Auto Specialist Named Assistant Vice President at Coyne Public Relations
PRWeek’s Midsize Agency of the Year Promotes Mike Salzillo

Parsippany, N.J., February 24, 2010 - Rich Lukis, President of Coyne Public Relations, today announced the promotion of Mike Salzillo to Assistant Vice President, effective immediately. Since joining Coyne Public Relations in February 2005, Salzillo has provided strategic counsel for and helped implement a number of award winning campaigns for several of the agency’s high-profile clients including Shell Lubricants and Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company.

Salzillo also spearheads the agency’s new media efforts and is often called upon to offer strategic counsel in the social media space to all of the agency’s teams and clients. He is a founding member of sPRocket, Coyne PR’s internal think tank that has been responsible for the development of the agency’s social media code of ethics and C2C process for identifying, analyzing and engaging with bloggers.

“Mike has been an integral member of the automotive team, and has earned the trust and respect of our clients,” said Joe Gargiulo, Vice President, Coyne Public Relations. “Mike’s also played an invaluable role in the agency’s approach to and continuing growth in social media.”

Additionally, Salzillo earned his Accreditation in Public Relations (APR) from the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), and was named a finalist for PRWeek’s Young PR Professional of the Year Award in 2008.

Salzillo graduated with a Bachelors of Arts in Communications from Seton Hall University in 2002, and was an active member of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) and the school’s Bateman Competition Team.

Coyne Public Relations named one of the Best Places to Work
in New Jersey by NJBIZ

Parsippany, N.J., February 22, 2010 – Coyne Public Relations, one of the fastest growing public relations agencies in America, announced today that it has been named one of the 55 Best Places to Work in New Jersey by NJBIZ. The award program, created in 2005, is produced by NJBIZ and sponsored by Extensis, Gibbons P.C., and Rothstein Kass. The final rankings will be announced at an awards ceremony on April 22 at the Hilton East Brunswick.

This survey and award program is designed to identify, recognize and honor the best places of employment in New Jersey, benefiting the state's economy, its workforce and businesses. The Best Places to Work in New Jersey program is made up of 55 companies split into two groups: 30 medium-sized companies (25-249 employees) and 25 large-sized companies (more than 250 employees). Coyne PR has been named one of the Best Places to Work in New Jersey in the medium category. This is the third year Coyne PR has been recognized by NJBIZ with this honor.

“One of my personal goals has always been to foster a work environment that will retain and attract the best and brightest minds in the public relations industry,” said Tom Coyne, CEO, Coyne Public Relations. “The success of an agency is determined by its people and the best people will always attract the best clients.”

The 55 Best Places to Work in New Jersey was compiled based on two phases: an evaluation of each nominated company's workplace policies, practices, philosophy, systems and demographics, and an employee survey to measure the employee experience. Best Companies Group managed the overall registration and survey process. Additionally, they analyzed the data provided and used their expertise to determine the final rankings.

For more information on the Best Places to Work in New Jersey 2010 program, please visit www.njbiz.com/events.

ABOUT NJBIZ:
NJBIZ is New Jersey's only weekly business journal covering the entire state and was founded in 1987. The publication has received numerous statewide and national awards including the 2006 Most Improved Award from the Alliance of Area Business Publications. NJBIZ provides useful and important information and services in order to create success for its customers, employees and the communities it serves.

Coyne Public Relations Recognized for Excellence with Six 2010 PRWeek Awards Nominations

Parsippany, N.J., February 2, 2010 – Coyne Public Relations, one of the fastest growing public relations agencies in America, today announced that it is a finalist for six 2010 PRWeek Awards, which are given each year to the best corporate, nonprofit, agency and education teams and campaigns in the public relations industry.

“We are very excited to have six nominations for such a prestigious award,” said Tom Coyne, CEO, Coyne Public Relations. “We are proud of the work we have done and continue to do for our clients.” Coyne Public Relations has been nominated for the following campaigns:

• Arts, Entertainment & Media Campaign of the Year: Harlem Globetrotters – Spinning the Globe 2008-09 Tour


• Community Relations Campaign of the Year: Community FoodBank of New Jersey – We Can’t Let This Bank Fail!


• Corporate Branding Campaign of the Year: Medco Health Solutions – A Prescription for Change: Communicating the Safety Platform


• Nonprofit Campaign of the Year: Community FoodBank of New Jersey – We Can’t Let This Bank Fail!


• Best Use of Social Media/Digital: Disney Parks – “What Will You Celebrate?” Online Virtual Storyteller


• Promotional Event of the Year: Hasbro – Candy Land’s Sweet 60th Birthday Celebration

The 2010 PRWeek Awards winners will be announced at a dinner in New York City on March 11.

ABOUT THE PRWEEK AWARDS:
A PRWeek Award is the highest accolade in the PR industry, given each year to the best corporate, nonprofit, and agency teams, as well as to the campaigns that they produce. The Awards highlight the important work done by PR professionals every day.

The judges comprise top professionals from the agency, corporate, nonprofit, education, and government ranks, and are among the most respected people in the industry. These top practitioners come together voluntarily, donating their valuable time to grade campaigns, individuals, and teams.

Vice President Joins Midsize Agency of the Year to Help Oversee Growing Toy/Juvenile Product Client Roster

Parsippany, N.J. , December 7, 2009 — Rich Lukis, president of Coyne Public Relations, one of the fastest-growing PR agencies in the United States, today announced the hiring of Sue Murphy, who will join the firm’s Toy and Juvenile Product Division as a vice president. Murphy spent the previous 15 years at Freeman Public Relations, where she spearheaded the PR efforts of several consumer brands such as Tyco Toys, Mattel and Fisher-Price.

“This is a very exciting hire for the agency as we continue to move toward more defined practice areas,” said Rich Lukis, president of Coyne Public Relations. “Sue’s experience in the industry brings a new and valuable dimension to our team. She is well known and respected by key business influencers and we are very excited to have her onboard.” During her tenure at Freeman Public Relations, Murphy oversaw a multitude of notable campaigns, including the original Tickle Me Elmo launch and the 50th birthday of Matchbox Cars. Murphy, who began as an assistant account executive in 1994, worked her way to eventually become vice president at Freeman. She will assume a similar role at Coyne Public Relations and will help manage the agency’s Toy and Juvenile Products Division. A 1994 graduate of Syracuse University, Murphy earned her BS in Public Relations from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Relations. She currently resides in West Milford with her husband and two children.

Coyne Public Relations’ Studio C Captures Gold and Silver honors at the fifth-annual Davey Awards

Parsippany, N.J. , November 25, 2009—Tom Coyne, CEO of Coyne Public Relations, one of the fastest growing public relations agencies in the United States, announced today that Coyne Digital Studio captured gold and silver awards at the fifth-annual International Davey Awards, bringing the design team its 11th award in 2009 alone. Receiving more than 4,000 entries, the Davey Awards aim to recognize creativity from the premiere mid-size agencies in the world.

“When we started our graphics department at Coyne Public Relations, we wanted to hold true to our mission statement of hiring the best employees and the best work will be come from them, which will attract great clients,” said Tom Coyne, Coyne Public Relations CEO. “This philosophy held up and is supported by Coyne Digital Studio’s 11 award wins this year. The Coyne Digital Studio will continue to grow and we will continue to add new services in the very near future.” Coyne Digital Studio took home a gold award in the “Business-to-Business” category for the agency’s Ritz Cracker creative mailer to celebrate the brand’s 75th Anniversary “Open For Fun” campaign. Distributed in the form of an octagon, the ”shaped-mailers” were sent to the top 200 U.S. food editors. Featuring a giant-sized image of a Ritz cracker on the package, the mailer included a sleeve of crackers, a deck of playing cards, a Ritz-branded slinky, a fun ball and media releases.

