Posts Tagged ‘crt/tanaka’
CRT/tanaka Announces 11 Staff Promotions
Richmond, Va. (Oct. 16, 2012) – CRT/tanaka, an award-winning public relations and marketing agency known for its whatcanbeSM workplace culture and approach to business, today announced 11 staff promotions in its five offices, covering its four practice areas.
Richmond
- Julie McCracken has been promoted from account supervisor to associate vice president. As a member of the agency’s Corporate Practice, Julie’s recent work includes managing initiatives for TIAA-CREF and Bow Tie Cinemas. Previous work includes assignments for Shell Oil Company and managing public relations efforts for Sprint Nextel’s title sponsorship of racing’s premier series, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.
- Rosalie Morton has been promoted from account executive to senior account executive, where she supports both the agency’s Corporate and Consumer Practices, working with such clients as Air New Zealand, Viviscal and Web.com.
- Kathryn Glushefski has been promoted from assistant account executive to account executive in the agency’s Corporate Practice. She has supported various clients including Girl Scouts of the USA, U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council, Sprint Nextel, Virginia Commonwealth University and Big Brothers Big Sisters Virginia Alliance.
New York
- Jason Stemm has been promoted from associate vice president to vice president. He is a leader of the agency’s Food/Beverage/Nutrition Practice, working with various clients, including the North Carolina Sweet Potato Commission, Avocados from Mexico, the Florida Sweet Corn Exchange, the Florida Tomato Committee, Consorzio del Prosciutto di Parma and Skuna Bay Craft Raised Salmon. He is past president of the International Foodservice Editorial Council.
- Laura Petrosky has been promoted from senior account executive to account supervisor, supporting both the Consumer and Food/Beverage/Nutrition Practices, where she works with various clients including Wines from Rioja (Spain), the Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers and Cambria Suites (Choice Hotels International).
- Lauren Ray has been promoted from senior account executive to account supervisor, supporting both the Consumer and Food/Beverage/Nutrition Practices, working with various clients including Wines from Rioja (Spain) and Prosciutto di Parma.
- Julie Stas has been promoted from account executive to senior account executive in the agency’s Food/Beverage/Nutrition and Consumer Practices. She works with several clients including Wines from Rioja (Spain), North Carolina Sweet Potato Commission and the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council.
Washington, D.C.
- Priya Ramesh has been promoted from director of social media to managing director of social media strategies. She also serves as general manager of the agency’s Washington, D.C. office. Priya oversees social media strategy and implementation for a wide array of clients including Web.com, BISSELL Homecare, Charles Schwab & Company and Partnership at Drugfree.org. She also is one of the primary writers for CRT/tanaka’s nationally recognized blog, the Buzz Bin.
- Nikki Parrotte has been promoted from assistant account executive to account executive in the Consumer Practice, where she works with such clients as Wilsonart, BISSELL Homecare, Web.com and Cambria Suites (Choice Hotels International).
Los Angeles
- Ligaya Malones has been promoted from assistant account executive to account executive in the Consumer Practice, where she supports Air New Zealand, Shell Vacations Hospitality and Skuna Bay Craft Raised Salmon.
Norfolk
- April Sciacchitano has been promoted from account executive to senior account executive in the agency’s Health/Healthy Lifestyles Practice, where she has worked with various clients including the Virginia Commonwealth University Health System, the American Physical Therapy Association and Council for Responsible Nutrition.
About CRT/tanaka
CRT/tanaka is an award-winning public relations and marketing firm known for its whatcanbeSM workplace culture and approach to business. Headquartered in Richmond, Va. and New York, with offices in Los Angeles, Washington, D.C. and Norfolk, Va., CRT/tanaka features three integrated specialties – Food/Beverage/Nutrition, Health/Healthy Lifestyles, Consumer and Corporate/B2B. The agency has been recognized with more than 350 national and regional awards for its strategic counsel, creativity, workplace culture and community service. Clients include Air New Zealand, Avocados from Mexico, Barnes & Noble College, BISSELL Homecare Inc., Cambria Suites (Choice Hotels), Charles Schwab & Co., Council of Better Business Bureaus, Quebec Maple Syrup Producers, Girl Scouts of the USA, Sprint Nextel, the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council, Web.com and Wines from Rioja (Spain). More information about CRT/tanaka is available at www.crt-tanaka.com.
