Adworkshop News

Adworkshop Appoints New President to Executive Team

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 18:51:07 +0000

Adworkshop, Northern New York's premier employee-owned digital marketing and public relations agency, announces the promotion of General Manager Darcy Norfolk to president. Founded in 1977 by Tom and Adele Connors, the agency delivers a full-suite of marketing services from its Lake Placid location, and employs 26 full-time professionals.

"Darcy has exceptional leadership qualities, a terrific business sense and a strong work ethic," says Principal Tom Connors. "Adele and I have every confidence that Darcy will lead our company into the future with her professional acumen and leadership skills."

Norfolk has a wide breadth of experience in marketing, mergers and acquisitions and business development in the healthcare, retail, education, and hospitality industries. Norfolk has worked in several capacities at Adworkshop. From 2009 to 2012 she served as the agency's general manager and executive team leader. From 2005 to 2007, she was the Director of Public Relations.

Before joining Adworkshop, Norfolk worked for five years in technology development and marketing for Symbol Technologies, Inc., a subsidiary of Motorola. She gained experience in software, mobile computing and wireless-technology development, and served as the Asia-Pacific Business Development Manager in Tokyo for one year.

"Tom and I are not leaving the company anytime soon," says Principal Adele Connors. "Our first step in our eventual transition was creating the Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) to ensure that the company and jobs remains in the Adirondacks. Our second step was to find the right person to put at the helm, and we are so grateful that Darcy is taking on that role."

Darcy is a native of Watertown, N.Y., and a 1991 graduate of Immaculate Heart Central School. She holds a bachelor's degree in marketing from Canisius College and an M.B.A. from Hofstra University, where she graduated magna cum laude.

Adworkshop & Inphorm General Manager Guest Writer for NNY Living Magazine

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 18:40:26 +0000

LAKE PLACID, NY (November 30, 2011) – Adworkshop & Inphorm General Manager, Darcy Norfolk, is a guest contributor in the November/ December 2011 premier issue of NNY Living magazine.

NNY Living magazine is a bi-monthly publication by the publishers of the Watertown Daily Times and NNY Business magazine. Distributed throughout Northern New York, each issue is a refined look at life in the North Country, from food and wine to art and music.

Norfolk is a native of Watertown, New York and very familiar with the North Country. With eight years of residency in Lake Placid and over six years of tourism and destination marketing experience with Adworkshop & Inphorm, Norfolk understands and appreciates Lake Placid.

Her story titled "36 Hours in Lake Placid – Discovering paradise in your own backyard" showcases the perfect day in Lake Placid with recommendations and links to find out more information.
The publication and the article are not online. To read click here (pdf).

Adworkshop Wraps Up National ESOP Month With Donation to Local Food Pantry

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 15:01:47 +0000

LAKE PLACID, NY – Adworkshop, Northern New York's premier employee-owned digital marketing and public relations agency, wrapped up a month of events and community outreach for National Employee Ownership Month. After a month of fundraising, the agency presented Lake Placid Ecumenical Food Pantry Founder and Director, Linda Young, with a check for $687 and 183 pounds of non-perishable food and other items collected throughout October.

The Lake Placid Ecumenical Food Pantry, which operates out of the basement of St. Agnes Church in Lake Placid, was established in 1985 to serve the Adirondack Community. In recent years, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of families utilizing the Pantry's services, according to Linda. The pantry relies solely on donations and volunteers to provide confidential outreach in communities around the Essex County region.

"Where there is a need, we fill it," Linda states. "There are no boundaries to aid."

In addition to Adworkshop & Inphorm's community outreach, the agency's employee-owners celebrated National Employee Ownership Month by participating in the Olympic Regional Development Authority's team-building Corporate Challenge. The ESOP Association President J. Michael Keeling stopped by the agency and gave a quick keynote address earlier in October. For more information about Adworkshop and Inphorm's ESOP, log on to: www.adworkshop.com/about/employee-owned.

Adworkshop & Inphorm also celebrated their four-year ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan) by hosting Essex County Business After Hours Social on October 13. A record number of guests attended the event, and contributed significantly to the agency's food drive to benefit the Lake Placid Ecumenical Food Pantry.

About the Lake Placid Ecumenical Food Pantry:
The pantry relies on monetary as well as food donations to feed more than 300 families during the Thanksgiving holiday, as many items are perishable and need to be purchased separately. Open on Fridays from 9 am to 12 pm in St.