The agency also captured a silver award in the “Logo” category for “In Her Image – Mammography Re-Examined,” a West Caldwell, N.J.-based facility that offers a number of procedures essential to women’s health. In the agency’s first bottom-to-top campaign, Coyne Digital Studio used the design elements of color, fonts and abstract symbolism as components for the logo and cornerstone of the In Her Image brand. After months of research, numerous focus groups, design and implementation, the initial branding process was completed and In Her Image opened its doors in October, 2009.

The Davey Awards is an international creative award focused exclusively on honoring outstanding creative work from the best small firms worldwide. The 2009 Davey Awards received over 4,000 entries from ad agencies, interactive agencies, production firms, in-house creative professionals, graphic designers, design firms and public relations firms. The Davey Awards honors the achievement of the “Creative David’s” where strength comes from ideas, intelligence and out-of-the-box thinking.

Coyne Public Relations’ Web Site in National Spotlight

Parsippany, N.J. , November 2, 2009—Tom Coyne, CEO of Coyne Public Relations, one of the fastest-growing PR agencies in the United States, announced today that the Coyne Digital Studio received a Silver W3 Award in the category of corporate Web sites for the re-design of coynepr.com. Receiving nearly 3,000 entries, the W3 Awards honor outstanding Web sites, Web marketing, and Web video created by some of the best interactive agencies, designers, and creators worldwide.

“The Coyne Public Relations Web site is a perfect venue for us to showcase the agency’s award-winning work of which I am extremely proud. On the Web site, you can read about our corporate culture, view our agency capabilities, take an in-depth look at our leadership team and much more,” Tom Coyne, CEO of Coyne Public Relations, said. “I believe that we have, bar none, the most talented digital studio in the nation.”

The textured, visual Web site, coynepr.com, features a transitional banner on the homepage, highlighting the agency’s latest award-winning work and campaigns, micro-sites of each industry including Food and Beverage, Sports, Travel, Fashion, Beauty, Automotive, Technology, Pet, Retail, Healthcare and more. The site also includes outlets to Coyne’s social media practices including the agency’s YouTube, Twitter, Flickr and Facebook Web sites which are embedded throughout the site.

The W3 Awards honors creative excellence on the Web, and recognizes the creative and marketing professionals behind award-winning sites, marketing programs, and video work created for the Web. In honoring outstanding Web sites, Web advertising, and Web video, The W3 Awards is the first major Web competition to be accessible to the biggest agencies, the smallest firms, and everyone in between. Small firms are as likely to win as Fortune 500 companies and international agencies. In its fourth year, the W3 Awards received nearly 3,000 entries from ad agencies, public relations firms, interactive agencies, in-house creative professionals, Web designers, graphic designers and Web enthusiasts.

Agency Wins Pro Bono Campaign of the Year on Behalf of The Community FoodBank of New Jersey

Parsippany, N.J., October 22, 2009 – Coyne Public Relations was named 2009 Midsize Agency of the Year yesterday at the PR News Platinum PR Awards, which were held at the Grand Hyatt in New York City. This win marks the second time this year that Coyne Public Relations was named Midsize Agency of the Year. Earlier this year, the firm won in this category at the PRWeek Awards. The top 25-ranked agency also won in the Pro Bono category for the campaign “We Can’t Let This Bank Fail” on behalf of the Community FoodBank of New Jersey (CFBNJ) at the 2009 PR News Platinum PR Awards.

“This year has been amazing for the firm as we have garnered more than 50 honors and received Agency of the Year recognition from every PR outlet in the U.S.,” said Tom Coyne, CEO of Coyne Public Relations. “I am especially honored to be recognized by PR News, the standard bearer of information in the industry.”

Coyne Public Relations also took home honorable mention honors at the PR News Platinum Awards for the following campaigns: Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company for the “Goodyear ‘Get There’ Awards,” Humana for the “Freewheelin” bike-sharing program, Pennzoil’s “Platinum Poker Challenge,” Hard Rock International’s “Imagine There’s No Hunger,” Del Monte Food Corporation with its “Milk-Bone Celebrates 700 Dog Years.”

Coyne Public Relations President Rich Lukis named to PRWeek's Top "40 Under 40" list of exceptional executives

Parsippany, N.J., August 6, 2009 – Tom Coyne, CEO of Coyne Public Relations, is pleased to announce that the agency President Rich Lukis, 39, has been named to PRWeek’s “Top 40 under 40” list of exceptional executives. Each year, the publication honors executives who have exceeded expectations in their corporate positions before turning 40 years old.

“Rich is extremely deserving of this honor and I congratulate him on making PRWeek’s prestigious list,” said Tom Coyne, CEO, Coyne Public Relations. “Rich is an integral part of the agency, providing leadership to the finance, operations and human resource departments. He also leads the agency’s client management and new business endeavors. He is a major reason why we are a top-25 independent PR firm that was recently named PRWeek’s 2009 Midsize Agency of the Year.” A consumer PR specialist with 20 years of experience, Lukis has worked with many of the world’s most respected companies, including General Mills, Kraft Foods, Church & Dwight, Campbell Soup Company and Shell Oil. He has developed successful campaigns for some of the country’s most recognized brands, including Oreo, Life Savers, Arm & Hammer, Chunky, V8, Pillsbury, Quaker State and Pennzoil. Lukis was Coyne Public Relations’ second employee and has been with the company for more than 10 years.

Prior to joining Coyne Public Relations, Lukis was a consumer public relations specialist at New York’s Marina Maher Communications and Custom Event Marketing, a division of BSB Advertising. He developed effective marketing, promotions and high-profile events for clients such as AT&T, Philips Consumer Electronics, MasterCard, Schering-Plough and JanSport Corporation. Lukis also managed programs for Miller Brewing, FedEx, Avon and Spalding Sports Worldwide.

Lukis also serves as Vice President of the New Jersey Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America and is a member of the Council of PR Firms and the Councelors Academy. He is a frequent guest lecturer at New York University and is regularly quoted in national business and industry publications.

Industry Veteran Meghan Flynn Joins Coyne Public Relations from Stew Leonard’s, Kellogg Company and Tropicana

Parsippany, N.J. - July 27, 2009 - Coyne Public Relations, PRWeek’s 2009 Midsize Agency of the Year, today announced that it has appointed marketing communications veteran Meghan Flynn as Vice President, Director of Food and Nutrition Marketing Communications. Coyne Public Relations is a top 20 food and beverage agency and has extensive experience representing a variety of food and beverage companies, supermarket retailers and nationwide restaurant chains. Flynn will bring her expertise to the agency’s industry-leading clients including General Mills, Kraft Foods, the Campbell Soup Company, Del Monte and PepsiCo.

“Meghan brings 20 years of food and nutrition experience to our firm and I am very excited to work with her as I have admired her work from afar for quite some time,” said Rich Lukis, President of Coyne Public Relations. “Meghan has already been integral in some of our planning efforts so I know how smart and strategic she is…and I know that our clients will benefit greatly from her expertise and experience. She will work on all of our food and nutrition accounts and consult with our healthcare clients.”

Flynn joins Coyne Public Relations from Stew Leonard’s where she held the post of Vice President of Public Relations. At Stew Leonard’s, Meghan was charged with all external media outreach, executive interviews and special events where she managed new store openings. Prior to Stew Leonard’s, Meghan held marketing communications positions at Kellogg Company in Battle Creek, Mich. and Tropicana. She cut her teeth at the public relations agency Burson-Marsteller in New York where Meghan was the first registered dietitian hired at that agency. At Burson-Marsteller, Meghan was at the helm of several high profile accounts such as Dannon Yogurt, USA Rice Council and Planters LifeSavers. She has worked with numerous celebrities in her career including Bobby Flay, Mario Batali, Martha Stewart, Lorraine Bracco, Cindy Crawford, and numerous Olympic athletes.

