Financial Communications Society Expands Annual Awards to Include Public Relations

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Free-Press-Release.com) February 12, 2010 -- For Immediate Release Contact: Kevin Windorf, 908-391-2723
kevin.windorf@bmo.com

NEW YORK, Feb. 12, 2010 – The Financial Communications Society (FCS) has expanded its annual FCS Portfolio Awards to include public relations. The not-for-profit organization, which dedicates itself to improving professional standards in financial communications, cited the desire to honor excellence in public relations during the financial-services industry’s tumultuous 2009.

Financial marketers and their PR agencies will compete in three categories at this year’s 16th annual awards competition: Corporate Image, B2B and Consumer Retail, with a “Best in Show” trophy awarded for public relations.

“Integrating public relations, media relations and advertising has long been a successful strategy of financial marketers,” said Kevin Windorf, president of the Financial Communications Society and a marketing director at BMO Capital Markets. “From earned media to social media, PR stands center-stage as a marketing medium that can drive awareness, differentiation, thought leadership, and more. Through the FCS Portfolio Awards, we’re proud to recognize excellence in financial PR for 2009 – a year that demanded the very best from PR agencies.”

Begun in 1994, the FCS Portfolio Awards has added other new categories, including Multicultural (2007), Websites (2007) and Collateral (2006), bolstering its awards line-up for advertising in Print, TV, Direct Mail, Out-of-Home, Interactive and Multimedia. PR entries also are eligible this year to be entered as part of the Multimedia category.

Agencies and marketers can download the FCS Portfolio Call for Entries document at the FCS website: www.fcsinteractive.com. The firm deadline for all submissions is February 25, except Pubic Relations entries, which have a firm deadline of March 11.

This year’s awards will be presented at a gala dinner on May 13 at Terminal 5, in New York City. More than 400 industry professionals in the financial-marketing arena are expected to attend the black-tie event, which also includes live music and dancing. For information on the Awards dinner, contact Jennifer Masiello at 917-226-3979 or via jennifer@fcsinteractive.com.

About the Financial Communications Society

The Financial Communications Society (FCS), a not-for-profit organization, is dedicated to improving professional standards in financial communications. It provides professionals in the industry with a forum for gathering relevant information, sharing ideas and building relationships with industry colleagues. The FCS hosts the annual FCS Portfolio Awards, for creative excellence in financial services communications, including advertising, PR, collateral and digital media; the annual FCS Financial Marketer of the Year Award; a monthly luncheon series featuring prominent industry speakers, and numerous educational and networking events. The capstone of the annual charity-focused activities organized by the FCS is the FCS Race for Kids (www.fcsraceforkids.org) which has raised more than $1.1 million for three children’s charities: Hope & Heroes, Make-A-Wish, and Downey Side. For further information, visit www.fcsinteractive.com.

More information can be found online at http://www.fcsinteractive.com

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