CRT/tanaka Announces 2012 whatcanbe Award Recipients
Richmond, Va. (Aug. 17, 2012) – CRT/tanaka, an award-winning public relations and marketing firm known for its whatcanbeSM workplace culture and approach to business, today announced the recipients of the 2012 whatcanbe Awards, which celebrate employees who have helped create a bigger, brighter, better future for the agency, its clients and the community. The 2012 award winners are Scott Davila, vice president, Corporate/B2B Practice (client category); Jason Stemm, associate vice president, Food/Beverage/Nutrition Practice (agency category); and Lisa Ramos, receptionist/administrative assistant (community category).
Each recipient receives a $2,500 stipend and a one-week sabbatical to create a personal, whatcanbe experience.
“CRT/tanaka launched the whatcanbe Awards in 2008 as an employee recognition program to celebrate our associates who use whatcanbe thinking to create a more exciting and expansive future for the agency, our clients and the community-at-large,” said Patrice Tanaka, CRT/tanaka co-chair, chief creative officer and whatcanbe ambassador. “Scott, Jason and Lisa each demonstrate the aspirational spirit of whatcanbe in their individual endeavors.”
Client Award Winner – Scott Davila
As leader of CRT/tanaka’s B2B team within the agency’s Corporate Practice, Davila is being recognized for his work with such clients as the Council of Better Business Bureaus; Satmetrix, the leading provider of cloud-based customer experience software for companies worldwide; Owens & Minor, supplier of a wide array of medical products backed up with supply-chain consulting and e-business solutions for healthcare customers; and Barnes & Noble College. Under Scott’s strategic direction, Barnes & Noble College has grown to be one of the agency’s largest accounts. Scott’s work also has earned numerous industry awards, including a prestigious Silver Anvil from the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), the Technology Campaign of the Year award from PRWeek and a national Gold Quill (Media Relations) from the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC).
Agency Award Winner – Jason Stemm
Along with serving as a senior member of CRT/tanaka’s Food/Beverage/Nutrition Practice, Stemm also served as president of the International Foodservice Editorial Council this past year. He played a critical role in planning the group’s annual conference in Washington, D.C. He also serves as co-chair of CRT/tanaka’s whatcanbe committee, which develops trainings and other activities to foster a culture of whatcanbe within the agency. Jason also is a regular contributor to the agency’s Buzz Bin blog, which is regularly cited as one of the most influential in public relations, marketing and social media.
Community Award Winner – Lisa Ramos
Along with her duties as receptionist/administrative assistant in CRT/tanaka’s New York office, Ramos has organized many community service events for the agency, including an office coat drive for New York Cares, a holiday food drive that resulted in more than 350 pounds of food donations to food banks, a back-to-school supply drive for elementary school children in Brooklyn and a career clothing donation to Dress for Success. Outside the office, Ramos also leads efforts to benefit people with special needs, which include volunteering four hours a month to hold workshops for Latino parents of children with autism.
About CRT/tanaka
CRT/tanaka is an award-winning public relations and marketing firm known for its whatcanbeSM workplace culture and approach to business. Headquartered in Richmond, Va., and New York, with offices in Los Angeles, Washington, D.C. and Norfolk, Va., CRT/tanaka specializes in four practice areas – Food/Beverage/Nutrition, Health/Healthy Lifestyles, Corporate/B2B and Consumer. The agency has been recognized with more than 350 national and regional awards for its strategic counsel, creativity, workplace culture and community service. Clients include Air New Zealand, BISSELL Homecare, Cambria Suites (Choice Hotels International), Charles Schwab & Co., Council of Better Business Bureaus, Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers, Girl Scouts of the USA, Sprint, Web.com and Wines from Rioja (Spain). More information about CRT/tanaka is available at www.crt-tanaka.com.
The Partnership at Drugfree.org Selects CRT/tanaka for Public Awareness
RICHMOND, Va. Aug. 14, 2012 – CRT/tanaka today announced that it has been selected by The Partnership at Drugfree.org, an organization dedicated to helping solve the problem of teen substance abuse, to develop and implement a public awareness campaign to curb the abuse of prescription and over-the-counter drugs by teenagers.
CRT/tanaka’s efforts will focus primarily on “The Medicine Abuse Project,” a first-of-its-kind initiative that will be launched with a week of activities in late September. This effort will raise awareness of the medicine abuse problem among the general public, especially parents, and healthcare professionals through national media and social engagement.
According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), prescription medicines are now the most commonly abused drugs among 12-13-year-olds. Approximately 70 percent of teens who abuse prescription drugs get them from family and friends.
The campaign will encourage parents – and the public-at-large – to help manage this problem, working together toward the common goal of preventing 500,000 teens from abusing medicine within the next five years. The Medicine Abuse Project will give parents and other adults the resources they need to play an active role in helping curb medicine abuse, by communicating with their kids about the dangers of abusing medicine and encouraging parents to participate in a “take-back day” for the unused medicine in their homes. The Project also will provide guidelines to help keep medicine out of the reach of children and teens and stored safely in a secure place.