Meghan is a registered dietitian and holds a Master of Science degree in food and nutrition communications from Boston University and a BS from Virginia Tech. In 2005, Meghan was named as one of Fairfield County’s “40 Under 40,” recognizing outstanding business professionals under the age of 40. She is married and lives in Stamford, Conn. with her husband and daughter. An epicure, Meghan enjoys fine wine and one-of-a-kind restaurants; she is also an avid tennis fan.

Recent College Graduates Join Food and Pet Products Division at Coyne Public Relations

Parsippany, N.J. – July 23, 2009 – Coyne Public Relations, PRWeek’s 2009 Midsize Agency of the Year, is staying true to its mission statement by continuing to hire top-notch talent. And most recently the agency tapped four Account Coordinators, Christine Denham, Keryn Howarth, Danielle Paleafico and Jenna Marucci. Coyne Public Relations is a top 20 food and beverage agency and has extensive experience representing a variety of food and beverage companies, supermarket retailers and nationwide restaurant chains. The new hires will work with Coyne’s industry-leading clients including General Mills and Del Monte.

“Despite the economy, Coyne continues to look brightly into the future of the agency and continues its growth,” said Rich Lukis, President of Coyne Public Relations. “We are delighted to hire four recent college graduates who have extensive internship experience and are sure to become great assets to the company.”

Jenna Marucci previously held an internship position with MS&L Worldwide where she helped developed a PR campaign for Match.com. She graduated Cum Laude from Hofstra University. While at Hofstra, Marucci was an active member of the Delta Phi Epsilon sorority and The Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA).

Prior to joining Coyne Public Relations, Keryn Howarth had several internships in the PR industry helping support accounts at Creative Media Marketing, as well as THINK PR in NYC where she got the chance to assist her team at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week. She also interned with OUR Center in Longmont, Col. and Doctors of the World in New York City. Howarth is a graduate of the University of Colorado at Boulder School where she earned BA in Journalism & Mass Communication.

Christine Denham previously held internships with Weber Shandwick and Edelman prior to joining Coyne Public Relations. During her time there, she assisted on campaigns for Campbells, Shell, Energizer and Burger King. Denham graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with the highest honors. She was also an active member in the Delta Delta Delta sorority and served as President of The Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA).

Danielle Paleafico graduated Cum Laude from Seton Hall University. She served as Vice President of The Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) and participated in the Bateman Case Study Competition, where she composed a comprehensive public relations campaign. She previously interned at Simon & Schuster in New York City.

PRWEEK’S MID-SIZE AGENCY OF THE YEAR PROMOTES STACY BECKER

Parsippany, N.J., June 25, 2009 – Rich Lukis, President of Coyne Public Relations, today announced the promotion of Stacy Becker to Assistant Vice President, effective immediately. Since joining Coyne Public Relations in March, 2001 as an Account Coordinator, Becker has excelled on numerous accounts and currently spearheads several of the agency’s high-profile consumer clients including: Graco Children’s Products, Old Bay Seasoning and Ritz crackers. She has also led several key initiatives for General Mills including the creation and execution of MyBlogSpark, a blog network that helps brands connect with bloggers and become part of online conversations in the blogosphere. Becker also plays a key role in developing the agency’s social media strategies and is one of the founding members of Coyne’s internal social media think tank – sPRocket. Her expertise has enabled her to help develop the agency’s social media code of conduct and blogger relations process.

“Stacy has been a great asset to the agency overall for the past eight years and an essential part of our team,” said Tim Schramm, Senior Vice President. “Stacy has spearheaded many important projects for the agency, and has been an integral part of the growth of the General Mills business, as well as the social media capabilities of the company.”

Becker’s public relations experience includes a diverse background in juvenile products, entertainment, travel and food. She has a Bachelors of Arts in Communication from Rowan University, where she graduated in December, 2000. Becker currently resides in Morristown.

COYNE ALSO WINS FOUR BRONZE ANVIL AWARDS

Parsippany, N.J. June 8, 2009 Coyne Public Relations, PR Week’s 2009 Midsize Agency of the Year, today announced that it is the proud recipient of a 2009 Silver Anvil Award, a Silver Anvil Award of Excellence and four Bronze Anvil Awards. The Silver Anvil was presented to Coyne Public Relations for the work the team conducted on behalf of its client, Humana and the campaign titled: “Share and Share a Bike: Humana Brings Bike-Sharing to the Masses.” Coyne and Humana won the Anvil in the category of Events and Observances. Coyne and Humana also garnered a Silver Anvil Award of Excellence in the Category of Marketing Consumer Products. Moreover, Coyne won four Bronze Anvil Awards; three for long-time client Disney Parks and an additional accolade on behalf of Humana. (See listing below.)

“With more than 2,000 print and broadcast stories on the initiative, the success of Freewheelin exceeded our high expectations,” said Jim Turner, Corporate Communications Manager for Humana. “This Anvil Award is a testament to the combined efforts of our internal team at Humana and the team at Coyne Public Relations who believed in this program and helped lead by example in promoting environmental awareness and better health. We reminded people how fun it is to use a bike for short trips instead of driving.”

“As usual, finalists in this year’s Silver Anvil Awards are among the very top public relations programs in our industry,” said James J. Roop, 2009 Silver Anvil Committee chair and president of Roop & Co., Cleveland, Ohio. “Long regarded as the ‘Oscars’ of the public relations profession, the Silver Anvils recognize best practices in our field.”

COYNE’S BRONZE ANVIL AWARDS:

• Media Relations – Consumer Services (Travel and Tourism/Hospitality), for its “Park-Savvy Parents Become Walt Disney’s First Online Moms Panel” initiative.
• Media Relations – Consumer Products (Other), for their “Disney Park and NASA send Buzz Lightyear “to infinity and beyond!” campaign.
• Word Of Mouth – Viral Marketing Program, for its “Disney Park ‘What Will You Celebrate?’” initiative.
• Media Relations-Consumer Services (Health Care Services) for its “Share and Share-A-Bike: Humana Brings Bike Sharing to the Masses.

These esteemed industry awards are presented by the Public Relations Society of America and are judged by the highest standards in the profession. They recognize and celebrate programs that incorporate sound research, planning, execution and evaluation.

ABOUT FREEWHEELIN:
In 2007, Humana launched an innovative and “green” employee initiative called Freewheelin, a bike-sharing program that offered free bikes for employees to use for short daily trips, to run errands, get to and from public transportation, or take a leisurely spin during the day. The program has been tremendously successful in encouraging activity among employees: More than 2,500 Humana associates have signed up for the program, 21 percent of whom had not previously been involved in exercise activity.

Based upon its internal success, Humana saw an opportunity to address the nation’s obesity epidemic and environmental health by introducing Freewheelin to the nation. The company – in conjunction with the non-profit bicycling advocacy group Bikes Belong – chose the 2008 political conventions as the premier opportunities, and made 1,000 bikes available in the convention host cities of Denver and Minneapolis-St. Paul for free use by anyone during each four-day event.

ABOUT THE SILVER ANVIL AWARDS:
The Silver Anvil Awards program has grown in scope and stature since its inception in 1946, and awards are now given in 59 categories and subcategories. To date, more than 1,200 organizations have received Silver Anvil Awards for excellence in strategic public relations planning and implementation.

ABOUT THE PUBLIC RELATIONS SOCIETY OF AMERICA (PRSA):
The Public Relations Society of America, headquartered in New York City, is the world's largest organization for public relations professionals with nearly 32,000 professional and student members. PRSA is organized into 109 Chapters and 10 Districts nationwide, and 20 Professional Interest Sections and Affinity Groups, which represent business and industry, counseling firms, independent practitioners, military, government, associations, hospitals, schools, professional services firms and nonprofit organizations. The Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) has 302 Chapters at colleges and universities throughout the United States, and one Chapter in Argentina.

