2014 Bell Ringers Award Winners

The Publicity Club of New England, the region’s oldest not-for-profit public relations trade organization, today announced the winners of its 46^th Annual Bell Ringer Awards competition. The awards ceremony, held on Monday, June 9^th at the Revere Hotel in Boston, Mass., honored public relations and communications professionals from 45 agencies and organizations across New England demonstrating excellence in public relations and communication initiatives.

“Thanks to the Publicity Club and our hats off to all of the agencies and in-house communications teams who participated in the Bell Ringer Awards, helping to showcase the strength and creativity of the New England PR community.”

The Platinum Super Bell Award, presented to the organization that executed the best communications campaign of the year, went to 360 Public Relations for “Seize the Holidays with Krusteaz: A Virtual Baking Event.”

“We are honored that one of our client campaigns was named this year’s Platinum Super Bell winner,” said Laura Tomasetti, CEO and founder of 360 Public Relations. “Thanks to the Publicity Club and our hats off to all of the agencies and in-house communications teams who participated in the Bell Ringer Awards, helping to showcase the strength and creativity of the New England PR community.”

This year’s Platinum Super Bell finalists included Mullen and Cone Communications. The evening’s top winners were Cone Communications with 26 awards; 360 Public Relations with 21 awards, MSLGROUP with 19 awards, and SHIFT Communications with 18.

The Club also presented two professional awards: the Striker Award and the Ringer Award. The Striker Award recognizes a practitioner who demonstrated an early love of the field, a dedication to their career and a superior work ethic. This year, Kerin Horgan of Wayfair was chosen as the recipient for excelling in the communications industry in a very short period of time and surpassing other newcomers in the organization and in the field.

The Ringer Award honors a practitioner who demonstrated steady and significant progress in impacting his or her agency, company or practice and the New England PR community since entering the field of public relations. This year, the award was presented to Matt Trocchio of SHIFT Communications.

The Club continued its annual student scholarship program by awarding the 2014 William Cavanaugh Student Grant to Western New England University student Aubrie Przybysz for her superior academic achievement.

The Bell Ringer Awards ceremony was emceed by David Wade, WBZ-TV news anchor and reporter. For this year’s charity auction recipient, Wade selected Pan-Mass Challenge (PMC), an annual bike-a-thon to raise money for life-saving cancer research and treatment at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

The Publicity Club of New England would also like to thank Platinum Sponsor Gorkana Group; Gold Sponsors Boston Magazine, Social PIX, Powered by Brand Networks and ViralGains; Silver Sponsors BostInno, Business Wire and PR Newswire; and additional supporters Marketwired and SLABmedia.

About the Publicity Club of New England

Founded in 1949, The Publicity Club of New England is the region’s oldest not-for-profit public relations trade organization. Celebrating its 65^th anniversary this season, the Publicity Club strives to promote and encourage involvement in the communications industry and specifically the professions of public relations, promotions and marketing. Additional information about monthly Publicity Club programs, social and networking events, the “Bell Ringer” blog, and the Bell Ringer Awards Ceremony, can be found at www.pubclub.org. Follow us on Twitter @PubClubofNE (#pcne).

About the Bell Ringer Awards

In 1969, on The Publicity Club of New England’s 20^th anniversary, the Bell Ringer Awards program was instituted to recognize public relations work which demonstrates excellence in creative planning and professional education and exhibits a high degree of success in reaching predetermined objectives. Open to all New England practitioners, the program symbolizes one of the greatest tributes in any field of endeavor – the recognition of superior performance by one’s peers.

2014 Bell Ringers Award Winners List

Public Affairs Campaign
Gold Bell				Cone Communications for USO’s Every Moment Counts Rallies Americans to Create Everyday Moments for Troops and their Families
Silver Bell				Cone Communications for ReThink: Why Housing Matters – Challenging Misperceptions of Public Housing
Bronze Bell				Wanger Associates for a Windy Battle
Bronze Bell				Cronin and Company for Connecticut Tax Amnesty Program
Merit				InkHouse for Preparing Millennials to Lead in Cyberspace
Merit				Cone Communications for Give Childhood Campaign
Response to Breaking News
Gold Bell				MSLGROUP for Lancope
Silver Bell				LEWIS PR for Breaking News: Bomgar Secures Coverage in USA Today
Silver Bell				Davies Murphy Group for a Market in Crisis: Turning an Industry Disaster into an Opportunity
Bronze Bell				InkHouse for Plexxi vs. Cisco, a David and Goliath PR Story
Bronze Bell				Cone Communications for Glutino Drives FDA Gluten Free Labeling Conversation
Merit				Tier One Partners for Respectfully Sharing a Perspective in the Aftermath of the Boston Marathon Bombing
Merit				Lois Paul and Partners for Lois Paul and Partners (LPP) and Arbor Networks
Merit				360 Public Relations for Dorel on Forefront of Car Seat Safety
Special Event: Series Campaign
Gold Bell				MSLGROUP for DeVry University STEM Ready
Silver Bell				SHIFT Communications for Educating with Awareness: Consumers Are Lovin’ It
Bronze Bell				PAN Communications for Influential Fashion Bloggers Dance the Samba in Brazilian (Footwear) Shoes
Bronze Bell				marlo marketing/communications for Anna’s Taqueria Celebrity Roller Series
Merit				360 Public Relations for Quinny Yezz Conquers New York City and Beyond with Buzz Worthy Retail Launch
Special Event: Single Campaign
Gold Bell				360 Public Relations for Seize the Holidays with Krusteaz! A Virtual Baking Event
Gold Bell				360 Public Relations for Safety 1st Hosts the World’s Largest Car Seat Check
Silver Bell				Porter Novelli for The Timberland Workshop
Bronze Bell				MSLGROUP for Breast Cancer Community, Meet BRCAvantage™
Bronze Bell				Cone Communications for Green Mountain Coffee® and Kelly Clarkson Team Up to Shine Spotlight on Fair Trade
Merit				Text100 for Ringing in the Holidays: IBM Digital Analytics Holiday Benchmark
Merit				PAN Communications for CloudBees – Creating a Big Buzz at JavaOne
Merit				Cronin and Company, LLC for McDonald’s #BreakfastRoutines Twitter Party
Merit				Cone Communications for Metrics that Matter, Messages that Motivate: Johnson & Johnson Makes the Case for Sustainability
Television News Placement: Local/Regional
Gold Bell				CTP for The Story of Willie McRae at Pinehurst Resort
Silver Bell				451 Marketing for Flying High with Hood Blimp
Bronze Bell				CTP for LEGOLAND Discovery Center for Boston Brick Factor
Merit				HB Agency for swissnex Boston’s Solar Power Spotlight – WCVB’s “Chronicle”
Television News Placement: National
Gold Bell				CTP for The Centennial of the Ouimet’s Victory at The Country Club
Silver Bell				InkHouse for Raytheon’s Classroom of the Future
Silver Bell				CTP for 25th Anniversary of the Lynch Foundation
Silver Bell				Cone Communications for Lindt GOLD BUNNY Meets Rachel Ray On-Set for Lindt GOLD BUNNY Celebrity Auction Launch
Bronze Bell				MSLGROUP for The Doctors: Engaging Patients with Spinal Fracture Treatment for Osteoporosis Awareness Month
Merit				Cone Communications for USO’s Every Moment Counts Launches on Good Morning America
Merit				360 Public Relations for Pro Racing Tech Adapted for Kids
Website
Gold Bell				360 Public Relations for Tofu Triumph: 360PR Makes Nasoya.com a Must-Visit
Silver Bell				Mercer for Uncover the Numbers