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Archive for 2008

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TOM ORTEGA NAMED TO BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF AUDUBON ARIZONA.

Tom Ortega, executive creative director for RIESTER, was recently named to the board of directors of Audubon Arizona, the Arizona branch of the National Audubon Society.  As a board member, Ortega will guide the organization’s marketing strategy and work toward its mission of furthering the protection of birds, other wildlife and their habitats through science, education and conservation.

For Ortega, an artist and passionate environmentalist, joining Audubon Arizona was an easy decision. “Environmental issues are what I care about. It feels like a natural fit, and Audubon Arizona is doing amazing things, not just in terms of preservation, but also education.”

“We feel tremendously fortunate to have Tom Ortega join the Board of Audubon Arizona,” said Sam Campana, executive director of Audubon Arizona. “Tom is passionate about environmental conservation, and his exceptional abilities in marketing and public relations will help people across the state understand what Audubon is doing in Arizona and how they can become involved.”

One of the first projects Ortega will be assisting with is the grand opening of the Nina Mason Pulliam Rio Salado Audubon Center. The project, which broke ground in September 2008, marks the first environmental education center for Audubon Arizona and is the result of a capital campaign that raised more than $7 million, most of it locally.  Once complete, the center will serve as a gateway to the city of Phoenix’s 595-acre Rio Salado Habitat, a restored, five-mile stretch of the Salt River in the heart of Phoenix, and will provide a forum for community-based education programs across the state.

“We are especially thrilled to have Tom’s help in getting the word out about the Nina Mason Pulliam Rio Salado Audubon Center, scheduled to open this spring, and will serve as the hub of Audubon Arizona’s environmental education and conservation programming for many years to come. We know that Tom’s leadership will make an immeasurable difference to Audubon and therefore to the survival of Arizona’s wildlife and habitats,” added Campana.
 
Ortega’s affiliation with Audubon Arizona builds on RIESTER’s staunch commitment as Brand Activists™, turning consumers into believers through a deep understanding of behavior change and an ability to motivate lasting involvement. It is with this dedication to activism that RIESTER has helped motivate consumers to use alternative modes of transportation to reduce air pollution, increase recycling efforts and the prevention of tobacco use among children.

“Making a positive difference is at the core of RIESTER, for us and on behalf of our clients,” said Ortega. “RIESTER employees are passionate about what they do in their business and personal lives and we know that if we are going to talk the talk, we must walk the walk.”

About RIESTER
As one of the top marketing firms in the Western United States, RIESTER offers its clients a complete range of services including; research, brand planning, media planning and buying, broadcast and print ad creation, public relations, government relations and Web marketing. The agency has offices in Los Angeles, Salt Lake City and Phoenix.

RIESTER is the agency of record for multiple regional and national clients including: McDonalds; Culligan; Hormel; HERDEZ; Veterinary Pet Insurance; Arizona Lottery; Scottsdale Convention and Visitor’s Bureau; Casino Arizona; the Arizona Meth Project; the Utah Methamphetamine Public Awareness Campaign; and the California Department of Conservation. RIESTER’s public affairs activities include statewide and local ballot measure campaigns, as well as candidate campaigns, for municipal, state and federal offices.

RIESTER has been named the fastest growing, privately held advertising and public relations agency in the country by Inc. magazine four consecutive years. In 2001, Creativity Magazine listed RIESTER among the Top 20 Creative Agencies to Watch in America.  Visit us on the web at www.riester.com.

About Audubon Arizona
Audubon Arizona’s mission is to further the protection of birds, other wildlife and their habitats through science, education, advocacy and conservation, for the benefit of humanity and the earth’s biological diversity. Visit http://az.audubon.org/ for more information.

RIESTER

RIESTER ENCOURAGES RECYCLING ON SOCIAL NETWORKING SITE.

As part of the renovated bottlesandcans.com site, RIESTER created Carbotron, a Facebook application of a recycling superhero that allows users to calculate their weekly carbon footprint on their Facebook page. Facebook users can add Carbotron to their profile to determine how eco-friendly they are based on how much plastic, aluminum and glass they recycle each week. Carbotron followers can then challenge their friends to measure their carbon footprint by forwarding the application.  Click here to add Carbotron to your Facebook page.

RIESTER

RIESTER ENCOURAGES “GREEN” HOLIDAY SHOPPING WITH ONLINE GUIDE.

Looking for an eco-friendly gift this year?  Search no further than www.greengiftguide.com, launched by RIESTER and the California Department of Conservation.  Many of the listed products for the home, office and outdoors are made from recycled materials. The site provides “green” tips for the holidays, including gift wrapping, trimming the tree and entertaining.  To visit the site, please go to www.greengiftguide.com.

