State of Georgia’s International Public Relations Campaign Takes Top Industry Award

ATLANTA, December 8, 2009 –  The State of Georgia's international campaign encouraging international investors to consider Georgia for business locations and expansions won top honors recently at the annual awards ceremony held by the Georgia chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA). The Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD), in conjunction with GolinHarris Atlanta, took home the 'Best of Phoenix' award for its 'Global Georgia' campaign. The award was judged from among the three highest-scoring entries, all winners in their categories. 'It's certainly a distinct honor to be commended for the success of the Global Georgia campaign, and recognized for the significant results achieved through our relationship with GolinHarris,' said Heidi Green, Georgia Department of Economic Development deputy commissioner for global commerce.  'This 'Best of Phoenix' award speaks well of the opportunities we've been able to help create to advance Georgia's visibility with international investors.' GDEcD partnered with GolinHarris's Atlanta office to help bring Governor Sonny Perdue's vision of a global Georgia to life in 14 strategic countries for the state through comprehensive, customized outreach to media and other key audiences in each country. The program resulted in 75 million global media impressions and, despite a troubled economy, Georgia reported a significant increase in lead generation. GolinHarris is GDEcD's public relations agency of record. President and CEO Fred Cook stated, 'It is very gratifying when our peers recognize the progress we have made over the past few years. This is a very important distinction for our company because it recognizes our team's excellent work and dedication, and reaffirms that GolinHarris is truly a leader in the PR industry.' GolinHarris was able to reach the goal of the program as the state reported a year of increase in lead generation. More specifically, the state assisted companies with 327 new locations or expansions in fiscal year 2009 (up from 321 last year), and the number of qualified business leads increased 1.2 percent, continuing an upward trend. The International Trade division assisted 725 Georgia companies and helped close 219 deals in 42 countries. The number of trade deals increased more than 30 percent, and the dollar amount improved almost 67 percent, to $29.1 million. Through this effort, GDEcD met its communications goal of increasing the state's reputation as a leader in foreign direct investment and trade. GDEcD surpassed its goal of reaching 30 million business leaders, reaching 80 million business leaders in key markets through stories that positioned Georgia as an ideal investment destination. About PRSA Georgia PRSA|GA (www.prsageorgia.org), the second-largest local chapter in the national society, consists of nearly 1,000 professionals throughout Georgia.  Its mission is to enhance the profession, provide continuing education and offer networking opportunities for its members. About GDEcD The Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) is the state's sales and marketing arm, the lead agency for attracting new business investment, encouraging the expansion of existing industry and small businesses, locating new markets for Georgia products, attracting tourists to Georgia, and promoting the state as a location for film, music and digital entertainment projects, as well as planning and mobilizing state resources for economic development. For more information, visit www.georgia.org.