DKY Integrated Marketing Communications Agency

Really Heavy Ornaments

The end of the year usually means the end of agency awards season. While we’re sorry to see it leave, DKY is not going home empty handed. DKY’s work for its clients was recognized ﬁve times this year. The agency’s video work with Cargill AgHorizons received a Silver Telly from the Telly Awards; a Platinum Hermes from the Association of Marketing and Communications Professionals (AMCP), and a Platinum MarCom from the AMCP. The recently-launched Goal Line Club website was awarded a Gold MarCom in the Pro Bono category from the AMCP and Twin Cities-based Zantigo Restaurants was recognized as a Gold Winner in the Creative Awards from the Summit International Awards for its in-store display and point-of-sale elements.

DKY Adds More Creative Awards

MINNEAPOLIS — Integrated marketing communications agency DKY today announced that it has been recognized with four MarCom Awards from the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals.

For the fourth consecutive year, DKY has earned multiple awards in the international competition bringing home two Gold and two Platinum Awards for its creative work.

DKY was honored with a Platinum Award in the
Video/Film/Special Event category for the Cargill Connections video for Cargill, Inc. The video animates statistical facts about the dramatic role U.S. farmers planing in today’s global ag economy. The video was shared with corn, soybean and wheat producers at a series of Cargill Connection grower meetings throughout the Midwest.

DKY received a second Platinum Award in the Brochure/Informational category for its work on an adventure travel and tour catalog for Lazy Bear Lodge based in Churchill, Manitoba.
DKY received a Gold Award in the Website Overall category for its work with Winnebago Industries’ GoWinnebago.com site. The agency received a second Gold Award in the Pro Bono category for its work with Search Ministries on a 25th Anniversary Celebration campaign.

About the MarCom Awards
Sponsored by the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals, the MarCom Awards is an international creative competition that recognizes outstanding achievement by marketing and communication professionals.

The prestigious Platinum Award is presented to those entries judged to be among the most outstanding entries in the competition (about 18 percent). The Gold Award is presented to entries that exceed the high standards of the industry norm (less than 20 percent), and approximately 10 percent are Honorable Mention winners.

Home on the Road for 17 Years with Winnebago Industries

Since 1994, Winnebago Industries and DKY have partnered up to bring the best in the recreational vehicle industry to the market. For the 17th consecutive year, the teams will be working together to introduce the latest Winnebago and Itasca motor homes and continue life on the road.

“Winnebago has always been a big part of DKY,” said agency partner and creative director, Mark Yaeger. “They took a chance on us 17 years ago as the agency’s first client and they’ve been with us ever since.”

The week after Thanksgiving, three members of the DKY team left Minneapolis behind for the sights, sounds and smells of the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville, Kentucky, for the 48th National RV Trade Show. Over 300 manufacturers and suppliers spread out across more than 760,000 square feet of exhibit space to help usher in 2011 and what appears to be a year of recovery for the battered industry.

“With more than 150,000 more square feet of additional exhibit space this year, things look like they’re headed in the right direction,” said Clarissa Terschan, DKY account executive. “You could feel the optimism in the air and you got a sense from manufacturers and dealers that this year was going to be better than the last.”

DKY’s new work for Winnebago and Itasca motor homes is expected in markets and online throughout the year.

DKY Adds 3D Sports Technology

Integrated marketing communications agency DKY today announced that 3D Sports Technology, Inc. has retained the agency to provide advertising and marketing support for the growing brand.

Minneapolis-based 3D Sports Technology, Inc. develops sport-specific interactive animation and visually-engaging software tools designed to help amateur and professional athletes perform better. The company currently markets two products: 3D Playbook™ and MoCap animation technology.

3D Playbook is an innovative play drawing and animation software for football programs. 3D Playbook provides coaches and players with with the opportunity to generate and view animations of plays in motion from a variety of angles.

The second product, MoCap animation technology, is used to capture an athlete’s performance and utilize the resulting data for analytical assessment. Using the athlete’s movements to animate a computer generated character, complex movements and realistic physical interactions are recreated as an animated image in a physically accurate manner.

With a staff of notable content experts including Lou Nanne, Trent Tucker, John Danowski and Jennie Finch, 3D Sports Technology, Inc. has plans to expand its current offerings beyond the football field. These experts will work with animators and programmers to transfer their expertise into leading edge software products in their respective sports.

DKY Reaches Summit with Zantigo

Integrated marketing communications agency DKY today announced that the Summit International Awards has recognized the agency with a Marketing Effectiveness Award for their work with Zantigo.

DKY was awarded a Platinum Award for outstanding work in Marketing Strategy and Effectiveness for their work on Zantigo’s “Cinco de Mayo” campaign. The integrated campaign included print, in-store, online and social media components designed to drive customers to a limited-time offer featuring downloadable mustaches that earned patrons a free signature-item Chilito.

“We enjoy the opportunity to produce award-winning work,” said Mike Dobies, creative director at DKY. “We think it’s more important when the award is directly connected to effectiveness.”

The Summit MEA competition rewards marketing communications that is able to change, influence or reinforce a target audience's knowledge, attitudes, or beliefs.

“We love the integrated thinking DKY brings to the table, “ said Kevin Kaelble, co-owner of Zantigo Franchising Corporation. “When that thinking translates into increased sales, we love it even more.”

 About the Summit International Awards 
Throughout its sixteen-year history, the Summit International Awards organization has established itself as one of the premier arbiters of communication excellence. Companies and individuals from more than 50 countries across five continents participate annually in its awards programs. The organization conducts three awards each year: Summit Creative Award, Summit Emerging Media Award and Summit Marketing Effectiveness Award. Additional information about the Summit International Awards and its programs is available at summitawards.com.

Goal Line Club is a Touchdown

Integrated marketing communications agency DKY today introduced the Goal Line Club as the newest member of its client roster. The Goal Line Club is the official booster club of the University of Minnesota’s Golden Gopher football team.

“This is a very important move for the organization,” said Goal Line Club president, Bob Hughes. “DKY is going to play a critical role in helping expand the Goal Line Club and increase its contributions to the team.”

Funding athletic programs has been a topic of interest on campuses since the days of the first student-athletes. As institutions work carefully to strike a balance between their commitment to academics and their reliance on athletic programs for revenue, many teams look to not-for-profit booster clubs to help fund initiatives.