RIESTER

RIESTER SETS THE MOOD WITH TV SPOT FOR HOLIDAY SCRATCHERS.

Each year, Arizonans deck the halls in preparation for one of the season’s great traditions: the arrival of Holiday Scratchers from the Arizona Lottery. But this ever-popular holiday gift item comes with a catch — one which RIESTER demonstrates with a TV spot that’s sure to leave viewers with a holiday smile. To visit the Arizona Lottery website, click Here

RIESTER

RIESTER LAUNCHES BOTTLESANDCANS.COM FOR THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION.

RIESTER has launched the California Department of Conservation’s recycling website, www.bottlesandcans.com , to reach out to Californians who possess different levels of awareness regarding what, where, why, and how to recycle beverage containers.  RIESTER created the new site to provide information for Californians who recycle often, occasionally, or full time.  The site offers an interactive California Refund Value calculator that determines how much cash residents can receive from recycling; a pledge to recycle; instructions on how to start a recycling program, and more.  Website visitors can use the Recycle Location Finder, which locates local recycling centers by zip code, and can request the free Recycling Starter Kit. To view the new site go to www.bottlesandcans.com.

RIESTER

RIESTER HIRES INDUSTRY LEADER TO HEAD INTERACTIVE DIVISION.

RIESTER announces the addition of Alan Perkel as the head of the agency’s interactive group. Perkel has directed complex interactive projects for Honeywell, TWA Airlines, Motorola, Dial Corporation, Coca-Cola and Lucent Technologies. Additionally, he managed projects as creative director for a wide variety of other global 1000 companies in retail, health care, travel and manufacturing.

Perkel now joins the RIESTER team as executive director of the agency’s interactive division. Perkel formerly served as head of the Web strategy and design team at Citigroup in Jacksonville, Fla., and relocated to Arizona less than two weeks ago. At Citigroup, Perkel transformed its North American credit card business online to service millions of users every day.

“Alan brings to the agency a solid creative and technical background, along with an intense focus on creating effective user-centered experiences while also extending a company’s brand online,” said Tim Riester, founder and CEO of RIESTER.

Combining his strong working knowledge of information architecture, usability and interaction design, Perkel will provide RIESTER clients with a strategic approach to developing functional Web solutions that differentiate through the creative process.

“Consumers have shifted to the Internet to find information and connect with others. While companies have created an online presence to respond to this cultural shift, whether it’s a Web site, advertising or social community, often these strategies are lacking ways to measure effectiveness, said Alan Perkel, executive director of Interactive for RIESTER. “Companies need to build comprehensive online strategies that not only meet consumer needs, but also demonstrate proven results for the company.”

“Our team worked with Alan nearly eight years ago while collaborating on launching an online start-up company. He was creative and strategic, and has only further cemented his skills since then. We are delighted that he’s joined the firm” adds Riester.

RIESTER

RIESTER CONSERVATION FOUNDATION MARKS EARTH DAY WITH THREE IMPORTANT PROJECTS.

The RIESTER Conservation Foundation marks Earth Day with three important projects.

The RIESTER Conservation Foundation funds critical environmental projects on behalf of RIESTER, the national advertising and public relation’s firm that uses Brand ActivismTM to help grow brands that have a purpose beyond commercialism. In addition to funding our own nature preserve near Islita, Costa Rica and a reforestation and economic sustainability effort in Chocola, Guatemala, the Foundation has recently funded three new projects. All of this would not be possible without our many loyal clients. Thank you for helping us preserve these natural treasures.

1. Audubon Society’s Starr Ranch project for habitat restoration and research in Southern California. Funds will be utilized for the restoration of approximately six acres of coastal sage scrub and the research of the nesting habits of the California Gnatcatcher and the Coastal Cactus Wren.

2. An irrigation system and the transplanting of Sacaton plants on the Audubon Research Ranch in Southern Arizona. Six-foot high Sacaton grasslands are a rare and special vegetation community, found only in southwestern North America. With the Foundation’s assistance, Sacaton grasslands will be enhanced and expanded.

3. A pilot study of Playa Corozolito, Costa Rica during peak turtle nesting months (Sept-Nov, 2008) to gather information on how best to protect the sea turtle population nesting at Corozalito. The project will include a three month study, including evaluating the success rate of nests left in-situ (where the turtle laid originally) and those relocated to other parts of the beach.

Recognizing the effects of global warming and the depletion of critical habitat that is essential to sustaining species of all kind, the RIESTER Conservation Foundation functions to protect and preserve our environment, both locally AND globally.

For more information contact Gary Kaasa, President of the RIESTER Conservation Foundation.

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