CINCINNATI (March 8, 2011) – Award-winning brand engagement agency Northlich has been named public relations agency of record for regional favorite Buffalo Wings & Rings. Northlich will apply its expertise in public relations, retailing and the restaurant business to share the story of this growing and successful franchise. 

“Buffalo Wings & Rings is evolving to meet the needs of a new generation – giving customers a chance to catch up and connect with their families and friends while fulfilling their dining needs,” says Roger David, president and CEO Buffalo Wings & Wings. “We are thrilled to find a partner who will help us spark those meaningful connections and conversations with customers and new franchisees through strategic public relations work.”

Founded in 1984, Buffalo Wings & Rings began franchising in 1988 in Cincinnati, and now operates more than 50 restaurants across 14 states. The popular franchise prides itself on creating a unique dining experience from a full menu selection that includes Buffalo-style chicken wings, burgers, Greek gyros, wraps, salads and much more. Buffalo Wings & Rings was named the “#1 fastest growing restaurant chain” nationwide by Restaurant Business and consistently ranks in the top 500 franchises by Entrepreneur.

“Buffalo Wings & Rings has a compelling story to share locally, regionally and nationally and we’re thrilled to have earned the opportunity to help tell that story,” said Mark Willis, chief conversation officer at Northlich.  “We’re committed to connecting with customers and bringing to life a story about food, fun, family and franchisees.”

DURING 2011 CINCINNATI ADDYS

CINCINNATI (Feb. 22, 2011) – Northlich was honored Saturday with 21 ADDYs, the most awards of the night, featuring the coveted Best of Show during the 2011 ADDY Awards hosted by the Ad Club Cincinnati.

The Cincinnati ADDYs annually recognize outstanding advertising created by Cincinnati’s creative professionals and agencies. This year, Northlich was awarded Best of Show in Traditional Advertising for its Western & Southern Financial Group TV campaign, which launched in August 2010.

“It’s great to receive accolades from our peers – that never gets old. And most importantly we thank our clients for trusting us with their brands and letting us tell their story,” said Jeffrey Warman, Executive Creative Director at Northlich.

Northlich was recognized in a variety of categories for its works across several industries.

Gold Awards

Sales Promotion: Ohio Lottery Keno Kraziness for the Ohio Lottery Commission

Out-Of-Home: Good Samaritan Women’s Center Pee Campaign for TriHealth

Local TV: St. Francis Medical Center Robotics TV for St. Francis Medical Center

National TV, Single: Ohio Lottery I Shouldn’t Ski for the Ohio Lottery Commission

National TV, Single: Western & Southern Stability for Western & Southern Financial Services

National TV: Western & Southern Strength and Stability for Western & Southern Financial Services

Cinema Advertising: Bethesda Medical Center at Arrow Springs Medical Maladies for TriHealth

The One That Got Away: TriHealth Good Samaritan Heart 2 for TriHealth

Silver Awards

Out-Of-Home Site: Ohio Lottery Powerball Digital Animated Airport Signage for the Ohio Lottery Commission

Out-Of-Home Campaign: BMW Store Passion Loves Company 1 for BMW Store

Interactive Media Online: White Castle Mobile Site for White Castle

National TV, Single: Long John Silver’s Johnny V and More Meals for Yum! Brands

National TV, Single: Ohio Lottery Surprise for the Ohio Lottery Commission

National TV, Single: Western & Southern Strength for Western & Southern Financial Services

National TV: Long John Silver’s Johnny V for Yum! Brands

National TV: Ohio Lottery Holiday The Musical for the Ohio Lottery Commission

Consumer National Mixed/Multiple Media: Ohio Lottery Holiday, The Musical for the Ohio Lottery Commission

Advertising Industry Self-Promotion: ADDY’s Drink Tickets for AD Club of Cincinnati

The One That Got Away: TriHealth Good Samaritan Heart for TriHealth

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About Northlich

Northlich is a brand engagement agency specializing in Rehavior™, our proprietary approach that changes not simply perception, but behavior. We do this by connecting people with brands however, whenever and wherever they choose for leading marketers around the world. Northlich is headquartered in Cincinnati with offices in Columbus and Cleveland. For more information, visit www.northlich.com.