“The Goal Line Club plays a valuable role in generating interest and support for the football program throughout the year,” said DKY’s director of marketing, Dan Domagala. “Anyone who’s a Gopher football fan should join the Club. The passion for the program and its success is contagious.”

The Goal Line Club expects DKY to introduce new creative in the market throughout the season.

“Gopher fans can expect to see more of the Goal Line Club this year,” remarked Hughes. “We’re committed to helping fans understand what the Club means to the football program and growing our membership numbers.”

The Goal Line Club’s first official member event of the season takes place Wednesday, August 25. The annual Golden Gopher Football Kick-Off Luncheon takes place in the DQ Club Room at TCF Bank Stadium. The fourth annual Gopher Nation Women’s Clinic follows on Friday, August 27 at the same location.

Integris Aviation Group Takes Off

Integrated marketing communications agency DKY today announced the addition of Integris Aviation Group to its client roster. The Bloomington-based aviation consultancy represents the international interests of a number of U.S. manufacturers of avionics and related equipment.

“We’re very excited about the addition of Integris Aviation Group,” said the firm’s creative director, Mike Dobies. “Our aim is to leverage their immediate opportunities in South America with a culturally-appealing brand that will help fuel their growth.”

Integris Aviation Group’s principal, Dave Clark, who grew up in Brazil and has spent more than 20 years working in the aviation industry, sees plenty of aviation opportunities within Brazil’s expanding economy. His services will focus on brokering fleet acquisitions, sales and installations of avionic equipment, and large-scale maintenance projects.

“We’re excited to support Integris Aviation Group with strategic branding and marcom efforts,” remarked DKY president, Brian Dahl. “It’s a fun combination of interests for us: aviation, entrepreneurship and marketing.”

The agency’s preliminary efforts will focus on brand development and interactive initiatives leading up to the formal international launch of the business at an industry trade show in Brazil later this summer.

DKY Adds to Interactive Group

DKY is pleased to announce the addition of Ben Meissner as Web Production Artist.

"We're very excited to welcome Ben aboard," said Brian Bowman, Chief Technology Officer. "He has been a tremendous contributor to our team in the past. Bringing him on staff means even better things for our clients and the agency."

Meissner joins the agency at a time when it is seeing increased demand for its interactive capabilities.

"We're counting on Ben to play an important role in the continued advancement of the agency's interactive group," said President Brian Dahl. "He brings even more capability and depth to this fast-growing discipline at DKY."

Prior to joining DKY, Ben worked with the Creative Group. Ben is a graduate of Bemidji State University where he earned a bachelor's degree in design technology.

Zantigo Celebrates Cinco de Mayo

Twin Cities-based Zantigo restaurants celebrated Cinco de Mayo and the launch of its new website earlier this month with a pair of mouth-watering promotions.

To help local customers celebrate Cinco de Mayo with Zantigo's made-fresh-to-order Mexican food, all seven restaurants held a random drawing for a delicious party pack that included sombreros, maracas and enough delicious Zantigo favorites to feed 20 hungry people.

To make sure everyone got in the Cinco de Mayo spirit, Zantigo gave away its signature Chilito to any guest who visited a restaurant with a mustache. To make it easier on the facial-hair challenged, Zantigo provided fans with a downloadable mustache they could print out and stick on their upper lip for a free Chilito.

The two promotions marked the official launch of Zantigo's new consumer website. The new site gives visitors the chance to check out the latest menu, sign up for promotional emails, connect to social media, map locations and learn more about the legend of Zantigo.

The promotions and website are part of a fully integrated marketing campaign that is slated to run throughout the metro area.

Searching for 25 Years in the Twin Cities

Search Ministries of Minnesota celebrated its 25th anniversary as a non-profit Christian ministry in Minnesota with a celebration at the Golden Valley Country Club on Friday, April 16th. The dinner event was attended by hundreds of people whose lives have been positively impacted by the ministry.

"How can a quarter century go by so quickly?" asked Jeff Siemon. "And yet, as hard as it is to believe, it was indeed twenty-five years ago when the work of Search Ministries began." Jeff began his new position as the Minnesota Search Area Director in 1984 after an 11-year career with the Minnesota Vikings.

To help make this milestone event a memorable evening, DKY contributed its design services to the effort. A celebration logo was created incorporating the iconic Search Ministries identity as an emerging seed bringing forth new life from the ground. The earth tone color treatment was applied to various promotional materials including a direct mail invitation, event banners that highlighted significant milestones over the years, and a 36-page testimonial booklet capturing the words and photos of people grateful for the work of Search Ministries in their lives.

As a national organization, Search Ministries helps men and women who are searching for meaningful answers to life's tough questions. The Minnesota team offers a variety of ways for people to connect with God, develop spiritually, and live out their faith in the marketplace.

"We are committed to supporting the work of Search with our integrated marketing efforts because we believe so strongly in their mission and the impact they have on people throughout the Twin Cities," said Mike Dobies, DKY Creative Director.

To learn more about Search Ministries work in Minnesota, please visit SearchMN.org.

Social Media Hot Sauce

When Edmund McIlhenny introduced his Original Tabasco® brand Pepper Sauce to family and friends on Avery Island, Louisiana, back in the 1860s, he promised them it would make their food taste better. More than 140 years later, Tabasco is the most preferred pepper sauce in the world.

Because Tabasco was new, harnessing its true potential was a matter of trial and error and personal taste. Add too little and the flavor remained plain. Add too much and hot sauce was all you tasted. Even in 1868, “moderation” was already rearing its sensible head.

When social media was introduced several years ago, companies were assured that its use would help create new marketing channels, empower consumer advocates and make their brands sell better and faster. Today, social media and networking sites account for more than 10 percent of all time spent on the Internet* and organizations are clamoring to capitalize on its popularity.

Social media, though hardly considered new by today’s standards, is experiencing the same predicament that Mr. McIlhenny did with his hot sauce. While its influence and potential seem limitless, understanding its application appears to be a similar matter of trial and error and, of course, personal taste.

Lately, however, social media seems to be diverging from its ancillary, Tabasco-ish heritage for a more prominent role in the marketing mix. Opportunistic firms talk about social media as the most important element of any marketing campaign. For a select few brands, that may be true. For most brands, however, social media is more valuable in a tactical, complementary role.

Amassing thousands of friends and followers on Facebook and Twitter is ideal if your only marketing objective is to “leverage social media.” If your objectives include driving sales and increasing market share, social media can help, but it will not work alone.

