CooperKatz has been named the ‘Best Agency of the Year’ in its size category (under $5 million fee income) by The Holmes Report, which described the honor this way:

Burson-Marsteller veterans Andy Cooper and Ralph Katz have built their firm steadily over the past 12 years, placing more emphasis on client service than new business—a preference validated by longstanding relationships with key clients such as the Association of National Advertisers (12 years), TowerGroup (eight years) and Virgin Mobile (six years). Having said that, 2007 was a good year for growth, with a couple of high-profile new business wins — Coldwell Banker and Zipcar — contributing to better than 30 percent growth and fee income of $4 million. The firm also continued to expand its digital and social networking capabilities through its Cogence practice.

CooperKatz & Company has expanded its senior management ranks with the hiring of Camille Priselac as manager, client services. Priselac joins the firm from Chevron Corporation, where most recently she served as communications specialist, Richmond refinery policy, government and public affairs. Her media experience includes serving as chief spokesperson for Tier-1 television, print and radio interviews including CNN, Reuters and the Wall Street Journal. Her portfolio also includes extensive hands-on experience in crisis planning, response and training.

Welcome Camille!

CooperKatz is pleased to acknowledge the contributions of six key employees with promotions:

• Jason Wallace to Manager, Creative Services
• Jasmine Lyons to Account Supervisor
• Kathleen Reynolds to Account Supervisor
• Thea Linscott to Senior Account Executive
• Nick Sowards to Senior Account Executive
• Michael Katz to Assistant Producer / Designer

Congratulations!

CooperKatz & Company has moved!

Thanks to the support of our clients, and increasing national recognition of our strategic and creative capabilities, CooperKatz has outgrown our space at 708 Third Avenue in Manhattan. As of March 17, 2008, our new home is 12 blocks south at 205 Lexington Avenue.

Our new address is:  205 Lexington Avenue, 5th Floor, New York, NY 10016

This is an exciting moment in our 12-year history. Our move to larger space positions us well for continued growth across all of our disciplines: public relations, creative services and social media.

Please come visit us soon in our new digs!

Megan Burke joins the CooperKatz team as Account Coordinator. Welcome Megan!

CooperKatz had two major placements for Zipcar in March 2008. The first landed CEO Scott Griffith on the cover of Inc. Magazine. The accompanying story highlighted the company’s success in building the largest car sharing company in the world. This comprehensive look at Zipcar touted Griffith’s leadership as part of a seven-step recipe for growth from a cool start-up to a $100 million success story. CooperKatz worked closely with the reporter and photo editor for Inc., setting up day-long visits to Zipcar’s corporate offices; photo sessions involving students, cars and Griffith; and multiple interviews with key company executives.

The second placement appeared in Fast Company, which also cited Griffith’s business strategies as vital to the company’s success. This story took another deep dive into what makes Zipcar work and what the company – and the car sharing industry in general – can be expected to do in the future. Both of these articles underscored Zipcar’s core message: that car sharing is a convenient, cost-effective alternative to car ownership for urban dwellers and businesses nationwide.

CooperKatz and the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) created a public service announcement (PSA) that educates consumers about vital issues they should consider prior to purchasing a long-term care policy. The PSA, titled “Playing the Long-Term Care Game,” explains that planning for long-term care is not a game. This PSA is part of Insure U, the NAIC’s award-winning public-education program that helps consumers get smart about their insurance needs at different stages of their lives.

CooperKatz secured a major hit in The San Francisco Chronicle for Coldwell Banker Real Estate, LLC and its 3rd Annual My Home: The American Dream contest. The nationwide competition, in collaboration with Scholastic, invited students to share their personal stories – through images and words – about how their houses or apartments are not just structures in which they live, but homes where dreams are shared and memories made.

CooperKatz enhanced the newsworthiness of this story by conducting a national survey of adults to glean their thoughts on what makes a house a home. The comparison of the adults’ vs. the childrens' perspectives, combined with the announcement of the grand prize winners, shined a refreshing and positive light on the real estate industry and Coldwell Banker’s role in helping consumers to fulfill their vision of the American Dream.

With a sizeable increase in home foreclosures across the nation, CooperKatz and Petfinder.com identified a troubling, but under-recognized trend: pet abandonment. Families affected by foreclosure must often quickly leave their homes or move to a location that does not accept pets, forcing them to make a heartbreaking decision.

