Zeppos & Associates received seven Paragon Awards in five categories. Please click one of the following categories to read about the award winning projects: public affairs, special event planning, media relations, community relations and crisis communications. Public Affairs - Kenosha Casino Referendum As Kenosha County, Wis., citizens prepared to vote on the Menominee Indian Tribe's proposal to build an $808 million entertainment center and casino in their community, the Tribe turned to Zeppos & Associates to help build public support and secure an Election Day victory. Our firm helped establish a grassroots advocacy group, JOBS for Kenosha, representing businesses, labor and citizens in favor of the casino and its economic opportunities. With JOBS, we developed and executed a multifaceted strategic public affairs plan that included citizen organizing, research, media outreach, targeted communications, issue advertising and more. This comprehensive plan helped deflect opposition from another tribe, which launched a last-minute, $1 million campaign to shield its lucrative nearby casino from competition. Additionally, a powerful national group involved in an unrelated dispute with the casino developer also launched a surprise attack near the end of the campaign and JOBS was faced with another opposition group trying to defeat the effort. Under the leadership of Zeppos & Associates, JOBS responded aggressively to these opponents. Our success was confirmed on Election Night. The 56 percent to 44 percent vote in favor of the casino - a 12-point margin of victory - was the decisive win needed to demonstrate that citizens want this project in their community. Back to top Special Event Planning - Metro Market's Downtown Debut When Roundy's Supermarkets Inc., Wisconsin's largest grocery retailer, launched Metro Market - an innovative, new store brand focusing on fresh foods, specialty products and a custom grocery experience tailored for residents of Milwaukee's revitalized Downtown area - it turned to Zeppos & Associates to throw a grand opening celebration to remember. Our team planned a Downtown block party complete with a live band, food and wine tasting and a creative balloon/coupon release that served as a "sneak preview" night for media, future customers and community VIPs. Metro Market's Downtown debut was a success, achieving excitement and community "buzz" about this unique supermarket. Business at the store has been outstanding since the opening, and Zeppos & Associates continues to coordinate ongoing publicity activities, including cooking demonstrations on local TV news programs, promotional giveaways on local radio stations and more. Zeppos & Associates was successful in introducing a new product - the store - to its target market and driving traffic and sales at the new location. Back to top Special Event Planning - Blockbuster Release of Halo 2 As Blockbuster prepared for the national rollout and midnight release of the video game Halo 2, it turned to Zeppos & Associates to help create an in-store event and on-air radio promotions that would heighten awareness among key consumers about the game within the Grand Rapids/Kalamazoo, Mich., media market. Zeppos & Associates developed and publicized an in-store release event, which included a costume contest, trivia game, video game contest, prize giveaways, a live radio remote and more. By midnight, more than 100 people lined up throughout the store waiting to get a copy of Halo 2. The event resulted in significant media coverage including color photos and front-page stories in local newspapers, as well as positive television coverage the night of the event and the following morning. Also, as a result of the event and surrounding publicity, the Blockbuster store recorded the largest one day sales of a video game in its history, and sales and rentals of Halo 2 in the Grand Rapids/Kalamazoo market continued to remain strong for weeks afterward. Zeppos & Associates met the objectives of driving traffic to the store, increasing sales and linking public relations efforts to the organization's bottom line. Back to top Special Event Planning - World's Largest Floating Flag For the past 11 years, the Wisconsin State Cranberry Growers Association has turned to Zeppos & Associates to generate publicity surrounding its annual fall harvest in the north and central parts of Wisconsin. The Zeppos & Associates team was once again successful in garnering significant local, regional and national coverage for the harvest of Wisconsin's official state fruit by assisting the growers in creating the world's largest floating American flag. It was, of course, made out of cranberries. The flag, which was 175-foot-long and 92-foot-wide, floated in the Wetherby Cranberry Marsh in Warrens, Wis. The flag's red stripes were made up of cranberries, and the flooded marsh's water created the blue backdrop for the fifty stars. The flag was completed by using floating and inflatable materials to create the six white strips and 50 white stars. News crews from around the state and nation covered the flag. Separate aerial photographs of the flag ran on the state and national Associated Press wires, and a satellite feed of video coverage was picked up by dozens of national and state broadcast media. More than 70 television stories on the event aired in key national markets that included L.A., Las Vegas, Washington D.C., Boston, Indianapolis, Charleston, Houston, Miami and more. Thirteen Wisconsin stations also aired the story and in turn offered it to their affiliates. Back to top Media Relations - The Prescott Family donation to the Michael J. Fox Foundation, Wisconsin Parkinson Association & The Waisman Center When Wisconsin native George Prescott and his family decided to make a $2.1 million donation to the Michael J. Fox Foundation, the Wisconsin Parkinson Association and the Waisman Center in Madison, they asked Zeppos & Associates for assistance. Our firm worked to announce the donation and leverage former actor Michael J. Fox's offer to assist with the announcement. Our team was on site with the family in New York to execute live satellite media interviews with Prescott and Fox about the donation and to promote further research of Parkinson's disease. The announcement included opportunities for select Wisconsin media to talk with both Fox and Prescott from New York, as well as locally speak with Milwaukee and Wisconsin medical experts and representatives from the other benefiting organizations. Our team also coordinated print and broadcast interview opportunities for Wisconsin media outlets in Prescott's hometown of West Bend, Wis. Zeppos & Associates was able to meet the objectives of effectively publicizing the Prescott donation - with significant print, broadcast and online stories - while respecting the time, location of and commitment from Mr. Fox. Back to top Community Relations - Little Lake Cleanup Team After a competitive search, two Wisconsin paper companies selected Zeppos & Associates to create and execute a long-term communications plan about efforts to clean up Little Lake Butte des Morts near Menasha, Wis., by dredging sediment containing PCBs from the lake. Zeppos & Associates, the paper companies and their contractors together formed the Little Lake Cleanup Team (LLCT) to undertake the cleanup effort. Zeppos & Associates announced the cleanup project and communicated about its progress to key audiences in three Wisconsin municipalities. Our firm also communicated vital safety information to neighbors, lake users, kept government leaders informed so they could handle constituents' questions, worked proactively with the media to provide updates and more. The LLCT efforts received significant media coverage and numerous e-mails of thanks from community members. Most importantly, the first season of the cleanup process was done safely, indicating that key audiences of boaters and lake users received and understood the LLCT messages. Back to top Crisis Communications - Marva Collins Preparatory School of Milwaukee - Renaming Efforts In late 2004, a well-known K-8 Milwaukee charter school turned to Zeppos & Associates for assistance with its decision to rename the school and end its affiliation with namesake Marva Collins. Collins is a nationally renowned educator and played an instrumental role in helping start the school in 1997. Just as plans to rename the school began, crisis struck - Collins contacted the state's largest newspaper to announce she wanted her name removed from the school. Zeppos & Associates implemented a variety of strategies and tactics to assist school educators and leaders in dealing with the crisis situation. Our team offered advice in speaking to members of the media, drafted necessary materials and coordinated proactive outreach efforts to key audiences, including media. Following the crisis, the firm assisted the school in renaming itself, and today the school thrives under its new name. Back to top