Winner: Taylor
Metamorphosis:
In 2006, the PR industry bore witness to the birth of a new brand: Alan Taylor Communications transformed its corporate identity and shed its former moniker in favor of a
short-and-sweet brand name: Taylor.
Differentiating Factors:
With a contemporary new brand image, Taylor firmly imbedded itself as a leader in the lifestyle and sports communications industries. It differentiates itself from its
competitors via its unique business model based on diversity and total immersion: Every account has one agency principal and a researcher to handle client needs, and each program
is fully integrated to offer a depth of strategic thinking often absent in today's business interactions.
The Proof is in the Pudding:
Taylor partners with Leader's Edge and Second Quadrant Solutions to offer employees a year-round professional development curriculum. Clearly, the hard work pays off: In 2006
alone, the firm saw more than $18 million in global revenue, and counted high-profile campaigns such as Xbox 360's launch of Madden NFL 2007 and Mastercard's "A Home for the
Holidays" campaign on its roster. Plus, they didn't lose a single account. PRN
Honorable Mentions for Mid-Size PR Firm of the Year
PEPPERCOM, INC. -- Combining expertise in both positioning and digital communications, Peppercom is constantly evolving to meet the needs of its clients. When there was a
demand for environmental sustainability training, GreenPepper was launched to create and communicate environmental strategies to stakeholders. Whatever the need, Peppercom has
created the services to handle it with grace and resolve.
OUTCAST COMMUNICATIONS, OUTCAST COMMUNICATIONS -- OutCast Communications is a growing PR firm that seeks to keep the uniqueness of a small agency while growing into a large
one. In 2006, OutCast gained accounts with several more Yahoo! properties, including Yahoo! Mail and Yahoo.com. For a Dell server launch, OutCast was able to secure 22 interviews
with top-tier media outlets in nine hours.
MWW GROUP, INNOVATE. INSPIRE. LEAD -- MWW Group led its clients in 2006 through thick and thin. When a controversy sprang up around a McDonald's iced coffee billboard in New
Jersey, MWW Group's strategy turned the situation into a sales-driving media opportunity, causing an upsurge of iced coffee sales in the New York Metro area, despite the fact that
there was no actual advertising, just media coverage.