To raise awareness of this issue and offer a solution, CooperKatz secured an informative segment on WCBS/New York. The powerful broadcast piece, which aired twice, offered guidance for pet owners and highlighted Petfinder.com’s ability to connect those in need with animal welfare organizations in their area.

CooperKatz scored a major hit in Saturday’s New York Post: a two-page, full-color editorial layout highlighting Petfinder.com, the largest searchable online database for adoptable pets. The coverage highlights Puppy Bowl IV, Animal Planet’s fun alternative to the Super Bowl. Noting that a dozen Petfinder.com puppies starred in the event, the piece features Petfinder.com puppies currently up for adoption in the NY area – the real “under dogs” this season.

CooperKatz worked closely with the reporter to schedule a puppy photo shoot at the  New York Post offices, where the four Petfinder.com stars - Bernadette Peters, Rachael Ray, Prosciutto and Beowulf – appeared in their own personal New York Giants gear. The Petfinder.com heroes served as four-legged 'spokespuppies' emphasizing how the site creates opportunities for pet lovers to connect with adoptable pets located right in their areas.  

Cooperkatz designed "The Faces of Noblis" ad for healthcare advisory client Noblis. The campaign, which spotlights the firm's highly experienced consultants, is scheduled to run for 12 months in four major healthcare trade publications, the first of which appeared in the January 28, 2008 issue of Modern Healthcare.

CooperKatz partnered with Quixtar, the North American sales company for Alticor, to produce and stage the Achievers meetings in Hollywood, Florida from November 24th through December 11th, 2007. The meetings, held as four consecutive waves, honored more than 7,000 Quixtar Independent Business Owners (IBOs). The assignment included agenda development and content flow; creation of stage set and production elements; unique reveal of those IBOs being recognized; and selction of guest speaker, John Maxwell and featured talent, Grammy winner Willy Chirino. Each session included a full business meeting, a final night gala, and sound, light and graphic displays during meals held in the main presentation ballroom.

Melanie Scherenzel joins the CooperKatz team as Senior Account Executive. Welcome Melanie!

Roberto Lebron joins the CooperKatz team as Director, Client Services. Welcome Roberto!

As the holiday season approached, CooperKatz helped consumers better understand car rental insurance on behalf of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC). CK commissioned a national telephone survey, which revealed widespread misunderstanding among consumers about car rental insurance. We then announced the results, along with helpful tips from the NAIC, just prior to the holiday traveling season. USA Today devoted a half page to the topic, including a side-bar with the NAIC tips. The Los Angeles Times interviewed the California Insurance Commissioner and included several quotes from him. The travel site, Orbitz.com, posted car rental insurance considerations from the NAIC press release in its "Tip of the Month" for December. And NY-1 featured an interview with the New York Superintendent of Insurance in a segment titled "Don’t Waste Your Money on Car Rental Insurance."

CooperKatz is pleased to acknowledge the contributions of two key employees with promotions:

• Anne Green to President, Chief Operating Officer
• Dorothy Sonnenburg to Senior Vice President, Finance and Operations

Congratulations Anne and Dorothy!

Zipcar, the leading car sharing company, has selected CooperKatz & Company to develop and execute a national strategic PR plan. With more than 180,000 members and more than 5,000 vehicles, Zipcar provides a convenient and cost effective transportation alternative for individuals, businesses and universities throughout the United Kingdom and 25 North American states and provinces. CooperKatz will be responsible for the corporate PR program as well as providing regional support in established markets, namely New York City, Boston, Washington DC and San Francisco.

Lori Silbert joins the CooperKatz team as Account Executive. Welcome Lori!

Malissa Osei joins the CooperKatz team as a fall intern. Welcome Malissa!

For today’s launch of their new online entertainment channel, ShopVogue.TV, CooperKatz’s Cogence practice strategically guided Vogue to target key fashion/trend bloggers and reporters from mainstream media outlets via a virtual press conference. CooperKatz offered them a sneak peek of ShopVogue.TV which features original programming, the opportunity to shop the ads that are in the magazine, and also a channel that lets visitors share their own style inspirations.

CooperKatz will be monitoring the ‘blogosphere’ throughout today’s launch and beyond, engaging influential bloggers to test the site, upload photos of their favorite fashion pieces and tell others about the exciting new way to shop virtual television shows and advertisements. CooperKatz is creating an online buzz among style followers and Internet gurus. Please visit ShopVogue.TV to learn more about the enhanced shopping experience that is about to take the fashion world by storm.

