Student
Bronze
Crystal Hollman, Bellevue University
Bellevue University Marketing Student Takeover
Silver
Susan Andersen, Bellevue University
Educational Resource Associates Marketing Plan
Gold
Kathryn Mallari, Bellevue University
Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Customer Behavior
Pinnacle
Crystal Hollman, Google Business Listings Organic Search Results Research Report
As more companies pay to influence search results, it is important for business owners to identify search words that are relevant to the business and when the business listing should appear in a search. Business listings that do not provide relevant information that consumers can engage with will be overlooked.
Public Relations
Not-for-profit
Bronze
KidGlov, Seniors Speak
Silver
Emspace + Lovgren, 2018 ICAN Women’s Leadership Conference
Gold
KidGlov, HopeSpoke Brand Launch
Pinnacle
Bozell, College World Series 2018
For its 68th year in a row, Bozell was tasked with helping CWS Omaha generate excitement and tickets sales for the 2018 College World Series. Though attendance was down slightly because of inclement weather, fans were still rating the Championship fours and fives on a five-point Likert scale. And earned traditional and social media set all-time highs with 55 billion impressions during the two-week championships – an increase of 21 billion from the previous year.
Small business
Bronze
Mid-States Utility Trailer Sales, Sioux City Grand Opening
Silver
Amber Pharmacy, Des Moines Grand Opening Event
Gold
OBI Creative, “Old Rules, New Rules” Campaign
Pinnacle
RTG Medical, RTG’s Annual Day of Thanks: A Personal Approach to Corporate Giving
RTG Medical is a medical staffing agency located 20 minutes outside of Omaha. The company recently decided to take a hands-on approach to corporate giving and created a unique event called “RTG’s Day of Thanks”. In 2018, RTG Medical’s marketing team was tasked with growing the event and program. By creating engaging testimonial videos and providing visually appealing assets for employees, donations and employee participation grew tremendously. These videos generated online traffic and created an influx of employee applications citing RTG’s positive impact from community giving.
Large business
Silver
Carson Group, Public Relations – Media Kit – Carson Group Media Kit
Gold
KidGlov, 12 Days of Giveaways Social Media
Pinnacle
OBI Creative, Cobalt Credit Union Rebrand Announcement
In need of a strategic, branded launch that carefully considered all constituents, Cobalt Credit Union partnered with OBI Creative to launch their new brand. Internal and external audiences, as well as existing and potential new members needed to be informed of the name change and the subsequent impact this would make on their lives. OBI worked with Cobalt to plan the timing of each audience’s announcement. The plan and messaging was built on the research and strategy that informed this brand shift. The results showed success in improved social response, engagement and press coverage.
Communications
Not-for-profit
Bronze
Steier Group, Skutt Catholic High School’s Campaign to SOAR case statement
Silver
Emspace + Lovgren,Iowa West Foundation Annual Report 2017
Gold
KidGlov, Boots & Buckets
Pinnacle
KidGlov , Annual Report
As a not-for-profit, Immanuel is driven by a higher purpose to do things right. And for over 130 years, they’ve served with compassion, devoting resources to bettering their communities and the well-being of seniors. In 2018, they turned to KidGlov to craft an annual report that portrayed their unique mission of being “Here for You. Not for Profit.” According to Immanuel’s vice president of marketing, “You can feel Immanuel’s mission in this annual report. It’s easy to say you are different – but this demonstrates how our differences benefit seniors, employees and the communities we serve.”
Small business
Silver
Steier Group, Steier Wire
Gold
Emspace + Lovgren, 3.3 Miles to a Better Omaha
Pinnacle
Bozell, Cue Broadway 2018 Series
Bozell was tasked with naming, branding and creating a one-of-a-kind magazine that would provide Broadway theatre goers and influencers a more unique view into the shows they love. The result was Cue Broadway. Each issue – available both in print and online – takes an exclusive, deep-dive look into Broadway’s most talked about hits. After the first issue dropped, the site received 4,400 visitors. After the second issue, visitors skyrocketed to 27,000 – six times its debut.
