Ed Russ of Grant Thornton named Marketer of the Year
Edmond V. Russ, a Partner and Chief Marketing and Sales Officer for Grant Thornton won the CPA Practice Management Forum "Marketer of the Year" honor, presented during the recent Association of Accounting Marketing meeting. The firm also captured a first prize for Marketing Research in the AAM Marketing Achievement Awards for a study that led the firm to open an 8-person office in Phoenix.
With a staff of 12, he is responsible for strategic marketing and planning, brand building, and managing the marketing and sales resources of the firm. As partner in charge of marketing, he also serves as a member of the firm's National Leadership Team.
Winners have to demonstrate overwhelming support of the leadership of their firm, and an outstanding impact on their firm. Under Ed's leadership, the firm has creating a brand campaign with mail, TV and radio, tripled unaided brand awareness, and increased net income 30% in 2005. The managing partner said, "he's the best marketing director we've ever had - and I've been with firm 28 years." Ed also maintains a job bank for marketing and sales peoples, and gets many calls from search firms.
The June 9 AAM Marketing Achievement Awards was a lovefest of hugs, cheers and wild applause. Plus the dinner was a monster fillet mignon, and dessert was a luscious chocolate mousse.
Howard M. Wolosky, the Editor in Chief of Practical Accountant magazine, was inducted into the AAM Hall of Fame. With 35 years in the publishing business, two law degrees, and experience speaking at many events, he has actively promoted the accounting marketing profession. "I run a magazine for partners and owners of small and medium sized firms. I've been showcasing some marketers because they have tremendous substance. The accounting profession has changed, and marketers are the key component to why many firms changed their business model. You make a substantial contribution to change," he told an audience of fans.
The Rookie Marketer of The Year -- a new honor -- was Renee Stranghoner of Weaver & Tidwell in Texas. "Her managing partner credits her with explosive growth in the industry. She will be a role model for other marketers," said presenter Laura Snyder. In her first year on the job, the got firm 70 media hits, a 60% proposal win rate and overall firm growth over 30%. Weaver & Tidwell also won awards for sales presentations and firm brochures.
Other big winners included:
- Schenck Business Solutions, headquartered in Appleton, WI, which won awards for their internal incentive program, best niche building campaign.
- Tauber & Balser (along with Capstone Marketing and Dalton-Fischel Design) for their corporate identity package.
- Welch & Co., a regional firm based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada with 11 offices in Ontario and Quebec, for their internal sales campaign and their advertising campaign.
- The Rehmann Group, a Michigan accounting firm, for its event marketing and seminars, and a miscellaneous award.
- Winter, Kloman, Moter & Repp, a Milwaukee area accounting firm, won awards for single mailings and miscellaneous marketing.
Other winners in firms with more than 75 professionals were:
- Bennett Thrasher for web site design.
- Plante Moran for newsletters.
- Dixon Hughes for single mailings.
- BKD for campaign mailings.
- Tofias PC for a marketing survey.
- Kennedy and Coe for logo design.
- Larson Allen for corporate identity package.
- Cooper Norman for collateral material.
- Witt Mares for best use of technology.
- The Society of Louisiana CPAs for their publicity campaign.
Winners in smaller firms with fewer than 75 professionals were:
- Brown Armstrong for sales presentations.
- Clayton McKervey for newsletters
- KBA Group LLP (which actually mailed black socks in a SOX promotion.)
- Cerini and Associates for a marketing survey.
- Gorfine Schiller & Gardyn for their niche building campaign.
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Kroll Lindquist Avery for their advertising.
- McKonly & Asbury for their Web site design.
- Clayton McKervye for event refracting and seminars.
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