Monthly Archives: September 2011

EFFIE WORLDWIDE® AND HEINEKEN USA ANNOUNCE 3RD ANNUAL COLLEGIATE EFFIE® AWARDS COMPETITION FOR UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS 21+

Contact:
Rebecca Sullivan
For the Effie Awards
617-501-4010/781-326-1996
rebecca@rsullivanpr.com

Tara Carraro
Heineken USA
914-681-4153
tcarraro@heinekenusa.com

Call for Entries Issued to College Students to Create Effective Public Service  Marketing Communications Campaigns

NEW YORK, September 28, 2011 - Effie Worldwide, which recognizes, encourages and provides education on effectiveness in marketing communications, and Heineken USA today announced a call for entries for the third annual Collegiate Effie Competition.  For the 2012 competition, students ages 21 and older will be challenged to develop a public service marketing communications campaign that supports Heineken’s global sustainability program, Brewing a Better Future, while highlighting the importance of sustainable bottle and package disposal.

Entrants will be challenged to create a campaign that encourages adult consumers to recycle their beverage containers. All entries must feature at least three different digital media creative executions.  Qualifying entries will be judged by industry professionals in various disciplines, including creative, strategic planning, media strategy, branding, marketing and social media.  Finalists will have the opportunity to present their work to senior members of the Heineken USA marketing team.

“The Collegiate Effie competition offers students a unique opportunity to gain professional-level experience and receive valuable feedback from some of the industry’s most respected individuals,” said [Mary Lee Keane, President of Effie Worldwide]. “We are thankful to have a partner in Heineken USA, whose creativity and dedication to this program allows us to inspire students to create great work on important topics.”

“At Heineken USA, we are working to continually improve the environmental impact of our brands and business, but encouraging our partners and consumers to join in this effort is vital for long-term success,” said Dan Tearno, senior vice president and chief corporate relations officer, Heineken USA. “This program allows us to work with some of the brightest new minds in advertising, apply and support their classroom education, and ensure that our organization continues to effectively spread awareness around these issues.”

Entries are due no later than March 23, 2012. Judging will follow and presentations are planned to take place at the end of April.  Students must be 21 or older by January 1, 2012 and currently enrolled in a undergraduate program to be eligible to participate in the PSA Challenge.

To download the 2012 entry kits, visit www.effie.org/collegiate.

About Effie Worldwide
Effie Worldwide stands for effectiveness in marketing communications, spotlighting marketing ideas that work and encouraging thoughtful dialogue about the ever-changing marketing industry.  The Effie network works with some of the top research and media organizations worldwide to bring its audience relevant and first-class insights into effective marketing strategy. This has taken shape in webinars, white papers, global conferences, winner showcases and The Effie Effectiveness Index™, the first global ranking of marketing communications effectiveness. The Effie Effectiveness Index identifies and ranks the marketing communications industry’s most effective agencies, advertisers, and brands by analyzing finalist and winner data from Effie competitions worldwide. For more details, visit www.effieindex.com.

The Effie Awards are known by advertisers and agencies globally as the pre-eminent award in the industry, and recognize any and all forms of marketing communication that contribute to a brand’s success.  Since 1968, winning an Effie has become a global symbol of achievement. Today, Effie celebrates effectiveness worldwide with the Global Effie, the Euro Effie, the Middle East / North Africa Effie and more than 40 national Effie programs. For more details, visit www.effie.org.  Follow @effieawards on Twitter for updates on Effie information, programs and news.

About Heineken USA
Heineken USA Inc., the nation’s premier beer importer, is a subsidiary of Heineken International BV, which is the world’s most international brewer. European brands imported into the U.S. include Heineken Lager, the world’s most international beer brand; Heineken Light; Amstel Light, a leading imported light beer brand; Newcastle Brown Ale, the leading imported ale in the United States; and Buckler non-alcoholic brew. Heineken USA is also the exclusive USA importer for the Tecate, Tecate Light, Dos Equis, Sol, Carta Blanca and Bohemia brands from Mexico. For a safe ride home, download the Heineken USA-sponsored Taxi Magic™ application from your smartphone at taximagic.heineken.com. Please visit www.EnjoyHeinekenResponsibly.com.

