By Rick Griffin
SDX, formerly the San Diego Ad Club, has announced recipients of its 2015 Brand Diego Awards, recognizing outstanding San Diego brands and marketing and advertising professionals who build those brands.
Callaway Golf was named Brand of the Year, and BASIC was named Agency of the Year. Amy Jo Levine, Visual Asylum, was presented with the Paula E. Sullivan Award, a career achievement award.
Other winners included: Joe Terzi, San Diego Tourism Authority, San Diego Industry Leadership Award; Jerry Cesak, Jeff & Jer Showgram, KyXy Radio, Media Talent of the Year; Kellen McAvoy, Internet Marketing Inc., Agency Professional of the Year; SOCi, Inc., B2B Brand of the Year; JLab Audio, B2C Brand of the Year; San Diego Association of Governments, Non-Profit Brand of the Year; Nathan Schmidt, San Diego County Credit Union (SDCCU), Brand Professional of the Year; SDCCU, Community Partner of the Year; San Diego County Department of Parks and Recreation, Emerging Brand of the Year; American Diabetes Association, Hispanic Marketing Brand of the Year; Lee Vann, Captura Group, Hispanic Marketing Professional of the Year; Mantooth Studios, Industry Affiliate of the Year; Tower33 Digital, Marketing Employer of the Year; San Diego Magazine, Media Company of the Year; Sandy Young, J. Walcher Communications, Young Achiever Award.
Now in its third year, the Brand Diegos drew 90 nominations. Awards were presented Oct. 21. For more information on the recipients, visit www.SanDiegoX.org.
Southwest Strategies Nabs 12 Bernays at PRSA Awards
San Diego public relations firm Southwest Strategies was the top winner with 12 awards at the recent 2015 Edward L. Bernays Mark of Excellence awards presented by the Public Relations Society of America’s San Diego/Imperial Counties chapter.
Among the 26 companies and organizations receiving multiple awards: MJE Marketing Services with seven; Allison + Partners with six; and Nuffer, Smith Tucker and Canale Communications with four awards each.
Four special awards also were presented, including: Marlee Ehrenfeld, MJE Marketing Services, with the Eva Irving Community Service Award; Teresa Siles, Nuffer Smith Tucker, with the Deborah Baker PR Professional of the Year; Anne Marie Price, Scatena Daniels, with the New Professional of the Year Award; Randy Ward, superintendent, San Diego County Office of Education, with the Diogenes Award, which is presented to a local newsmaker for honesty and candor. More than 55 awards were presented in 37 categories on Oct. 20. A complete list of winners is available at www.prsasdic.org.
San Diego Ad Industry Remembers Mike McCarthy with Golf Tourney
Friends of the late Mike McCarthy, who worked in television sales in San Diego and Los Angeles, will host the Mike McCarthy Memorial Golf Tournament on Friday, Oct. 30, at Riverwalk Golf Club in Mission Valley. Check-in time is 11 a.m. with a 12:15 p.m. shotgun start. Cost to play is $175 for individuals and $150 per player for a foursome.
Proceeds will benefit the San Diego Advertising Fund for Emergencies, a volunteer, non-profit providing confidential financial assistance to local advertising and marketing communications professionals facing a life-crisis emergency. To play or support as a sponsor, contact Marla Stephens or SDX at www.sandiegox.org.
McCarthy worked at KFMB-TV for nine years and at KNSD-TV for about 15 years before being named VP of sales with KNBC Channel 4 in Los Angeles in 2004. In October 2008, he suffered a heart attack at his Burbank office. He was 50.
Peter Schwartz Returns to CBS Radio San Diego
Peter Schwartz has been named senior VP, market manager and director of sales of CBS Radio San Diego, operators of KyXy 96.5-FM and KEGY-FM Energy 103.7.
Schwartz was previously in San Francisco with Pandora, an Internet music service; MOGL, a restaurant loyalty and rewards program; and Cumulus Media, overseeing sales at several radio stations, as well as Giants and 49ers broadcasts. He also was previously with KyXy and KEGY as general sales manager and market manager from December 1997 to June 2008.
Schwartz succeeds Bob Bolinger, recently named as VP and GM of Philadelphia-based Entercom Communications’ three San Diego stations, including KSON 97.3-FM and 92.1-FM, KIFM Easy 98.1-FM and KBZT 94.9-FM.
Susan G. Komen San Diego Names Scatena Daniels Agency of Record
Scatena Daniels, a San Diego communications agency that serves nonprofits and foundations, has announced it has been named agency of record for Susan G. Komen San Diego. Services will include media relations, strategic leadership and community outreach services for the Komen organization over the next two years.
Since its inception in 1995, Komen San Diego has raised more than $13 million for breast cancer research, along with free diagnostic mammograms, meal delivery, childcare and temporary financial aid. The Komen San Diego Race for the Cure, a 5K and one-mile walk-run, will be held on Sunday morning, Nov. 1, at Balboa Park.
Rick Griffin is a San Diego-based public relations and marketing consultant. His MarketInk column appears weekly on Mondays in Times of San Diego.