Mary Kay’s ’A Kiss for Country’ Initiative Trumps all Campaign Entries

Parsippany, N.J., June 4, 2009 – Coyne Public Relations’ Beauty Team, which is ranked in the top 10 nationally, came home from the Pyramid Awards last night with the most prestigious award of the evening … “The Best in Show,” on behalf of Mary Kay, Inc. for its campaign “A Kiss for Country: Mary Kay Partners with Country Music Artists to Kiss Domestic Violence Goodbye.” This award comes on the heels of Coyne Beauty and Mary Kay winning a Silver Sabre in the Fashion and Beauty category and Pyramid Award in the category of Special Programs and overall Best in Show, an award given to only one campaign. In all, Coyne Public Relations won six Pyramid Awards, which are presented by The Public Relations Society of America’s New Jersey Chapter.

“We were big winners last night at the Pyramid Awards with six awards, but taking home the ‘Best in Show’ honor really validates our Beauty Team,” said Rich Lukis, President, Coyne Public Relations. “As a whole, I was extremely pleased with our representation, as we won awards in six of our practice areas, including automotive, health care, food and beverage, travel and tourism and beauty.”

The Public Relations Society of America’s New Jersey Chapter established the Pyramid Awards to recognize excellence in public relations and communications throughout the state of New Jersey. The awards are evaluated on research, planning, execution and demonstrated results, as well as the effective use of budgets and resources. The 2009 Pyramid Awards were presented to program winners at the annual awards banquet on June 3 at the Basking Ridge Country Club.

Agency Wins Four Communicator Awards

Parsippany, N.J. June 3, 2009 Coyne Public Relations, PR Week’s 2009 Midsize Agency of the Year, today announced that it is the recipient of four Communicator Awards, one of the largest award programs for communication professionals in the world. The competition, which was founded over a decade ago and this year received some 9,000 entries, is judged by top-tier professionals from the International Academy of Visual Arts.

“Our employees continue to exceed industry standards in both quality and excellence. It is a huge honor to receive distinct recognition for creativity by those who know the communications business best,” said Richard Lukis, President, Coyne Public Relations.

The Coyne Public Relations Communicator Award Winners are as follows:

• Coyne Public Relations on behalf of its client Humana, received an Award of Distinction in the print category for its campaign titled: “Share-and-Share-a-Bike Humana Brings Bike Sharing to the Masses.” The program introduced Humana’s “Freewheelin” program at two of the biggest events of 2008: the Democratic and Republican National Conventions.


• The agency also received an Award of Distinction in the print category on behalf of The Community Food Bank of New Jersey for a campaign titled: “We Can’t Let This Bank Fail.” The campaign raised awareness of declining Food Bank donations and the rise in New Jersey residents who rely on the Food Bank to feed their families.


• Coyne Public Relation’s Graphics Department also received an Award of Distinction for Marketing and Promotion in the print category for their work on The Coyne Public Relations Fashion Guide, a PR capabilities book that outlines agency experience and expertise in the sector.

A second Award of Distinction for Online Marketing and Advertising in the interactive category was given to Coyne Public Relations’ Graphics Department for its Thanksgiving E-Card, inviting Coyne employees and their families to an annual holiday celebration in the firm’s New York City office space.

Toy and Retail Specialist Promoted to Account Executive

Parsippany, N.J., June 1, 2009 - When Nicole Centinaro graduated from Seton Hall University with a degree in Communications in 2006, her mission was to work for the best public relations firm in the country. And she accomplished her mission when she accepted a position with Coyne Public Relations, PRWeek’s 2009 Midsize Agency of the Year. Centinaro, a Bloomfield native, began her career at Coyne as an Account Coordinator in 2006, was promoted to Assistant Account Executive in 2007, and is now an Account Executive, effective
June 1.

Nicole is a member of the Toy and Retail Team where she works with the agency’s clients including Crayola, Toys“R”Us, Babies“R”Us and Hasbro. During her tenure, Nicole has also worked on the agency’s Automotive Team where she was a key player on the Goodyear account. Her day to day activities include writing media plans, overseeing event management duties, penning press releases, securing media placements for her clients and much more. “Nicole has proven to be an extremely valuable member of the entire agency, not just the Toy and Retail Team as she understands the media, knows what makes a good news story and knows how public relations fits into the entire marketing mix,” said Brian Murphy, Assistant Vice President, Coyne Public Relations. “Nicole is well-rounded and her future is bright here at Coyne.”

Nicole graduated from Seton Hall with a BA in Communications. She was an active member of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) and the Lambda Pi Eta National Honor Society.

Agency Of The Year Recognizes Mount Olive Resident For Work With Key Toy and Gaming Clients

Parsippany, N.J., June 1, 2009 – Richard Lukis, President of Coyne Public Relations, is proud to announce the promotion of Allison Matteo to Account Executive, effective immediately. During her three-year tenure at Coyne Public Relations, Matteo has played a key role in the day-to-day operations and success of the agency’s clients in the toy and gaming industry including: Crayola, Hasbro, Babies“R”Us and Toys“R”Us. “Allison’s enthusiasm, work ethic and love for the business exemplifies why we were voted best agency to work for in America,” said Brian Murphy, Assistant Vice-President, Coyne Public Relations. “Allison leads by example and, as a result, has the respect and admiration of her colleagues, clients and media. This promotion is well-deserved and I congratulate her on all of her accomplishments.”

Matteo graduated from the University of Delaware in May, 2005 with a B.A. in Communications and a minor in Psychology. At Delaware, Matteo was a member of the PRSSA (Public Relations Student Society of America), where she served as the organization’s secretary her senior year. A resident of Mount Olive, N.J., where she was born and raised, Matteo graduated from Mount Olive High School in 2001.

Coyne Public Relations achieves a clean sweep at the 2009 Big Apple Awards with six first place trophies

NEW YORK, N.Y., May 22, 2009 - Coyne Public Relations, PRWeek’s 2009 Midsize Agency of the Year, is having an exceptional year on the public relations awards circuit. First, the top-25 ranked agency was named Midsize Agency of the Year at the 2009 PRWeek Awards. Then, on May 12, the agency was named 2009 Consumer Agency of the Year and “overall” Best Agency to Work for in America by The Holmes Report. The most recent win (or wins) came by way of a clean sweep at the 22nd Annual Big Apple Awards on May 21 at the world-renowned Rainbow Room in New York City. Coyne was a finalist in six categories and swept them all resulting in six Big Apple Awards for the award-winning agency.

The level of work for this year’s Big Apple Awards was exceptional. To support this fact, here’s a quote from PRSA-NY President-elect Irene Maslowski: "The outstanding work highlighted this year not only reflects the first-rate quality for which this community is known, but also signals a clear commitment to industry excellence and peer acknowledgement among the New York-area PR community." The Big Apple Awards are presented by the New York Chapter of PRSA.

2009 BIG APPLE WINNERS/COYNE PUBLIC RELATIONS:

1. The category of Marketing Consumer Services Travel and Tourism for: Park-Savvy Parents Become Walt Disney World’s First Online Moms Panel


2. The category of Community Relations, Government Associations and Non-Profit Organizations for: Community FoodBank of New Jersey “We Can’t Let This Bank Fail”


3. The category of Marketing Consumer Services: Health Care Services for: Share and Share a Bike: Humana Brings Bike-Sharing to the Masses


4. The category of Special Events or Observances, One to Seven Days for: 50th Birthday of the Crayola 64 Box/Kids’ Choice Color Campaign


5. The category of Marketing Consumer Products, Technology for: The Casio EX-F1: Showcasing the Need for Speed


6. The category of Best Use of Broadcast for: The Goodyear ‘Get There’ Awards

ABOUT THE BIG APPLE AWARDS:
The Big Apple Awards, presented by the New York Chapter of PRSA (Public Relations Society of America), honor outstanding public relations programs that have achieved excellence by creating campaigns that solve problems, change opinions and create opportunities.