Adworkshop Announces National ESOP Awareness Month Events for October

Tue, 04 Oct 2011 16:41:39 +0000

LAKE PLACID, NY – The North Country's premier employee-owned digital marketing and public relations agency kicks off National Employee Ownership Month this October with a business after-hours reception for the community, food drive, corporate challenge and ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan) awareness.

Inphorm & Adworkshop celebrate their four-year ESOP anniversary this year, and invite the regional business community to the Essex County Business Council's After Hours Social at their offices in the Cold Brook Plaza at 44 Hadjis Way in Lake Placid on October 13.

The evening's festivities kick off at 5:30 with door prizes, a raffle, hors d'oeurves featuring ingredients from local farms such as Clovermead, Edgley, Essex, Cornell-Uihlein and Conroy's, as well as various beverages including wine and locally made beer from the Lake Placid Pub & Brewery. This Lake Placid business event is an opportunity to learn more about this New York digital marketing agency, as well as meet and great with Adworkshop's employee-owners, and neighborhood businesses. Guests who bring a non-perishable food item will be entered to win a 32GB iPod Touch. Adworkshop will match all food donations.

Additionally, Adworkshop will participate in ESOP education and awareness activities including a month-long food drive to benefit the Lake Placid Ecumenical Food Pantry, the Olympic Regional Development Authority's team-building Corporate Challenge, as well as internal activities.

About Adworkshop's Employee Ownership Program
Adworkshop's ESOP is a qualified retirement plan wherein 33 percent of the company is owned by the employees via shares of stock. The ESOP was established on July 1, 2007 and was solidified by the actual sale of stock on April 29, 2009.

Digital Marketing Agency Adds New Hires to Its Employee-Owned Team

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 17:50:42 +0000

LAKE PLACID, NY – Adworkshop, Northern New York's premier employee-owned digital marketing agency, announces the addition of three marketing professionals to the company's growing search marketing, account management, and content, social and public relations teams.

Jessica Kleppang brings her expertise in communications planning and social media management to Adworkshop. Jessica has a Masters Degree from Ithaca College in Strategic Communications, and a bachelor's degree from the State University of New York College at Potsdam. Jessica joins the growing Interactive and Search Marketing teams and she spent her first week attending the Search Marketing Expo (SMX) in New York City.

Apryl Dervay joins the Adworkshop team as an Account Executive, and will work with clients to solve their business problems and capture opportunities with results-based marketing tactics. Apryl brings to Adworkshop an infectious energy and creative spirit coupled with marketing, research and resource management experience. She has an MBA from Lake Erie College and a bachelor's degree in Marketing and Human Resource Management from Kent State University.

Kate Monohan joins Inphorm, Adworkshop's public relations division, as a Publicist and Editorial Content Coordinator. Kate earned her Master's Degree in Public Relations from Syracuse University's S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, and a bachelor's degree from the University of Connecticut in Journalism and American Studies. She recently worked as a tourism intern for Development Counsellors International in Manhattan, gaining insight into destination tourism marketing and promotion.

"We are a nimble marketing agency – these hires reflect our agency's adjustments and growth in the ever-changing marketing landscape to ensure we provide high quality work to our clients," states Darcy Norfolk, General Manager.

Adworkshop Announces Hire of Ski Industry Marketing Professional as Media Manager

Wed, 12 Oct 2011 14:39:00 +0000

Adworkshop,Northern New York's premier digital marketing agency, adds to its talented team with the recent hire of Doug "Doc" Tulin. Doug brings his vast ski resort marketing experience to his new role as Media Manager with Adworkshop.

Doug has worked extensively in the Vermont and New Hampshire destination and ski resort business, where he has held marketing positions since 2003. Drawing on his media buying services expertise, Doug has had direct oversight for all management, development and design processes for sales and advertising, including all resort collateral. While at Attitash, Doug successfully oversaw the company's new branding campaign, website, trail map re-designs, brochures, billboards, signage, banners, as well as overseeing new promotional video and photo shoots.

As the former Marketing Manager of Pro2 Marketing, Doug worked for top tier companies, providing resort market planning, media negotiations and extensive copy writing and consulting services. In addition to his marketing expertise, Doug was a practicing attorney for several years, garnering valuable negotiating skills. Recently, he participated as a social media panelist at the 2010 Northeast Winter Snowsports Summit at Sunday River Resort.

"Doug's destination marketing and planning experience from Vermont and New Hampshire provide a unique and valuable perspective for our clients," states Adworkshop's General Manager Darcy Norfolk. "His strategy and campaign management skills will integrate across platforms and strengthen our teams."