Maria Martinez joins the CooperKatz team as Account Coordinator. Welcome Maria!

CooperKatz developed a "breakaway" launch for the new Polar CS600 with Power, a professional level cycling computer and power meter. Timed to coincide with the Tour de France, CooperKatz secured product reviews of this “All-in-one dream info for geeks” with several major media outlets, including the New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The International Herald Tribune, The Denver Post and Bicycling.com. Media outreach also garnered coverage in several high-profile tech blogs, including Engadget, CNET Crave and Gadgetell. Several more product reviews and feature stories are slated to run in long-lead magazines over the next few months.

CooperKatz secured a major placement in Computerworld with an in-depth article on telepresence featuring Teliris, the leading full-service provider of telepresence solutions. Telepresence is a fully immersive virtual meeting environment that allows users to collaborate with colleagues in a face-to-face setting without having to be in the same physical location. The article highlights the client’s innovative technology and new product offerings, while comparing them favorably to Cisco, a major competitor in the market. CooperKatz worked closely with the reporter to schedule demos of Teliris’ technology while providing additional information for the article. The result is positive coverage that illustrates Teliris’ high-quality products and the company’s ability to compete successfully against much larger, better-known companies.

CooperKatz & Company has been selected by international management consulting firm Tefen USA to develop and execute strategic marketing communications initiatives and programs. With offices in Israel, Europe and the United States, Tefen specializes in operational excellence, manufacturing, quality, customer service, research and development and supply chain management for Fortune 500 companies around the world. CooperKatz is responsible for overall branding and building awareness for Tefen USA and for increasing visibility for the company’s growing Healthcare Division.

Katy Layton joins the CooperKatz team as Account Coordinator. Welcome Katy!

Insure U, the consumer education initiative developed by CooperKatz & Company for the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), received an Award of Excellence in the 2007 Associations Advance America Awards, a national competition sponsored by the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) and The Center for Association Leadership. The NAIC and its Insure U program are in the running to receive a Summit Award, the highest level of recognition presented by the ASAE in areas including public education and information, business and social innovation, citizenship and democracy enhancement, and civic and community volunteerism. The Summit Awards will take place in Washington, D.C. this fall.

In order to better educate the public about insurance, CooperKatz and the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) conducted a consumer survey about ‘what’s not included in a standard homeowners policy.’ Extensive media outreach led to great results, including a prominent story in the Sunday New York Times Real Estate section titled “What’s Insured and What Isn’t." The above-the-fold article quoted Kansas Insurance Commissioner Sandy Praeger, the president-elect of the NAIC. CooperKatz also secured coverage in the Philadelphia Inquirer, DowJones MarketWatch, TheStreet.com, among others.

Rebecca Khan and Lily Rothman join the CooperKatz team as summer interns. Welcome Rebecca and Lily!

With the objective of transforming the way the Alticor corporation stages its largest business meetings, CooperKatz guided overall content, production and staging direction for Alticor's Quixtar Connections 2007. This gathering of 8,000 independent Business Owners from around the world converged on the Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan on June 9th. The multi-screen program featured Rich DeVos, who co-founded the company almost 50 years ago; Steve Van Andel and Doug DeVos, current Chairman and President; other top Quixtar executives; a six -piece band with two additional vocalists and a dozen members of the North American (Youth) Choral Company.

The meeting was simultaneously translated into 8 languages for the international IBOs who attended from many countries including China, Russia, Korea, Germany and Japan.

Marc Trachtenberg, CEO of Teliris, the leading provider of telepresence solutions, presented a keynote address at Telepresence World 2007, the first annual conference and trade show dedicated to this growing technology. To maximize media exposure around this event, CooperKatz implemented a two-part outreach effort that included pre-briefings and on-site demonstrations of telepresence virtual meetings with influential analysts and media. In addition, CooperKatz organized a press briefing at the conference, where Mr. Trachtenberg announced new product offerings and customer wins.

CooperKatz’s media outreach generated strong coverage for Teliris in several key publications including Wired, Information Week, PC World, Edmonton Journal and CRN Online. The analyst outreach resulted in positive reports from Gartner, IDC and Telespan, all influential analyst firms in the industry.