Coyne Public Relations wins five Pyramid Awards

Parsippany, N.J., May 19, 2009 – Coyne Public Relations has established itself as a real contender in 2009, having received over 24 industry awards for public relations excellence in this year alone. Most recently, the company announced that it is the recipient of five Pyramid Awards, presented by The Public Relations Society of America’s New Jersey Chapter, bringing the agency’s 2009 award total to a staggering 29.

“The Pyramid Awards are extremely well-respected in our industry and it is exciting to see this array of awards that span across all of our agency’s specialty practice groups ranging from our beauty and automotive teams to our travel and healthcare departments,” said Tom Coyne, CEO, Coyne Public Relations. “Our leadership teams have developed a reputation for providing our clients the best that Public Relations can offer in their respective industries.” The 2009 Coyne Public Relations Pyramid Award Winners are as follows:

• In the category of Marketing Communications, Coyne Public Relations secured an award on behalf of its client Walt Disney World for a campaign titled: “Park-Savvy Parents Become Walt Disney World’s First Online Moms Panel.”
• In the category of Media Relations, the agency received recognition for its campaign it conducted on behalf of Medco titled, “A Prescription for Leadership: Medco Forges a Path to Transforming Pharmacy Care in America.”
• The agency’s “We Can’t Let This Bank Fail” campaign conducted on behalf of The Community Food Bank of New Jersey, received an award in the category of Public/Government Affairs.
• In the Special Events category, Coyne Public Relation’s Crayola account team secured an award for the 50th Birthday of the Crayola 64 Box/“Kids Choice Color” campaign.
• In the Special Programs category, the agency secured an award on behalf of its client Mary Kay for its campaign titled, “A Kiss for Country; Mary Kay Partners with Country Music Artists to Kiss Domestic Violence Goodbye.”

Coyne Public Relations also received Honorable Mentions for the following campaigns:

• In the category of Brochures & Presentation/Media Kits, for the “Shell Car Care Calendar.”
• In the category of Marketing Communications, for “Share and Share-a-Bike: Humana Brings Bike Sharing to the Masses.”
• In the category of Special Events, for “Disney Parks and NASA Send Buzz to “Infinity and Beyond” and for “Milk Bone Celebrates 700 Dog Years.”

The Public Relations Society of America’s New Jersey Chapter established the Pyramid Awards to recognize excellence in public relations and communications throughout the state of New Jersey. The awards are evaluated on research, planning, execution and demonstrated results, as well as the effective use of budgets and resources. The 2009 Pyramid Awards will be presented to program winners at the annual awards banquet on June 3 at the Basking Ridge Country Club.

The winning streak continues…Coyne Public Relations celebrates two 2009 Silver Sabre Awards

Parsippany, N.J., May 13, 2009 – Coyne Public Relations, one of the fastest growing public relations agencies in America, today announced that it has won two 2009 Silver SABRE awards, which are sponsored by Paul Holmes, the publisher of The Holmes Report. The SABRE awards recognize superior achievement in branding and reputation.

Coyne Public Relations was awarded a silver SABRE for a fashion and beauty campaign on behalf of its client Mary Kay titled “A Kiss for Country”: Country Music Artists Partner with Mary Kay to Kiss Domestic Violence Goodbye. The agency also secured a Silver SABRE in the category of entertainment on behalf of its client the Harlem Globetrotters for a campaign titled “Magic as Ever” 2007-08 Tour.

“These SABRE awards are a true testament to the superior level of work that we provide our clients,” said Tom Coyne, CEO, Coyne Public Relations. “SABREs are among the most well-regarded awards in our industry and I want to personally congratulate the agency’s employees for their ongoing commitment to deliver the best that PR can offer.”

Silver SABREs recognize the best programs in specific industries, from agribusiness to travel and tourism. The campaign winners were announced at an annual awards dinner held at Cipriani in New York City on May 12.

ABOUT THE SABRE AWARDS:
The SABRE Awards are sponsored by Paul Holmes, the publisher of The Holmes Report to recognize Superior Achievement in Branding and Reputation. SABRE Awards are given in four categories - Gold (campaign awards), Silver (awards by industry), Bronze (public relations tactics) and Iron (public relations industry programs and products). The programs honored represent the best work of the public relations industry during the year 2008.

The Holmes Report names Coyne Public Relations the Best Agency to Work For in America

Parsippany, N.J., May 13, 2009 – Coyne Public Relations, one of the fastest growing public relations agencies in America, has been named The Best Agency to Work for In America by The Holmes Report. The announcement was made last night at the SABRE awards dinner at Cipriani in New York City amongst a legion of PR professionals.

“Our mission is not to be the best agency in America, but the best one to work for and we’ve accomplished that mission. I am just one person of the group and everyone on the team lives our company philosophy every day,” said Tom Coyne, CEO, Coyne Public Relations. “I want to say thank you and congratulations to the best agency anyone could ever imagine; they are the ones that make my dreams come true.”

Coyne Public Relations boasts an unparalleled 97 percent employee retention rate and has achieved double digit growth for the past 10 years. The agency environment fosters creativity and is filled with smart, strategic and caring professionals.

Account Executive from Award-Winning Agency Recognized For Her Stellar Work

PARSIPPANY, N.J. and New York, N.Y. – Tom Coyne, CEO of Coyne Public Relations has a philosophy that has catapulted his agency to a top-25 national ranking and winner of numerous industry awards-- and that is to hire the best people and great work will follow. Allison Greco of Montclair, N.J. is a prime example of Mr. Coyne’s tenets. Recently, Allison was named finalist in the category of Young Professional of the Year at the 2009 PRWeek Awards and won honorable mention at the 2008 PR News Awards in the category of Account Executive of the Year. A three-year veteran of the Coyne Public Relations, Greco’s growth from account coordinator to account executive demonstrates her work on behalf of Coyne and its clients.

“Allison personifies who we are as an agency and her track record of being strategic and garnering results is what makes Allison a great young public relations professional,” said Tim Schramm, Senior Vice President, Coyne Public Relations. “She has strong ties to key media members and works well with all of her clients; the sky is the limit for her.”

During her tenure at Coyne Public Relations, Greco has played a key role in the day-to-day operations of notable lifestyle and consumer accounts including Ritz Crackers, Graco Children’s Products, Cheerios, Yoplait Yogurt and the Pillsbury Bake-Off® Contest.

“I am honored to be among an esteemed group at two of the top award dinners in our industry-The PR News Awards and the PRWeek Awards,” said Greco. “This is a credit to the senior management here at Coyneand the direction they have provided to me.”

Greco graduated with a B.A. in Communication Studies from Montclair State University in May, 2005. While at MSU, Greco was involved in a number of campus activities and organizations including serving as Secretary of Lambda Pi Eta, the national communication honors society. In addition, she is a founding member of MSU’s first A capella singing group and was part of the University’s Honors Program. Born and raised in Yardley, Penn., Greco graduated from Notre Dame High School in Lawrenceville, N.J in 2001.

ABOUT THE PRWEEK AWARDS:
A PRWeek Award is the highest accolade in the PR industry, given each year to the best corporate, nonprofit, and agency teams, as well as to the campaigns that they produce. The Awards highlight the important work done by PR professionals every day.

The judges comprise top professionals from the agency, corporate, nonprofit, education, and government ranks, and are among the most respected people in the industry. These top practitioners come together voluntarily, donating their valuable time to grade campaigns, individuals, and teams.