Large business
Bronze
WoodmenLife, The WoodmenLife Storybook
Silver
Carson Group, Communications, Newsletter: The Trend Line
Gold
Iridian, Platte South Field Notebook
Pinnacle
JetLinx Aviation, SOAR Magazine
SOAR magazine offers a quarterly narrative that solidifies the brand promise of Jet Linx. It informs, entertains and educates audiences from prospects and clients to current and future team members, building a connection with the mission, vision and values of the company. The engaging format, paper and production quality reinforce the integrity and dedication to excellence that define the Jet Linx brand. SOAR is a beating heart: alive with stories, and flowing with the passion and vitality of a thriving company in a dynamic industry. With each issue, SOAR takes the brand to a higher altitude.
Video
Not-for-profit
Bronze
Children’s Hospital & Medical Center, Virtual Town Hall
Silver
Creighton University, History of Creighton University Video
Gold
Creighton University, Brand Video Series
Pinnacle
KidGlov, Immanuel Different Video
When Immanuel says they’re “here for you – not for profit,”it means they are different.
KidGlov produced a disruptive concept that addresses the “why” of Immanuel Communities using key words and phrases identified through target audience research. Part of a multi-media campaign, this commercial helped distinguish Immanuel as being mission-based and high quality, also helping to achieve census, satisfaction, perception and engagement goals.
The surprise effect was the reaction of current Immanuel residents. They have rallied around the new campaign with pride in the organization’s nonprofit service to seniors.
Small business
Silver
SCORR Marketing, :30 Second Commercial
Gold
Seldin Company, Park 120 Oak Hills – We LOVE Our Residents!
Pinnacle
Amber Pharmacy, Amber Pharmacy 1998-2018
Amber Pharmacy celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2018. The in-house marketing team created this video to celebrate the company’s 20th anniversary, to highlight Amber Pharmacy’s historical achievements and to inform potential customers of their plans for expansion and continued excellence in healthcare.
Large business
Bronze
Carson Group, Video – Carson Group Excell 2019 Video
Silver
Iridian, Lobster Roll Video
Gold
WoodmenLife, Welcome to WoodmenLife Benefits Video
Pinnacle
WoodmenLife, Everyday Wins Video
WoodmenLife Associates are doing great things every day. Partnering with Customer Service, the Marketing Team wanted to widely share members’ praise and developed a video incorporating a member’s recorded call.
During meetings where the video was shared, Associates expressed their gratitude for the video and stated it made them proud seeing our impact on members. Customer Service training classes regularly view the video, known as a “wow moment,” as something to strive for. The Associate featured in the video shared it on social media and several people inquired about the company, furthering branding efforts.
Promotions
Not-for-profit
Bronze
KidGlov, St. Monica’s Branch Launch
Silver
KidGlov, HopeSpoke Brand
Gold
Bozell ,Outward Band Gala
Pinnacle
KidGlov, Boots & Buckets
Terminally ill seniors deserve to fulfill their bucket-list dreams–some just don’t have the means. Dreamweaver Foundation grants these dreams. With a growing list of requests, this nonprofit needed a mechanism to raise big money.
They turned to KidGlov who branded the event as “Boots & Buckets.” Guests were invited to wear their favorite boots and come raise the spirits of terminally ill seniors by making dreams on their bucket list come true. Disruptive collateral, social media, digital graphics and event decor created a magical effect that raised $381,00 (380% of goal), enough to fund 75 dreams (3.5 times the goal).
Small business
Pinnacle
KidGlov, Brand Launch
If you’ve been in Nebraska during the past 100 years, you’ve probably been in a building Davis Design created. Since their founding, they played a big hand in shaping Midwestern architecture. Yet their brand didn’t reflect the history, innovative spirit and problem-solving mentality at the heart of who they are. Knowing the people at KidGlov are brand architects in their own right, Davis Design turned to KidGlov to help them devise a brand strategy to fit their past, present and future. All goals were exceeded, in the months following the launch, Davis Design closed $51 million in new business.