Measurable business growth requires you examine your communications plan for initiatives where social media can effectively amplify a compelling message rather than act as your only message. What little credit a brand gets for being a part of the world of social media is fleeting at best. It’s never going to be enough to simply be a part of the medium. Social media tools should help your campaign work harder. Identify opportunities in your plan where social media will allow you to connect with different target audiences to stimulate a dialogue and drive consumption. Use social media to reinforce a specific call to action.

Tabasco sauce and social media were developed to make things better, yet both need to be used with calculated care. While the advertising industry continues to struggle to invent a viable formula to measure the return-on-investment of social media, follow Edmund McIlhenny’s advice to friends when bringing social media to the table and start with a sprinkle instead of a pour. Used effectively, it will make everything taste better.

*Source: Neilsen; “Global Faces and Networked Places, 2009”

In Defense of Fun

“Work isn’t supposed to be fun. Work is supposed to be work.” How many of our fathers taught us that? It’s unfortunate that too many of us took that to heart, because work can be fun. In fact, it should be fun if you want to get the most out of yourself and your co-workers.

In marketing and many other industries, creativity is paramount. No matter where you work, the ability to think freely has a place. One of the best ways to encourage creativity and freethinking is by creating a fun atmosphere.

This is one of the reasons large corporations occasionally send their employees on team-building retreats and exercises. In collaborative environments, people are more productive when they care about and enjoy the people they work with.

But you don’t have to spend buckets of money on a retreat to build camaraderie. It’s cheaper and more effective to make fun a part of the every day work experience.

Encourage your employees to goof off a little bit. Enjoy the occasional prank. Even a few minutes chatting around the water cooler can pay off. Because when people are having fun, they let their guard down a little bit. Yeah, if you are racing clown bikes around the office, you may look a little stupid at times. But if it’s all in good fun it will pay off in spades when you put your heads together on the serious tasks at hand.

When you bring that atmosphere of fun into a brainstorming session, your group will probably come up with some amazingly bad ideas. But the even more amazing part is that people are willing to share those ideas, out loud, with their co-workers. This is a wonderful thing.

Brainstorming only works if people feel free to say whatever comes to mind. You need to accept that sharing bad ideas paves the path to great ideas. In a fun environment this happens naturally. You’re not editing yourself. Failure is part of the fun.

If you are in a brainstorming session and everything everyone says is reasonable, you are not making progress. In a stuffy, formal environment people don’t share their bad ideas. In fact, they probably don’t share very many ideas at all out of fear of rejection or looking stupid in front of their co-workers.

But if you inject some fun into the office on a daily basis and get comfortable “looking stupid” around each other, this fear is a non-factor. Creativity flows. Ideas are shared freely. And great ideas percolate to the top.

One exercise you can try at your next meeting is to start by brainstorming the worst ideas possible to solve the issue at hand. It sounds goofy, but it is a good way to loosen up the group and get people thinking on a different path. Have fun with it.

It may seem like a waste of time, but as you gradually shift to thinking of more practical ideas, you’ll notice that people will feel free to share almost any idea that pops into their heads. There is already a long list of terrible ideas on the board, what’s the point of self-editing? At the end of the meeting you will probably have more and better ideas than you’ve ever had before. All because you injected some fun into the meeting.

Did I write this article so our boss would buy us Wii Mario Kart? Possibly. But the larger point is that when work and fun go hand in hand, everybody benefits: you, your employees, your clients and maybe even Princess Toadstool.

Agency Celebrates Sweet Sixteen

Integrated marketing communications agency DKY marked 16 years in business with a celebration reminiscent of a traditional Sweet Sixteen.

When the roar of the engines had settled to a steady purr and the exhaust of raw horsepower had dissipated into the chilly winter air, employees of the inventive independent agency were rewarded with their own automotive accoutrements.

"The past few years haven't been kind to a lot of businesses," remarked agency president, Brian Dahl. "An anniversary like this leaves us more and more grateful to God for DKY. We really enjoy the work and love the people we work with each day."

As one of only a handful of independent agencies left in the Twin Cities, DKY continues to evolve from its unique beginnings. Building on its commitment to provide clients with fresh and effective business-building solutions, the agency has grown to become a mainstay on the local scene.

"We've been fortunate to work with a lot of fantastic clients over the years," said creative director, Mark Yaeger. "I can't believe we've been doing this for 16 years, it's been a tremendous blessing."

When the agency opened its doors 16 years ago, it did so with one client, two maxed-out credit cards and a long-term vision for what an agency could be if given the chance. Today, DKY provides integrated marketing communications services for a diverse roster of regional challenger brands and national Fortune 500 companies.

Take a User-centric Approach to Web Design

What makes a website work? What makes it successful? Think about some of your best website experiences. Were they flashy web extravaganzas or, more than likely, simple, elegant websites? The best web experience—regardless of the site—all have one thing in common: they do exactly what you want them to do without you having to think about it.

This doesn't mean websites should be bland or unimpressionable, but the most efficient and effective websites have simplicity and usability at their core—even if it means excluding the latest special effects and widget technologies. Websites should provide the information users want in a manner that is intuitive and comprehensive enough to ensure that they are interacting with your business in a meaningful way.

When websites blend intuitive functionality with outstanding design and innovative technical features, it's a beautiful thing. With that in mind, here are some of the steps we take at DKY to create compelling, user-centric web experiences.

Define the Problem

What are your goals for a website? What kind of customer experience are you trying to create? What value does this site offer to the customer? What are your competitors doing? In a nutshell, what is your site's role? This is important because a site designed as an information portal is different than one for e-commerce. When we know what your site is supposed to do, we can work together to determine the best way to measure success.

Determine the Content

In the end, the user experience can only rise to the level of the website content. We need to determine what's going to be in a website before we can create the best way for users to interact with it. Laying out the desired content helps us determine functionally as well as map out a way to populate and maintain that content. It is critical to plan for this with the long-term in mind so updates and changes are easy and provide your users with relevant, timely information.

Know Your Users

User-centric is the goal, remember? This is where traditional customer research can provide invaluable insight. If we can understand and incorporate users' web habits and preferences, we are well on our way toward a user-centric website. It's also important to involve potential users during the design process. Usability testing can help prioritize crucial tasks and functionality. By directly observing a user performing certain tasks, we can make more informed design decisions. Having the user involved throughout the process makes the end result that much more user-centric.

