Client news

The Wall Street Journal featured Guthrie/Mayes’ client Gray Construction today in an article about manufacturing’s role in the still-tentative economic rebound.  According to CEO Stephen Gray, the signs are increasingly positive that the manufacturing industry is working toward a rebound.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203986604577255052423505954.html

While the jury may still be out on whether or not QR codes can really drive business results, Applebee’s is starting to be convinced.  Check out this article in Nation’s Restaurant News about  a new QR code campaign by Guthrie/Mayes client Thomas & King, the third-largest Applebee’s franchisee and 16^th largest restaurant franchisee in America.

Thomas & King worked with Cornett Integrated Marketing Solutions to develop its new “14 Minute Lunchtime Guarantee,” which is promoted in its Applebee’s restaurants with table tents that display multiple QR codes. When patrons scan the QR codes with their smartphone, they’re directed to a series of funny videos on YouTube ranging from a talking table cat to a music video that has been described as “The Office meets Glee.”  

So far, more than 58,000 patrons have scanned the codes, which, in addition to a laugh, also deliver brand messages.  Well done!

More than 400 business leaders and young movers and shakers helped welcome Drake’s to Franklin, Tennessee at the VIP Grand Opening event on July 12.

Mark Thornburg, Bruce Drake, Brian McCarty, and Eric Finch

Elise Menold and Eric Finch

Angie Fenton, managing editor for the Voice-Tribune in Louisville, won the Drake’s Charity Dart Tournament on May 24, winning a $6,000 donation to her charity of choice, St. George’s Community Center Freedom School. In total, Drake’s donated $15,000 to local charities that night.

Guthrie/Mayes pitched and worked with the Lexington Herald-Leader on a feature story about Bluegrass Hospitality Group’s expansion of the Drake’s brand into Louisville and Lexington — its first ever expansion of the Drake’s brand and its first expansion outside of Lexington. The result — a significant feature story in BHG’s hometown paper, just prior to the Nashville opening on July 12.

Guthrie/Mayes has worked closely with the Bluegrass Hospitality Group and Cornett Integrated Marketing Solutions to create buzz around the opening of Louisville’s first Drake’s. Events have included a 700-person plus grand opening party in April, which raised money for St. Joseph Children’s Home, and a celebrity dart tournament in May that raised money for 10 different charities. Participants included former University of Louisville men’s basketball coach Denny Crum; Scott Davenport, men’s basketball coach of Bellarmine University, 2011 national division II champs; and several media personalities from local TV stations and newspapers.

Combined, Drake’s has donated $28,619 to Louisville charities. Media coverage of both events and the new Drake’s has reached more than 1 million.

Paul Brophy speaks with WTVQ anchor Kristi Runyon about grants available through the UnitedHealthcare Children’s Foundation (UHCCF).

On Tuesday, July 13 the Krispy Kreme Doughnut Corporation (client) will open a new Krispy Kreme Neighborhood Shop in Jeffersontown.  The store will be located at 9569 Taylorsville Road in the Jeffersontown Commons shopping center and will be the first in the east end of Louisville.  For more information about Krispy Kreme’s new J-Town location, check out their Facebook page or find Krispy Kreme J-Town on Twitter.

We’re gearing up for tomorrow’s grand opening – check out this ribbon of doughnuts that our intern, Kim, created for tomorrow’s event!

Family & Children’s Place, the area’s leading child abuse prevention and treatment agency, wants every area resident to make a pledge to do at least one thing to keep an infant, youngster or teen from being maltreated during April, which is Child Abuse Prevention Month.

“Child abuse prevention is every adult’s responsibility,” says Dan Fox, president of Family & Children’s Place. “This campaign is a launching point for a new era in community involvement to prevent child abuse in Greater Louisville and Southern Indiana.”

Daily Tips:
Family & Children’s Place provides daily child abuse prevention suggestions online at www.familyandchildrensplace.org, www.facebook.com/familyandchildrensplace, www.wave3tv.com, www.lite106.9.com and www.kyyouth.org. Twitter users can get daily tips and other information by following @IStopAbuseINKY.

According to Family & Children’s Place, in 2007, nearly 15,000 children in Kentucky were abused or neglected, and 30 of those children died. In Indiana, 24,808 children were abused or neglected and 36 children died. Most of those children never told anyone about their abuse.

Free Sexual Abuse Prevention Training Classes:
More than 700 area residents already have taken child sexual abuse prevention training offered by Kentucky’s only Darkness to Light certified trainer. Family & Children’s Place will offer two more free Darkness to Light classes for parents, coaches, teachers and any other interested adult:
• Monday, April 5, from 5:30 p.m. – 8 p.m. at the Louisville Free Public Library Main Branch, 301 York Street
• Wednesday, April 7, from 8:30 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. at Family & Children’s Place, 2303 River Road
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Space is first-come, first-served, and limited to 30 participants per training session. For more information, to reserve a space or to schedule an additional class for a group or organization, call Jaime Thompson at 584-8505, ext 218.

Community Rally:
On Tuesday, April 13 at 11 a.m., Family & Children’s Place will hold a community rally at Slugger Field. Residents who have experienced or dealt with child abuse, and those who simply want information to help them make their Child Abuse Prevention Month pledge, are invited to join child advocates, community leaders and area residents who have already made their pledges at this rally, which will:
• Highlight some of the child abuse prevention pledges already made and carried out as a part of the Building Brighter Futures Community Challenge campaign;
• Provide a variety of materials and information to help residents learn more about what they can do to prevent, spot and respond appropriately to suspected child abuse.

Live, Online Discussion:
Family & Children’s Place will host a live, online Facebook discussion about recognizing, preventing and reacting appropriately to child abuse and neglect. The discussion will take place at www.facebook.com/familyandchildrensplace on Tuesday, April 13, from noon until 7 p.m. The discussion will be staffed by counselors from Family & Children’s Place who will respond online in real time to participants’ questions and comments. Counselors also will post resources and tips during the live discussion, which will remain on the agency’s fan page indefinitely. Participants may join at any time during the live discussion, or they may submit their questions and comments to the discussion page in advance and review the responses at a later time.

To make your pledge to help stop child abuse in our community, click here.