Sixty percent of Americans believe the reputations of American corporations declined in 2011, with financial services firms leading the decline. However, the Harris Interactive survey of 17,000 consumers also found that brands that project innovation, like Apple, Google and Amazon.com, and brands like GM and Toyota that have turn their fortunes around have been gaining in public esteem. BP’s image also has been significantly rehabilitated since the 2010 Gulf oil spill.

The results of the study offer lessons for companies of all sizes.

• Americans love winners. If you have winning products and technology, you’re more likely to have a winning reputation.
• Americans love overachievers.  Think GM. Three years ago pundits produced it dead.
• Americans respect companies that right their wrongs. Think BP.

All of these companies also invest heavily in listening to their customers and investing in their brands. And their investments are paying off.

The study found that more than 60 percent of consumers will purchase products and a fourth of Americans will buy stock of companies with stellar reputations like Coca-Cola and Amazon.

It’s great to have our work honored by our peers. Better yet when that work helps prevent underage drinking, offers consumers a solution to remove allergens from the home or helps public radio better serve its listeners throughout the state.

ZLRIGNITION was honored this past weekend with six ADDY Awards by the American Advertising Federation of Des Moines for work created for The Iowa Department of Public Health, BEAM Central Vacuum Systems and Iowa Public Radio.

The agency earned four awards for an Iowa Department of Public Health Substance Abuse Division  for a campaign to prevent underage drinking. Gold ADDYs were awarded for a campaign poster, outdoor and television advertising as well as for mixed media campaigns.

ZLRIGNITION also earned a Gold ADDY for a national television spot created for BEAM Central Vacuum systems.

Another Gold ADDY was awarded to ZLRIGNITION for logos the agency developed for programs broadcast by Iowa Public Radio.

Kelly Joseph has joined ZLRIGNITION as an account manager.

From online marketing to managing traditional consumer and B-to-B advertising campaigns, Kelly brings a breadth of experience to help ZLRIGNITION clients achieve results. And, she knows Oprah.

An advertising management graduate of Drake University, Kelly has implemented advertising programs for some of the top brands in the U.S., including Kentucky Fried Chicken, Target, GE, Sprint and Hershey’s.

She also spent four years with Harpo Productions in Chicago where she served as a campaign manager for Oprah.com.

Kelly returned to Iowa in 2010 and launched the social group buying site, LivingSocial, in the Des Moines market.

Prior to joining ZLRIGNITION in 2012, Kelly worked as an account executive for the Integer Group where she managed the replacement window and door account for Pella Corporation.

Kelly also serves on the national advisory council for the Drake University School of Journalism and Mass Communications.

She and her husband, Brian, reside in Urbandale.

ZLRIGNITION has promoted Jason Boucher to vice president of client services.

Boucher, selected by the Advertising Federation of Des Moines as an Advertising Professional of the Year, will oversee the day-to-day operations of the agency’s account teams.

“Jason plays a critical role in directing communications strategies that have ignited brands,” says Louis Laurent, President and CEO. “His expanded role will contribute significantly to our clients’ success.”

He returned to the agency in 2005 as an Account Manger and Account Supervisor and has worked on the agency’s largest accounts.

Boucher served as a media buyer for ZLRIGNITION from 2000 to 2002 then returned to school to obtain a Master of Science degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from Iowa State University. While seeking his masters, Jason served as an instructor of Advanced Advertising Campaigns and mentored a group of 17 Iowa State students in a national student advertising competition.  

Despite all you’ve heard about the shrinking of newsrooms around the country, this traditional form of journalism is enjoying a renaissance of sorts — in the corporate world.

Some are calling it brand journalism. Companies are employing and training journalists to develop stories and video about their brands, their products and their research. And they are delivering the content through Websites that look more like wsj.com or cnn.com than a corporate brochure. A great example is IBM with an entire site that focuses on how to make technology work smarter and better. Boeing packages videos in a format that resembles  TV news stories.

Proponents of the idea say by shifting the emphasis to product and brand promotion to delivering useful content, they are increasing brand awareness in a credible way.

Whether you embrace this approach or not, the key point to be made is your communications need to fullfill an audience need — a quest for information, dialogue, or simply to be entertained.