Plan it Out

This is the most important step in creating a user-centric website. Before we can jump into graphic design we must take a good look at critical user tasks, structure and functionality. At DKY we use a simple set of visual-based documents to map out these features. There are often many stakeholders in the decision-making process so it's very important that everyone understands how the site is going to function. By using simple visual-based representations we help everybody focus on the user interaction with the site without getting bogged down in the technical details. Once the group determines the best user experience, the site architecture and programming process can begin.

Make it Pretty

It's time to make your website actually look like a website. Once we have the functionality and structure in place we can focus on graphic design without compromising the user experience. At this point, a designer will work within your brand standards to design an aesthetic that is as elegant as it is functional.

Make it Work

Now that we've laid the groundwork for a great user experience, our development team can begin to put it all together. We have the expertise in house, or can work with your internal departments to make it happen. Quality assurance is always top of mind every step of the way. What good is design and functionality if it doesn't work? Exhaustive multi-platform testing and validation ensures that your users will experience the site as it was meant to be.

Go Live

Give your business the best chance at success by taking the time to develop an online experience your customers will enjoy. Build a site that your consumers will return to time and time again.

DKY Wins MarCom Awards

The MarCom Awards 2009 competition recognized DKY for its work on two Cargill projects, rewarding the agency with one Platinum and one Gold award. This is the third consecutive year DKY has earned multiple awards.

The top-honors Platinum Award was given for the Cargill 2009 ProPricing Campaign in the category of Marketing/Promotion Campaign. Now in its 10th year, Cargill ProPricing grain contracts offer compelling benefits to U.S. producers of corn, soybeans and wheat. The 2009 integrated media campaign featured print, video, radio, outdoor, and web promotional materials.

The Gold Award was given for the Cargill AgHorizons Marketing Services 2009 Direct Mail campaign. The creative deliverable featured an attractive, oversized box containing a custom atlas and introductory message from a local rep for this premium advisory service to U.S. grain producers.

“These are important awards in our industry,” said Mike Dobies, Creative Director at DKY. “We are fortunate to have a collaborative client that partners with us to produce category-best work.”

Sponsored by the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals, the MarCom Awards is an international creative competition that recognizes outstanding achievement by marketing and communication professionals. There were almost 5,000 entries from throughout the United States and several foreign countries in the MarCom 2009 competition.

The prestigious Platinum Award is presented to those entries judged to be among the most outstanding entries in the competition (about 18 percent). The Gold Award is presented to entries that exceed the high standards of the industry norm (about 18 percent), and approximately 10 percent are Honorable Mention winners.

On a Roll for 16 Years With Winnebago Industries

For the 16th consecutive year, DKY is ringing in the New Year by beginning work on a fresh, new campaign for Winnebago and Itasca motor homes.

Back in 1994, Winnebago Industries took a chance and handed a portion of their marketing work to a new agency based out of a cramped dining room in a small Minneapolis home. Today, DKY has outgrown the dining room, but maintains a strong relationship with its original client.

Chad Reece, Director of Marketing at Winnebago Industries, was quick to praise the 16-year bond between Winnebago Industries and DKY. “We really appreciate the relationship,” he said. “DKY has an understanding of our business and our industry, and continually brings our best interests to bear.”

He also lauded the flexibility they have when working with DKY. “It’s a process that involves both of us. When we bring new challenges to the table, DKY always brings back results.”

In December, three members of the DKY team traveled to the annual RVIA show in Louisville to see new products, meet with clients and kick off the new model year. Industry experts project positive growth for the coming year.

“The RVIA show gives us an industry outlook for the coming year and is a great opportunity to see what the competition is planning,” said Clarissa Terschan, DKY Account Executive. “It’s a huge week for everybody in the RV industry and it’s important that we’re a part of it. And while we’re there, we make sure to set aside time to have some fun with one of our favorite clients.”

The 2009 RVIA show was also an opportunity for Senior Art Director Craig Claeys to further immerse himself in the RV universe.

“I’ve been reading books about the history of RVing, studying the competition and this is another chance to amass some RV smartness,” Claeys said.

DKY’s new work for the 2011 Winnebago and Itasca motor homes is expected in markets this summer.

DKY on the Menu at Zantigo

Integrated marketing communications firm DKY announced today that it has been named agency of record for Zantigo.

Based in Woodbury, Minn., Zantigo restaurants feature traditional Mexican fare with a number of popular signature items. The Midwestern brand has developed a cult-like following with its commitment to creating authentic Mexican dishes made fresh-to-order.

Zantigo’s flavorful taco burritos, Tigo fries and legendary Chilitos continue to gain popularity as restaurants are added throughout the Twin Cities market. Zantigo currently has eight metro locations.

“Zantigo is all about great food,” said DKY President and Partner, Brian Dahl. “We’re very excited about working with a strong brand with such passionate and loyal fans.”

Tales of people driving hours out of their way for Tigo fries or stuffing their luggage with frozen Chilitos have made their way to a number of user-generated fan pages.

“Our fans have never been shy about sharing their feelings and ideas,” remarked Don Kaelble, who owns Zantigo along with his brother Kevin. “We get requests to ship our products all over the country. We get even more requests to make our products available on the shelf. People want to see our salsa and Chilito sauce in their local grocery store.”

Zantigo has tapped DKY to assist in strategic planning, campaign development, media planning and interactive initiatives. New creative is expected in the market by mid-year.

Overachievers Elevated at DKY

Integrated marketing communications firm DKY announced the promotion of two of its valued staff at a recent company meeting.

Account services veteran Audrey Wilcox has been promoted to Senior Account Manager while Brian Bowman assumes the reigns as the agency’s first Chief Technology Officer.

“Audrey has been instrumental in the growth of many of our clients,” said agency President Brian Dahl. “There’s a straight line connecting Audrey to a ton of measurable client success. Audrey brings a level of professionalism to her work that our clients have long pointed out.”

Ms. Wilcox joined the agency in 1998 from Augsburg Fortress Publishers. Her responsibilities include work with many longtime DKY clients, including Cargill, Toro and General Mills.

Brian Bowman previously served as DKY’s Web Project Manager overseeing the development of all client and agency web initiatives. In addition, Brian actively managed the agency’s technology portfolio. Bowman joined the agency in January 2008.

“Brian’s responsibilities and contributions far exceed his title,” said Dahl. “Working with Brian isn’t like working with most web guys. His technical background, matched with his business acumen, brings another level of insight to our clients and our work.”

