Veria and Wendy’s Campaigns Awarded at NOVA Awards

(DES MOINES, May 13, 2011) – At the local American Marketing Association’s annual NOVA Awards, Strategic America (SA) earned Best in the Public Relations category for an event in conjunction with the Taste of Chicago for Veria and second place in the Interactive Media category for a new salad product rollout for Wendy’s in the Midwest. The awards were given based on creativity, strategy and results.

“At Strategic America, we value results for our clients above all else,” says Mike Schreurs, SA’s CEO. “Our job as an integrated marketing agency is to support the goals of our clients, and it is always a pleasure to have our work honored by fellow professionals.”

SA’s winning campaigns showcased the firm’s integrated approach. The Hot on the Trail at the Taste of Chicago campaign utilized an integrated marketing campaign to promote Veria’s newest show, Hot on the Trail with Sunny Savage, and promote a sweepstakes to Hawaii. A sophisticated brand to appeal to a wide audience and create consistency among all elements was created. Relationships with Chicago media, local bloggers and online media inclusive of social media were developed and promoted. Among the notable results was an increase in web traffic of 337% from a monthly average of 47,000 to 158,480.

The Strategic America brought together over 100 Wendy’s stores to create the “Which Salad Are You?” microsite as a new menu item introduction in the Midwest. The site consisted of a personality quiz matching consumers with their true salad personality. Not only did it engage the consumer with the brand, but it introduced the salads in a fun and exciting way. The campaign resulted in a 4 to 7 percent increase in sales for stores that participated.

Strategic America was founded in 1980 and employs 90 communications professionals. SA represents more than 40 diverse national, regional and local clients, focusing on business-to-business, dealer, retail, consumer and insurance/financial services marketing. Strategic America is a well-regarded member of the American Association of Advertising Agencies (AAAA), Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) and Worldcom Public Relations Group.

For more information:

Mike Schreurs, CEO
Strategic America
515.453.2000
mschreurs@strategicamerica.com