The Medicine Abuse Project will launch during the week of Sept. 23-29 with Phase I of the multi-year effort. Key audiences will be asked to take a Pledge to help stop teen medicine abuse. Audiences also will be educated about the various ways to prevent this growing and devastating problem that cuts across geographic, racial, ethnic and socioeconomic boundaries.
“This intensive week is an important step to convey the message that the behavior of abusing medicine can be just as addictive and just as deadly as abusing illicit street drugs. Without a major public mobilization and action-focused effort that can eventually be sustained year-round, we are not going to be able to move the needle on this deadly epidemic,” said Steve Pasierb, president and CEO of The Partnership at Drugfree.org. “We selected CRT/tanaka to help us with this critical initiative because of the agency’s creativity and significant experience working with other organizations on health and social issues, such as breast cancer awareness, domestic violence and heath disease.”
“The Partnership at Drugfree.org has been focused on the problem of medicine abuse since 2004, when it first released groundbreaking research to quantify the extent of this dangerous consumer behavior. CRT/tanaka is honored to collaborate with this organization on such an important endeavor,” said Mark Raper, chairman and CEO of CRT/tanaka.
About The Partnership at Drugfree.org
Ninety percent of addictions start in the teenage years. The Partnership at Drugfree.org is dedicated to solving the problem of teen substance abuse. Together with experts in science, parenting and communications, the nonprofit translates research on teen behavior, addiction and treatment into useful and effective resources for both individuals and communities. Working toward a vision where all young people will be able to live their lives free of drug and alcohol abuse, The Partnership at Drugfree.org works with parents and other influencers to help them prevent and get help for drug and alcohol abuse by teens and young adults. The organization depends on donations from individuals, corporations, foundations and the public sector and is thankful to SAG-AFTRA and the advertising and media industries for their ongoing generosity.
About CRT/tanaka
CRT/tanaka is an award-winning public relations and marketing firm known for its whatcanbeSM workplace culture and approach to business. Headquartered in Richmond, Va. and New York, with offices in Los Angeles, Washington, D.C. and Norfolk, Va., CRT/tanaka features four integrated specialties – Consumer, Food/Beverage/Nutrition, Health/Healthy Lifestyles and Corporate/B2B. The agency has been recognized with more than 350 national and regional awards for its strategic counsel, creativity, workplace culture and community service. Clients include Air New Zealand, BISSELL Homecare Inc., Cambria Suites (Choice Hotels International), Charles Schwab & Co., Council of Better Business Bureaus, the Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers, Girl Scouts of the USA, Network Solutions, Sprint Nextel and Wines from Rioja (Spain). More information about CRT/tanaka is available at www.crt-tanaka.com.
CRT/tanaka Coordinates White Light White Night Fundraising Gala for Non-Profit, Walk With Sally
“CRT/tanaka is proud to have provided counsel and support to such a great local organization,” said Craig Rexroad, vice president and general manager of CRT/tanaka’s Los Angeles office. “There are more than 200 children in Los Angeles that could benefit from Walk With Sally’s mentorship program, and it is very rewarding for our agency to help.”
This year’s annual gala raised approximately $250,000 for Walk with Sally’s mentorship program for children whose parents or siblings are fighting or have died from cancer. The event was held at King Harbor in Redondo Beach and featured bites from some of the South Bay’s best restaurants, cocktails from Patron’s famous Ice Bar, and a live and silent auction. All proceeds go directly to Walk With Sally’s programs.
About Walk With Sally
Walk With Sally is dedicated to providing mentoring support programs and services to children of parents or siblings with cancer – one child at a time, one heart at a time. Walk With Sally is committed to providing healing and comfort to children debilitated by the emotional experience of living with or losing a parent or sibling to cancer. This healing is facilitated through free-of-charge mentoring support programs and services that provide an emotionally safe environment for children to share their difficult experience with someone who has suffered the same. A Los Angeles-based, registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization, Walk With Sally can be found on the web at http://www.WalkWithSally.org.