Adworkshop Unveils Adirondack Travel and Tourism Mobile Site and App

Wed, 10 Aug 2011 16:28:34 +0000

LAKE PLACID, NY – Adworkshop announces the launch of the mobile travel website: m.adk.com and a free downloadable Adirondacks mobile application developed for the Adirondack Regional Tourism Council.

Mobile websites and "apps" allow users to access specific information with the touch of a finger. Now smartphone and iPad users can access Adirondack lodging options, events, restaurants, attractions, hiking trails, paddling routes and campground information on the go. Adworkshop is a specialized tourism marketing agency in New York.

The free Adirondacks mobile application is available for iPhones,Blackberry and Android.

"With smartphone sales on the rise, mobile marketing is imperative,"states Adworkshop General Manager Darcy Norfolk. "With more than 10 million people visiting the Adirondack Region every year these assets will provide smartphone users the targeted travel information they need."

Smartphone users can download the Adirondacks mobile app, and research everything that goes into planning and enjoying a vacation in the Adirondacks. The "What's nearby?" function provides travelers with an easy way to discover points of interest wherever they are within the Adirondack Region.

"The Adirondacks app and mobile website will supplement our existing website and printed materials, providing greater access to information about the Adirondacks," states Ron Ofner, Executive Director of the Adirondack Regional Tourism Council.

Adworkshop, located in the Adirondack village of Lake Placid, NY is an employee-owned integrated marketing communications agency. Its team of professionals designs and executes customized, traditional and interactive strategies to achieve results for specific marketing objectives. Inphorm is the public relations extension of Adworkshop. Together, Adworkshop and Inphorm provide an integrated approach for brand building by delivering both awareness and credibility, while also driving sales and revenue growth.

Adworkshop Wins Two NORI Awards at 38th Annual Albany Event

Thu, 16 Jun 2011 20:06:19 +0000

Adworkshop, upstate New York's only employee-owned full-service marketing agency, won two awards for outstanding advertising creativity at the Albany Ad Club's 38^th annual Nori Awards. The event was held June 10, 2011 at Proctor's Theatre in Schenectady, NY.

Adworkshop brought home first place awards for two submissions and was a finalist in seven other categories. Advertising agencies from Northern New York and throughout the Capital District submitted entries in various traditional and new media categories.

Adworkshop won for the following:

Direct Marketing: CPH Gynecological Services Mailer
Out-of-Home Outdoor Board: Believe it or Not this is Cooperstown/Otsego County

The following entries were finalists in their respective categories:

Paul Smiths Annual Report
Cooperstown Lure Brochure
GoCooperstown.com Mini Site
Lake Placid Web/Online Campaign
NCSB Mortgage Campaign
NCSB Nursery Rhyme TV Spot
Adworkshop.com Self Promotion Website
AdirondackLakes.com
CPH Dr. Gold Radio Spot

About Adworkshop and Inphorm:

Adworkshop Wins Five Champy Advertising Awards May 5 at Awards Ceremony in Plattsburgh

Mon, 09 May 2011 17:44:43 +0000

LAKE PLACID, NY – Adworkshop, upstate New York's only employee-owned digital marketing agency, won five awards for outstanding advertising creativity from the SUNY Plattsburgh Collegiate Chapter of the American Marketing Association's annual Champy Awards. The event was held May 5, 2011 in Plattsburgh, NY.

Advertising agencies from Northern New York and Vermont entered the 25th anniversary of the Champy Advertising Awards. Adworkshop was awarded first place plaques in three categories:

Collateral Materials - Paul Smith's College Annual Report
Radio - North Country Savings Bank Spot
Television - North Country Savings Bank

Second place plaques were awarded in two categories:

Website Design – Cooperstown & Otsego County GoCooperstown.com website
Print – North Country Savings Bank

Awards depicting Lake Champlain's mythical sea creature, "Champy", were presented to Adworkshop during the Marketing Association's year-end banquet at Ground Round in Plattsburgh.

About the American Marketing Association:

The American Marketing Association (AMA) is the largest marketing association in North America. It is a professional association for individuals and organizations involved in the practice, teaching and study of marketing worldwide. It is also the source that marketers turn to every day for information/resources, education/training and professional networking. AMA members are connected to a network of experienced marketers nearly 40,000 strong and include leading marketing academics, researchers and practitioners from every industry.

Lake Placid Employee-Owned Digital Marketing Agency Announces Hire of Public Relations Supervisor

Wed, 26 Jan 2011 15:59:32 +0000

LAKE PLACID, NY – Continuing to expand as the marketing industry changes, Upstate New York Digital Marketing Agency, Adworkshop, announces the recent addition of a new Public Relations, Social & Content Supervisor. Sarah Wilson brings her highly specialized experience in growing dynamic public relations, social media and inbound marketing campaigns to the Adworkshop and Inphorm PR team.

