibility-Campaigns with Budgets of $100,000 or Less
Bridging the Educational Challenges of Tomorrow Through Entrepreneurship Education, Teaching
Entrepreneurship with MWW Group
About PRSA-NY’s Big Apple Awards
The New York Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America established the Big Apple Awards program
in 1988 to encourage excellence in public relations. Superior communications programs solve problems, change
opinions and create opportunities. The Big Apple Awards program seeks to recognize communications
professionals who have achieved the standards of excellence.
About PRSA-NY
The Public Relations Society of America, New York City Chapter, (www.prsany.org) is one of the founding
chapters of the PRSA, the world’s largest professional organization for public relations practitioners. Founded in
1948, PRSA-NY is the third largest PRSA local chapter in the United States. The chapter serves the interests of
public relations professionals working in business and industry, PRSA-NY Big Apple Awards, counseling firms,
government, associations, hospitals, schools, professional services firms and nonprofit organizations. Chapter
board and committee members are volunteer public relations professionals who work in the New York
metropolitan area.
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