Large business
Bronze
TEAM Software, Brand Refresh
Silver
KidGlov, Hey Smartie
Gold
Iridian, RTG Nurses Week 2018
Pinnacle
Bozell, Westlake Winter Fever
To kick off spring, Bozell created a weather-triggered Facebook ad campaign that positioned Westlake Ace Hardware’s Garden Center as the cure to any Winter Ailments you may be suffering from, like “tv-bin-gi-tis” and“rainy-day-a-rrhea.” These 15-second video ads were so intriguing that more than 8,000 people clicked through to the landing page and 25 percent of the visitors downloaded a coupon.
Total Marketing Campaign
Not-for-profit
Bronze
Creighton University, TEDx CreightonU Campaign
Silver
University of Nebraska at Omaha Office of University Communications, University of Nebraska at Omaha Undergraduate Recruitment Campaign
Gold
Bozell, Omaha’s Zoo, Zoo More Good
Pinnacle
Creighton University, Inaugural Giving Day Campaign
Creighton’s inaugural Giving Day was hugely successful in both the funds raised, and the number and diversity of donors engaged locally and across the country. Within one day, 2,747 alumni, students, parents, faculty, staff and friends of Creighton came together to raise$731,147 for 67 programs—in social outreach, academic resources, athletics, scholarships and much more. The 1,000 donor goal was easily met by noon and alumni made generous matching gifts. Donors at the $25 level and above received a pair of Creighton socks as a thank you gift. Overall, the innovative fundraising event focused on exciting and engaging a range of donors, who could make very specific selections for their gift, making the donation process more personal and appealing. While contributing to a University- wide campaign, Giving Day was a success in itself and established an extraordinary new Creighton tradition.
Small business
Gold
Amber Pharmacy, Texas Y’all Campaign
Pinnacle
Bozell, Nifty Gifty Finder
Bozell turned their holiday card into something that would help relieve some of the holiday stress. TheNiftyGiftyFinder.com was an online generator built to help you find the perfect gift for those hard-to-shop-for someones. The user would then simply answer five questions and The Nifty Gifty Finder would zero in on one of 50 unique gift ideas – each one specifically selected by a Bozell employee. The results included a steady increase of social engagement, visitors spending more than 17 minutes on the site, and national attention from AdWeek and the Awwwards.
Large business
Bronze
OBI Creative, AgVenture “You’re Not Just a Farmer. And We’re Not Just Seed.”
Silver
Bozell, Who Does Your Honey Come From?
Gold
TEAM Software, TEAM Client Conference 2018
Pinnacle
The Omaha Storm Chasers, 50 Summers of Baseball
2018 marked the Omaha Storm Chasers’ 50th season, a landmark accomplishment in the sports industry. It was also the organization’s 50th season as the Kansas City Royals’ Triple-A affiliation, a partnership that is the longest at the Triple-A level, and the third-longest such relationship in all of Minor League Baseball. For such a momentous year, the Storm Chasers organization came up with a season-long campaign to celebrate the franchise’s history, while reminding Omaha fans of the family-friendly atmosphere of Minor League Baseball, in addition to the intimate history of sports in their city.
Digital Media
Not-for-profit
Bronze
Bozell, College World Series 2018 Social Media
Silver
Emspace + Lovgren, Be Healthy Douglas County
Gold
Emspace + Lovgren, Step Up to Quality Blog
Pinnacle
KidGlov, Better Roads Nebraska
People are passionate about roads, that much we knew. What KidGlov and the Associated General Contractors (AGC) Nebraska Chapter didn’t know, was HOW passionate the public was and how much they wanted to talk about them. KidGlov set out to help the AGC with a social media advocacy campaign, educating Nebraska voters on the gas tax’s important role in maintaining our roads. All that passion and talking led to 13,851 Facebook engagements, 3,375 on Twitter and a 1.41% LinkedIn engagement rate, well over the .54% industry standard.All that engaging led to crushing our impression goals: 180% of goal on Facebook, 350% of goal on Twitter and 120% of goal on LinkedIn for a combined total of 1,356,956 impressions, (215% over goal).