As president of Sarah Wilson Business Communications, an entrepreneurial business excelling in high-quality, multichannel marketing, branding and public relations campaigns, Sarah has made a name for herself as an incredibly skilled and dynamic force in digital public relations and social media marketing. Additionally, her work as Executive Director of the Institute for Financial Services at Champlain College in Vermont, Director of Marketing and PR at Stowe Regional Chamber of Commerce, Associate Vice President at Brown Brothers Harriman & Company and service with the U.S. Peace Corps in Zimbabwe provide a unique perspective on the growth of public relations as as a driving force for promoting and growing a client's message.

"Sarah's experience in marketing and public relations, and her energy and enthusiasm for everything she does makes her a strong, leading force in this industry," Adworkshop General Manager Darcy Norfolk stated. "We can't wait to get her started on our new and upcoming digital marketing and public relations campaigns."

Sarah lives in Keene, NY with her husband, two children and 3 horses.

Upstate New York Digital Marketing Agency Certifies as NYS Women-Owned Enterprise

Thu, 06 Jan 2011 14:19:34 +0000

LAKE PLACID, NY – Adworkshop, upstate New York's employee-owned digital marketing agency, announces that it is now a certified Women-Owned Business Enterprise through New York State's Division of Minority and Women Business Development (MWBE).

Adworkshop and its public relations division Inphorm have been servicing clients throughout Upstate New York for more than 30 years. The MWBE certification, which is awarded by the Empire State Development Agency of New York, was given to the tourism marketing agency at the end of December. As one of the largest and most diverse marketing communications agencies in Upstate New York, majority percentage of the company ESOP shares are now owned by the 16 female employees of Adworkshop and Inphorm.

The MWBE program encourages equality in economic opportunities for women and minorities by seeking to eliminate barriers that may stand in the way of pursuing state contracts. Adworkshop and Inphorm join the more than 6,000 certified women and minority-owned businesses located throughout New York State. Adworkshop, established by Adele and Tom Connors more than three decades ago, is now listed in the Directory of Certified Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprises, which is used by agencies and contractors statewide.

"When we started Adworkshop in 1977, Tom and I never dreamed we would be where we are as a company 34 years later," Adworkshop Principal Adele Connors said. "Becoming an ESOP three years ago may have changed the way our company is structured, but not our mission to provide the very best product for our clients. The MWBE certification proves that we are continuing to evolve in exciting ways."

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo outlined goals for MWBE's in his State of the State Address Jan. 5, 2011:

"Of the 1.9 million business entities operating in New York State, more than 50 percent are owned by women or minorities.

Empire State Games launches website

Tue, 04 Jan 2011 14:46:48 +0000

LAKE PLACID - The broad regional coalition that banded together to revive the doomed Empire State Winter Games has launched a website for information on the event.

The site includes an area for athlete registration and links for general event-related information.

Pertinent news and information can be found at www.empirestatewintergames.com.

The site, designed by Adworkshop in Lake Placid, will continue its build-out over the next two months. Links can be found providing race schedules, rosters, rules and results.

Organizers expect that two of the most visited links will be the event blog and the alumni section where past competitors submitted experiences will be posted. Games alumni are encouraged to send their stories to Kathy Pfohl, program director, at kathy@lakeplacid.com.

Those who wish to join the collaboration that will continue the tradition of the Empire State Winter Games will also find a donation form on the site.

The Empire State Winter Games are a community-driven event, courtesy of a partnership between the Lake Placid Convention and Visitors Bureau, the town of North Elba, the village of Lake Placid, the state Olympic Regional Development Authority, the village of Saranac Lake, the town of Wilmington and Essex County. LPEC Quality Destination Inc., an arm of the visitors bureau, is a nonprofit organization and is fiscally responsible for the ESWG.

Courtesy of: AdirondackDailyEnterprise.com

Adworkshop Donates 150 Pounds of Food to Lake Placid Pantry and Announces Contest Winners

Fri, 12 Nov 2010 20:53:08 +0000

Employee Owners Wrap Up National Employee Ownership Month Community Outreach Projects

LAKE PLACID, NY – (November 12, 2010) Today represents the culmination of month-long community outreach effortfor Adworkshop's employee owners. In celebration of their third ESOP Anniversary and National Employee Ownership Month, this upstate New York marketing agency donated food, household items and money to the Lake Placid Ecumenical Food Pantry; participated in the Tri-Lakes Relay for Life, and sponsored a Design & Coloring Contest for the area's youth.