The announcement was celebrated at a recent company meeting at the agency’s southwest Minneapolis offices.

The Benefits of a Custom CMS Tool

Building a company website from scratch can be a daunting task. That’s why many companies rush to find a ready-made licensed application for their content management system (CMS).

While licensed CMS solutions have the benefit of shorter development times and little or no upfront costs, you may be able to find more functionality and value in a lightweight, custom CMS solution.

The benefits of a custom solution can be hard to dismiss. You get the website you want, managed the way you want, without compromising design and functionality.

Compare that to most licensed off-the-shelf solutions, which can be inflexible, forcing you to shoehorn your business into their way of running a website. Changes can be extremely cost-prohibitive or not allowed at all.

If your competitors are using the same licensed CMS, it can be hard to differentiate your website from others making branding difficult. The performance of websites running on a licensed CMS platform can also run slow because of an unnecessary amount of code that you may not even use.

But what about costs?

True, a custom solution may cost more up front. But once the CMS is built, it is yours to keep and use. Licensed solutions typically charge monthly and/or annual fees for as long as you use—and don't use—the product.

DKY recently helped create a custom CMS for Hands to the Plow, a non-profit ministry based in Webster, Wisconsin. Cost management was essential, but it became clear that a custom solution could be created for less than the cost of using a licensed CMS for only one year.

“It was an easy decision,” said Brian Bowman, Interactive Project Manager at DKY. “The custom CMS allows Hands to the Plow to integrate an e-commerce platform and do everything they want—upload blogs, tag audio files, post study books in PDF form—all while saving them money in the long run.”

As programming costs continue to come down, custom solutions will surely become increasingly robust and more practical. So, before you rush to a licensed CMS, consider the flexibility, branding capabilities and value of a custom solution.

Hispanic Resource for Heart Healthy Eating Lives Online

"The Road to a Healthy Heart and Healthy Family" is a newly released, Spanish adaptation of a patient booklet created for health professionals, courtesy of the General Mills Bell Institute of Health and Nutrition. This online resource provides education to Hispanics about lowering their risk for heart disease.

DKY was charged with developing a design that would appeal to, and reflect the values of, the targeted Hispanic audience. It was necessary to depict culturally appropriate foods and accurate representations of extended, multi-generational Hispanic families while stressing the role of women. In addition, the metaphor of a path or road was chosen as a visual guide to communicate taking steps toward achieving a heart healthy lifestyle.

Craig Claeys, DKY Senior Art Director, landed on a culturally relevant design combining typography, color palette, custom illustrations, and photography. Claeys worked with an illustrator in Arizona commissioning more than 30 original illustrations. The Bell Institute conducted focus groups to ensure the content, graphics and food choices were on target. In the end, a 27-page PDF of the Hispanic patient book—available in Spanish and English—was made available online for health professionals to use with their Hispanic patients.

In addition to the patient resource, DKY designed a promotional brochure and tradeshow graphics to assist the Bell Institute in creating awareness of the new Hispanic resource at industry tradeshows.

Polar Bears, Beluga Whales and Social Networks

Wally Daudrich, owner of the Lazy Bear Lodge and DKY client, knows a thing or two about arctic wildlife—and the fierce, global competition for adventure tourism in his hometown of Churchill, Manitoba. Now, thanks to the proliferation of social networks, Wally can leverage his local knowledge and the goodwill of his customers to help spread the word of his remarkable tourism business.

Wally and his wife, Dawn, literally built their business by hand from the ground up. They started hauling logs out of the boreal forest on snowmobile and built a small cafe, continuing over the years to add on and eventually created the Lazy Bear Lodge. Since its completion in 2000, it remains the largest handcrafted log building in Manitoba.

Situated on the southwest shore of the Hudson Bay, Churchill is known as the "Polar Bear Capital of the World," and is also home to thousands of beluga whales that congregate in the warmer waters of the Churchill River estuary during July and August to calf. As a premiere ecotourism destination, the Lazy Bear Lodge offers guests a warm, hospitable stay in what can sometimes be harsh, climate conditions. Guests are treated to an up-close look at polar bears from the comfort of a tundra vehicle and can even snorkel with the belugas in the Hudson Bay during the summer months.

Over the years, DKY has provided marketing support to the Lazy Bear Lodge by designing its brand identity, creating its website and managing search marketing programs. All the marketing efforts are aimed at delivering information about the property, its tour offerings, and the surrounding community of Churchill. Local competitors battling for global tourism business are savvy web marketers. To assist Wally in remaining a market leader, DKY turned to social networking as a complementary component of his marketing program.

To accomplish this, DKY recommended replacing an under-utilized blog with an online journal. His first-person accounts add much credibility to his wildlife knowledge and genuine local experience. Each journal entry now offers one-click sharing through various social networks. In addition, the home page now provides links to the Lazy Bear Lodge Facebook page and YouTube channel.

Integrating the right social networking applications in an appropriate marketing context can make a difference to your bottom line. Even in tiny Churchill, Manitoba, the Lazy Bear Lodge recognizes the power of adding social networking to its marketing toolbox.

DKY Copywriter Makes Live Television Debut

“Ladies and Gentlemen, we’d like you to welcome Pete Borchers.” With that, DKY senior copywriter/standup comedian Pete Borchers walked on the set of Twin Cities Live to make his live television debut.

“I’ve done these jokes 100 times. I practiced all night the night before. And the first words out of my mouth were wrong and stupid,” Borchers said. “Other than that, it wasn’t completely terrible.”

Guest host Louie Anderson invited Borchers to be on the show on October 2nd, 2009, after Borchers opened for his Midwest tour the previous three weeks.

Borchers has been moonlighting as a standup comedian for several years, performing all around the state and into Wisconsin and Iowa. This was the first time performing in front of live cameras.

“He’s a great person and a great comic,” Anderson said on the show. “He’s gonna do great.”

Anderson sat down with Borchers earlier in the week to critique one of his club performances in a segment that was pre-taped for the show.

You can see the entire segment and his live performance online here.

How to Measure ROMI (Return on Marketing Investment)

Companies are demanding more accountability for their marketing dollars. Return on Marketing Investment (ROMI) has become increasingly important as corporate belt-cinching continues.

Fortunately, technological advancements and expanding media options have made finding a "truer" measure of ROMI possible. As these technologies become more readily available, DKY believes it is our responsibility to demonstrate to our clients whether or not their marketing budgets are optimized and delivering a measurable return.