About CRT/tanaka
CRT/tanaka is an award-winning public relations and marketing firm known for its whatcanbeSM workplace culture and approach to business. Headquartered in Richmond, Va. and New York, with offices in Los Angeles, Washington, D.C. and Norfolk, Va., CRT/tanaka features four integrated specialties – Food/Beverage/Nutrition, Health/Healthy Lifestyles, Consumer and Corporate/B2B. The agency has been recognized with more than 350 national and regional awards for its strategic counsel, creativity, workplace culture and community service. Clients include Air New Zealand, Avocados from Mexico, Barnes & Noble College, BISSELL Homecare Inc., Bridgestone Americas, Cambria Suites (Choice Hotels International), Charles Schwab & Co., Council of Better Business Bureaus, Quebec Maple Syrup Producers, Girl Scouts of the USA, Sprint Nextel, the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council, Wines from Rioja (Spain) and Web.com. More information about CRT/tanaka is available at www.crt-tanaka.com.
From left to right: Brian Ellis, Ryan Lamont, Veronica Hunt, Ligaya Malones and Craig Rexroad
CRT/tanaka Awarded PRSA Silver Anvil and Silver Anvil Award of Excellence For Wines from Rioja, Spain and client, Consejo Regulador D.O.C.a. Rioja
RICHMOND, Va. (June 19, 2012) – CRT/tanaka, an award-winning public relations and marketing firm known for its whatcanbeSM workplace culture and approach to business, was recently awarded a prestigious Silver Anvil for integrated marketing communications and a Silver Anvil Award of Excellence for events and observances seven or fewer day by the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA).
The Silver Anvil, considered the highest honor in the PR profession, and the Silver Anvil Award of Excellence both recognize outstanding strategic public relations planning and implementation. They were presented during a ceremony on June 7, 2012 in New York City.
CRT/tanaka received the Silver Anvil Award for its work with Wines from Rioja (Spain) for the Consejo Regulador D.O.C.a. Rioja. The Vibrant Rioja campaign was aimed at generating awareness and interest in Rioja wines among a younger Gen-Y and X audience, who are driving wine sales growth in the U.S. Over the past six years, the multi-million dollar, integrated marketing campaign has evolved from “awareness” to “awareness and sales-generation.”
The 2011 Vibrant Rioja campaign helped to increase awareness and perception of Rioja Wines among target consumer and trade audiences as a “top red wine varietal that goes well with any food” and an “excellent wine regardless of price” (vs. the previous year’s tracking studies); the trade program component executed 1,318 sales promotions in 40 states and more than 135 cities (a 32 percent increase in promotions vs. the previous year); and shipments of wine from Rioja were up 12 percent for 2011. This was over and above the previous year’s shipment increase of 33 percent.
CRT/tanaka also received the Silver Anvil Award of Excellence for its Vibrant Rioja Grand Tasting Series. The campaign was aimed at increasing awareness of the Vibrant Rioja Trade Program through wine shows and tastings.
“I am continually impressed with the quality of work coming out of our profession, whether it is multiple winners from one of the large international PR firms or a single winner from a small non-profit with a limited budget and no outside assistance,” said James J. Roop, APR, PRSA Fellow, 2012 Awards and Honors Committee chair and president of Roop & Co. “Silver Anvil winners are making a difference in our world, in terms of creating awareness, generating sales, reinforcing a brand or furthering an organization’s objectives. The Silver Anvils continue to recognize the best practices in our field.”
The Silver Anvil Awards program has grown in scope and stature since its inception in 1946, and awards are now given in 59 categories and subcategories. In the 60-plus-year history of the Silver Anvils, many organizations have been recognized, including solo practitioners, agencies of all sizes, large and small businesses, top corporations, nonprofits, associations and government agencies.
About CRT/tanaka
CRT/tanaka is an award-winning public relations and marketing firm known for its whatcanbeSM workplace culture and approach to business. Headquartered in Richmond, Va. and New York, with offices in Los Angeles, Washington, D.C. and Norfolk, Va., CRT/tanaka features four integrated specialties – Food, Beverage and Nutrition; Health and Healthy Lifestyles; Consumer; and Corporate/B2B. The agency has been recognized with more than 350 national and regional awards for its strategic counsel, creativity, workplace culture and community service. Clients include Air New Zealand, Avocados from Mexico, Barnes & Noble College, BISSELL Homecare Inc., Cambria Suites (Choice Hotels International), Charles Schwab & Co., Council of Better Business Bureaus, Quebec Maple Syrup Producers, Girl Scouts of the USA, Network Solutions, Sprint Nextel, the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council and Wines from Rioja (Spain). More information about CRT/tanaka is available at www.crt-tanaka.com.
About the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA)
With more than 31,000 members, PRSA is the largest organization of public relations professionals and students. PRSA is comprised of 111 local Chapters organized into 10 geographic Districts; 14 Professional Interest Sections that focus on issues, trends and research relevant to specialized practice areas, such as technology, health care, financial communications, entertainment and sports, and travel tourism, and the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA), which has more than 300 Chapters at colleges and universities in the United States and abroad. PRSA is headquartered in New York.
