Winner, Winner Cynopsis Star Dinner

While winning awards in communications marketing is usually a team effort, there are awards out there that more than deservedly shine the spotlight on one specific person. That standout is our own Kris Cichoski, R&R’s digital associate media director, who was recently named a winner in the 2016 Cynopsis Rising Star Awards. This awards program is meant to recognize the best and brightest rising media stars in the ad industry. Way to shine, Kris!

 


A Plea to Share Your Passion

Clark County Department of Family Services needed help getting more people to consider becoming a foster parent. So, how do you show everyday people what a rewarding experience fostering a child can be? You make it relatable by speaking to things they’re already passionate about.

      

We created a campaign that featured familiar hobbies and interests being shared with a foster child. These miniature stories tell how there’s nothing greater than experiencing a child discovering something new. Images simply captured how a hobby or interest can open up both foster parent and child to a whole new, unforgettable experience. The ultimate goal is that audiences might even find that sharing their passion becomes their new one as a foster parent.

              

Budget constraints can often complicate the creative execution of a campaign, but when people are passionate about the subject matter, amazing things can happen. Eric Klein, a photographer based out of Chicago, offered to waive his fee so we could afford to have the campaign shot professionally. He was happy and willing to do so because he was involved with the foster community himself. Which just goes to show the level of passion and dedication that fostering a child can bring.


Turning Bad Gifts into Something Good

Just in time for the holidays, R&R launches badgiftsforgood.com. Ever want to send an unwanted fruitcake to the great beyond in pieces? Now you can. And, for every bad gift you destroy, something good happens: R&R Partners Foundation makes a donation to Communities In Schools, a non-profit working to keep at-risk students in school and on a path to graduation.


Nielsen VR Study

Selling Vegas in a new reality.

If you build it, they will come. One of the great lines in movie history is a nice fit with our VR efforts over the past year. The team at R&R Partners has been busy developing virtual reality content for our Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) client at an exhaustive rate, while consumers ate up the experience.

And while industry professionals have recognized our latest efforts in marketing the destination, most recently, the research community has taken notice. Early in 2016, we were approached by YuMe, a global audience technology company that was interested in using our VR content for a study being commissioned with Nielsen. The study was a neuroscience-informed research report based around emotional engagement across mobile VR and 360 video as compared to TV. Nielsen’s neuroscience team studied 150 people as they consumed VR content from Las Vegas and Disney across these three platforms.

The results were great and provided much needed insight for our industry on a new platform. Not only will this study help R&R Partners keep delivering impactful content, it will give guidance to the entire advertising industry.

A few of the key findings include:


  1. Likeability is higher for VR and 360 video.

 


  1. Guided exploration is key for brands and consumers.

 


  1. Emotional engagement in VR is up to 34 percent longer compared to 2-D.

A Great Place to Work

R&R Partners earned a spot on PR News’ list of Top Places to Work in PR in 2016! According to PR News, 2016 was one of its highest entry years ever and the competition was fierce, so making the list was no easy feat. We are included with an impressive list of winners, including Ketchum and Hill+Knowlton Strategies. PR News honored the selected workplaces at PR News’ Winter Awards Luncheon at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., on December 6. Be sure to check out part of the Phoenix, Arizona office shown here!


 

Solid Work. Solid Foundation.

Throughout 2016, the R&R Partners Foundation has been on the move, continuing our work of transforming lives and strengthening communities. Of the great work being done for our Foundation clients, here are a few examples we just had to share.

Santuario De Luz

The first pro bono collaboration with our Mexico City office produced a beautiful and touching video for a hospital in Autlan, Mexico, which is supported by Carlos Santana’s Milagro Foundation. In addition, we produced a fundraising brochure for Milagro Foundation’s telemedicine program that will seek to provide the best medical care possible for patients of Santuario De Luz.


The Animal Foundation

We saw the completion of our two-year engagement with the Southern Nevada nonprofit that produced the award-winning “In-fur-mercial” campaign.


Flip the Script

Our anti-bullying initiative is alive and well, completing our first school year of working directly with local middle schools to create customized respect campaigns. Becker Middle School, Fremont Middle School and Greenspun Junior High School all had the opportunity to work with R&R employees to create their own student-led anti-bullying campaigns. All were a great success and have become works-in-progress as students continue with their R&R teams for the 2016-2017 school year. In addition, we have selected three new middle schools to work with this year: Brinley, Swainston and Findlay. We’re looking forward to launching their new campaigns in January.


Lastly, we’ve also made some exciting structural changes to our Foundation, including:

Our Employee Board

Because our Foundation is a reflection of the culture and generosity of R&R Partners, we created a board of employees to help ensure that our Foundation stays true to that culture. They have done a fantastic job this year! We wish to thank R&R team members Catherine Cole, Nick Vassiliadis, Piper Overstreet, Bruce Wilcox, Mark Sundermeier, Steve Wright, Monica McCafferty and Courtney Barrett for their service. We also want to congratulate and welcome our new employee board members – our chair, Jennifer Lopez, James Coleman, Melissa Keegan and Mandy Walsh.


Employee-Directed Giving Fund

This year, the Foundation established an employee-directed giving fund that matches the amount of money an employee chooses to donate to a charity, up to $100. We expect this fund will benefit some great causes that our employees care deeply about. Go R&R!