Largemouth Communications Wins Multiple RPRS Sir Walter Raleigh Awards

RALEIGH, N.C. - Nov. 5, 2013 - PRLog -- RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. – Nov. 5, 2013 – Largemouth Communications, a full-service public relations firm based in Raleigh-Durham, today announced it earned a “Best in Division” recognition at the Raleigh Public Relations Society (RPRS) 2013 Sir Walter Raleigh Awards for Excellence in Communication.

Members of the Largemouth Communications team accepted the award at a banquet last month at the Raleigh Contemporary Art Museum with WNCN anchor, Sean Maroney, as the emcee.

The Sir Walter Raleigh Awards competition is a showcase of exemplary work by public relations and communication professionals throughout North Carolina. The competition is held annually and recognizes projects that have achieved excellence in a variety of categories, as judged by an independent panel.

Largemouth received honors for two 2012 campaigns based on creative and impactful results on behalf of its client Kangaroo Express. The Kangaroo Express Salute Our Troops and RooCup Summer campaigns were each recognized in the first division, “Total Communications/Community Relations Campaign.” Salute Our Troops was named the gold winner of the most competitive category of the evening, “Promotional Campaign for a Product, Program, Topic or Issue” and went on to receive “Best In Division” recognition. Salute Our Troops was one of two agency campaigns with the highest total score in the Sir Walter Raleigh Awards this year. The RooCup Summer campaign also earned accolades with a silver award in the “Organizational Identity/Promotion” category.

“These awards further validate Largemouth as a powerful strategic communications partner,” said Brandon Bryce, president and CEO of Largemouth Communications. “I am incredibly proud of the Largemouth team for working with the Kangaroo Express team to develop creative, dynamic communications campaigns that activated consumers on a local, regional and national level. We all take great pride in the Salute Our Troops campaign helping raise funds and awareness for service members and their families in times of need.”

Kangaroo Express has a strong connection to the military. More than half its stores are located within 25 miles of a military installation, and a third of its employees have a strong personal connection to the military. Recognizing the importance of this connection, the Kangaroo Express Salute Our Troops campaign is now the pinnacle of the company’s year-round commitment to supporting the military. It honors our troops in an unprecedented, sustained and credible way that encompasses its entire 1,500-plus store footprint across the southeastern United States.

In 2012, Kangaroo Express faced the challenge of sustaining the excitement and exceeding expectations built during the inaugural campaign. In its second year, the campaign would reaffirm and expand Kangaroo Express’ commitment to the military community. Beneficiaries included two national, distinguished military nonprofit organizations with a large presence in the Southeast – the USO and Wounded Warrior Project, as well as six state-based military support organizations with connections to local communities. The comprehensive campaign mobilized Kangaroo Express employees, customers and vendor partners to support the needs of the military community on a local and national level.

When the RooCup – a $6.99 refillable cup that unlocks 25 cent fountain and frozen drink refills all summer long – was first launched in 2011 to Kangaroo Express’ convenience stores, the company aimed to build loyalty among its already strong customer base. When the 250,000 cup inventory, expected to last all 100 days of summer, sold in just four weeks to a passionate army of teenagers, the convenience-retailer listened to this new set of customers. The 2012 RooCup campaign built even more loyalty among the target audience that was engaged with the brand like never before.  To promote the RooCup among the young and mobile generation, Kangaroo Express and Largemouth Communications crafted a program that would harness the already viral nature of the RooCup through social media and word of mouth campaigns, driving traffic and sales in the stores. Through public relations efforts, Kangaroo Express stores sold more than 454,000 RooCups, 80 percent more than in 2011, and the campaign received more than 335.6 million media impressions.

The RPRS Sir Walter Raleigh Awards build on other accolades earned by Largemouth Communications in 2013, including a Silver “Best in Show” InSpire Award from the North Carolina Public Relations Society (NCPRSA).

About Largemouth Communications

Largemouth Communications is a full-service public relations firm focused on providing media relations services to both business-to-business and consumer-facing companies with local, regional, national and global communications needs. Largemouth strives to create public relations programs to meet each client's unique needs by developing strategies through three core communication channels: news media, digital/social media and corporate communications. Largemouth was established in 2005 and serves the Mid-Atlantic region from its headquarters in Research Triangle Park, N.C., along with its Charlotte and Pittsburgh offices. For more information, please visit www.largemouthpr.com.

Media Contact:

Kelly Propst

Largemouth Communications

919-459-6453

kelly@largemouthpr.com