Small business
Bronze
OBI Creative, Hightower Reff Law Social Media
Silver
OBI Creative, Okoboji Social Media Campaign
Gold
OBI Creative, “Old Rules, New Rules” Campaign
Pinnacle
Bozell, Nifty Gifty Finder
Bozell wanted a holiday card that was light-hearted and would not only bring cheer to our clients but also help relieve some of their holiday stress. So, we created and launched The Nifty Gifty Finder – an online generator to help you find the perfect gift for those hard-to-shop-for someones. The user would then simply answer five questions and The Nifty Gifty Finder would zero in on one unique gift – each one specifically selected by a Bozell employee. The results were more than we expected with people spending an average of 17 and a half minutes on the site.
Large business
Bronze
WoodmenLife, Veterans Recruiting Campaign
Silver
Bozell, Sioux Honey Association Co-op Influencer Campaign
Gold
Bozell, Who Does Your Honey Come From?
Pinnacle
Bozell, Westlake Winter Fever
To kick off spring, Bozell created a weather-triggered Facebook ad campaign that positioned Westlake Ace Hardware’s Garden Center as the cure to any Winter Ailments you may be suffering from, like “tv-bin-gi-tis” and“rainy-day-a-rrhea.” These 15-second video ads were so intriguing that more than 8,000 people clicked through to the landing page and 25 percent of the visitors downloaded a coupon.
Best of Show: The Omaha Storm Chasers 50 Summers of Baseball
2018 marked the Omaha Storm Chasers’ 50th season, a landmark accomplishment in the sports industry. It was also the organization’s 50th season as the Kansas City Royals’ Triple-A affiliation, a partnership that is the longest at the Triple-A level, and the third-longest such relationship in all of Minor League Baseball. For such a momentous year, the Storm Chasers organization came up with a season-long campaign to celebrate the franchise’s history, while reminding Omaha fans of the family-friendly atmosphere of Minor League Baseball, in addition to the intimate history of sports in their city.
In-house of the Year: Mid-States Utility Trailer Sales,
A family owned semi-trailer dealership for Utility Trailer Manufacturing Company. The team consists of two members, the Marketing Manager Katerina Pickup and the Marketing Assistant Stephanie Myers, who work with the sales, finance and recruitment departments to provide MQLs and deliver marketing campaigns that offer best ROI. The team’s focus in 2018 was to utilize data and use new technology to generate more MQLs. Notable 2018 achievements included 32% increase in trailer sales MQLs from 1,285 to 1,701, 59% increase in organic online traffic to www.midstatesutility.com from 15,301 to 24,328 visits, 80% email marketing database growth from 13,060 to 23,477 contacts, 16% growth in social media following from 3,139 to 3,642 across all platforms and phenomenal, unprecedented media coverage on Business Wire, 5 national industry titles, 1 state title and 3 local media outlets. Newly, the team released YouTube product promotions, with all material recorded and edited in-house.
The team also achieved remarkable 80% new customer trailer sales tracking back to MQLs. With no CRM in place, this is a highly time-consuming but critical task that provided valuable intelligence for 2019 business and marketing planning. Katerina serves as a Co-VP of Communications on the AMA Omaha Board, ensuring smooth email communications to all AMA Omaha members, event attendees and prospects. She is also a member of the Diesel Advisory Committee at the Omaha Metropolitan Community College where she drives initiatives that help young students pursue a career in the trucking industry. Stephanie is a volunteer for the AMA Omaha Communications Committee. Mid-States Utility Trailer Sales sponsored the AMA Omaha November Luncheon and plan to sponsor further AMA events in 2019. The company is committed to supporting their marketing team and entirely fund AMA membership and AMA event fees for both employees.
