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South Carolina Chapter of PRSA Recognizes Mercury Award Winners

Charleston, SC - The South Carolina Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (SCPRSA) rolled out the red carpet on Thursday, April 10 and presented more than 60 awards to communications professionals across the state during its annual Mercury Awards celebration.

The awards program, which recognizes excellent public relations programs, campaigns, publications, print materials and individual achievements, encompasses three types of awards. Mercury Awards recognize public relations programs and campaigns, Silver Wing Awards recognize outstanding tactics used in public relations, and Individual Awards recognize the career accomplishments of individuals. This year’s entries were judged by public relations professionals from Knoxville, Tennessee’s PRSA Volunteer Chapter.

Overall Best in Show winner for the Mercury Award categories was Chernoff Newman in Columbia for its integrated communications campaign for Palmetto Pride’s “Localization of Keep America Beautiful’s Great American Cleanup.”

Overall Best in Show winner for the Silver Wing Award categories was Jackson-Dawson Marketing Solutions in Greenville for its feature story on BMW Manufacturing’s First Green Automotive Paintshop.

In the Individual Awards categories, Rebecca Blackman, an account executive at Leapfrog Public Relations in Charleston, was named Rookie of the Year. Renee Martin, executive director of the South Carolina Tobacco Collaborative in Columbia, was presented the Executive Excellence Award and Kay Coker of the Lexington One Community Coalition in Lexington was presented the Community Spirit Award.

SCPRSA’s Mike Witkoski Memorial Scholarships were awarded to Kelsey Clardy of the University of South Carolina and Emily Coleman of the College of Charleston for outstanding accomplishments in public relations study.

Category winners by geographic area include:

LOWCOUNTRY

Mercury Awards:

Arcadia Publishing
Brand/Reputation Management category, “Your Place in History”

Brandon Advertising (Charleston and Myrtle Beach)
Marketing Consumer Products category, “ZipIt Wireless Messenger (Z2) PR Launch Campaign”

Leapfrog
Marketing Consumer Products category, “Callie’s Charleston Biscuits”

Motley Rice, LLC
Marketing Business to Business category, “The National Bar Association’s 2007 Annual Convention: Piloting Your Cases from Liftoff to Landing”

Obviouslee Marketing
Brand/Reputation Management category, “Duvall Catering and Event Design Rebranding”

Rawle Murdy Associates, Inc
Marketing Consumer Services category, “CARTA Express Services Launch”

Roper St. Francis Healthcare
Internal Communications category, “Your Excellence in Action”

Sonoco
Internal Communications category, “Will Today Be the Day?”

Silver Wing Awards:
Arcadia Publishing
Press Kits/Media Kits category, “Levi Strauss and Company”

Arcadia Publishing
Direct Mail/Direct Response category, “Author Toolkits”

Arcadia Publishing
Advertorials category, “THE Magazine”

Blackbaud
Annual Report (Companies up to $500 million) Category

NOAA Coastal Services Center
Newsletters (Fewer Than 16 Pages) Category, “Coastal Connections”

NOAA Coastal Services Center
Magazines (Internal Audiences) Category, “Coastal Services”

Sonoco
Annual Report (Companies more than $500 million) Category

Touchpoint Communications
Media Relations (Associations/Government/Nonprofit Organization) Category, “Charleston Smoking Ordinance Press Conference”

MIDLANDS

Mercury Awards:

Chernoff Newman
Events and Observances (Seven or Fewer Days) category, South Carolina Department of Agriculture’s Market Day”

Chernoff Newman
Public Service category, “Senior Citizen Outreach to Educate Voters About Using the New Touch Screen Voting Machines”

Chernoff Newman
Integrated Communications category, “Chernoff Newman for Palmetto Pride’s Localization of Keep American Beautiful’s Great American Cleanup”

Davis Public Relations and Marketing, LLC
Public Affairs category, “2007 Cigarette Tax Campaign”

LRADAC, The Behavioral Health Center of the Midlands
Public Service category, “It Is Your Business! Campaign”

Municipal Association of South Carolina
Integrated Communications category, “Hometown, SC”

South Carolina Chamber of Commerce
Public Affairs category, “2007 Competitiveness Agenda”

South Carolina Governors School for Science and Mathematics Foundation
Community Relations category, “Recruitment Marketing Campaign”

Tuomey Healthcare System (Sumter)
Marketing Consumer Services category, “Tuomey on THEGO”

USC’s The Carolina Agency for Ronald McDonald House Charities of Columbia
Events and Observances (Seven or Fewer Days) category, “Ronald McDonald House Charities of Columbia World Children’s Day”

Silver Wing Awards:

BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina
Media Relations (Business to Business) category, “Companion Global Healthcare Launch”

BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina
Magazines (Internal Audiences) category, “Giving”

BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina
Feature Stories category, “Medical Tourism Takes Off”

BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina
Research/Evaluation category, “Customer Satisfaction Survey”

Chernoff Newman
Media Relations (Consumer Services) Category, “Scene First Company: for Campus Entertainment.”

