Agency News

WINUK COMMUNICATIONS WINS THREE NATIONAL
PUBLIC RELATIONS AWARDS

Agency Honored for Campaign Supporting Historic
“a Journey for 9/11” Charitable Initiative

Mahopac, New York (June 30, 2009) – Winuk Communications, Inc. is the recipient of three coveted national public relations awards for its 16-month PR campaign supporting the charitable initiative“a Journey for 9/11.” From the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), the agency received a 2009 Bronze Anvil Award, which "recognizes outstanding public relations tactics that contribute to the success of an overall program or campaign."  From Bulldog Reporter, the agency received two 2009 Bulldog Awards, which recognize “excellence in media relations.”

“a Journey for 9/11” is the charitable organization founded and led by retired NFL legend George Martin, a Super Bowl champion and former co-captain of the New York Giants.  Journey’s goal is to raise national awareness about and funds for the medical treatment of thousands of Ground Zero workers from all 50 states who are now ailing as a result of their service after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.  On his Journey, Mr. Martin walked across the United States from September 16, 2007, to June 21, 2008, covering 3,003 miles on foot.  To date, Journey has raised more than $2 million, much of which is being matched in medical services provided to 9/11 workers by three major hospitals in New York and New Jersey. (www.ajourneyfor911.info)

“Winuk Communications did an outstanding job in support of Journey,” said Mr. Martin.  “The agency’s role in generating national awareness, and therefore much needed funds for ailing heroes, was essential to Journey’s success.  I’m so pleased that Jay and his team have received these PR industry honors.  The agency is talented, resourceful and caring, and certainly deserving of this recognition.”

The Bronze Anvil was awarded to Winuk in the category “Media Relations – Associations/Non Profit Organizations.”  The agency’s Silver Bulldog Awards were granted in the “Best General Consumer Campaign” and “Best Not-for-Profit/Association/Government Campaign” categories.

Thousands of news reports generated for historic NY→CA walk
In directing national PR for Journey, Winuk orchestrated a multi-faceted, coast-to-coast communications campaign, including comprehensive media relations and government relations programs; staging numerous special events all along the Journey route; speech writing and other editorial services; and more.  The agency also served as the primary point of contact for countless inquiries from across the country from Journey supporters, the 9/11 community, corporations and potential sponsors, charitable organizations, football fans and many others. 

Along the way, Winuk Communications generated more than 750 national and local media interviews for Mr. Martin, thousands of news reports and hundreds of millions of media impressions about the Journey.  ABC News, CNN, ESPN, Associated Press, FOX News, The  New York Times, HBO, Sports Illustrated, Sirius, CNBC, CBS News, ABC Good Morning America Radio, NFL Network, the YES Network, Forbes, NY Post, NY Daily News, Philadelphia Inquirer, Arizona Republic, Philanthropy World Magazine, Philanthropy Magazine, Fire Chief, American Police Beat, NFL.com, Giants.com, San Diego Union Tribune, numerous CA and NY media outlets, SI.com, Oklahoman, Rocky Mountain News, Sports Business Journal, Sporting News, Newark Star Ledger, and hundreds of other national and local media outlets all reported on Mr. Martin’s remarkable Journey. 

Major events staged in NY, DC, OK, AZ, CA and elsewhere to build awareness
The agency played a lead role in staging numerous events to promote the initiative, including at the Journey starting line on September 16, 2007 -- likely the first press conference ever held on the GeorgeWashington Bridge in New York.  Winuk also helped orchestrate press and public events at many key stops along the 13-state route, including at the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum; at Giants Stadium during halftime of the team’s home opener; at the nation’s largest firefighting museum in Phoenix; at state border crossings along the route; and at the Sports Museum of America in NYC.

In October 2007, Winuk staged a joint bi-partisan press conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, featuring Mr. Martin and six members of Congress sponsoring federal legislation in support of ailing 9/11 workers. At the Journey’s conclusion in California, the agency helped plan and execute a massive “last five miles” media event and finish line ceremony near the Pacific Ocean in San Diego, attended by dozens of national and local media, Ground Zero workers, government officials, hundreds of local citizens, police and firefighters and others.

The national exposure helped attract numerous awards and honors for Mr. Martin and the Journey, including the Heisman Humanitarian Award and ABC News’ “Person of the Year.”

“George Martin is likely the first African-American professional athlete to walk continuously across the country for charitable purposes,” said Jay S. Winuk, president of Winuk Communications, Inc.  “We were honored to play a role in support of his historic and noble achievement.  What George and his Journey team accomplished is singularly extraordinary.”