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GrubHub secures $50 million and is acquiring Campusfood and Allmenus

Company to Focus on its Increasing Footprint and Mobile Development

CHICAGO, September 21, 2011 – GrubHub, a web and mobile service that connects diners to restaurants and simplifies online ordering for delivery and pick up, has raised $50 million in Series E funding to aggressively focus on its mobile development and acquire New York-based Dotmenu, the parent company of Campusfood and Allmenus. This Series E funding is led by Lightspeed Ventures with Mesirow Financial, Benchmark Capital, Greenspring Associates and DAG Ventures participating. Terms of the acquisition will not be disclosed.

“Since starting GrubHub with my partner Mike Evans in his apartment in 2004, we’ve sent over $200 million in delivery and pick up orders to independent restaurants across the country,” said Matt Maloney, GrubHub co-founder and CEO. “With our unwavering focus on providing the best service to diners and the most efficient technology to restaurant owners, we have grown to become the leader in the online ordering space. It is precisely for this reason that we are acquiring Dotmenu. Dotmenu has shown great expertise in servicing the college market, and by combining our extensive networks, we will become the foremost resource for diners and restaurants for their online ordering needs.”

The Series E and Dotmenu acquisition comes just six months after GrubHub raised $20 million in funding led by DAG Ventures. The funding rounds, coupled with the acquisition, strengthen GrubHub’s position as the category-defining leader in the industry.

Through the acquisition, GrubHub will have the largest restaurant listing in the country with 250,000 restaurant menus in over 50 major cities and countless college towns across the US. The two companies are projected to send over $225 million in combined order revenues to independent restaurants in 2011, and will continue together to achieve more aggressive growth in the years to come.

“GrubHub has a strong presence in the top US markets,” said Michael Saunders, Founder and President of Dotmenu. “This, combined with our network across more than 300 college campuses, allows us to build upon the strong relationship we have with our diners long after they graduate. The acquisition will enable us to make an immediate impact on our restaurants by sending more orders their way.”

GrubHub is free for diners who order and pay for their meals with cash, credit or PayPal™. Restaurants pay commissions for each online order they receive from GrubHub, and every order is supported by GrubHub’s 24/7 customer service. Restaurants that do not currently partner with GrubHub can still list their telephone numbers and menus for free.

Visitors to the site or mobile users enter their address to see every local restaurant that delivers to them. Diners can view menus and coupons, read reviews and order for free online, by phone or through the GrubHub iPhone and Android apps.

“By combining its ability to aggressively scale its footprint and mobile platforms with Dotmenu’s proven leadership in college markets across the country, GrubHub is the clear leader in the online ordering space,” said Bill Gurley, general partner of Benchmark Capital. “This move will make GrubHub a household name, such as Benchmark’s other on-line portfolio companies OpenTable, Yelp and Zillow.”

There are more than 300,000 delivery and takeout restaurants in the country. On average, GrubHub users order out more than 10 times a month and over 22 percent of GrubHub’s revenues come through mobile orders. Pickup and delivery are the fastest growing segments in the restaurant industry, which is one of the largest sectors of the U.S. economy. With more people searching for restaurants and ordering food on-line and through smartphones, the opportunity for continued growth is substantial.

“GrubHub and Dotmenu have a shared vision to make online and mobile food ordering easier and more efficient for diners and restaurants,” said Maloney. “The acquisition is a natural fit for us and we are extremely excited to be able to share our mobile capabilities with their expansive network of diners and restaurants. This is an amazing opportunity for both companies.”

About GrubHub
GrubHub is a ventured-backed company founded in 2004 by Chicago-based software engineers Matt Maloney and Mike Evans. The website shows consumers all of the local restaurants that deliver to them and allows diners to order directly online, by phone or through the GrubHub iPhone and Android app. Both apps are free from their respective app markets, and it is also free for diners to order online at GrubHub.com.

The rapidly growing company currently services Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., San Diego, Orange County, Oakland, Seattle, Portland, Denver, Boulder, Miami, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, and Phoenix, with plans to add more cities in 2011.