Amira Rubin joins the CooperKatz team as Manager, Client Services. Welcome Amira!

The healthcare division of Noblis has retained CooperKatz & Company to execute a focused marketing and public relations program. The healthcare division assists private and government health organizations achieve their missions by an integrated approach, combining strategic thinking with improvement and innovation of business and clinical processes and a systems approach to information management and facilities planning. CooperKatz's campaign will concentrate on foundational PR tactics that will help to raise the visibility of the practice among healthcare providers nationwide.

CooperKatz launched Insure U for Small Business, a public education program of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC). Held at the New York Public Library on April 24, 2007, the event featured 11 state commissioners and attracted small business owners and journalists from Business Week, Fortune Small Business, Inc. Magazine, the New York Times and USA Today, among others. Media coverage included stories on NY-1 (television), Wall Street Journal This Morning (radio, syndicated to over 100 national stations), the New York Daily News, as well as placements in over a dozen major daily newspapers nationwide via two Associated Press wire stories. The Insure U for Small Business Web site offers helpful information, tips and consideration for the small business owner on these key types of insurance: Workers Compensation, Business Property & Liability, Commercial Auto, Group Health & Disability, Group Life & Key Person Life, and Home-Based Businesses at www.insureuonline.org/smallbusiness.

Jasmine Lyons joins the CooperKatz team as Senior Account Executive. Welcome Jasmine!

CooperKatz is named one of the ‘Best Small Agencies to Work For’ by the Holmes Report. Based on a confidential survey of employees, CK placed sixth in the Small Agency category. In the Holmes Report write-up accompanying the announcement, this comment appeared: “CooperKatz expects a great deal from its employees, but it also provides a wonderful network of support and encouragement to succeed at every level.”

CooperKatz is pleased to acknowledge the contributions of six key employees with promotions:

• Rachael Adler to Manager, Client Services
• Melissa Connerton to Manager, Client Services
• Meredith Topalanchik to Manager, Client Services
• Lesley Weiner to Account Supervisor
• Jorge Lavina to Senior Account Executive
• Nick Sowards to Account Executive

Congratulations!

DialAmerica, one the nation’s largest teleservices companies, has retained CooperKatz & Company to execute a focused marketing and public relations program. The campaign will elevate DialAmerica’s brand and value proposition to target audiences in multiple industry sectors.

CooperKatz’s PR responsibilities will include supporting DialAmerica’s 50th Anniversary celebration as well as introducing a new company identity to better reflect DialAmerica’s innovation and expertise.

Aprill Turner joins the CooperKatz team as Senior Account Executive. Welcome Aprill!

CooperKatz helped launch U.S. Preventive Medicine, a new healthcare company dedicated to prevention, by designing and placing full-page open letters in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post and USA Today. The open letters appeared on the day of the State of the Union address and called for the President, Congress and the American Public to embrace prevention as the solution to America’s healthcare challenges. The open letters were followed by aggressive media outreach which resulted in a cover story in Modern Physician as well as stand-alone articles about the company in Managed Healthcare Executive, Healthcare Finance News, Healthcare IT News and For the Record Magazine.

Tanya Matthews joins the CooperKatz team as Administrative Assistant. Welcome Tanya!

ASCAP (The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) has retained CooperKatz & Company to execute a national leadership public relations program. The campaign will communicate the point-of-view of ASCAP members on music copyright protection and compensation issues, as new tools, technologies and media platforms reshape the music business.

“We selected CooperKatz because of their experience in designing and implementing thought leadership programs, as well as their knowledge of the music business and intellectual property issues,” said Philip Crosland, ASCAP Executive Vice President & Chief Marketing Officer.

CooperKatz’s PR responsibilities will also include supporting ASCAP’s ‘I Create Music’ EXPO and its youth anti-piracy education program.

“We are delighted to be joining forces with ASCAP to help this pre-eminent organization communicate the ‘voice of the music creator’ on the many issues impacting the music industry,” said Andy Cooper, Principal, CooperKatz & Company.

CooperKatz helped Petfinder score a Super Bowl touchdown with a major story in the New York Daily News featuring the client’s role in the third Annual Animal Planet Puppy Bowl. The full-page article featured puppies, available for adoption via the Petfinder.com site, whose names – Rex and Peyton – matched Chicago Bears quarterback Rex Grossman and his Indianapolis Colts counterpart Peyton Manning.

