MAT-SU Borough outreach earns two public rela

ANCHORAGE—The work of Matanuska-Susitna Borough Public Affairs staff was recognized at an award ceremony on Jan. 27, as among the best work of public relations professionals in Alaska. The Alaska Chapter of Public Relations Society of America has more than 100 members, including full-service public relations firms and corporations. The MAT-SU Borough earned two awards: one for a comprehensive campaign using a variety of tools and another for the production of a single tool.

The Borough earned a second place Aurora Award for the two-day promotion of the M/V Susitna during the ferry christening event last June. Video, audio, photographs, and press releases portrayed the "Pioneer Spirit Behind the Impossible Ship." The work was created and disseminated by a staff of two on deadline from the island of Ketchikan to TV news stations, radio stations, and newspapers for same day coverage. Troubleshooting of slow hotel Internet added to the deadline tension. In addition to the web press releases, two podcasts were produced, as well as story links placed on Facebook and Twitter and YouTube, drawing 2,000 hits to the Borough website.

The Borough earned third place in video in the State for “The Time is Now: Port MacKenzie Rail Extension.” The video was used as an educational tool last year in the Borough’s objective to secure $35 million in State funding for the project. Public Affairs Director Patty Sullivan and Media Design Specialist Stefan Hinman are the staff of Borough Public Affairs.

See the Susitna work: http://bit.ly/PioneerSpirit and for the Rail Video: http://bit.ly/PortMacRailVideo2010