By Jenny Fuerst, Director, Corporate Communications

Acquisition Doubles the Firm’s Digital Capacity

Today, Fahlgren announces that we’re acquiring GRIP Technology, a leading Web design and technology development firm located in Columbus. Its services include Web application development, Web site design and development, e-commerce, e-mail marketing, intranets, extranets, search engine optimization and marketing, and strategic Web consulting. GRIP is co-owned by Scott Sanders, Dustin Leggans and Bill Kiefaber.

“It’s no secret that the online world is growing, and our clients are asking for more and more digital work from us every day. It’s an integrated part of virtually every campaign we create,” said Neil Mortine, Fahlgren, Inc. president and CEO. “We are thrilled to be able to double our capacity in this area. GRIP is a natural fit as they complement our team, and we already have a great working relationship. We’ve been sharing clients and projects with them for more than two years. We’re impressed with their offering and client service and delighted to welcome them to the Fahlgren family.”

“Our business model is very client-centric,” said Scott Sanders, founder and president of GRIP and the new leader of Fahlgren Digital. “When I founded GRIP in 2002, I set out to develop a digital agency that was committed to helping its clients reach their business objectives, not just build great Web sites. Technology is only a tool, one part of the equation. It’s our goal to offer more than just great online creative and coding; we provide solutions to meet business objectives. Joining forces with Fahlgren, which shares the same client-centric business model, we can now offer our clients the full support of a leading, independent full-service agency.”

 For more details, check out the news release.

By Jodi Sparks, Account Supervisor

What a difference a year makes

This time last year the Columbus Fahlgren-McDonald’s Team was planning our trip to visit our teammates in Florida. The Miami McDonald’s Co Op (which is also a Fahlgren Co Op) was hosting the McDonald’s All American® Basketball Games. After much work, Columbus had been named as the 2010 Games host city, and we were all going down to see what we were in for.

The Games are actually three different events:

1. PowerAde JamFest® is a high energy skills and dunking contest that let the players strut-their-stuff. The section where the players get to demonstrate their best dunks is like a mini-Olympics where the audience gets to score each dunk. It will be held at Value City Arena on Monday, March 29. 
2.  The Awards Banquet is where we see how well our players clean up as the guys will put on a tux and the girls a formal dress.  It will be held on Tuesday, March 30 at the beautiful new Battelle Hall. 
3. The best way to describe the girls’ and boys’ games is “Witness The Jump From High School to Hall of Fame.”  It will also be held at Value City Arena on Wednesday, March 31.  The events on the 29^th and 31^st will be broadcast live on the ESPN Family of Networks. For more information please go to http://www.mcdonaldsallamerican.com/.

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By Katherine Zuehlke, Account Supervisor

Like what you see. Love how you feel.

That’s the tagline we want every woman in central Ohio to remember and live by. Fahlgren recently launched our first brand campaign with The Charles Penzone Salons, and we’re excited to see our creative hit the market.

Charles Penzone Salons came to us a few months ago with a challenge — drive guests into The Charles Penzone Grand Salons and make the brand high-fashion but attainable. After working closely with the Charles Penzone team, including Mr. Charles Penzone himself, we came up with a plan to target young professionals who were going through changes in their lives: getting married, having babies, and taking their life and career to the next level. These women were focused on beauty and confidence, and we saw them as the perfect audience for the brand.

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By Jenny Fuerst, Director, Corporate Communications

“This Best of Show award reminds us that TV continues to be a powerful medium for connecting with target audiences. Traditional advertising is not dead; it’s not an either/or. It’s about the art and science of selecting the right mix of channels to run great, engaging creative that connects and engages your target audience,” said Pete McGinty, President, Fahlgren Advertising.

 ”As a leader in the central Ohio advertising community, we’re reinventing ourselves everyday while staying dedicated to developing unique and insightful campaigns that not only gain recognition from our peers, but most importantly, move the needle for our clients.”

Get more details on the campaign and the other ADDYs we won in the full news release.

By Jenny Fuerst, Director, Corporate Communications

Fahlgren, Edward Howard to Join Public Relations Businesses

Neil Mortine and Kathy Cupper Obert

Alignment Forms Independent Powerhouse:

Largest Firm in Ohio and Top 30 Nationally

The acquisition, which joins the capabilities of Fahlgren Mortine Public Relations and Edward Howard, is expected to close during the first quarter of 2010 although integration and coordinated new business and marketing efforts will begin immediately.

Check out more details of today’s exciting announcement in the news release.

By Jenny Fuerst, Director, Corporate Communications

News From The Top

Neil Mortine, president of Fahlgren Mortine Public Relations, has been named chairman of Fahlgren, Inc. The move is in conjunction with the announcement that current chairman and CEO Steve Drongowski will step down at the end of the year and remain a consultant to the business. Mortine will be named CEO at that time.

For more details, click through to the news release.