CRT/tanaka Announces 2010 whatcanbe(SM) Award Recipients

RICHMOND, Va., July 21 /PRNewswire/ -- CRT/tanaka, an award-winning public relations and marketing agency known for creative solutions and workplace culture, has announced its 2010 whatcanbe(SM) Award winners. The whatcanbe Awards celebrate employees who have helped create a bigger, brighter, better future for the agency, clients and community-at-large. The 2010 award recipients include Marcy Walsh, vice president/general manager (client category); Jennifer Riggle, associate vice president (agency category); and Erin Hurley-Brown, art director (community category).

Each recipient receives a $2,500 stipend and a one-week sabbatical to create a personal, life-transforming whatcanbe experience.

Client Award Winner

For agency client Air New Zealand, Walsh recommended conducting a social media push to generate viral attention for the airline's television commercial and safety video featuring airline staff in nothing but body paint to promote the airlines "no hidden fees" policy. As the viral campaign jumped to traditional media, coverage appeared in multiple national outlets including "The Today Show," The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, USA Today, CNN and Fox News. AdAge named "Nothing to Hide" the No. 1 viral video of the week. CRT/tanaka has helped Air New Zealand win a number of PR industry awards, including a national 2009 Silver Anvil and 2010 Silver Anvil Award of Excellence from the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA). Walsh helped launch the first-ever, long-haul "Matchmaking Flight," offering single passengers a trip of a lifetime and a chance to find love at 30,000 feet. She also assisted in the latest innovation of a coach seat that reclines into an almost-flat bed for customers. Many top travel blogs covered the news and the term "SkyCouch," was tweeted thousands of times.

Agency Award Winner

Through consistent commentary and the creation of a niche in health care, Riggle's devotion to building expertise in social media helped position the agency's Health Practice as a leader, opened doors for new business opportunities and advanced CRT/tanaka in the growing and challenging social media discipline. Her commentary regarding research on hospital social media adoption from Greystone, a research giant in the health care industry, was featured in notable trade publications including Healthcare IT News, Fierce Healthcare and iHealthbeat. In addition, Riggle's regular blog posts on the Buzz Bin, CRT/tanaka's blog, have created consistent content for the Health Practice to communicate with clients and prospects.

Community Award Winner

Hurley-Brown actively supports local Richmond non-profit, Freedom House, an organization that helps the homeless sustain, attain and maintain the skills and resources they need to lead them toward change and a better life. Freedom House was lacking in many areas until Hurley-Brown jumped in to help revamp materials for the non-profit's year-end fundraising campaign, which included designing a new brochure as well as revising the pledge cards. She staffed a booth at two events that sold donated "Empty Bowls," to raise money to end hunger and homelessness. She also took on the responsibility of art director and designer for the 2010 calendar, and currently volunteers her time as a mentor on the Freedom House junior board and was invited to serve on the organization's board of directors.

"CRT/tanaka launched the whatcanbe Awards to celebrate employees who use whatcanbe thinking to create a more exciting and expansive future for the agency, our clients and the community-at-large," said Patrice Tanaka, CRT/tanaka co-chair, chief creative officer and whatcanbe ambassador. "The prize is designed to reward our employees who exemplify the whatcanbe ethos of CRT/tanaka with a life-transforming, whatcanbe experience of their own."

For more information about the whatcanbe Award winners, visit:

www.crt-tanaka.com/culture/whatcanbe10/.

About CRT/tanaka

CRT/tanaka is an award-winning public relations and marketing firm known for its whatcanbe(SM) workplace culture and approach to business. Headquartered in Richmond, Va., and New York, with offices in Los Angeles, Washington, D.C. and Norfolk, Va., CRT/tanaka specializes in four practice areas – Consumer, Health, Corporate and Interactive/Social. The agency has been recognized with more than 300 national and regional awards for its strategic counsel, creativity, workplace culture and community service. Clients include Air New Zealand, BISSELL Homecare, Cambria Suites, Del Monte Fresh Produce Company, Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers, Wines from Rioja (Spain), Charles Schwab & Co., Girl Scouts of the USA, Council for Responsible Nutrition, Performance Food Group and Longwood University. More information about CRT/tanaka is available at www.crt-tanaka.com.

SOURCE CRT/tanaka