“I am delighted to honor Winuk Communications, Inc. with the Bronze Anvil Award in recognition of best practices in public relations tactics, which deliver tangible value to the organizations we represent and the communities they serve,” said PRSA Chair and CEO Michael Cherenson, APR. “Tactical excellence is key to establishing our profession as an indispensable part of business planning and strategy.”

About the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA)
The Public Relations Society of America, headquartered in New York City, is the world's largest organization for public relations professionals, with nearly 32,000 professional and student members. PRSA is organized into 109 Chapters and 10 Districts nationwide, and 20 Professional Interest Sections and Affinity Groups, which represent business and industry, counseling firms, independent practitioners, military, government, associations, hospitals, schools, professional services firms and nonprofit organizations.

About Bulldog Reporter
Bulldog Reporter is a B2B publishing company that gives PR and corporate communications professionals an inside view into the workings of journalists and top media organizations, allowing them to increase their effectiveness in gaining positive coverage. In addition, Bulldog Reporter offers a repository of insight into media relations "best practices" -- techniques and technologies that increase PR professionals' success in developing long-term relationships with the press, building brands, measuring results and cultivating respect from upper management for the public relations function. The “2009 Bulldog Awards for Excellence in Media Relations and Publicity” is the only competition judged exclusively by working journalists.  www.bulldogreporter.com

'Giant' walk helps 9/11 workers

March 17 2009

A Journey for 9/11, an organization founded in 2007 and directed by retired NY Giant George Martin, benefits the many rescue and recovery workers suffering medically from their efforts around 9/11. Winuk Communications was brought on to raise awareness of the 3,003-mile, nine-month walk across the US to raise funds for the ailing workers. "Relatively few people have walked continuously across the United States, and fewer still have done so for charitable purposes," says Jay Winuk, president of Winuk Communications. "As likely the first African-American professional athlete to do so for charity, George Martin's Journey was truly historic."

With the 7th anniversary in 2008, the team staged several events in New York.

Strategy
Earlier challenges the team had faced included generating money for a tragedy that occurred years before – many had already made 9/11-related donations and in a tough economy were not as fast to make another. It also had to make people outside of New York aware that the ailing population represented all 50 states, not just New York.

“The affected population is... nationwide,” Winuk says, adding that publicizing Martin's walk around the country was a good instrument and reminder to the public that it is not just a local problem, and that those who rose to help did not only help New York and its citizens, but also the country.

Tactics
To support the anniversary, the team set up several speaking events for Martin last fall, including the Dave Matthews Band concert at Madison Square Garden. Additionally, he appeared at the Cantor Fitzgerald 9/11 fundraising event. The team also coordinated the first annual “A Journey for 9/11” fundraising gala at the Sports Museum of America and arranged for Martin to be honored at the WTC Tribute Center across from Ground Zero.

The team pitched local and national media before each event, but also went beyond that.

“We did far more than just generate publicity,” Winuk says. The firm handled speech writing, fielded questions from the 9/11 community, and got involved in government relations to determine the status of legislation supporting ailing 9/11 workers.

Results
The campaign has raised almost $3 million from individual and corporate donors toward its ongoing multimillion-dollar goal. In addition, nationwide awareness has risen a great deal.

“He completely blew me away,” says David Jurist, a member of the board of directors and treasurer of A Journey for 9/11, of Winuk. “I was completely impressed with the amount of PR [the firm] got for this journey. I've never seen anything like it in the business... We almost couldn't keep up with the press.”

The effort was featured in various national media outlets, including The New York Times and Associated Press. It was also featured in local papers like the Newark Star-Ledger and Philadelphia Inquirer.

Future
It is currently unknown as to whether Winuk Communications and A Journey for 9/11 will continue to collaborate together in the future.

PRWeek View
As any PR agency knows, getting people to actually take action is never an easy task. The events of 9/11 brought on many worthy donations, but as years pass after a tragic historical event, people tend to assume there's not much left they can do.

Winuk Communications' decision to focus on this year's anniversary was a smart and effective idea, especially in the New York metro area, which was the most affected by the tragedy. By utilizing Martin's sports background, the team was able to garner coverage from a vast amount of audiences and achieve its fundraising goals.

PR team: A Journey for 9/11 (Warwick, NY) and Winuk Communications (Carmel, NY)
Campaign: Supporting the Ailing Rescue and Recovery Workers of Ground Zero
Duration: September 2007-January 2009

Reported by Leigh Cabrera

YOUNG AUDIENCES NEW YORK AND MARC MELLON STUDIOS SELECT WINUK COMMUNICATIONS, INC. FOR NEW PR INITIATIVES

 Agency Chosen to Promote Selection of Studio’s Presidential Inaugural Medal Design and Arts Education Group’s School Programs

 Carmel, New York (January 14, 2009) – Young Audiences New York (YANY), a nationally recognized provider of arts education programming throughout the New York City public school system, and Marc Mellon Studios (Mellon), an internationally renowned creator of bronze sculpture, have selected Winuk Communications, Inc. (Winuk) to provide public relations services to their organizations.