ROMI is good for agencies and clients alike. If you can prove your $1 marketing investment resulted in a $2 return, you will have a much easier time making your internal case for marketing resources to those holding the purse strings.

So how do you successfully measure the Return on Marketing Investment? Here are some actions you can take during your next campaign:

Segment Your Audience
The key to successfully measuring ROMI is dividing your audience into measurable segments. This improves the value of any customer information you collect and helps when allocating your marketing dollars in the future.

Leverage Measurable Media
Online search analytics, custom URLs, variable 1-800 numbers and other tools can help you segment and track your customers' actions. Google™ alone offers a very robust toolkit for measuring website effectiveness.

Give Every Action a Value
Marketing efforts don’t have to lead directly to a sale to provide ROMI. Web visits, information requests and calls should be measured because they may lead to sales down the road. Assigning these responses a specific dollar value can give you a more accurate picture of your ROMI.

Find Measurements that Matter
More is not always better. As measurement options expand and more data becomes available, it is important to pick measurement metrics that are most closely related to your marketing goals.

Keep the Customer in Mind
Segmenting your audience and measuring marketing impact is invaluable. But any data collection you seek must not be viewed as a burden to the customer and jeopardize sales.

DKY is mindful of ROMI and works hard to demonstrate it. For example, by working closely with our client to segment and target a very specific audience while delivering a high impact creative direct mail piece, Cargill AgHorizons Marketing Services had a ROMI of over 500%.

A campaign for the The Toro Company used direct mail pieces with personalized URLs. The technology allowed Toro to see exactly which customers took action on the direct mail and delivered sales leads to the Toro distributors.

Now is the time to start demanding more accountability from your marketing dollars. The technology is constantly evolving. The tools are available. Let DKY help put them in action on your next marketing campaign.

Front Porch Turns on the Light

How can a seasoned home remodeler gain a competitive edge in spite of a depressed housing market? By receiving a brand makeover and an integrated marketing communications campaign.

Earlier this summer, Remodeling Services Group and Thomas Renovations recognized their complementary skill sets and decided to merge. They needed a new name. They needed a new identity. They needed a new website. They needed DKY.

Step one was a new name. After some serious deliberation (and some surprisingly strong support for Dr. Dazzlepants) DKY landed on Front Porch Home Remodeling. The new owners of Front Porch—personable, down-to-earth guys—loved it. It’s a name that is both welcoming and aspirational; a winning combination in the home remodeling business.

For the logo, DKY sought to juxtapose the classic tone of the name with a more modern look that would help represent the high-end services that Front Porch provides. It also needed to look good on a golf shirt (owner’s request).

Craftsmanship and customer service set Front Porch apart from its competition, so it was important to carry those aspects into the website. DKY made the new site informative for prospective customers and helpful to those already doing business with Front Porch.

DKY encouraged Front Porch to put their scheduling calendar online and opted to embed Google Calendar for this purpose, in order to save money on development costs while offering familiarity to customers who might already use it on their own.

The website also incorporates a project blog that Front Porch can update with photos of their current projects. This will allow customers to view their progress and show off their home to friends via their social networks. It also will increase traffic and stickiness to the website and introduce Front Porch to potential new customers.

DKY also designed a brochure/mailer, stationary set, project signs, truck graphics and wearables.

Market Leader Re-brands in Down Economy

Why would Advanced Informatics, the nation's market leader in delivering healthcare education solutions, invest in a re-branding effort given today's economy?

For three simple reasons: First, a recent acquisition required a refined positioning of its flagship product, E*Value, in the marketplace. Second, some new and increased competition represented a potential threat to market share. And third, it was time to update the brand communications in order to more accurately reflect the company's leadership position.

While many companies conserve marketing resources in a diminishing economy, others see it as an ideal climate to gain a stronger leg up on the competition. Advanced Informatics turned to DKY to help strengthen its brand image and create a fresh marketing design.

The first step involved conducting a brand development session with key stakeholders, including various C-level and management peronnel. DKY facilitated a half-day session to uncover core brand "truths" around which to better position E*Value in the marketplace.

With its Brand Blueprint in place, DKY created a brand design system and deployed it across a new tradeshow display and a new website

that introduced an improved user experience. In addition, DKY delivered multiple product improvement designs for the web-based E*Value product.

Despite current economic conditions, Advanced Informatics has thrived in 2009. CEO Quinn Montgomery reports, “Earlier this year, our marketing team partnered with DKY to solidify the E*Value brand and to apply it in a broader marketing initiative. This project has had a positive impact for clients and contributed tremendously in terms of new business growth.”

Going forward, Advanced Informatics is positioned to further strengthen their leadership position and maintain E*Value as a category leader for the foreseeable future.

Introducing the New Director of Marketing

Dan Domagala has recently joined DKY as its Director of Marketing. In his role, Domagala will be responsible for agency marketing and business development initiatives. He comes to DKY from Russell Herder, where most recently, he served as the agency’s President.

Prior to his role at Russell Herder, Domagala was the Director of Marketing at Olson + Company. He also served as the New Business Development Manager for the Interpublic Group of Companies’ Carmichael Lynch Spong. Domagala received his Bachelor of Arts in English from Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minnesota.

"We are very excited to welcome Dan to the DKY team," said Brian Dahl, DKY President. "He has contributed to some of our communities' most-respected agencies and brands. His experience and common-sense approach is a great fit for DKY as we continue to look to the future."

DKY Foursome Was Formidable

The Minnesota Fellowship of Christian Athletes Golf Classic was held last Monday at Bunker Hills Golf Course. DKY annually provides marketing support for the event and competes in the friendly, though competitive, charitable event. This year was no exception. Except that the DKY foursome owned the course and took top honors! (Okay, they were co-champions with another team from Northwestern College.)

The fearsome foursome, captained by Mark Yaeger, included friends Garrett Moore, Wayne Larson and Kris Halek. The traveling trophy, a Par Aide ball washer, is now proudly displayed in the DKY front entry where it will remain (at least for six months, that is). The team qualified for the FCA State Scramble Tournament in August with the winner eligible to compete for the FCA National Championship in November at Sawgrass.