About Dotmenu
For over a decade now, Dotmenu has been making it easier to stuff food into people’s faces. Thanks to the massive growth of our flagship websites Allmenus and Campusfood, Dotmenu has expanded its waistline to serve over 2 million registered users, nearly half of whom are college graduates. Having started out on just 18 campuses in 2000, Campusfood is now the number one late-night pizza and wings solution on 300 college campuses. Allmenus boasts over 250,000 menus, connecting famished Americans with their favorite restaurants in nearly every major city.

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Urecognize.com, start up, launches the appreciation movement

Urecognize.com officially opens its doors today and launches the appreciation movement. The website will enable millions worldwide to recognize and appreciate friends, students, family, employees, companies, and organizations, for a job well done, a good deed, an accomplishment, among a host of other positive categories for free.

At Urecognize the philosophy is that you should appreciate people. Saying “thank you”, “job well done”, “congratulations”, or any words that convey heartfelt gratitude and appreciation should happen daily. Urecognize is a great way to appreciate people, companies, projects, and organizations and share the good news with a network of friends and associates.  If someone says thank you, everyone should know about it, not just you.

“This is a project I have wanted to create for a long time,” Maria Gomez, founder of Urecognize.com “We all have been in situations where we feel we have not been recognized or have been taken for granted after putting in hard work. The urecognize system encourages recognition and the spreading of appreciation beyond your inner circle.”

Urecognize.com tools enable members to send and receive appreciation messages.  Members can then share the messages with friends and associates, enabling the spread of good news and positive feedback.  The system is also free to use, because saying thank you should never come at a price.

Through the Urecognize system, members are able to send a Recognition Email to one or more individuals, a business or organization, that provides a positive appreciation message and contains a link to a printable online certificate of recognition.

What else can you do at Urecognize.com?

- Upload an image with your posting. If you are a business, feel free to upload your logo. You can even link your image to a website.

- After you send a Recognition, the receiver receives your message AND a FREE CERTIFICATE of RECOGNITION that they can print.

- Sender or Receiver can share it with friends via email, Facebook, Twitter, and a host of other social sites.

- The Sender can also view when the Recognition was opened by the Receiver.

- With the Send to Friends Report, the Receiver can even see when their friends have read the good news that someone appreciated them.

- The receiver can send a Thank You via the system to the Recognizer, to continue the Appreciation Movement.

- With the Send to Friends Report, the Receiver can even see when their friends have read the good news that someone appreciated them.

- Want to send a recognition gift, you also do this via the Urecognize store.

- The Dashboard gives you access to all your recognitions and provides you details on your recognition account, all from one location.

- And there is more so register to see.

At uRecognize we are creating a culture in which recognition is ongoing and spreads.

We developed uRecognize because we realize appreciation is nice, but it’s infrequent and many times many good deeds are overlooked or not known by your network of friends and business associates. In the uRecognize world appreciation is not a special event — it is part of our day-to-day living.

If you want to strengthen your relationships at home, work, school, with family and friends, the key is appreciating and recognizing what those around you do for you and letting others know.

The appreciation movement has started, spread positive news.

For more information please email: press@urecognize.com.

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CLIF® BAR Rewarding College Students Who Make Study Breaks More Active


CONTACTS:
Dean Mayer
Clif Bar & Company
510-596-6330
dean@clifbar.com
Brian Stevens
Double Forte
415-848-8121
bstevens@double-forte.com

EMERYVILLE, Calif., September 15, 2011 – Between classes, work, study and social obligations, college students often fall into a food trap of pizza, candy bars and sugary drinks, with their only exercise coming from frantic sprints between classes. In addition to unwanted long-term health effects, this cycle can lead to serious energy shortages and brain fatigue.

CLIF® BAR, the original energy bar made with organic ingredients, is on a mission to educate college students about the benefits of outdoor activity. Beginning Sept. 15 and continuing while supplies last, CLIF BAR is rewarding college students who post their active study breaks on Twitter with a CLIF BAR Energy Pack to energize their pursuits. Collegians who follow @ClifBar on Twitter and post their active #StudyBreak will be eligible to receive an Energy Pack that includes great tasting CLIF BARs, fitness tips, water bottles and other items intended to make outdoor recreation fun.