VCU Brandcenter’s O’Keefe Joins CRT/tanaka As Chief Creative Officer
RICHMOND, Va. (June 4, 2012) – Kelly O’Keefe, professor and former managing director at the acclaimed Virginia Commonwealth University Brandcenter and CEO of O’Keefe Brands, has joined CRT/tanaka as chief creative officer in the agency’s Richmond office. (more…)
Wilsonart International, Inc. Selects CRT/tanaka as Public Relations Agency of Record
RICHMOND, Va. (April 17, 2012) – CRT/tanaka today announced that it was selected by Wilsonart International, Inc., a leading innovator in designing and creating beautiful kitchens for more than 50 years, as its public relations agency of record. The agency has been charged with creating a brand platform and integrated marketing campaign to support Wilsonart HD®, the company’s premium countertop surface product.
The campaign’s focus is broad, targeting consumers, the home remodeling industry and the commercial design community. Kicking off at the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show in Chicago, April 24-26, the new campaign will involve influencer outreach, social and traditional media relations, trade and consumer events, website and digital marketing components, video and social engagement.
“After our search process, we chose CRT/tanaka because of its creative and strategic approach to brand building and public relations,” said Alison Pulver DeMartino, director of marketing communications for Wilsonart. “Not only do they have a strong heritage in the home and housewares arena, but they have a specific expertise in brand building and marketing to women. We are excited to work with them.”
CRT/tanaka will collaborate with newly hired Bolin Marketing, the Minneapolis-based advertising agency of record for Wilsonart, to execute promotional components of the campaign tied to new advertising.
“As the market leader in providing beautiful and affordable countertop solutions for the kitchen, Wilsonart’s products are in the sweet spot for anyone looking to remodel,” said Ellen LaNicca Albanese, CRT/tanaka’s executive vice president. “Many consumers are no longer willing to take out the equivalent of a second mortgage just to update their kitchen. The new Wilsonart HD product is not only beautiful; it is affordable, durable and sustainable. We look forward to introducing these new alternatives to high-priced stone to the marketplace.”
About Wilsonart International, Inc.
Wilsonart is a leading manufacturer of decorative surfacing products including Wilsonart® HD® High Definition® Laminate, Wilsonart® Laminate, Wilsonart® Solid Surface and Wilsonart® Adhesives. The company has been recognized by the Smithsonian Institution’s Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum and Interior Design magazine for design excellence. Wilsonart International is based in Temple, Texas. For more information, call the Wilsonart Customer Service Hotline at 800-433-3222. Consumers can also visit www.WilsonartHD.com and professionals can visit www.WilsonartContract.com.
About CRT/tanaka
CRT/tanaka is an award-winning public relations and marketing firm known for its whatcanbeSM workplace culture and approach to business. Headquartered in Richmond, Va. and New York, with offices in Los Angeles, Washington, D.C. and Norfolk, Va., CRT/tanaka features four integrated specialties – Consumer; Food, Beverage and Nutrition; Health and Healthy Lifestyles; and Corporate/B2B. The agency has been recognized with more than 325 national and regional awards for its strategic counsel, creativity, workplace culture and community service. Clients include Air New Zealand, BISSELL Homecare Inc., Cambria Suites, Charles Schwab & Co., Council of Better Business Bureaus, the Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers, Girl Scouts of the USA, Network Solutions, Sprint Nextel and Wines from Rioja (Spain). More information about CRT/tanaka is available at www.crt-tanaka.com.
Avocados from Mexico Mini-Chef Contest Featured in PRWeek
To promote awareness about Avocados from Mexico among children and moms, CRT/tanaka created the Mini Chef Video Contest. Contest participants were able to upload videos of themselves making recipes using avocados. CRT/tanaka’s Interactive/Social Media Practice designed the contest logo, Twitter background, Facebook profile picture, YouTube background, banner ads and special contest web banner for the main page of the Avocados from Mexico website. For more information on the campaign take a look at this PRWeek article.
CRT/tanaka Insights – August Issue (Health & Wellness)
Check out the August issue of CRT/tanaka’s eNewsletter CRT/tanaka Insights. This month, we focus on Health & Wellness.
CRT/tanaka Insight July – Meet Our New Staffers
In the July issue of CRT/tanaka Insight, our eNewsletter, we introduce you to several of our new staffers, including Craig Rexroad, vice president and general manager of our Los Angeles office.