The team delivered a record breaking year with solid results in 2018. They collaborated well with all departments and explored now ideas which they then turned into reality. The team are results-driven and would rightly deserve recognition for their outstanding performance.
Agency of the Year: OBI Creative
To create a company at all is a precarious endeavor wrought with perseverance and
tinged with equal parts fear, failure, passion and improvement. To then make an intentional decision to grow that business from a small cluster of close-knit colleagues to a crew approaching 50 professionals is an equally perilous venture. Yet that is exactly the adventure that Mary Ann O’Brien led her talented team of industry veterans on over the past 12 months.
The agency kicked off last year with a talented team that is involved in the community
and serves on a number of nonprofit boards, a burgeoning book of business, no debt and year-over-year growth rates of 50 percent, 30 percent and 20 percent respectively. Today, the agency has expanded to include more employees and capabilities and another staff location and office in Des Moines, Iowa. It has grown its client list in previously untapped markets of industrial and commercial services, financial, insurance, technology, health care and agricultural manufacturing.
A large investment was made in realigning the team organizationally around their strengths. At the end of the process, not only were titles retooled and teams reformed, but also the culture was reinvigorated with the development of new departments. Each function is now led by an industry veteran, who is supported by professionals ideally suited for their role and work together.
Its Strategic Communications team put together the agency’s first year-long coordinated
communications and social media campaign based around Hubspot Inbound Marketing principles, customer personas and content that delights readers. Consistent posts followed a strategic plan that was executed across several social media platforms and the agency’s own site.
OBI ended the year with strong financials, 29 awards, an enthusiastic staff and most
importantly, an indomitable spirit of innovation. The team’s hunger for excellence will no doubt lead it to new heights in the year ahead.
Marketer of the Year: Jim Berscheidt Chief, Creighton University
Since 2015, when Jim Berscheidt took the helm of the Creighton University Communications and Marketing (UCOM) department, he has greatly elevated the Creighton brand—on campus, in Omaha and on a national level. Under his leadership, the department has earned 27 industry awards, including an international CASE award for a newly relaunched annual report and redesigned alumni magazine. A fervent advocate for the brand, Jim represents UCOM as a member of the President’s Cabinet, an exclusive group of the president’s closest advisors. And, as a member of the Critical Incident Report Response Team, Jim has helped refine crisis communication efforts in response to several Creighton incidents.
In 2018, he created and executed two high-profile, inaugural events at Creighton, which were also open to the Omaha community. He initiated Creighton’s first-ever TEDx event, called TEDxCreightonU, featuring talks and performances by 15 students, faculty and alumni speaking on the topic of leadership. As executive producer of the event, Jim oversaw licensing, speaker auditions and rehearsals, and day-of implementation, which included managing an on-campus crowd of 500 and live streaming.
Jim successfully encouraged the University to celebrate its 140th anniversary with multiple events throughout 2018 that would bring national attention to Creighton. The celebration’s signature event was a moderated discussion with former Secretaries of State Dr. Madeleine Albright and Gen. Colin Powell as part of the Creighton 140 Presidential Lecture Series. Jim oversaw all marketing, communication and strategic efforts for the event, which sold out within 24 hours and helped raise Creighton’s national prominence through advertising and social media. The lecture, the third in the series, was held before a capacity crowd of nearly 2,500 in an arena on campus.
Jim actively aligns marketing and communications projects with the University’s new Strategic Plan, which outlines an expanded alliance with health care partners in Omaha and Phoenix. In fact, he co-led the launch and public announcement of Creighton’s coming health sciences campus in Phoenix.
In his role, Jim supervises a staff of 41, including mentoring nine direct reports, in a dynamic department comprising marketing, creative services, photography and video production, events, public relations, communications, community and government relations, and web strategy. A proponent of Creighton’s academic mission and values, he encourages all staff to take part in educational opportunities through the University, online tutorials and publications, national conferences and more. A member of AMA Omaha for several years, Jim Berscheidt is a diligent, innovative and thoughtful marketer of Creighton to both the Creighton community and beyond.