“CLIF BAR wants college students to know that getting outdoors for an active study break isn’t just a good idea for physical health, but can help you stay mentally sharp in the classroom,” said Carly Lutz, brand director, CLIF brands. “Getting out of the dorm and going for a run or a bike ride around campus is an essential part of keeping your mind in shape, as well as your body.”

The benefits of outdoor activity are scientifically undeniable, and CLIF BAR compiled a short list of ways college students benefit from getting outside and working up a sweat:

Cardiovascular Fitness Improves Cognitive Functioning
Activities that improve cardiovascular fitness, such as cycling and running, lead to improvements in cognitive functioning in ways that benefit every college student, including memory, how fast information can be recalled and the ability to pay attention.

Exercising Outdoors Beats Hitting the Gym
Compared with exercising indoors, exercising in natural environments creates greater feelings of revitalization and increased energy, helps people relate better with others and is a serious stress-buster.

Outdoor Activity Can Stave off the Dreaded Freshman 15
Research suggests that as many as 70 percent of college students gain a significant amount of weight between the start of college and sophomore year. In addition to the brain benefits of exercise, burning just an extra 143 calories per day—about what a 150-pound person will burn in 15 minutes playing Ultimate Frisbee® or 20 minutes of roller skating —can mean 15 fewer pounds at the end of one year.

College is the Perfect Place to Develop Lifelong Healthy Habits
A student’s role as “learner” during the college years makes it an ideal time to develop new healthy habits outside the classroom, and the earlier those exercise and nutrition habits are formed, the greater the chance they will stick for life.

About Clif Bar & Company
Clif Bar & Company is a leading maker of nutritious and organic foods and drinks, including CLIF® BAR energy bar, LUNA®, The Whole Nutrition Bar for Women®; and CLIF Kid®, Nourishing Kids in Motion®. Focused on sports nutrition and healthy snacks, the employee and family-owned company is committed to sustaining its people, brands, business, community and planet. For more information on Clif Bar & Company, please visit www.clifbar.com, check out our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/clifbar and follow us on Twitter at: www.twitter.com/clifbar.

Recently Clif Bar & Company was ranked the No. 1 brand in the Forbes Breakaway Brands survey, conducted by Landor Associates using Young & Rubicam’s BrandAsset Valuator database measuring brand momentum from 2006 to 2009. (Forbes.com)

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1. Portland State University, June 2008
2. Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry, February 2011
3. CaloriesPerHour.com
4. CaloriesPerHour.com
5. California Journal of Health Promotion, 2004; Health Education Research, 1997

WHEN PARENTS TEXT the Book! Based off of the hugely popular website.

From the enormously popular website comes the highly anticipated compilation of the funniest texts from parents to their kids, plus tons of new material!

WHEN PARENTS TEXT

So Much Said . . . So Little Understood

By LAUREN KAELIN and SOPHIA FRAIOLI

It probably started generations ago with little notes in the lunch box, a way for parents to let their kids know they were thinking of them. Then e-mail was the preferred way to keep in touch, and parents became notorious for forwarding “funny” e-mail chains to engage with their children. Today, cell phones are rarely used for direct conversation—they’re used for text messaging—and parents are again connecting with their kids through new technology, battling with T9 and autocorrect, and learning appropriate acronyms and emoticons. (No, LOL isn’t “lots of love” and ({}) is most definitely not a hug.)The generational divide in communication appears to have gotten wider. But the creators of the wildly successful and hilarious website, WhenParentsText.com, beg to differ. The thousands of texts submitted to them monthly proves that small keypads are bridging the gap, allowing parents to share news and dinner menus, ask questions, reference pop culture, and send lots of love!

WHEN PARENTS TEXT: So Much Said . . . So Little Understood by Lauren Kaelin and Sophia Fraioli isn’t out to make fun of technologically confused adults, but rather is an endearing ode from the kids who love them. Underneath the humor is a surprisingly sweet and affecting glimpse of that time when parents aren’t ready to let go, and kids aren’t ready to be let go. The new generation has written the rulebook on texting and parents are now trying to learn the basics, conducting an ongoing conversation that was never possible before.

WhenParentsText.com was born after Lauren and Sophia, best friends from childhood—both among the thousands of jobless college graduates living back home with their parents—laughed over a text exchange between Lauren and her mother. “When parents text, it’s hilarious” Sophia said, and Lauren responded, “That should be a website.” Now, a year later, the website boasts an average of 5 million hits per month, has been praised by Entertainment Weekly as “A daily dose of hilarity,” and has kids across America bragging when mom or dad is featured on the site.