Increase Web Conversions With Online Form Design

Online forms are essential for gathering data and converting visitors to customers. However, if you don't pay careful attention to when they are used and how they are presented, you could be missing out on valuable information and potential revenue. How important is form design? A poorly designed form recently cost one company over $300 million per year. Ben Miller, DKY's User Experience Designer, has studied best practices of online forms for several client websites. Here are his keys to creating effective online forms that drive business:

Build Trust
People will not hand over personal information to a company they do not trust. Before presenting web visitors with a form, be sure to present them with valuable information up front, a professional website, easy navigation and transparency about your intentions. Privacy policies should be clear and easy to find and third party endorsements will help establish credibility.

Break Down Barriers
Only use web forms when they are essential to improving the user experience. Asking for information that only benefits you will turn away customers at worst and fill your database with false information at best. Create a clear, hassle-free path and more traffic will follow.

Be Accessible
While unnecessary forms are bad, some forms are exactly what customers need to get what they want. Provide multiple routes to key forms. When someone is ready to purchase, make sure the online sales form is only a click away.

Give Something Back
People’s personal information is valuable. The only motivation for them to give you that information is so you can give them something valuable in return. If that is not the case, most visitors will be gone before the form finishes loading on the page.

Keep it Simple
The shorter the better. Use drop-down menus where applicable. Only ask for personal information that is required for the transaction or access they seek. Take out anything that clutters the experience.

Break it Down
If a form requires several pieces of information, break it into steps with clear labels for easier scan-ability and a better user experience. If they know where they are and where it ends, they are more likely to stay the course.

Keep Surveys At the End
Surveys should always be optional and placed after you have gathered all the information you require. You will get fewer responses, but they will be accurate and much more valuable.

The bottom line: Keep form design in mind for your next web project to ensure you are making the most of your interaction with your online visitors. Contact DKY for a free audit of your website forms.

Website Strategies Deliver New Sales Leads

As part of the re-branding effort for McLean Cooling Technology (formerly McLean Thermal), DKY was charged with designing and building

McLeanCoolingTech.com. The primary goal of the new website was to increase sales leads and, in a few short months, the results have been strong.

McleanCoolingTech.com was initially launched with a search engine optimization program to drive traffic to the site and improve organic searches. The launch resulted in a higher-than-expected number of visitors and a spike in quote requests just one month into the campaign.

In fact, 14% of visitors took actionable steps toward becoming a McLean customer as defined by either requesting a quote or using the rep locator tool. Of those visitors, over 25% directly asked for a quote, a feature that was previously unavailable on the old McLean website. Brian Bowman, Interactive Project Manager at DKY, attributes the success of McLeanCoolingTech.com to a strong design that attracts the right visitor.

“We wanted to get past window shoppers and appeal to people looking for quotes,” said Bowman. "The keys to success," he said, "were first drawing qualified traffic via our SEM (search engine marketing) work, having multiple routes to the most valuable information, and our user-friendly form design."

With unique visitor volume, requests for quotes, and sales rep searches all on the rise, Mclean is already shifting more resources toward web marketing. It’s a move that Bowman says will only lead to more visitors and more sales.

Branding Effort of New Green Product Underway

Organic Technologies, Inc. (OTI), an emerging Twin Cities company in the organic waste collection and compost industry, has hired DKY to assist in a new product branding and marketing effort.

After several years building the collection side of its business, OTI recently earned a contract with the City of Minneapolis for a collection site of the city's compostable lawn and leaf debris. As local haulers continue to bring material to the site, OTI will be turning the material into a nutrient-rich, natural compost. DKY will assist in the brand positioning and marketing efforts for this product due in spring of 2010.

"We are excited to assist OTI in targeting this highly desired material to local businesses who want an all natural input for their wholesale and retail landscape and nursery business, as well as local gardening enthusiasts," says Brian Dahl, DKY President. "OTI represents a growth industry and we are pleased to assist in their initial branding and marketing efforts."

DKY's initial work for OTI includes brand strategy development, product naming and identity, collateral and online marketing.

EII Leadership Forum Gives Students Insight to DKY

The Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota was host to an Executive and Entrepreneurial Leadership Forum (or EII Forum) dinner banquet on Thursday, February 26th. Student business majors and other campus student leaders were invited to hear from several Twin Cities business executives about leadership principles in the workplace.

Mike Dobies, DKY Creative Director, was one of three guest speakers. "I enjoy the opportunity to share with college students my own career journey, as well as the DKY approach to integrated marketing communications. It was especially rewarding to be at my alma mater and visit with Gopher students who will become tomorrow's leaders." Other speakers included Don Berglund, CEO of the Memorial Blood Center, and Bob Coughlin, CEO and President of Cross Telecom Corporation.

DKY Celebrates 15th Year in Business

Fifteen years ago today DKY was born in the living room of John Denn, along with co-founder Mark Yaeger. These two ambitious twentysomethings beat out 30 regional agencies to win the Winnebago Industries marketing campaign for the Itasca brand of motor homes. Much has changed since 1994 for DKY and yet it is still proud to be working with the top-selling manufacturer and most recognized name in the motor home industry.

"We are incredibly blessed to be associated with so many great brands and deeply appreciate our customers for entrusting their marketing communications to us," says DKY President Brian Dahl. "Over the years we've had so many great people on staff which has made this journey personally rewarding as well."

DKY has evolved from its beginnings as a print-based agency to a fully integrated marketing communications agency providing strategic brand and communications planning, as well as award-winning creative and production services in virtually every medium. In its 15-year history, the agency has grown from its single client to a diverse roster of family-owned businesses to Fortune 500 companies encompassing the recreation and sports, food, agriculture, landscape equipment, tourism, medical, and industrial manufacturing industries.

"Today, more than ever, DKY offers a compelling advantage for those marketers looking to gain a competitive edge in this down economy," says Dahl. "Our value proposition relative to our experience and proven results is a combination few marketing agencies can deliver."

In honor of its 15th year in business, DKY will continue its tradition of providing pro bono services. But this year, in addition to its donation of work toward local non-profit organizations, DKY will handpick several businesses and provide an "extreme brand makeover" at no charge. "It's our way of helping good businesses and good people get back on their feet and find success," says Dahl.

Six MarCom Awards Given to DKY

The MarCom Awards 2008 competition awarded DKY six awards, including two Platinum, three Gold Awards and one Honorable Mention. This is the second consecutive year DKY has earned numerous awards.

Platinum Awards were given for the Cargill Crop Insurance Launch Campaign in the category of Promotion Materials, and for the 2009 Winnebago Itasca Ellipse brochure in the category of Brochure/Business to Consumers.

