Minnesota PRSA Classics Awards Honor Top PR Achievements from 2007

Erbert & Gerbert's with Exponent Public Relations wins Best of
Show for "Taking a Bite Out of the Saturated Sub Category" campaign
MINNEAPOLIS--(Business Wire)--
Tonight, the Minnesota chapter of the Public Relations Society of
America (PRSA), celebrated the best public relations campaigns of 2007
during the 30th annual Minnesota PRSA Classics Awards, held at Graves
601 Hotel in downtown Minneapolis.

The awards banquet, emceed by Leah McLean, evening news anchor of
KSTP-TV and Rose McKinney, president of Risdall McKinney Public
Relations and Minnesota PRSA immediate past president, attracted
nearly 300 communications professionals from agencies, corporations
and nonprofit organizations. The awards honored public relations
campaigns and tactics that, in the judgment of their peers,
successfully addressed communications challenges with exemplary skill,
creativity and resourcefulness.

"The public relations industry in Minnesota is thriving, as
evidenced by the high-quality, high-impact work showcased during this
year's Classics Awards," said Anna Lovely, APR, president of Minnesota
PRSA. "Practitioners across the profession, from nonprofits to
agencies and corporate teams, continue to demonstrate the importance
and ever-growing value of strategic public relations to businesses and
industries through their hard work, creativity and dedication to the
profession."

The Classics Awards are divided into two categories: elements and
programs. Classics Element Awards honor the best program tactics,
while Classics Program Awards honor the best overall public relations
campaigns.

Winners in the Program Awards category were eligible for the top
honor of the evening -Best of Show. The award for Best of Show was
presented to Erbert & Gerbert's and public relations agency Exponent
Public Relations for their campaign titled "Taking a Bite Out of the
Saturated Sub Category." The campaign helped Erbert & Gerbert's share
its unique brand essence by leveraging the power of nontraditional
marketing into national and global buzz, multiple new franchisee
stores, and the achievement of double-digit growth in a declining
category.

Savvy Students

Minnesota PRSA also bestowed its 6th Annual PRSA Student Classics
awards for the best in student public relations among Minnesota, North
Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin undergraduate students. Awards were
presented in four categories for projects completed for class work,
Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) chapter
activities, internship projects and volunteer work.

Five recipients of this year's Dr. Willard Thompson Scholarships
also were recognized for their excellence in the study of public
relations and communications. Sarah Ryder of the University of
Minnesota - Twin Cities was awarded Best of PRSSA and a $2,000
scholarship. Laura Wightman (University of Minnesota - Twin Cities)
won a $1,000 award, and Alyssa Atkins (University of Minnesota - Twin
Cities), Bridget Jewell (University of St. Thomas) and Marit Karbowski
(Augustana College) each won $500 awards.

In addition, four recipients of the President's Award also were
recognized for scoring the highest among applicants from their PRSSA
chapter within the communications experience section of the
scholarship entry. Those honored include: Sarah Ryder, University of
Minnesota - Twin Cities; Bridget Jewell, University of St. Thomas;
Jessica Mongeon, University of North Dakota; and Marit Karbowski,
Augustana College.

A total of 50 Classics Awards were presented during the evening to
corporations, public relations agencies, nonprofit organizations and
students from the metro and outstate areas. Attached is a list of all
winners, which also can be found on the Minnesota PRSA Web site
(www.mnprsa.com).

About Minnesota PRSA

Minnesota PRSA is the ninth-largest chapter of the Public
Relations Society of America (PRSA), the world's leading organization
for public relations professionals with more than 20,000 members
worldwide. PRSA is organized into 116 chapters across the country.
Minnesota PRSA is comprised of more than 440 members who represent
business and industry, counseling firms, independent practitioners,
military, government, associations, hospitals, schools, professional
services firms and nonprofit organizations.

EDITOR'S NOTE: If you have additional questions or wish to speak
with Minnesota PRSA President Anna Lovely, please contact Karen
Leinberger at (612) 877-1107 or kjleinberger@hotmail.com.

30th Annual PRSA Classics Awards Winners

BEST OF SHOW

Taking A Bite Out of the Saturated Sub Category

Erbert & Gerbert's with Exponent Public Relations

ELEMENTS

Brochures (three or more colors)

"Furnitosis" - The Cure for Boring Office Furniture

Store.Steelcase.com with OLSON

Special Purpose Publications

Beyond Seed

Croplan Genetics with Exponent Public Relations

Video (Programs)

Capturing a World of Color: The Sherwin-Williams Colormix08 Video
Story

Sherwin-Williams with Carmichael Lynch Spong

Video (Public Service Announcements - PSA)

Be the One to Save a Life

National Marrow Donor Program with Weber Shandwick

Audio (Programs)

Pizza Nights Deliver Pie-in-the-Sky Success

Pillsbury Pizza Crust with Win Win Radio

Annual Reports (Business/Industry)

2006 Annual Report: Results That Really Matter

Xcel Energy

Annual Reports (Government/Nonprofit)

2006 Annual Report: 1+1

Jeremiah Program with Peggy Lauritsen Design Group

Media Kits (Products)

UV Lemonade - Flocking to the Flamingo

Phillips Distilling Co. with OLSON

Media Kits (Services)

A Brighter Idea Requires An Eco-Friendly Media Kit

Great River Energy with OLSON

Media Kits (Events)

"Premier Mounts Commemorative Kit Sets the Stage for Future Media
Relations"

Premier Mounts with Risdall McKinney Public Relations

Media Kits (Other)