WHEN PARENTS TEXT is a compilation of the funniest texts from the website, plus never before published content comprising more than 50 percent of the book. It is arranged thematically, with chapters such as Mealtime, Pix, Holidays, Parental Wisdom, and there is even a chapter dedicated to Harry Potter. It concludes with a very useful glossary of acronyms and emoticons (e.g., *$$$ is “Starbucks” and GGMM is “Good golly, Miss Molly”).

Readers of any age will relate to, and even hear themselves, or their own parents, in these priceless text conversations. An uproarious read as well as a commentary on our current culture, WHEN PARENTS TEXT is sure to become an instant classic!

ABOUT THE AUTHORS
LAUREN KAELIN and SOPHIA FRAIOLI grew up in Montclair, N.J., and have been best friends since the sixth grade. After graduating from Smith (Lauren) and the University of Vermont (Sophia), they moved back to Montclair and created the hugely popular website, whenparentstext.com. The two have since moved out of their childhood homes, but still text their parents. Lauren currently lives in Brooklyn and Sophia lives in Manhattan. They make their own tacos.

ABOUT THE BOOK
WHEN PARENTS TEXT: So Much Said . . . So Little Understood
By Lauren Kaelin and Sophia Fraioli
Workman Publishing • September 2011 • ISBN: 9780761166047 • $10.95

For more information or to schedule an interview with Lauren Kaelin and Sophia Fraioli, please contact:
Courtney Greenhalgh/Associate Director of Publicity/courtney@workman.com/212.614.5604

Visit them on the Web at WWW.WHENPARENTSTEXT.COM

Publishing Startup Offers Aspiring Authors New Opportunities

Contact:
Erin Eber | Community manager
erin@pubslush.com | 786-877-9339

Publishing Startup Offers Aspiring Authors New Opportunities

NEW YORK – September 12, 2011 – PUBSLUSH Press, a full service, social publishing platform , has announced a nationwide writing competition. Targeting writers of any genre, PUBSLUSH is encouraging authors to submit their book ideas to be chosen to win an iPad 2 and a chance to be published. Writers simply submit the best ten pages and a summary of their manuscript at www.pubslush.com, through October 15th.

PUBSLUSH Press is a revolutionary publisher that utilizes the power of community support and social networking to select books to be published by connecting writers directly with their readers. Through a collaborative method, Slushers (registered users) review, share, and fund their favorite submissions. Upon reaching the required support level, PUBSLUSH will facilitate the complete publishing process , including editing, design, marketing, distribution, etc. Also, PUBSLUSH simultaneously acts as an agent, allowing editors at major publishers to easily browse the top submissions and extend deals to authors if they wish.

“The writing competition calls attention to this incredible new outlet for aspiring authors. Our mission is not only to discover new talent, but to give authors a lucrative publishing alternative somewhere between traditional and self publishing,” said Jesse Potash, founder of PUBSLUSH Press.

“In addition to giving a voice to undiscovered writers, we are committed to impacting literacy initiatives for children worldwide. And for every book we sell, we will donate a book to a child without access to literature,” added Potash.

The competition is free to enter and runs through October 15th. First, second and third place winners will receive an iPad 2. Additionally, all three winners will be featured prominently on the PUBSLUSH home page, and have a chance to get published if the required funding is achieved. Full details and contest rules can be found at www.pubslush.com.

About PUBSLUSH Press

Inspired by the industry term, “the slush pile” (where unsolicited manuscripts are set aside), PUBSLUSH Press is a full service, publishing platform that utilizes social media to bring together writers and readers, providing an innovative forum for discovering new writing talent. Writers upload a sample of their work and Slushers (registered users) review, share, and fund their favorite submissions. Once the required funding is achieved, PUBSLUSH facilitates the complete publishing process – or a deal is a made with another publisher prior to that. Additionally, for every book sold through PUBSLUSH and its distribution partners, a book will be donated to support children’s literacy. For more information about PUBSLUSH and the cause, please visit www.pubslush.com.