ABOUT PR NEWS:
PR News is the most trusted, executive level, reader-supported publication that helps enhance the business impact of PR. Written for corporate PR and agency professionals and the challenges they face, PR News is your blueprint for the strategies, tactics and insights you need to become an even more effective and successful communicator.

Public Relations Agency Ranks #14 On List of Medium New Jersey Companies

Parsippany, N.J., April 27, 2009 – Coyne Public Relations, one of the fastest growing public relations agencies in America, today announced that it has achieved rank #14 in The Best Places to Work in New Jersey Award Program. The program is produced by NJBIZ and is made up of 55 companies, split into two groups: 30 medium-sized companies (25-249 employees) and 25 large-sized companies (more than 250 employees). Coyne Public Relations’ ranking falls within the program’s medium-sized category.

“My goal has always been to foster a work environment that will retain and attract the best and brightest minds in the public relations industry,” said Tom Coyne, CEO, Coyne Public Relations. “The success of an agency is determined by its people and the best people will always attract the best clients.” Companies from across the state entered the two-part process to determine the 55 Best Places to Work in New Jersey. The first part consisted of evaluating each nominated company's workplace policies, practices, philosophy, systems and demographics. This part of the process was worth approximately 25% of the total evaluation. The second part consisted of an employee survey to measure the employee experience. This part of the process was worth approximately 75% of the total evaluation. The combined scores determined the top companies and the final ranking. The Best Companies Group managed the overall registration and survey process. Additionally they analyzed the data provided and used their expertise to determine the final rankings.

Coyne Public Relations was recognized and honored at the Best Places to Work in New Jersey evening awards ceremony on Thursday, April, 23, 2009, at the Hilton East Brunswick.

The Holmes Report names Coyne Public Relations Consumer Agency of the Year

Parsippany N.J., April 20, 2009: The Holmes Report, a leading public relations publication, named Coyne Public Relations, one of the fastest growing public relations agencies in America, as its Consumer Agency of the Year. This is the second national victory for the agency in just two months. On March 5, 2009 at the Tavern on the Green in New York City, Coyne Public Relations was named Midsize Agency of the Year at the PRWeek Awards. For both victories, Coyne Public Relations beat out numerous blue-chip/global agencies.

“Our mission is not to be the best agency in America but the best one to work for,” said Tom Coyne, CEO, Coyne Public Relations. “We have proven that when you hire the best employees the best work will be created. I am proud of the way we have nurtured our partnerships with our clients. To me, this is a total team win…and a win for our clients.”

In 2008, Coyne Public Relations continued its award-winning work for global brands such as The Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company, Hard Rock Café, Kraft Foods, and Shell Lubricants. Major new wins for Coyne include work with Humana, Crayola, Hasbro, and Cornell University’s Johnson School of Business. In all Coyne billed $11.654 million in 2008 (up 35 percent) and held an outstanding 97 percent employee retention rate.

Coyne Public Relations will be officially recognized as The Holmes Report’s Consumer Agency of the Year at the Sabre Awards dinner on May 12 at Cipriani in New York City.

Coyne Public Relations recognized for excellence with six 2008 Sabre Award nominations

Parsippany, N.J., April 10, 2009 – Coyne Public Relations, one of the fastest growing public relations agencies in America, today announced that it is a finalist for six 2008 SABRE awards, which are sponsored by Paul Holmes, the publisher of The Holmes Report to recognize Superior Achievement in Branding and Reputation. Coyne Public Relations has been nominated for a Gold SABRE award, three Silver SABRE awards and two Certificates of Excellence in the Bronze Award.

“The SABRE awards are among the most esteemed in our industry and we are excited to share our campaign success with our clients,” said Tom Coyne, CEO, Coyne Public Relations. “These award nominations are a testament to the client/agency relationships that Coyne Public Relations fosters and they demonstrate our agency’s ability to deliver breakthrough thinking and effective communications counsel.”

Gold SABREs recognize the best programs in specific brand-building and reputation management categories. Coyne Public Relations has been nominated for the following campaign:

• Executive Leadership: Medco – “A Prescription for Leadership”: Medco Forges a Path to Transforming Pharmacy Care in America

Silver SABREs recognize the best programs in specific industries, from agribusiness to travel and tourism. Coyne Public Relations has been nominated for the following campaigns:

• Fashion & Beauty – Mary Kay – “A Kiss for Country”: Country Music Artists Partner with Mary Kay to Kiss Domestic Violence Goodbye
• Entertainment – Harlem Globetrotters – "Magic as Ever" 2007-08 Tour
• Travel & Tourism – Disney Parks – Park-Savvy Parents Become Walt Disney World’s First Online Moms Panel

Bronze SABREs recognize excellence in technical aspects of communication, including the production of annual reports, corporate advertising, or websites. Coyne Public Relations has been nominated for the following campaigns:

• External Publication Certificate of Excellence - Medco Health Solutions Offers its "Perspective" on Health Care in America
• Television Media Placement Certificate of Excellence - Harlem Globetrotters - "Magic as Ever" 2007-08 Tour

The 2008 SABRE award winners will be announced at a dinner in New York City on May 12.

About the SABRE Awards:
The SABRE Awards are sponsored by Paul Holmes, the publisher of The Holmes Report to recognize Superior Achievement in Branding and Reputation. SABRE Awards are given in four categories - Gold (campaign awards), Silver (awards by industry), Bronze (public relations tactics) and Iron (public relations industry programs and products). The programs honored represent the best work of the public relations industry during the year 2008.

About Coyne Public Relations:
Coyne Public Relations, LLC, is a full-service public relations agency with offices in Parsippany, New Jersey and New York City.  With expertise in a variety of categories, Coyne PR consistently displays the knowledge and creativity that has made it one of the country’s fastest growing agencies.  Prominent national brands including The Walt Disney Company, Goodyear, Life Savers, Shell Lubricants, Medco Health Solutions, Inc., Campbell Soup Company, Graco Juvenile Products, Kraft Foods, General Mills, and Hard Rock Cafe look to Coyne PR to create high-profile public relations programs that deliver significant media results and help them attain their marketing communications goals.

In 2007 and 2008, Coyne was named the Best Agency to Work For in America by The Holmes Report and one of the Top 50 Places to Work in New Jersey by NJBIZ magazine. Coyne PR was a finalist in the category of agency of the year at the PRWeek Awards the past five of seven years and won that category in 2009. Further, Coyne PR is a past recipient of numerous national accolades from numerous organizations including the Public Relations Society of America and the International Association of Business Communicators.

Coyne Public Relations climbs 18 spots in 2009 national PR firm rankings

Award-Winning Firm is Second Highest Gainer in Country

Parsippany, N.J., March 18, 2009 -- Jack O’Dwyer’s Newsletter, one of the nation’s oldest public relations periodicals, today announced its 2008 National Rankings. Coyne Public Relations, climbed from ranking #40 to ranking #22, making it the second biggest gainer among the nation’s top 25 independent public relations firms. This accolade arrives just one week after the agency won the title of MidSize Agency of the Year at the 2009 PRWeek Awards.

“Moving up the ranking from #40 to #22 is an incredible achievement for our agency. Our firm started just 10 years ago with only two employees and now to be ranked among the top 25 independent firms in America is a great honor,” said Tom Coyne, CEO, Coyne Public Relations. “Our ongoing growth and success is essential in providing our staff the opportunities associated with a growing entity.”

Coyne Public Relations billed $11.654 million in 2008 (up 35 percent from 2007), and had an outstanding 97 percent retention rate with several key new business wins including Crayola, Hasbro, Humana, Atlantic Health and Cornell University’s Johnson School of Business.

ABOUT JACK O’DWYER’S NEWSLETTER:
Jack O’Dwyer’s Newsletter is one of the oldest public relations periodicals in the U.S. and has been called the Bible of PR by The New York Times. Jack O’Dwyer founded the newsletter in 1968 and still edits and writes for the publication. In addition, www.odwyerpr.com is the #1 PR news site.

