BEACHWOOD, Ohio, April 1, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Developers Diversified Realty Corporation (NYSE: DDR) today announced the company earned one MAXI Gold and four MAXI Silver awards for shopping center marketing and management programs at the International Council of Shopping Centers' (ICSC) Fusion Conference in Hollywood, California, this week.

The MAXI Awards are the shopping center industry's highest marketing honor. Developers Diversified's entries competed with programs submitted by shopping center managers across the country.

"The recognition we have earned at this year's MAXI Awards reflects our portfolio-wide efforts to promote a prime organization, encouraging innovation and teamwork to achieve superior results on behalf of our tenants," said David J. Favorite, senior vice president of property management for Developers Diversified. "Because property owners and managers have the unique ability to market a shopping center as a destination, thereby establishing an important emotional connection to the community, we place great emphasis on these efforts."

In the Sales Promotions and Events category, a MAXI Gold was awarded to the 25 on the 25th event at Deer Park Town Center in Chicago, Illinois. The center developed a wine-tasting promotion to showcase a local merchant and encourage shoppers to explore the center.

In the Cause-Related Marketing category, a MAXI Silver was awarded to the Giving Children Hope entry by Buena Park Downtown. This shopping center in Buena Park, California, organized a food drive for local families in which the center solicited a local radio station and popular teen idol, Jason Derulo, and scheduled a benefit concert where food donations were the price of admission. The center collected 8,000 pounds of food, exceeding the charity's collection goal by over 500 percent.

In the Traditional Media category, a MAXI Silver was awarded to the Centros Isla rebrand effort in Puerto Rico. Centros Isla is a network of 15 shopping centers owned by Developers Diversified in Puerto Rico. A "Local Color" branding campaign was launched to help build awareness of the 15 centers' affiliations with Centros Isla and market the network as a whole.  

In the Digital Media category, a MAXI Silver was awarded to the Flash Mob event at Birkdale Village in Huntersville, North Carolina. Among the most impressive results of the Flash Mob was its 2,000 participants, and the $300,000 in advertising and media coverage achieved by the event.

Also in the Digital Media category, a MAXI Silver was awarded to Centros Isla's Isla Flash contest in Puerto Rico. In early 2010, three years after the first gift card campaign launch, Developers Diversified partnered with MasterCard to introduce a new Isla Gift Card option – the Isla Plus Card. Isla Flash was a photography contest in which consumers could submit their own photographs to vie for one of six Isla Gift Card designs.

In addition to the current year's recognition, Developers Diversified has been awarded 22 MAXI Awards in the past five years, representing a strong history of operational excellence and industry recognition.

About Developers Diversified Realty

Developers Diversified owns and manages approximately 570 retail operating and development properties in 41 states, Brazil, Canada and Puerto Rico. Totaling approximately 132 million square feet, the Company's shopping center portfolio features open-air, value-oriented neighborhood and community centers, mixed-use centers and lifestyle centers located in prime markets with stable populations and high-growth potential. Developers Diversified is the largest landlord in Puerto Rico and owns a premier portfolio of regional malls primarily clustered around Sao Paulo, Brazil. Developers Diversified is a self-administered and self-managed REIT operating as a fully integrated real estate company. Additional information about the Company is available on the Company's website at www.ddr.com.

SOURCE Developers Diversified Realty Corporation