Northlich received two Blacksmith Awards for:

• Integrated Marketing Campaign for the Ohio Lottery Commission – “Powerball Comes to Ohio – Play Big, Win Big!”
• Brochure for Macy’s First Impressions – Building Baby’s Wardrobe Look Book

as well as a Silver Award for:

• News Conference/Publicity Stunt for the Ohio Lottery Commission – Flash Mobs Across Ohio

Thanks to our clients for affording us the opportunity to create great work that continues to elicit reactions from our industry peers.

Agency Taps Local Theater Scene for its Little Big Production

CINCINNATI (November 11, 2010) – This month, Northlich, a brand engagement agency with offices throughout Ohio, launched a new statewide holiday advertising campaign for the Ohio Lottery Commission (OLC).  Produced like a hometown musical, this little big production spotlights lottery tickets as the perfect holiday gift, while playing on the breadth of emotions consumers feel during the holidays – whether it’s joy, anxiety or surprise.

Jeffrey Warman, executive creative director at Northlich says, “We’re thrilled to have partnered with some of Ohio’s noted theatrical talent to create this feel-good holiday campaign on behalf of our Lottery client. These spots will inspire gift givers to purchase tickets for their loved ones and add a little excitement to the holidays.”

The campaign titled, “Ohio Lottery Holiday, The Musical,” taps into Ohio’s vibrant theater community which musically conveys the range of sentiment one experiences throughout the holiday season. The talent includes two actors who star in all four spots, playing distinctive roles from a young couple expecting their first child to grandparents who’ve celebrated decades of holidays together.

The 30-second TV spots began airing November 3. The first spot, “Holiday Surprise” shows a young husband imagining what he could selfishly win, while his wife presents some news that could change his plans; “Shopper’s Lament” demonstrates the typical seasonal craziness that drives us to purchase a gift for ourselves; “Ski” shows an ill-equipped skier accidentally sending the wrong message to his caring nurse; and “Greatest Giver” features an endearing elder couple exchanging gifts – he’s the greatest gift-giver in the world, however she doesn’t reciprocate with the same splendor and surprise.

As part of this integrated campaign, Northlich also developed three radio spots, featuring Cleveland-based talent Bob Ward, point-of-sale print and collateral and a series of mall events.

Northlich collaborated with Ohio-based composer Rob Fetters to develop the fun, whimsical melodies for the TV spots. The musical theme will also be carried through during a series of mall events where shoppers will receive a special holiday gift for showing off their karaoke skills.   

For more information about the Ohio Lottery, visit www.ohiolottery.com. For more information about Northlich, visit www.northlich.com.

CINCINNATI (October 26, 2010) – Amie Becker has been named as the new vice president, director of connection planning at Northlich, Cincinnati’s leading brand engagement agency with offices in Columbus and Cleveland.

Becker brings more than fifteen years of strategic planning, in-depth analysis, and integrated digital and traditional media experience to Northlich. In her new role, Becker will direct Northlich’s connection planning teams across all media channels to enable brands to engage effectively with their customers.

“Amie’s expertise in consumer, trade and professional marketing channels will help broaden the valuable insights and strategies we provide to our clients,” said Kathy Selker, CEO and president of Northlich. “Her knowledge and strategic planning and research skills will bring additional depth to Northlich’s leadership team.”

Prior to joining Northlich, Becker served as director of retail account service for Malone Advertising, where she led media strategy, planning and implementation for clients including Kohl’s, Polaris, Goodyear, John Deere, KMart, Kimberly-Clark, Isuzu and Bombardier Recreational Products (BRP). Her strategic leadership on integrated brand/dealer marketing initiatives for BRP resulted in increased sales for Ski-Doo and a double-digit market share jump for Can-Am in less than one year.

Becker’s diverse client roster also includes My Family Dollar, Rack Room Shoes, Very Own House, Cedar Point, Renaissance Hotels, G.E. Lighting, American Greetings and University Hospitals. She is a graduate of Bowling Green University.