Throughout the month of October, Adworkshop commemorated its ESOP (Employee Ownership Stock Option) anniversary with aseries of community endeavors, including sponsoring the food drive. Adworkshop employees, their families and friends tirelessly collected 150 pounds of food and personal hygiene items for the pantry. To further their efforts, the tourism marketing agency matched each pound of food and items contributed with a $3-per-pound donation to commemorate their third year as an ESOP.

Linda Shaw-Young, a volunteer with the Lake Placid Ecumenical Food Pantry accepted the food drive donation today, November 12, 2010 at Adworkshop's office in Lake Placid, along with a check for $450.

"Adworkshop's employee owners are proud of their communities, and wanted to give back in some way," said General Manager Darcy Norfolk. "The food drive, our participation in the Tri-Lakes Relay for Life, and the Design & Coloring Contest allowed us to do that."

Wrapping up Adworkshop's Design & Coloring Contest for the communities young artists, Adworkshop's employee-owners selected three winners, one in each age group. Winners will receive a $50 savings bond.

Adworkshop & Inphorm Welcomes Newest Team Member

Wed, 20 Oct 2010 17:47:46 +0000

LAKE PLACID, NY – Adworkshop & Inphorm, the leading employee-owned, Upstate NY marketing agency, announces a new addition to its content development and public relations team. Emily McGuire joins Adworkshop & Inphorm as a Public Relations Coordinator/Content Developer.

Emily recently completed a Master of Arts program in Advertising at Syracuse University's S. I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, where she worked as a consultant on several advertising campaigns. Emily is a 2007 graduate of Bates College with a bachelor's degree in English.

In her role with Adworkshop & Inphorm, Emily will coordinate public relations efforts on behalf of clients, develop content for websites, email and other marketing platforms and execute inbound marketing projects.

"Optimized content has become a critical element of marketing, whether developing an SEO release or writing website content," states Darcy Norfolk, Adworkshop General Manager and Inphorm public relations director. "Emily's marketing education, coupled with her writing skills, makes her a valuable asset to our team."

About Adworkshop & Inphorm

Adworkshop is a fully integrated marketing communications agency and the leading tourism marketing agency in Upstate NY. It designs and executes customized,traditional and interactive strategies to achieve results for specific marketing objectives. Inphorm Public Relations is a logical extension of the company. From innovative communications campaigns to digital PR, its services produce lasting media attention. Together, Adworkshop and Inphorm provide an integrated approach for brand building by delivering both awareness and credibility, while also driving sales and revenue growth. More information can be found at www.adworkshop.com and http://www.inphorminc.com/.

Adworkshop Commemorates Employee Ownership Anniversary by Giving Back

Tue, 28 Sep 2010 14:39:27 +0000

LAKE PLACID, NY – October is National Employee Ownership month and Adworkshop, the Adirondack Region's employee-owned integrated marketing communications agency, is gearing up to give back with an entire month of special community outreach.

Located in Lake Placid, Adworkshop initiated an ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan) in 2007, 30 years after Tom and Adele Connors began their then three-person operation. In celebration of their third ESOP anniversary, Adworkshop's 25 employee-owners chose to sponsor the Tri-Lakes Relay for Life and raised funds internally to donate to the organization. A team of Adworkshop employees participated in the event to honor friends and family who have faced or are facing a fight with cancer.

Throughout the month of October, Adworkshop's employee-owners will sponsor a food drive to benefit the Lake Placid Ecumenical Food Pantry. Donations may be dropped off at Adworkshop's office, located at 44 Hadjis Way in Lake Placid. The office building is located just after the Adirondack Bank in the Cold Brook Plaza.

In addition, Adworkshop is launching a Design & Coloring Contest to engage and inspire creativity in the community's youth. Winners will be selected in three age categories: 5 years old and under, 6 to 9 and 10 – 12. Each winner will receive a $50 savings bond. Contest sheets and guidelines are available online at www.Adworkshop.com/contest and will also be available at Adworkshop booths, both on Main Street, Lake Placid, and on Main Street, Saranac Lake, during local annual Halloween celebrations in October. Dates and times for each community's event will be announced at a later date. The contest closes on Monday, November 8 and winners will be announced November 15th. Design Contest sheets can also be picked up at Adworkshop's office between 9 am and 5 pm, Monday - Friday.

About Adworkshop's Employee Ownership Program

Adworkshop's ESOP is a qualified retirement plan wherein 33 percent of the company is owned by the employees via shares of stock.