A design created and submitted by Mellon Studios was recently selected by the Presidential Inaugural Committee (PIC) to be the “Official 2009 Presidential Inaugural Medal,” honoring President-elect Barack Obama.  For the studio and its founder, sculptor Marc Mellon, the agency is managing national media relations and providing strategic marketing counsel about the competitive selection of the design and the availability of the historic medal for purchase.  All sales of the bronze medal, and other official commemoratives sold through PIC www.pic2009.org, help raise funds for the inaugural events planned for January 20, 2009, in Washington, DC. 

Mr. Mellon is world renowned for his many works in bronze, including busts of luminaries such as Pope John Paul II, President George H.W. Bush and entertainer Tony Bennett, as well as for numerous sports bronzes, including the MVP trophies awarded annually by the National Basketball Association and the Women’s National Basketball Association. www.marcmellon.com

Young Audiences New York, a chapter of the national Young Audiences organization, provides arts education programming to 180 schools and more than 200,000 students throughout the five boroughs of New York City.  Winuk is providing PR support for the organization’s “8th Annual Children’s Arts Awards Benefit,” to be held March 9 in New York City. 

In advance of the gala, the agency is publicizing site visits by YANY’s 2009 honorees to schools benefiting from YANY programming.  Honorees include Emmy-Award winning actor Julianna Margulies and Rino Scanzoni, chief investment officer, GroupM North America, and chairman, Mediaedge:cia North America, in recognition of their support of arts education in the NYC school system.

Young Audiences New York is a leading multi-disciplinary arts and culture-based program provider.  With more than 50 years of arts-in-education expertise, Young Audiences provides innovative and diverse programs to children Pre-K-12 that promote creativity and academic achievement, teach essential life and learning skills and provide opportunities for children and families to learn together, all of which support the development of a well-rounded individual.  www.yany.org

Since September 2007, Winuk Communications has managed national public relations for the award-winning charitable initiative, “a Journey for 9/11,” founded and directed by retired NFL legend George Martin.  Mr. Martin, former co-captain of the NY Giants, completed a 3,003-mile cross-country walk in June 2008 to raise funds for the healthcare of thousands of ailing rescue and recovery workers of Ground Zero. www.ajourneyfor911.info

About Winuk Communications, Inc.

Founded in 1994 and based in Carmel, NY, Winuk Communications, Inc., is a full-service, national award-winning public relations firm serving clients of every size, from entrepreneurial start-ups to large multi-national corporations.  Its client roster includes some of the nation’s leading companies in consumer products, real estate, law, technology, healthcare, banking, finance, the arts and entertainment, sports and many other industries.  The agency specializes in a wide array of communications services, including media relations; brand marketing; special event planning and execution; crisis, issues and strategic counseling; media and presentation training; and comprehensive editorial and writing services. 

Winuk Communications is led by Jay S. Winuk, founder and president of the agency.  Additionally, Mr. Winuk co-founded and serves as vice president of the Board of Directors of MyGoodDeed.org (www.mygooddeed.org, formerly known as One Day’s Pay), the Silver Anvil Award-winning not-for-profit initiative to establish September 11 as an annually recognized National Day of Charitable Service.  He is a frequent public speaker, and in September 2008 was a featured presenter at the ServiceNation Presidential Candidates Forum held at Columbia University in New York City.

“a Journey for 9/11” Selects Winuk Communications, Inc. for National PR Campaign  

Carmel, New York (January 22, 2008) – “a Journey for 9/11,” the nationwide charitable initiative founded and led by retired New York Giants legend George Martin, selected Winuk Communications, Inc. to plan, manage and execute all public relations for the coast-to-coast campaign.  Mr. Martin, a former Super Bowl champion, is walking 3,200+ miles from New York to California to benefit thousands of 9/11 rescue and recovery workers who are now seriously ill as a result of exposure to toxins and other trauma experienced at Ground Zero.

Winuk is managing all national and local publicity for the not-for-profit campaign, which launched September 16, 2007, with a press conference on the New York side of the George Washington Bridge and an on-field walk by Mr. Martin through Giants Stadium before a capacity crowd.  The agency is also coordinating communications with federal legislators active on 9/11 healthcare issues, and is staging special events to promote the Journey along the route.  Winuk serves as the PR point of contact for all corporate sponsors and other Journey supporters, including AXA Equitable, where Mr. Martin is vice president of sports marketing; the National Football League; the NY Giants; three supporting major medical institutions; the 9/11 family, rescue and volunteer community; the public safety officer community; and many other entities.