ABOUT COYNE PUBLIC RELATIONS:
Coyne Public Relations, LLC, is a full-service public relations agency with offices in Parsippany,
New Jersey and New York City. With expertise in a variety of categories, Coyne PR consistently displays the knowledge and creativity that has made it one of the country’s fastest growing agencies. Prominent national brands including The Walt Disney Company, Goodyear, Life Savers, Shell Lubricants, Medco Health Solutions, Inc., Campbell Soup Company, Graco Juvenile Products, Kraft Foods, General Mills, and Hard Rock Cafe look to Coyne PR to create high-profile public relations programs that deliver significant media results and help them attain their marketing communications goals.

In 2007 and 2008, Coyne was named the Best Agency to Work For in America by The Holmes
Report and one of the Top 50 Places to Work in New Jersey by NJBIZ magazine. Coyne PR was
a finalist in the category of agency of the year at the PRWeek Awards the past five of seven years
and won in that category in 2009. Further, Coyne PR is a past recipient of numerous national
accolades from numerous organizations including the Public Relations Society of America and
the International Association of Business Communicators.

Coyne Public Relations and Humana win Best of Show in Mercury Awards competition

FASTEST GROWING PUBLIC RELATIONS AGENCY IN NEW JERSEY RECEIVES INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION WITH TWO GRAND MERCURY AWARDS, FIVE GOLD AWARDS AND 17 OVERALL WINS

Parsippany, N.J., March 18, 2009 – Coyne Public Relations President Richard Lukis today announced that the agency received the Best of Show Award, two Grand Awards, five Gold Awards in the 2008/2009 22nd annual International Mercury Awards Competition. The Grand Awards honor excellence in professional communications, and the Best of Show Award is given to the top entry among all classifications. Judges selected the Gold Awards from 980 entries from 21 countries. In all, Coyne Public Relations won 17 Mercury Awards.

BEST OF SHOW AWARD:

• Coyne Public Relations, on behalf of its client Humana, Inc. received the award for the Corporate Campaign, Humana Brings Bike Sharing to the Masses.

GRAND AWARDS:

• Coyne Public Relations, on behalf of its client Crayola, received first place in the Special Events category for Crayola’s 50th Birthday/Kids Choice Colors.


• Coyne Public Relations, on behalf of its client Humana, Inc. also received this award for the Corporate Campaign, Humana Brings Bike Sharing to the Masses.

“We are thrilled to share this recognition with our clients. It’s the amazing collaboration that we share with both Crayola and Humana that ultimately led to this award-winning work. We are honored to be among those recognized for a Grand Award, but are especially proud to have captured this year’s Best of Show,” said Richard Lukis, President of Coyne Public Relations.

GOLD AWARDS:

• Coyne Public Relations on behalf of its client Casio in the High Tech Awareness category
• Coyne Public Relations on behalf of its client The Campbell Soup Company in the Corporate Campaign category
• Coyne Public Relations on behalf of its client Crayola in Special Events category
• Coyne Public Relations on behalf of its client Humana in the Corporate Healthcare category
• Coyne Public Relations on behalf of its client Toys “R” Us in the Corporate – Children Related category

The following Coyne clients also secured 2009 Mercury Awards: The Harlem Globetrotters, Campbell’s Chunky Soup, Disney Parks, Medco Health Solutions, General Mills and The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company.

ABOUT THE MERCURY AWARDS:
Judging for the International MERCURY 2008/09 Awards represented the most illustrious, creative professionals in the public relations industry. Over forty distinguished public relations, marketing, and advertising agencies, as well as corporate communications departments and public affairs offices participated in the judging involving over 100 professionals from Australia, Canada, Europe, Hong Kong, Korea, Mexico and the United States. Some of the elements considered in the judging process were: how effectively the material met the stated objectives; how well the material was communicated to the designated audience; use of imaginative and original solutions; and the overall expression of the message. Gold, Silver, Bronze, and Honors awards were presented to the top 30%, based on averaged scores. Grand Awards were selected from the top scoring gold winners in each category.

This year over 980 entries were received from 21 countries including Antigua West Indies, Australia, Austria, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Korea, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, People's Republic of China, Poland, Portugal, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States.

The annual award is named for the Roman god who was the messenger of the other gods. The MERCURY Award symbolizes the spirit of the message communicated. It is the creativity, originality, and talent of the individuals involved to whom the program is dedicated. The annual MERCURY Awards competition was established in 1987 by MerComm, Inc., the world's only independent awards organization. The awards programs were founded to promote excellence in the various fields of communications.

PRWeek names Coyne Public Relations Midsize Agency of the Year

One of the Country’s Fastest Growing PR Firms Secures Two Awards at the 2009 PRWeek Awards Dinner

Parsippany, N.J., March 6, 2009 -- PRWeek, the nation’s leading PR trade publication, named Coyne Public Relations Midsize Agency of the Year last night at Tavern on the Green in New York City at the annual PRWeek Awards dinner. Out of the eight categories for which it was nominated--most ever for the agency--Coyne Public Relations also took home a first place trophy in the category of Best Use of Broadcast (TV and Radio).

“This is a very exciting week for our agency; it’s an exciting year for that matter. We worked very hard this year and last night proved that hard work pays off. We stayed true to our mission statement that if you hire the best people the best clients will want to work with you. Then, the best work will come from your agency. This is a culmination of years of hard work,” said Tom Coyne, CEO of Coyne Public Relations. “Because of our strong belief in a total team effort we brought our entire agency to the dinner, all 90 employees, to celebrate our victories.”

Midsize Agency of the Year:
Coyne defeated Padilla Speer Beardsley, Qorvis Communications, Text 100 Global Public Relations, and WeissComm Partners in the category of Midsize Agency of the Year. Coyne Public Relations billed $11.5 million in 2008 and had an outstanding 97 percent retention rate with several key new business wins including Crayola, Hasbro, Humana, Atlantic Health and Cornell University’s Johnson School of Business. Coyne Public Relations was a finalist in this category five of the past seven years.

Best Use of Broadcast (TV and Radio)
Coyne and The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company:
Coyne Public Relations’ auto team won first place for the Goodyear ‘Get There’ Awards, a program designed to leverage Goodyear’s Olympic involvement. The program recognized individuals who most helped Olympians in 28 sports achieve their dream of competing in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. Judges commented on the program’s strong tie-in to the brand, clear and consistent messaging with the ‘Get there’ theme. In all, Coyne and Goodyear garnered more than 50 million media impressions including coverage on ESPN, CNN, and Fox Business Network.

ABOUT THE PRWEEK AWARDS:
A PRWeek Award is the highest accolade in the PR industry, given each year to the best corporate, nonprofit, and agency teams, as well as to the campaigns that they produce. The Awards highlight the important work done by PR professionals every day.  The PRWeek Awards 2009 presentation took place on March 5, 2009, at Tavern on the Green in New York.
 
The judges comprise top professionals from the agency, corporate, nonprofit, education, and government ranks, and are among the most respected people in the industry. These top practitioners come together voluntarily, donating their valuable time to grade campaigns, individuals, and teams.

About Coyne Public Relations:
Coyne Public Relations, LLC, is a full-service public relations agency with offices in Parsippany, New Jersey and New York City.  With expertise in a variety of categories, Coyne PR consistently displays the knowledge and creativity that has made it one of the country’s fastest growing agencies.  Prominent national brands including The Walt Disney Company, Goodyear, Life Savers, Shell Lubricants, Medco Health Solutions, Inc., Campbell Soup Company, Graco Juvenile Products, Kraft Foods, General Mills, and Hard Rock Cafe look to Coyne PR to create high-profile public relations programs that deliver significant media results and help them attain their marketing communications goals.