Davis Public Relations and Marketing, LLC
Media Relations (Associations/Government/Nonprofit Organizations) category, “Cigarette Tax Media Campaign”

Davis Public Relations and Marketing, LLC
Press Kits/Media Kits category, “Langtree at the Lake Groundbreaking”

Davis Public Relations and Marketing, LLC
Websites (External) category, “Carolina Children’s Dentistry Website”

LRADAC, The Behavioral Health Center of the Midlands
Television PSA category, “Is it worth it?”

Municipal Association of SC
Multimedia Communications (Internal Programs/Presentations) category, “Hometown Network News”
Municipal Association of SC
Editorials/Op-Ed Columns category, “Comprehensive Tax Reform Opinion Column”

Riley Communications
Brochures (Fewer than 16 pages) category, “Planning Your Future”

Tuomey Healthcare System (Sumter)
Magazines (External Audiences) category, “LifeTimes”

Tuomey Healthcare System (Sumter)
Annual Report (Non-Profit Organizations) category

South Carolina Chamber of Commerce
Magazines (External Audiences) category, “South Carolina Business Magazine”

South Carolina Chamber of Commerce
Brochures (Fewer than 16 pages) category, “Tourism in South Carolina

South Carolina Tobacco Collaborative
Creative Tactics category, “Rock ‘N A Hard Place:Musicians for a Smoke Free South Carolina Calendar”

USC’s The Carolina Agency for Ronald McDonald House Charities of Columbia
Direct Mail/Direct Response category, “On Angels’ Wings”

UPSTATE

Mercury Awards:

Greenville Hospital System University Medical Center
Events and Observances (Seven or More Days) category, “Pink and Passionate”

Greenville Hospital System University Medical Center
Multicultural Public Relations category, “Every Woman at Juanita Butler Center”

VantagePoint
Marketing Business to Business category, “VantagePoint - Product Launch Service”

Silver Wing Awards:

Clemson University Public Service Activities
Newsletters (Fewer Than 16 Pages) category, “Clemson Impacts”

Jackson-Dawson Marketing Solutions
Magazines (External Audiences) category, “Clemson University IDEAS Magazine”

Jackson-Dawson Marketing Solutions
Feature Stories category, “BMW Manufacturing-World’s First Green Automotive Paint Shop”

Jackson-Dawson Marketing Solutions
Creative Tactics category, “Stolen Bloomberry Muffin”

Jackson-Dawson Marketing Solutions
Multimedia Communications (Press Kits/Media Kits) category, “Menzies Motorsports Informational Booklet”

Jackson-Dawson Marketing Solutions
Posters category, “BMW Earth Day Posters”

Mediatrix SC, LLC
Newsletters (Fewer Than 16 Pages) category, “Catholic Communicator”

NuVox Communications
Publications (Single Issue Newsletters/Booklets) category, “Premier Circle Program”

Clemson University Public Service Activities
Books category, “Quiet Reflections: The Clemson University Forest”

NuVox Communications
Websites (External) category, “NuVox.com”

NuVox Communications
Websites (Internal/Intranets/Extranets) category, “Sales Conference Website”

Spartanburg Regional
Annual Report (Non-Profit Organizations) category, “Gibbs Cancer Center Annual Report”

Spartanburg Regional
Brochures (Fewer than 16 pages) category, “The Gift of Hope”
VantagePoint
Research/Evaluation category, “Thrace-LINQ Research”

The SCPRSA Mercury Awards banquet was followed by a half-day professional development conference on Friday, April 11 at the Charleston Marriott. The conference featured sessions on some of the hottest topics in public relations, including corporate social responsibility and “green” communications, trends in technology and social media and the state of the profession.

Founded in 1967, the South Carolina Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America provides professional development and networking opportunities to public relations professionals throughout South Carolina. As a statewide organization, SCPRSA holds monthly luncheons in the Lowcountry, Midlands and Upstate regions, as well as an annual professional development conference and Mercury Awards banquet. Additional networking opportunities for young professionals and independent practitioners, as well as events geared toward non-profit organizations, are also held throughout the year. For more information, visit www.scprsa.org.

For more information about the Mercury Awards, contact Allison Skipper, 2008 Mercury
Awards Chairman, 843-577-8121 or askipper@scspa.com