The Journey will end at the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco sometime this spring.  Since the launch, the agency has secured hundreds of media placements for the Journey, including features and interviews on HBO Sports, ABC World News, ESPN, FOX News, CBS Radio, the YES Network, ABC Radio, the NFL Network, Sirius Radio, FOX Sports Radio, WFAN-AM and CNBC, and coverage in the New York Post, The New York Times, the Associated Press, the Newark Star-Ledger, the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated.com, the Record, the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Charlotte Observer, Fire Chief, American Police Beat and many other outlets. 

In October, the agency helped stage a press event on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, that featured presentations by Mr. Martin and several members of Congress to address 9/11 healthcare issues.  Earlier this month, the agency orchestrated the designation of January 8 as “a Journey for 9/11 and George Martin Day” in Little Rock, AR, announced at a press event at City Hall with the city’s Mayor Mark Stodola.

To date, Mr. Martin, co-captain of the Super Bowl XXI Champion NY Giants, has walked through parts of nine states and Washington, DC, and has covered more than 1,400 miles.  In December, he returned briefly to New York to receive the prestigious Heisman Humanitarian Award from the Heisman Trophy Trust, for which Winuk coordinated extensive media coverage.  The Journey campaign has already raised almost $2 million in cash and in-kind contributions.  For more information, visit www.ajourneyfor911.info. 

“It was clear from the moment we launched this initiative that Winuk Communications is just the right firm to help Journey reach its goals,” said John Kirksey, chairman of the board of a Journey for 9/11 and CEO of TKG Global Inclusion Advisors.  “The agency’s work is integral to the success we have achieved thus far and will continue to achieve in terms of fundraising, awareness building and attracting corporate sponsors.”

Winuk Communications is led by Jay S. Winuk, who directs the Journey’s national PR campaign.  Mr. Winuk has worked on numerous coast-to-coast campaigns, including “Hands Across America” and the Olympic Torch Relay.  On September 11, 2001, his late brother, attorney Glenn Winuk, a 19-year volunteer firefighter and EMT, was one of the first responders on the scene at Ground Zero.  He perished when the South Tower collapsed.  With David Paine of PainePR, Mr. Winuk went on to co-found MyGoodDeed (www.mygooddeed.org), the Silver Anvil-winning not-for-profit initiative to establish September 11 as an annually recognized national day of charitable service.

“It is both a personal and professional honor for me to be associated with a Journey for 9/11,” said Mr. Winuk.  “George Martin is an exceptional person.  His Journey demonstrates an extraordinary commitment and is already a monumental achievement.  Our firm will continue to do everything we can to help George and his board and other supporters to build awareness about the medical plight of the heroic rescue and recovery workers of Ground Zero.”
 

Winuk Communications, Inc. Wins PR Assignments from
Robert K. Futterman & Associates, Steve & Barry’s University Sportswear
 and Alacra, Inc.

Carmel, New York (August 28, 2007) – Industry leaders in real estate, apparel and business information have selected the public relations firm Winuk Communications, Inc. to handle national PR assignments for their companies.  The agency’s new clients are Robert K. Futterman & Associates (RKF), Steve & Barry’s University Sportswear and Alacra, Inc.

Winuk will execute national media relations for RKF, the nation’s leading independent retail real estate firm.  Specializing in retail leasing, investment sales and consulting services, RKF (www.rkf.com ) has generated more than $7.4 billion in aggregate real estate transactions since it was founded in 1998.  The company is headquartered in New York with offices in Las Vegas, Los Angeles and San Francisco.  RKF’s clients include many of the nation’s top retailers, including Intermix, Polo Ralph Lauren, H&M, Barnes & Noble and Banana Republic.  The firm has played an integral role in creating extraordinary retail environments in major cities throughout the U.S.  The agency will work with RKF to raise the profile of the firm’s comprehensive retail real estate service offerings nationwide.

For retailer Steve & Barry’s, the agency is executing national media relations for the launch of bubbagolf™, an affordable line of high performance golf apparel.  The line was created in partnership with the PGA Tour star Bubba Watson, who leads the Tour in driving distance and who has five top 10 finishes in 2007.  bubbagolf is now available in Steve & Barry’s (www.steveandbarrys.com ) 200+ retail stores in more than 30 states.

Alacra, which creates sophisticated online technology and services to help companies find, package and present business and financial information, selected Winuk Communications to provide national media relations support and marketing counsel for a series of new product and service offerings the company will introduce to the marketplace throughout the remainder of 2007.  Alacra’s (www.alacra.com ) customers include more than 600 investment and commercial banks, management consulting firms, law firms and other corporations, representing more than 50,000 end users of its services worldwide.