Hook, Line and Flash Drive

Normark Corporation with Carmichael Lynch Spong

Newsletters (Up to two colors)

Habitat Herald: Transforming Readers' Hearts and Minds

Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity

Newsletters (Three or more colors)

Sharing Droplets of Information

Danze, Inc. with Gabriel deGrood Bendt

Magazines (External)

Minnesota State College & Universities Magazine

Minnesota State College & Universities

Media Relations (Business/Industry - Budget less than $25,000)

Pudder, Bornk & Narmer Make Headlines

Erbert & Gerbert's with Exponent Public Relations

Media Relations (Business/Industry - Budget greater than $25,000)

"Commodities Gone Wild"

DTN with Tunheim Partners

Media Relations (Government/Nonprofit)

Seconds Count: An Educational Campaign on Interventional
Cardiology

Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions with
Weber Shandwick

Feature Writing

Bylined Article Puts "Great PR" at the Center of Integrated
Marketing

Maytag Brand with Carmichael Lynch Spong

Technical Writing

Getting Veterinarians and Their Patients Deep Into Doo-Doo

Nestle Purina with Exponent Public Relations

Speech Writing

Using Speech to Reach and Teach

Johnson & Johnson Vision Care with Exponent Public Relations

New Media/Technology (Websites - Internet or Intranet)

BeSoySmart.com

Odwalla with Weber Shandwick

New Media/Technology (Other)

Hook, Line and Flash Drive

Normark Corporation with Carmichael Lynch Spong

Creative Tactics

The Next Maytag Repairmant: Could It Be You?

Maytag Brand with Carmichael Lynch Spong

Research

Thrivent Financial Uncovers Boomers' Retirement Planning Paradox

Thrivent Financial for Lutherans with OLSON

Evaluation

Globe-Tracking: From Sweden

Lawson Software with Weber Shandwick

Blogs

Human Flipbook: Making Bloggers Go Bonkers

Erbert & Gerbert's with Exponent Public Relations

PROGRAMS

Community Relations (Business/Industry)

BASF Turf Council Advisory Board Program

BASF Professional Turf with Padilla Speer Beardsley

Community Relations (Government)

Reintroducing Humanity

American Humane Association with Carmichael Lynch Spong

Institutional Programs (Business/Industry)

Discovering the Cure for Pity

Gillette Children's Specialty Healthcare with Gabriel deGrood
Bendt

Special Events/Observances - Less than Seven Days
(Business/Industry)

Wordies Not Nerdies! A War of Words at the Nat'l School SCRABBLE
Championship, Hasbro

Games & the National SCRABBLE Association with Carmichael Lynch
Spong

Special Events/Observances - Less than Seven Days
(Government/Nonprofit)

128,000 Reasons: IPF on the Hill

Coalition for Pulmonary Fibrosis with Weber Shandwick

Special Events/Observances - More than Seven Days
(Business/Industry)

On Your Bark, Get Set, PETCO!

PETCO Animal Supplies, Inc. with Carmichael Lynch Spong

Special Events/Observances - More than Seven Days
(Government/Nonprofit)

City of Minnetonka 50th Anniversary Celebration

Minnetonka 50th Anniversary Committee

Public Service (Business/Industry)

"A Brighter Idea" for Minnesota

Great River Energy with OLSON

Public Service (Government/Nonprofit)

More Than Just "Smoke and Mirrors"

ClearWay Minnesota with Carmichael Lynch Spong

Public Affairs (Government/Nonprofit)

Educating Minnesota: Meeting the Challenge

Minnesota State Colleges & Universities

Marketing Services

Fighting the Tick-Borne Battle for Our Four-Legged Friends

IDEXX Laboratories with Exponent Public Relations

Marketing Services (Established) Budget greater than $25,000

Celebrating Quitters as Winners

ClearWay Minnesota with Carmichael Lynch Spong

Marketing Products (New) Budget greater than $25,000

Minnesota State Lottery Hits the Jackpot with Vegas-ota

Minnesota State Lottery with Exponent Public Relations

Marketing Products (Established) Budget greater than $25,000

Taking a Bite Out of the Saturated Sub Category

Erbert & Gerbert's with Exponent Public Relations

Crisis Communications (Business/Industry)

Stocking the Shelves with Trust and Transparency

Nestle Purina with Exponent Public Relations

Internal Communications

Communicating with an Organization of Achievement Addicts

Carmichael Lynch Spong

Integrated Communications (Products)

What Happens in Vegas-sota Sells Lottery Tickets

Minnesota State Lottery with Exponent Public Relations

Integrated Communications (Services)

Thrivent Financial Helps its Members Thrive in Retirement

Thrivent Financial for Lutherans with OLSON

Multicultural Public Relations
(Associations/Government/Nonprofits)

Miracle on 29th Street: Cristo Rey

Cristo Rey with Padilla Speer Beardsley

6th ANNUAL MN PRSA STUDENT CLASSICS AWARDS

Special Purpose Publications

Office of Outdoor Leadership Brochure

Lindsay Dickson, Saint Mary's University of Minnesota

News/Feature Writing

10 Worst Things A Charity Can Do News Release

Katherine Hannon, University of Minnesota

Community Relations/Special Events

Arch March

Bridget Jewell, University of St. Thomas with Ronald McDonald
House

Planning

Alnwick, England, Center for International Studies

Dayna Sudhelmer, St. Cloud State University

For Minnesota PRSA
Karen Leinberger, 612-877-1107
kjleinberger@hotmail.com

Copyright Business Wire 2008