Winner: Chris Fuller
Director of PR & Emerging Media, Pizza Hut
 |
How do you top off a large, everything pizza with extra cheese? Chris Fuller succeeded in doing just that in 2010 with a menu of PR campaigns that sought to trumpet Pizza Hut’s new simplified pricing while wiping out the perception that the restaurant chain’s offerings were unaffordable. Among his recent successes are the $10 Any Pizza Deal lunch and the company’s brand campaign, “Your Favorites. Your Pizza Hut”—both of which generated heavy coverage in traditional media as well 5.1 million impressions on Facebook and nearly 200,000 U.S. brand fans added to the social network. A consummate out-of-the-box thinker, Fuller led the “wedding crasher” campaign, through which Pizza Hut fed the press camped out at Chelsea Clinton’s wedding, among other attention-grabbing events. —CO
Greatest mentor: “Fresh out of college, I had the privilege of serving the people of the Texas Panhandle as a press secretary for U.S. Rep. Mac Thornberry. Mac consistently exhibited the finest qualities of leadership: compassion, wisdom, decisiveness and humility. As a mentor, he encouraged his staff to serve selflessly, and in return we strived for excellence in our work.”
HonorableMentions:
Eileen Cassidy Rivera, Vice President Communications & Investor Relations, Vangent
Last year, Eileen Cassidy Rivera kicked off the “Vangent State of Mind” campaign, which included a welcome video featuring Vangent’s CEO, a new Web site and a series of advertisements. The effort led to the company for the first time reaching over $1 billion in new business.
Kelly Doria, Director of Public Relations, Scottrade
A strong hand in helping shape the firm’s vision, Kelly Doria has secured media coverage for Scottrade in an expanded range of outlets, redesigned much of the company’s Web site and established its Facebook and Twitter presence.
Cheryl Goodman, Director of Marketing, Qualcomm MEMS Technologies
It’s tough to get people to pause and pay attention in the mobile space, but Cheryl Goodman positioned Qualcomm’s nascent display technology as a game changer in both the mobile and e-reader space—and generated media coverage, award wins and new partnerships before the product hit the market.
Stuart Kirby, Head of Public Relations for Latin America & the Caribbean, Diageo PLC
Stuart Kirby has excelled at building external programs and partnerships, including for the recent launch of The John Walker—a $3,000 per bottle Johnnie Walker product launched during the recession.
Dan Macuga, Vice President of Marketing & Public Relations, USANA Health Sciences
By orchestrating strategic visits at key events, including the 2009 MTV Movie Awards, 2009 Emmys, 2010 Golden Globes and 2010 Sundance Film Festival, Dan Macuga helped put USANA squarely in the media spotlight. He has also spearheaded the company’s social media efforts.
Donna C. Peterman, Chief Communications Officer, PNC Financial Services Group
Donna Peterman steered PNC’s communications during its acquisition of National City Corp. during the recession—no small feat. In 2009 the company delivered its highest media impact score among select peer banks, and employee engagement scores in 2009 improved by 14% compared with the prior year.
Troy Rutman, Director of External Communications, Best Western International
Troy Rutman has overseen growth in media impressions for Best Western from 3.2 billion in 2008 to more than 5.3 billion, and broken new ground in partnerships with Harley-Davidson, NASCAR and American Automobile Association/Canadian Automobile Association.