With over 1,200 entries, this was a true accomplishment for the company.
With the Suburban Newspapers of America calling this the most competitive contest in its history, it's no wonder Cliff and Stuart Richner, co-owners and publishers of RCI, were proud of their staff.
"It's gratifying that these awards recognize good people throughout the company who work hard to make sure our papers are top notch, week in and week out," Cliff said. "Most awards focus on the work of the editorial staff, but these awards recognize excellence in our sales, classified, marketing and art departments."
The winning entries were the Rockville Centre Almanac Cover which won 2nd place for Best Cover Design, The Total Woman special section which placed 3rd for Best New Special Advertising Section, RCI's Newspapers in Education program which came in 2nd for Best Public Service/Community Event Promotion, and a Halloween Safety Tips poster which finished 3rd for Best Signature Page or Signature Section.
The Richners were especially pleased with the award won for the Newspapers in Education program.
"I'm particularly proud of our Newspaper in Education program which promotes literacy by sending copies of the Herald into local classrooms," Cliff said. "Thanks to our many local business sponsors, more than 1,000 kids got to improve their reading skills while learning about their local communities."
RCI's Creative Director Jeff Negrin, who designed the Rockville Centre Almanac cover, the Newspapers In Education program promotional ad as well as the Halloween safety poster, feels that design and production play key roles in the way advertisements and editorial copy are presented.
"It's always fast-paced in the art department, and you don't often have the time to sit back and look at the work you've created with an objective eye," Negrin said. "It's quite a thrill to have your work noticed in the industry. I look forward to working with the artists this year so we might win more awards next year."
The Total Woman special section was a collaborative effort of the sales staff, production staff and art staff along with Karen Bloom on the editorial end.
"Winning an award for The Total Woman special section was very exciting for the Herald sales team," said Rhonda Glickman, RCI's vice president of sales. "This was a new section for us, and the team sales effort was great. Sales, editorial and production together produced this winning section. To be recognized by SNA, which is a country-wide association is a tremendous honor for Richner Communications."
Bloom, Richner's Calendar/Special Sections Editor, was just as grateful. "It is an honor to be recognized for The Total Women special section," she said. "It was a total team effort and it is terrific to see that all involved have been rewarded for the hard work and dedication involved in producing this supplement."
The SNA contest recognizes excellence in the field of advertising and marketing with members competing in their circulation classes. Richner Communications publishes 25 community newspapers and shoppers in Nassau County with a weekly circulation of 190,000.
"I should also mention how proud I am of the staff of The Riverdale Press, which Richner Communications acquired over the summer, for being named the best community newspaper in the country in this same competition," Cliff said. All winners were recognized in a full-color advertisement published in Editor & Publisher and the awards will be presented at SNA's Fall Publishers' and Advertising Directors' Conference, which takes place from Oct. 7-10 in Minneapolis, MN.
For a complete list of winners in these Advertising and Promotions categories, go to http://www.suburban-news.org/Contests/RetailAd.aspx