As CooperKatz continues its pre-launch strategy for the world's first three-wheel scooter, the Sunday January 28 issue of USA Weekend featured the Piaggio MP3 on its cover, ridden by Jim Cramer, host of CNBC’s “Mad Money.” The popular weekend supplement also featured a blurb inside talking about the MP3 as one of the "Next Big Things" for 2007.

Polar, the leader in heart rate monitoring and fitness assessment technology, has selected CooperKatz & Company as its agency of record to design and execute a public relations program to raise awareness of the benefits of heart-rate monitoring during exercise, training and other physical activity. The initiative, which will encourage all segments of the U.S. population to “listen to their bodies,” will support Polar’s three key thrusts: physical education, fitness/wellbeing and sports performance.

"We selected CooperKatz because of their smart, strategic approach to our business and the strength of their team," said Jeff Padovan, President, Polar Americas. “We were also impressed with the firm’s creativity and its substantial experience with health and fitness products.”

Polar, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Finland-based Polar Electro OY, invented the first wireless heart rate monitor in 1977. Today, in its 30th anniversary year, the company’s heart rate monitors are the number one choice among consumers worldwide. The Polar portfolio also includes fitness assessment systems and software that provide an accurate assessment of overall health and fitness levels by measuring biological age versus chronological age.

“Polar heart rate monitors and fitness assessment tools are incredibly important as more and more people recognize the life-long value of exercise to their health and fitness,” said Ralph Katz, Principal, CooperKatz. “We’re thrilled to be working with this market leader.”

The Consulate General of Belgium has engaged CooperKatz & Company to conduct a comprehensive study to determine the best ways to raise Belgium’s economic profile in the U.S.

The engagement will assess the country’s current image, unique benefits and competitive position as a convenient, cost-effective venue for U.S. companies considering establishing or expanding a base of operations abroad. Belgium is a key producer of high quality chocolate, textile, diamonds and beer, but is less well-known for its automotive industry or as a leader in medical technology, life sciences, pharmaceutical research and other fields.

“We selected CooperKatz because of their substantial experience in communicating to U.S. companies the advantages of investing in international countries,” said Mrs. Renilde Loeckx-Drozdiak, Consul General of Belgium in New York. “We were particularly impressed with the firm’s work for Invest Northern Ireland.”

“Belgium has many qualities of high interest to U.S. companies,” said Ralph Katz, Principal, CooperKatz. “Among them are its geographic proximity to key European markets; its ideal positioning – as the headquarters of the EU and NATO – for political/government/economic relations efforts; and its attractive tax and innovation policies.”

CooperKatz works with Jackson Hewitt Tax Service to promote its “Heroes of the Year” contest. To announce the winner, CooperKatz broke the story by securing an article in USA Today’s January 25, 2007 edition. Jackson Hewitt’s program honors an exceptional National Guard citizen soldier. There were 10 nominees in all - - from Southern California to South Carolina. Staff Sergeant General Quinton Martin from Gulfport, Mississippi is the winner. His image will be rendered on a NASCAR race car competing in Fontana, California in February 2007. This is the first time in NASCAR history that a non-celebrity will be featured on a car. Jackson Hewitt is honoring all the nominated “heroes” by flying them out to Fontana for the NASCAR race in February.

Michael Katz joins the CooperKatz team as Production Assistant. Welcome Mike!

Thea Linscott joins the CooperKatz team as Account Executive. Welcome Thea!

The CooperKatz Cogence practice has been engaged by CondéNet, an online division of Condé Nast Publications, to promote the launch of Flip.com. A site geared towards teenage girls, Flip.com offers them the opportunity to connect with each other and express their creativity in a new kind of social networking environment. At the heart of Flip is the Flipbook - a customizable, multi-media photo/video/audio scrapbook that girls can make and share with others.

The Cogence team is proactively engaging influential bloggers to test the site, create flipbooks, join clubs, and offer feedback on the site - encouraging each blogger to post about their Flip experience. CooperKatz is also monitoring the 'blogosphere' for buzz surrounding Flip, as well as engaging key members of the mainstream media for the site's official launch. Stay tuned- you're sure to hear more about Flip online and off!

CooperKatz is proud to announce the promotion of Alysa McKenna to Senior Account Executive. Congratulations, Alysa!