CINCINNATI (October 12, 2010) – Northlich, a leading brand engagement agency, has named Stephanie Kirschner as its new VP/Controller. Kirschner will lead the agency’s finance and information technology departments.

During the last eight years, Kirschner managed financial and administrative operations at McGill Smith Punshon, Inc. as vice president of finance. She successfully developed and implemented successful protocols germane to strategic professional service providers and improved the company’s project management and financial reporting processes to ensure long term stability.

“Stephanie has a proven track record of success and her service-oriented and proactive approach to finance makes her a key addition to our business operations,” said Kathy Selker, CEO and president of Northlich. “We are thrilled to welcome Stephanie to the Northlich team.”

Kirschner proudly serves as a co-chair for the popular design competition, Cincinnati Canstruction, sits on the UC Clermont College Campaign Committee, and serves as a facilitator for the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber CFO Roundtable.

Kirschner lives in Eastgate with her husband.

CINCINNATI (October 7, 2010) – Northlich, a leading brand engagement agency, has named Jason Ruebel as its new Chief Integration Officer. With more than a decade of interactive and client service expertise, Ruebel will support the expansion of Northlich’s multi-channel approach to delivering business results by leveraging the agency’s  industry knowledge to advise, guide and support the growth of business for its clients.

“As a key addition to our established leadership team, Jason will put his natural client leadership and interactive expertise to use to enhance Northlich’s integrated marketing communications offering,” said Kathy Selker, CEO and president of Northlich. “With experience ranging from consumer goods to healthcare to retail to telecommunications, his expertise in digital development, strategic brand communications and leadership in interactive and social media will significantly impact our agency and the results we deliver for clients.”

Ruebel spent the past 14 years with the region’s largest and fastest growing digital agency where he led initiatives for category leading brands in food, retail, healthcare and financial services.

Ruebel is a graduate of WPP’s “Maestro” Executive Leadership training program and an active member of the Cincinnati Rec League. He and his wife live in historic Columbia Tusculum.

Ideation

• Dan Rapp – Dan Rapp was promoted to Vice President, Ideation Director in Northlich’s Retail Village. Dan has been recognized for his strong creative leadership, smart insights and committed work ethic to clients such as Long John Silver’s and the Ohio Lottery Commission.

Connection Planning

• Linda Burchett – Linda Burchett was promoted to Associate Director of Connection Planning. For more than 6 years, Linda has demonstrated her dedication to clients and colleagues with her passionate work ethic, leadership, strategic planning and can-do attitude.

Engagement

• Trey Harness – Trey Harness was promoted to Management Supervisor in Northlich’s Retail Village. Trey has been an invaluable member of the Long John Silver’s and Cincinnati Bell engagement teams, strengthening internal and client relationships by leading efforts in brand strategy, consumer research and creative execution.
• Kristin Margolin – Kristin Margolin was promoted to Senior Account Manager in Northlich’s Retail Village. Kristin has been recognized for consistently solving challenges with a smile and always delivering results for clients such as Long John Silver’s and White Castle.
• Damon Smith – Damon Smith was promoted to Management Supervisor in Northlich’s Influencer Marketing Village. Damon has been an instrumental leader in fostering and managing effective engagements for clients such as Iams, Eukanuba, P&G Fem Care and P&G Corporate Trade.
• Emily Snuffer – Emily Snuffer was promoted to Senior Account Manager in Northlich’s Health & Wellness Village. Emily’s strategic leadership and reliable execution on Schneck Medical Center, St. Francis Health Center and TriHealth have helped achieve positive business results.

