Utah Social Media Awards » 2009 Recipients

Best of Show: XanGo

Utah Social Media Awards — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 20:53:37 +0000

2009 Utah Social Media Awards category — Best of Show

2009 Utah Social Media Awards recipient — XanGo

The judges said this nominee has an impressive online and social media presence, from Web sites to blogs and podcasts. Even in their sponsorship of a Utah sports franchise they use YouTube in addition to traditional media to broadcast commercials. The judges did note this recipient’s apparent large budget and complimented them for producing beautiful Web sites, using video effectively and engaging with their audience through interactive content and on various social media platforms.

The Utah Social Media Award was accepted by Shane Martindale, online buzz marketing manager for XanGo.

People’s Choice: The FredCast

Utah Social Media Awards — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 20:47:07 +0000

2009 Utah Social Media Awards category — People’s Choice

2009 Utah Social Media Awards recipient — The FredCast

The judges praised this site for tons of new content — podcasts, stuff to read, recommendations, Tweet stream and tips. They liked its crisp layout, great navigation, right column showcase of ads, links to iTunes feed, RSS, Twitter, etc. One judge wrote, “This is the cream of this crop. Absolutely love it.” The judges also commented on how profoundly this blogger has influenced the community for which he blogs.

The Utah Social Media Award was accepted by David Bernstein, author of The FredCast.

Best Integrated Social Media Campaign: Standard-Examiner

Utah Social Media Awards — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 20:41:21 +0000

2009 Utah Social Media Awards category — Best Integrated Social Media Campaign

2009 Utah Social Media Awards recipient — Standard-Examiner

The judges were wowed by the dozens of platforms used by this organization. They praised what they called “a history of engagement through social media, community support, readily accessible and shareable information.” They said this recipient is a model of engagement through social media and called out their use of Web sites, photo sharing sites, Twitter and Facebook. The judges said this recipient exemplifies great integration of social media properties which are easily accessible from one centralized location.

The Utah Social Media Award was accepted by Mark Shenefelt of the Standard-Examiner.

Best Integrated Social Media Campaign: Goldsmith Co. Jewelers

Utah Social Media Awards — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 20:30:05 +0000

2009 Utah Social Media Awards category — Best Integrated Social Media Campaign

2009 Utah Social Media Awards recipient — Goldsmith Co. Jewelers

The judges were impressed by this blogger outreach as part of a Mother’s Day campaign that garnered both traditional and new media coverage and more customers in one week than the recipient typically has in one year. They loved the tangible, measurable metrics of sales, new customers and all types of media coverage associated with this campaign — a true hallmark of success. They praised what they accomplished with their agency, Sprout Marketing, with this Mother’s Day campaign that focused primarily on mommy bloggers and spilled over into traditional media coverage.

The Utah Social Media Award was accepted by Alex Koritz for Goldsmith Co. Jewelers.

Best Social Media Content Guru: Janet Meiners Thaeler

Utah Social Media Awards — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 20:22:58 +0000

2009 Utah Social Media Awards category — Best Social Media Content Guru

2009 Utah Social Media Awards recipient — Janet Meiners Thaeler

The judges said this award goes to someone who regularly shares her opinions and provides very helpful tools and tips. She has also recently published a book and has a record of proven thought leadership in social media and public relations circles.

The Utah Social Media Award was accepted by Janet Meiners Thaeler.

Best Social Media Content Guru: Jordan Kasteler

Utah Social Media Awards — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 20:17:33 +0000

2009 Utah Social Media Awards category — Best Social Media Content Guru

2009 Utah Social Media Awards recipient — Jordan Kasteler

The judges classified this first recipient as “a search and social media guru who effectively uses multiple platforms to share valuable content.” They also said, “This guy has a great blog where he kindly shares his slides and input. He has a history of SEO work with some very notable groups.”

The Utah Social Media Award was accepted by Jordan Kasteler.

Best Facebook Fan Page: PC Laptops

Utah Social Media Awards — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 20:11:13 +0000

2009 Utah Social Media Awards category — Best Facebook Fan Page

2009 Utah Social Media Awards recipient — PC Laptops

The judges said this site was used effectively for quick customer service with a personal touch. They commented on the positive, high energy conveyed for its brand, and complimented the site because it was full of great information.

The Utah Social Media Award was accepted by Dan Young, also known as Dan The Laptopman, owner of PC Laptops and manager of the PC Laptops page on Facebook.

Best Facebook Fan Page: Utah’s Hogle Zoo

Utah Social Media Awards — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 20:03:45 +0000

2009 Utah Social Media Awards category — Best Facebook Fan Page

2009 Utah Social Media Awards recipient — Utah’s Hogle Zoo

The judges complimented this nominee considering 2009 is this organization’s first year to utilize social media tools, and they have already built a strong virtual community. The judges commented that considering folks 35 and older are among Facebook’s largest growing demographic (as in parents), this is an excellent medium to spread information about this local attraction. Fresh keyword rich content helps them with search visibility too. Well done!

The Utah Social Media Award was accepted by Holly Braithwaite, public relations director for Utah’s Hogle Zoo.

Best Facebook Fan Page: BabySteals.com

Utah Social Media Awards — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 19:52:40 +0000

2009 Utah Social Media Awards category — Best Facebook Fan Page

2009 Utah Social Media Awards recipient — BabySteals.com

The judges said, “This is a very active, vocal community. This site offers great deals and connects people willing to share and save money. It’s the perfect storm.” The judges complimented the site’s 16,000 Facebook fans (right now it’s well on its way to 18,000 fans). They said this was a great way to publicize and sell products with a very engaged community.

The Utah Social Media Award was accepted by Jana Francis of BabySteals.com.

Best Use of YouTube: Mormon Messages

Utah Social Media Awards — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 19:40:16 +0000

2009 Utah Social Media Awards category — Best Use of YouTube

2009 Utah Social Media Awards recipient — Mormon Messages by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

The judges said this was a great use of a very accessible media medium for an organization with a growing global audience. They praised the channel’s more than 24,000 subscribers and 1.5 million channel views as a great example of sharing inspirational video content in a social media environment. The judges commented that, regardless of your position or affiliation, being a good person, as exemplified by content on this YouTube content, is universal.

The Utah Social Media Award was accepted by Dallas Petersen, the Audiovisual Department product manager for the Mormon Messages channel on YouTube.