In 2007 and 2008, Coyne was named the Best Agency to Work For in America by The Holmes Report and one of the Top 50 Places to Work in New Jersey by NJBIZ magazine. Coyne PR was a finalist in the category of agency of the year at the PRWeek Awards the past five of seven years. Further, Coyne PR is a past recipient of numerous national accolades from numerous organizations including the Public Relations Society of America and the International Association of Business Communicators.

Coyne Public Relations named Best Place to Work in New Jersey

Coyne Public Relations was recently named as one of the Best Places to Work in New Jersey. The award program, created in 2005 is produced by NJBIZ and sponsored by Gibbons P.C., Sobel & Co., LLC, Extensis, iCIMS and Novo Nordisk.

This survey and award program was designed to identify, recognize and honor the best places of employment in New Jersey, benefiting the state's economy, its workforce and businesses. The Best Places to Work in New Jersey program is made up of 55 companies split into two groups: 30 medium-sized companies (25-249 employees) and 25 large-sized companies (more than 250 employees). Coyne Public Relations has been named one of the Best Places to Work in New Jersey in the medium-sized category.

To be considered for participation, companies had to fulfill the following eligibility requirements:

• Have at least 25 employees in New Jersey;
• Be a for-profit or not-for-profit business;
• Be a publicly or privately held business;
• Have a facility in New Jersey;

Companies from across the state entered the two-part process to determine the 55 Best Places to Work in New Jersey. The first part consisted of evaluating each nominated company's workplace policies, practices, philosophy, systems and demographics. This part of the process was worth approximately 25% of the total evaluation. The second part consisted of an employee survey to measure the employee experience. This part of the process was worth approximately 75% of the total evaluation. The combined scores determined the top companies and the final ranking. Best Companies Group managed the overall registration and survey process. Additionally they analyzed the data provided and used their expertise to determine the final rankings.

Coyne Public Relations will be recognized and honored at the Best Places to Work in New Jersey evening awards ceremony on Thursday, April 23, 2009 at the Hilton East Brunswick. The final rankings will be revealed at the ceremony.

For more information on the Best Places to Work in New Jersey 2010 program, please visit www.njbiz.com/events.

Coyne Public Relations appoints PR veteran David Carter to New Business post

Parsippany, N.J., February 19, 2009 -- Tom Coyne, CEO of Coyne Public Relations, today announced the appointment of David Carter to Senior Vice President, Business Development. Carter will spearhead ongoing expansion and development at Coyne Public Relations, which has experienced a 350 percent growth in the past four years and is a category leader in social media, healthcare, technology, consumer goods and automotive practice areas. The agency’s client roster includes blue-chip brands such as Medco, The Walt Disney Company, Hard Rock Café, General Mills, Kraft Foods, and Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company who look to the agency to create and implement award-winning public relations programs. Coyne Public Relations has been shortlisted for agency of the year at the PR Week awards five of the last seven years and was named Best Agency to Work For by The Holmes Report in 2007 and 2008.

“I have admired Dave’s work for a number of years and I am extremely impressed by his breadth of knowledge and his experience in the PR industry,” said Tom Coyne, CEO of Coyne Public Relations.  “I am confident that David’s contributions will help us continue our record growth, and his presence will have a positive impact on all aspects of our business.”

Reporting to Coyne, Carter will spearhead strategic growth and expansion plans at Coyne Public Relations. Carter is an expert in initiating senior client relationships across a variety of practice areas and service offerings. He has an outstanding 20-year agency record in public relations and strategic branding as well as digital and social media.

Carter joins Coyne Public Relations from the brand strategy and design firm Siegel+Gale, an Omnicom company, where he served as Vice President of Business Development. Prior to Siegel+Gale, Carter served as Senior Vice President of Business Development at Ruder Finn. During his 14-year term, the firm experienced tremendous growth and achieved the #1 PR agency ranking in New York.

About Coyne Public Relations:
Coyne Public Relations, LLC, is a full-service public relations agency with offices in Parsippany, New Jersey and New York City.  With expertise in a variety of categories, Coyne PR consistently displays the knowledge and creativity that has made it one of the country’s fastest growing agencies.  Prominent national brands including The Walt Disney Company, Goodyear, Life Savers, Shell Lubricants, Medco Health Solutions, Inc., Campbell Soup Company, Graco Juvenile Products, Kraft Foods, General Mills, and Hard Rock Cafe look to Coyne PR to create high-profile public relations programs that deliver significant media results and help them attain their marketing communications goals.

In 2007 and 2008, Coyne was named the Best Agency to Work For in America by The Holmes Report and one of the Top 50 Places to Work in New Jersey by NJBIZ magazine. In 2009, the agency continued receiving national recognition, being named a finalist for PR Week Agency of the Year. Coyne PR has been a finalist for PR Week Agency of the Year five of the past seven years. Coyne PR is also a past recipient of numerous national accolades from several organizations including the Public Relations Society of America and the International Association of Business Communicators.

Joe Gargiulo named Vice President at Coyne Public Relations

PARSIPPANY, N.J. – Rich Lukis, President of Coyne Public Relations, today announced the promotion of Joe Gargiulo to Vice President. In his new role, Gargiulo will manage daily operations for Coyne Public Relations’ automotive and toy practice areas, as well as lead new business efforts within the automotive and toy industries. Gargiulo has been a member of the Coyne Public Relations team for five years and brings a wide range of talents to his new role.

“Joe is an experienced practitioner and has helped create, coordinate, and manage many of our agency’s award-winning campaigns,” said Rich Lukis, President of Coyne Public Relations. “During his tenure at the agency, Joe has helped grow our automotive practice area more than 500% by using his strong creative and managerial skills. I am extremely confident that our toy practice area will have the same type of growth that our automotive group has had.”

In his previous role, Gargiulo was largely responsible for the management of all Shell Lubricant’s leading brands including: Pennzoil, Motorsports, Quaker State/Q, Shell ROTELLA T, Rain-X, Black Magic and Auto Expressions. Now, in addition to Shell Lubricants, Gargiulo will manage the Crayola, Hasbro and Toys “R” Us account teams.

Rich Lukis named President at Coyne Public Relations, Tom Coyne remains on the helm at CEO

PARSIPPANY, N.J. – Tom Coyne announced that Rich Lukis will assume the role of President of Coyne Public Relations. Rich has been with Coyne PR for more than 10 years and has been a major factor in the agency’s growth and success. In his former role as Executive Vice President, Mr. Lukis managed the automotive and toy practices and was a key player in all new business development, critical agency decisions, and the overall strategy of the agency.

“Rich has been in integral part of the agency; he’s a big reason why we are a top-30 independent PR firm today and why we have experienced a 357 percent growth since 2003. We, together, developed the agency philosophy, commitment to clients and award-winning culture. I have 100 percent confidence that Rich will prosper in his new role and preserve the one-of-a-kind culture that we have here at Coyne PR. This move will help take us to an entirely new level,” said Tom Coyne, CEO, Coyne Public Relations.

In his new role, Rich will be responsible for all operational and functional duties including finance, human resources, agency operations (including overseeing all practice areas), administration and the management of Coyne PR’s graphics and media departments. Tom will continue to lead the agency’s new business efforts, serve as overall creative director, be the main point of contact for client relations--which will include overall campaign strategies--as well as continue to lead Coyne PR’s crisis communications unit.

“Anyone who has worked with Tom knows that he is the key driver of creative ideas behind our agency. This is a positive move as it will allow me to take over all of the operational and managerial functions so Tom can concentrate more on overall campaign creative and strategies. Tom can now stay laser focused and continue to develop creative concepts for our clients,” said Rich Lukis, President, Coyne Public Relations.