Public Relations

• Jenny (Prigge) Collopy – Jenny Collopy was promoted to Account Manager in Northlich’s Retail Village. Jenny has been recognized for consistently delivering results with an enthusiastic and passionate attitude for clients such as White Castle, Schneck Medical Center and the Ohio Lottery Commission.
• Katy Garibay – Katy Garibay was promoted to Senior Word of Mouth Marketing Strategist in Northlich’s Retail Village. Katy has been an integral part of client teams for White Castle, American Greetings and the Vitamin Shoppe and has emerged as an agency thought leader in digital marketing.
• Emily Ryan – Emily Ryan was promoted to Account Manager in Northlich’s Consumer Village. During the one year that she has been with Northlich, Emily has proven her ability to successfully manage projects in a turnkey fashion and with high quality execution for clients Cornerstone Brands, Macy’s and totes>>Isotoner.

Operations

• Toni Goettke – Toni Goettke was promoted to Senior Account Billing Specialist. Toni’s proven ability to effectively manage media billing while delivering excellent service continues to add tremendous value to Northlich clients.
• Heather Smith – Heather Smith was promoted to Vice President, Director of Human Resources. Heather has been recognized for her indispensible work ethic, enthusiasm and dedication to Northlich staff and its clients.
• Vernon Venter – Vernon Venter was promoted to IT Manager. Vernon’s wealth of computer knowledge and his calm, optimistic approach to problem solving has proven indispensible to Northlich staff and its clients.

Amy Okin joins Northlich as an account supervisor in the Health & Wellness Village, working with Cincinnati clients TriHealth and Schneck. She brings more than 11 years of strategic healthcare communications and hospital branding experience. Most recently, she led successful campaigns at Glendale Memorial Hospital in California that significantly increased service awareness, consumer preference and physician referrals. Amy holds a B.S. in Journalism from Bowling Green University and is an accredited member of the Public Relations Society of America.

Megan Gluvna joins the Northlich Columbus office as an account supervisor in the Retail Village. She will lead strategic development on the Ohio Lottery account.  A versatile marketing communications professional, Megan has served clients as diverse as Cooper Tires, Panama City Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau, Dominion Homes and the National Kidney Foundation. She graduated Cum Laude from The Ohio State University Fisher College of Business with a B.S. in Marketing.

Nichole Rhenisch joins Northlich as an assistant account manager in the Health & Wellness Village. She will support the P&G Influencer Marketing team on Iams, Eukanuba, Fem Care, and Corporate Trade projects. Prior to joining Northlich, Nichole managed web site management, event planning and internal marketing for The BMW Store and Cincinnati MINI. She holds a B.A. in Marketing from the University of Cincinnati.

Sneha Khanvilkar joins Northlich as an assistant account manager in the Retail Village, working with Northlich clients Long John Silver’s and White Castle. Sneha brings extensive loyalty marketing experience from her years at Macy’s as a Marketing Coordinator for their Star Rewards umbrella program. Prior to Macy’s, she interned at Empower Media Marketing, Dillard’s Department Stores and the Cincinnati Reds. Sneha holds a B.A. in Marketing from the University of Cincinnati.

Monroe brings more than 15 years of communications, public affairs and thought leadership development experience to Northlich. In her new role, Monroe will manage Northlich’s award-winning public relations teams, support its media relations and social media capabilities while providing additional senior PR leadership to clients.

“Tammy’s experiential blend of corporate, crisis and government communications disciplines will significantly enhance our public relations team and the wide variety of clients we serve,” said Mark Willis, Chief Conversation Officer of Northlich.

Prior to joining Northlich, Monroe was the associate director of public relations for GyroHSR, where she led communication programs for several nationally recognized clients, including Hobart Corporation, a leader in commercial food service equipment and one of the agency’s largest integrated accounts and the architectural firm SHP Leading Design. While there, she led content and thought leadership strategy, including media relations, social media, trade show outreach, speechwriting, crisis communications and measurement and evaluation programs. Her extensive portfolio also includes public affairs experience with Fifth Third Bank, Americans for Balanced Energy Choices and the Ohio Senate Majority Caucus.

Monroe is an accredited public relations counselor (APR) by the Public Relations Society of America, a member of the Children’s Home of Cincinnati Young Professionals Board, a Summa Cum Laude graduate of Ohio University’s E.W. Scripps School of Journalism and a former member of the Leukemia Society of America’s “Team in Training” program. She lives in Mason, Ohio with her husband and two children.