Winner: Lori Tokunaga, Account Executive, The Hoffman Agency
PR is plenty of fun and games to Lori Tokunaga. She won the Hoffman Agency six awards last year, including a MarCom Creative Award, LACP Magellan Award and a SABRE Award. One
campaign in 2005 was for Dolby, to show the benefits of its speakers to the videogaming world. She set up an Xbox and Dolby-powered surround-sound speakers in her office, so she
could talk a good game with the gaming press.
Tokunaga also brings a fun element to her dealings with her team. When she needed to increase publicity for Philips Semiconductors, she packaged her plan in a top-secret
dossier, setting up a system of rewards and lighthearted punishments for teammates as they succeeded or failed in their duties each week. Those who faced the "Wheel of Shame"
could end up making a trip to Starbucks for lattes for their teammates.
But humor isn't her only skill. "When I'm wholeheartedly behind a campaign, it shows," she says. "I've seen passion and excitement spread across the team to inspire everyone."
This PR dynamo is far from resting on her laurels. Her proudest moment last year, she says, was "Taking on a direct report and contributing to her career growth. Since she was
beginning her career in public relations, I had the opportunity to help shape her skill set and provide encouragement."
Contact: [email protected]
Honorable Mention
Paul Peterson, account manager of Tempe, Ariz.-based agency Off Madison Avenue, helped make organized garages a reality with his brand awareness and image launch campaigns for
PremierGarage, even securing a segment on "Extreme Home Makeover." .
Rebekah Morgan, account manager for Burson-Marsteller, implemented CSR programs for a tobacco company, crisis plans for hospitals, and protected a steel company's reputation.
Her position document on a health care crisis for small Texas businesses got stellar results.