FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

COOK & SCHMID RECEIVES FOUR PRSA EDWARD L. BERNAYS
MARK OF EXCELLENCE AWARDS

Firm celebrates its first anniversary with national and regional industry recognition for its excellence in branding and reputation management, media relations, newsletters and creative tactics

SAN DIEGO (OCTOBER 22, 2007) — The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) San Diego Chapter recognized the work of Cook & Schmid, a San Diego public relations, marketing and advertising firm, at the PRSA San Diego’s 15th Annual Edward L. Bernays awards dinner on Tuesday, October 16.  The Bernays Mark of Excellence Awards is a San Diego-based competition meant to showcase examples of the highest standards in the field of public relations during the past year.

In all, PRSA presented Cook & Schmid with four awards for its work. The firm won a Silver Bernays Award of Merit for public service for the execution of a fire safety program in San Bernardino County.  Tasked with educating mountain residents about the severity of fire danger caused by the bark beetle infestation and prolonged drought, as well as encouraging residents to take measures to reduce fire risk on their properties, Cook & Schmid achieved quantitative, documented results through the distribution of calendars, newsletters and outreach at public and media events. 

In the Bronze Bernays category, Cook & Schmid received an Award of Excellence for media relations for client, M Ship Co., together with two Awards of Merit for a newsletter and traveling information display for San Bernardino’s fire safety campaign. 

“We see these awards as confirmation that we’ve assembled the right team of expert writers, media relations practitioners and designers at Cook & Schmid,” said Jon Schmid, who managed both the San Bernardino and M Ship accounts. “Most important, these awards are a reflection of our exceptional clients and the strong, quantifiable results we’ve been able to achieve for them.”

The successful M Ship Co. media campaign centered on national coverage for the local ship design company, including a full-page feature in Forbes, a segment on the Discovery Channel, recognition as one of the coolest inventions of 2006 in Time Magazine and additional coverage in Maxim, Popular Science and extensive coverage in defense industry trade publications. 

Also in 2007, Cook & Schmid had the distinction of being the only San Diego agency to win both the PRSA Silver Anvil, the industry’s highest national honor, for strategic branding and reputation management,and a Bronze Anvil, for business-to-business media relations tactics.  The Bronze and Silver Anvil were presented earlier in New York, but San Diego Anvil winners were recognized at the Bernays ceremony.

“We formed Cook & Schmid to give Southern California clients a serious alternative to business as usual, and this level of recognition from our peers shows we’re achieving both the agency’s and our clients’ goals,” said agency co-founder Rick Cook, APR.  “San Diego is home to an increasingly sophisticated community of PR practitioners, and we’re excited to be one of the agencies helping to set the bar a bit higher.”

ABOUT COOK & SCHMID
Cook & Schmid specializes in reputation and issues management, marketing and advertising for private and public companies, organizations and government agencies, ranging from start-ups to Fortune 100 companies. Cook & Schmid partners personally manage each program and lead expert teams to ensure measurable success, from positioning a new company, launching new services or products, growing a bottom line or passing a referendum.  The firm’s partners include a former journalist with multiple Pulitzer Prize nominations, and its senior team members boast an average of 20 years experience.  Additional information is available at www.cookandschmid.com

ABOUT PRSA SAN DIEGO CHAPTER
PRSA San Diego is one of 109 chapters within the Public Relations Society of America, the largest organization in the world for public relations professionals.  The chapter was founded in 1959, and has grown to its current membership of approximately 250 members with a wide range of experience levels.  The chapter offers a full range of programs and services, including professional development opportunities, a job line, bimonthly member newsletter, public service program, annual awards program, a New Professionals group, social events, APR accreditation program, and liaison to the student chapter at San Diego State University.  PRSA firmly believes that professional integrity is based on sound and ethical practice. www.prsasandiego.org

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