Gold Awards were given for the Cargill AgHorizons Marketing Services Direct Mail Campaign and the Cargill ProPricing Campaign, which received two, in the categories of Promotional Materials and Microsite.

Sponsored by the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals, the MarCom Awards is an international creative competition that recognizes outstanding achievement by marketing and communication professionals. There were over 5,000 entries from throughout the United States and several foreign countries in the MarCom 2008 competition.

The prestigious Platinum Award is presented to those entries judged to be among the most outstanding entries in the competition (about 18%). The Gold Award is presented to entries that exceed the high standards of the industry norm (about 18%), and approximately 10% are Honorable Mention winners.

The MarCom statuettes are designed and individually cast by the same artisans that craft the Oscar®, Emmy® and MTV Awards.

Founding DKY Partner Pursuing New Adventures

John Denn, one of the founding DKY partners, has left the agency to pursue new personal adventures. John helped launch DKY in 1994, with co-founder Mark Yaeger, using his credit card and setting up shop in his dining room. With its one secured client, DKY entered into an already crowded Minneapolis agency market. In the following years, he held numerous roles in both the account and creative sides of the business, and was a key contributor to the growth and success of DKY.

In recent years John's interests in video/film furthered DKY's ability to provide these services to its clients, primarily in the realm of video content for websites. In 2008 he wrote, produced, directed and edited his first feature film, Mysterious Ways, which is presently being entered in various film festivals. John is leaving DKY to pursue a full-time career in the film industry. His new venture, Flying Circus Films, will allow him to leverage his business experience at DKY with his personal passion for film.

PRI Website Receives Summit International Award

The Summit International Awards recognized recent DKY work among the very top in its Emerging Media Award (EMA) competition. The redesigned website for Public Radio International (PRI) earned a Leader Award in the category of Media Website. PRI produces, acquires, and distributes innovative content that enables U.S. audiences to "hear a different voice," bringing new voices and global perspectives to the public airwaves. The Summit EMA 2008 competition included approximately 700 entries from numerous countries for which only 12% earned recognition.

DKY attends 46th Annual RVIA National RV Show in Louisville

Brian Dahl (President), Clarissa Terschan (Account Executive) and Pete Borchers (Senior Copywriter) attended the annual Recreation Vehicle Industry Association tradeshow held in Louisville, Kentucky last week. The event attracts 12,000 dealers, warehouse distributors, accessory storeowners, and campground operators, as well as 79 RV manufacturers and more than 300 suppliers. Attendees find out what's hot in RV products and learn ways to boost sales and motivate their dealership team. Though the economic downturn was certainly on everyone's mind, cautious optimism fueled by new products made for a successful show. Brian and Clarissa were present when DKY's client, Winnebago Industries, announced the launch of new products for 2010: the Winnebago Via and the Itasca Reyo, class A 25' motor homes built on a Dodge Sprinter chassis for better fuel economy and other cool, new features. Winnebago also premiered a new hybrid Adventurer and multiple, new floor plan configurations for its 2009 products.

New DKY Site Goes Live

Our own marketing efforts have gone unattended for too long. Maybe you can relate? Well, thanks to some late nights and a full team effort we're pleased to debut the new DKYinc.com. The site includes a variety of practical and fun new features, and is supported by a custom CMS system that will impress even the most critical of web geeks. (You know who you are.) Now that it's live, we are committed to keeping it fresh. So if you have any comments or suggestions please pass them along..the digital ink never dries!

Creative Director Visits Iowa State Students

DKY Creative Director, Mike Dobies, was a guest speaker at the EII Leadership Forum on the campus of Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa on Thursday, October 23rd. The EII (Executive and Entrepreneurial) events bring business professionals into college campus classrooms to share their professional expertise and to a Forum dinner banquet to encourage and influence top student leaders on campus.

Winnebago Wraps 14th Season

Winnebago Industries concluded its 14th consecutive year of product marketing with DKY. The 2009 campaign included 23 product brochures for Winnebago, Itasca, and Era (new) motor homes. In addition to completing the print campaign, DKY published the 2009 product line to the Winnebago Industries website along with some new features for web users (www.winnebagoind.com). Let all RV enthusiasts buy the Winnebago Industries motor home of their dreams!

Copywriter on the Verge of Being Funny

DKY's very own Senior Copywriter, Pete Borchers, knows how to get a laugh. On the side he's been working the local weekend scene as a standup comic. On Saturday, August 9th Pete hits the big time by opening for Emmy award-winning comedian Jeff Cesario at This Place Is A Joke Comedy Club. We wish him well. And hope his car cooperates, too.

Award Money Donated to New Non-profit

In recognition of DKY's pro bono marketing services to non-profit organizations, the Association of Marketing Communication Professionals awarded a $500 grant to be given on behalf of DKY to a non-profit organization of its choosing. DKY chose to give the award to Transforming Resources, a new 501(c)(3) in the Twin Cities, to cover printing costs for its startup marketing materials. DKY designed the brand identity, stationary set, info sheets and a website.

DKY Wins 2008 Summit Creative Awards

DKY won three 2008 Summit Creative Awards for advertising and marketing campaigns with Cargill AgHorizons. The first Silver Award was for work on the Signature Growers Print Campaign that targeted an elite group of American grain producers, enticing them to grow specialty crops for specific requirements of international food manufacturers.

The second Silver Award was for work on the CargillAg.com Direct Mail campaign, which introduced the launch of a new, dynamic website to U.S. grain producers.

The Bronze Award was for work on the Ethanol Print campaign, which educated local farmers about grain marketing opportunities pertaining to Cargill's grain facility located next to their community's new ethanol plant.

The Summit Creative Awards recognizes and celebrates the creative accomplishments of small and medium sized agencies with annual billings of $30 million or less. The 2008 competition drew thousands of entries in 21 creative categories from 26 countries.

MarCom Awards Recognize DKY Work

The MarCom Awards 2007 competition recognized recent work of DKY with 12 awards, including four Platinum and five Gold Awards. Sponsored by the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals, the MarCom Awards is an international creative competition that recognizes outstanding achievement by marketing and communication professionals. There were 5,000 entries from throughout the United States and several foreign countries in the MarCom 2007 competition. The prestigious Platinum Award is presented to those entries judged to be among the most outstanding entries in the competition (about 18%). The Gold Award is presented to entries that exceed the high standards of the industry norm (about 18%), and approximately 10% are Honorable Mention winners.