Kerigan Wins District ADDY, Moves On To Nationals

The American Advertising Federation is divided into 15 regional districts; Kerigan Marketing is in the fourth district, which encompasses the entire state of Florida, the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. The district is composed of 21 local groups, each of whom holds an annual ADDY competition. Gold winners at the local competition are automatically moved on to the district level to compete with Gold winners from the other local clubs.

We were the only contestant from Bay County to win at the district level, no small feat. Because Florida and the Caribbean have heavily tourist-driven economies, marketing and advertising is highly competitive in the district. Kerigan was competing with firms from cities like Jacksonville, Orlando, Tampa and Miami.

Our winning entry was part of a very successful campaign we created for Florida State University’s Panama City campus, called “The FSU that Fits YOU.” While we won several local gold and silver awards for different pieces of that campaign, the district winner was for a billboard design featuring the famous feathered spear of FSU’s mascot Chief Osceola plunged into the gorgeous white sand beaches of Panama City Beach. The tagline reads, “Be a Seminole Closer to Home.”

“We determined that a cohesive identity was needed to inspire a sense of pride for this unique regional location.” said Jack Kerigan, founder of Kerigan Marketing Associates. “We created a core visual around Chief Osceola’s spear planted firmly into our beautiful beaches, signifying that the FSU spirit is very much a part of Panama City’s bayside campus.”

The juxtaposition worked.  Not only did it win an American Advertising Federation district prize, but helped Florida State Panama City grow its enrollment to desired levels and beyond, the core goal of the campaign.

Kerigan Marketing was selected as FSU Panama City’s Agency of Record in August, 2011, when it competed for the account in a Request for Proposal issued by the Tallahassee campus with the goal of increasing Panama City campus enrollment to 1,400 by fall of 2012. FSU Panama City exceeded its enrollment goal with 1,417 for fall 2012; up from 1,272 in 2011 and has continued the rapid growth to over 1,600 for fall 2013.

Many people in this area may not know we have this sort of marketing depth and experience in our own backyard, but Kerigan Marketing Associates has been operating here since 2001. Jack Kerigan, Jr. uniquely leveraged his love of the coast with a Marketing degree from Florida State University and an MBA, graduating cum laude, in his route to destination marketing success. After 12 years in the Brand Management Group of RJR Tobacco he headed to Community Coffee as Director of Marketing to deliver the company’s first volume growth in over six years. He returned home to Mexico Beach and founded Kerigan Marketing Associates, Inc., in 2001, with a focus on applying big-brand marketing skills to smaller organizations seeking strategic growth.

Our team of five professionals has earned over 100 ADDY Awards, creating websites, TV commercials, logos, printed materials and online advertising not only for FSU Panama City, but for clients like Tyndall Federal Credit Union, the St. Joe Company and more. Jack is also a FSU Notable Nole and a 2005 graduate of Leadership Bay.

Jack believes what sets his business apart, and the unique value it brings to the Florida Panhandle, is a love for big brand marketing principles applied to even the smallest businesses. “I am a big believer in integrated marketing.” Jack says. “That’s how the big brands we all respect such as Disney, Apple, etc. have been built—by skilled marketers who understand how each communication works together. That there’s a unique personality that should be consistently applied across their website, advertising, even front line employees. We try to help even our one or two person business clients understand they are building a brand and how to get the most out of each message.”

This philosophy worked for Florida State University Panama City, and earned Kerigan Marketing Associates, and the Florida Panhandle, a big win. And that district-winning billboard design has been sent on to compete at the national level at the ADMERICA 2014! Advertising Conference this May in Boca Raton. Wish us luck. We hope to bring home ADDY Gold to Panama City!

If you would like to see more of our work, please browse our design portfolio. Then contact us anytime. Thanks!