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GolinHarris Comes Out on Top in PRWeek Excellence Survey

GolinHarris recently scored at the top of PRWeek’s 2005 Agency Excellence Survey

GolinHarris Wins Platinum SABRE Award for Best PR Program of 2004

GolinHarris was honored at the fifth annual SABRE Awards in New York, winning the Platinum SABRE Award for the best public relations program of 2004.

The Atlanta office of GolinHarris conducted an issues management campaign for the United Egg Producers. The "Defending U.S. Egg Producers from Attacks by Animal Activists" program beat four other Platinum finalists.

The Sabre Awards are designed to recognize superior achievements in branding and reputation. They focus on programs that demonstrate the highest standards of innovation, integrity and effectiveness across the world.

The United Egg Producers program also received the Gold SABRE in the issues management category. Holmes Report editor and SABRE judge Paul Holmes commented, "When U.S. egg producers came under attack from animal rights activists trying to eliminate cages and other modern production techniques, they responded not with spin but with a substantive effort to address the critics’ concerns. The egg producers came up with a self-regulation plan, guided by an independent panel of animal welfare experts that ultimately came up with animal care certified guidelines adopted by 85 percent of U.S. producers."

GolinHarris also won a Bronze SABRE Award in the speechwriting category for Nintendo, as well as two Certificates of Excellence for the Bronze SABREs: FDOC Revitalizing Grapefruit in the website category, and Lowe’s Placement on MTV’s Newlyweds in the TV media placement category.

Fellowes, Inc. Selects GolinHarris as Agency of Record

Fellowes, Inc., a worldwide leader in products to equip the workspace, announced in July that it has selected GolinHarris as its agency of record for consumer and business-to-business public relations.

"GolinHarris’ strategic approach to our business is exactly what we were looking for in a new agency," said Jude Rake, president and chief operating officer, Fellowes, Inc. "Our goal is to help build the Fellowes brand with the business-to-business and home office audience. GolinHarris clearly understood the challenge and presented a comprehensive plan to achieve our objectives in the short-term and beyond."

The account will initially be led by the agency’s Chicago office, with plans to expand the business to various international markets. With an immediate focus on Fellowes’ paper shredder division, the agency will be charged with ongoing, strategic media relations, product introductions and vertical market education and programming.

"We’re excited about our partnership with Fellowes," said Fred Cook, president and CEO of GolinHarris. "Identity theft has become an epidemic, and this is a great opportunity to tell the story of Fellowes’ superior shredder products and to educate consumers and businesses about identity-theft solutions."

As part of an integrated agency selection process and review of several agencies, Fellowes has also engaged Foote, Cone & Belding, an Interpublic sister company of GolinHarris. Commencing in October, the new advertising campaign will feature TV, radio, print, interactive, consumer promotions and in-store communication activities.

GolinHarris in the US Comes Together for California Avocado Commission

GolinHarris was recently named global agency of record for the California Avocado Commission (CAC). The announcement was made soon after GH presented to the CAC, where the GH team came out on top of a dozen top firms, resulting from great ideas, strong strategy, and a creatively brilliant and fun presentation.

"Bringing GolinHarris aboard to handle public relations for the CAC and Hass Avocado Board signals the beginning of a new epoch in our history," said Mark Affleck, president and CEO of the CAC."As we face the tumult and challenge of change in our hotly competitive world, it is imperative that we develop strategic communications across myriad stakeholder fronts."

McDonald’s First-Ever Public Relations Award of Excellence Named in Honor of Al Golin

Al Golin

McDonald's recently announced the recipient of the first-ever Al Golin Public Relations Award of Excellence--a first for any PR firm to be recognized this way by a client.

The Al Golin Excellence Award will be presented annually to a McDonald's franchisee and/ or organization that best exemplifies the commitment of building trust through community involvement that Golin has symbolized for brand McDonald's for nearly half a century.

The idea behind naming the award after Al goes back to his creation of the "Trust Bank" philosophy, which is emblematic of how McDonald's does business around the world today.

This is what Mike Donahue, Vice President, U.S. Communications, McDonald’s, had to say about their relationship with Al and GolinHarris: "From his very first handshake with Ray Kroc in 1957, Golin's commitment to quality, consistency and, above all, its customers, has helped lead brand McDonald's to forward-thinking visions and innovations."

GolinHarris Adds West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources

GolinHarris has recently added a major new client to its roster, winning a multi-million dollar advertising contract from the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources in tandem with The Arnold Agency, a Charleston firm. The initial focus of the contract will be to take the reins of Raze, the state’s teen-focused tobacco prevention program, with work on other health issues to follow. The account will be led out of the agency’s Washington, DC office.

GolinHarris will develop and implement grassroots outreach, public affairs, and public relations as a partner to The Arnold Agency, which will lead the advertising effort.

After the contract was announced, the Department’s Director of Communications John Law said, "We are excited to have GolinHarris, the agency that started the original truth™ campaign, and The Arnold Agency, an exceptional West Virginia-based communications firm, working together on this contract."

The win confirms GolinHarris’ position as the leading communications firm in tobacco prevention. "In the late 1990s our team helped develop the most popular and effective teen tobacco prevention model, and now we are in a position to improve on that model," said Lane Bailey, regional managing director of the southeastern region and worldwide director of public affairs for GolinHarris.

West Virginia becomes the sixteenth state where GolinHarris has implemented a tobacco prevention campaign. Additionally, the agency represents The American Legacy Foundation, and does an annual training for the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids’ Youth Advocate of the Year Award winners.

Raze, the West Virginia state’s teen focused tobacco prevention program’s website: www.razewv.com