WEST DES MOINES, IOWA — Oct. 12, 2009 — The Meyocks Group received the Wiz Reader’s Choice Poster of the Year Award for its design of the 2009 Iowa State University football poster on the college football Web site, www.thewizofodds.com. The poster features a theme of “Cyclone Nation” with an emphasis on “One Nation.”

“The unity of Cyclone fans behind the leadership of Coach Paul Rhoads was our inspiration behind the poster design and slogan,” said Doug Jeske, president of The Meyocks Group.

This is the fourth year the Web site has held the football poster competition. A record 69 posters were entered.

“We are very excited our poster won the contest,” said Mary Pink, associate athletic director for marketing at Iowa State University. “There was some great competition from the other schools. The real credit for the design goes to The Meyocks Group, our design agency who created the poster and the slogan for this season.”

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WEST DES MOINES, IOWA — July 21, 2009 — Kelly Ferguson has rejoined The Meyocks Group, directing the agency’s market analysis and strategy efforts. He also serves on the agency’s management team.

A native of Clarinda, Iowa, Ferguson interned at the agency while completing a bachelor’s degree in marketing and management at Northwest Missouri State University. He joined The Meyocks Group full-time in 1998 as an account manager and a database account manager.

In 2002 Ferguson joined AGDATA, LP, in Charlotte, North Carolina, where he used data-mining and statistical analysis skills to improve clients’ marketing programs. He also earned an MBA in corporate finance from the University of North Carolina-Charlotte.

Ferguson most recently led work for a portfolio of AGDATA clients in Canada.
“Kelly has an impressive skill set, and we are very pleased to bring him back to The Meyocks Group,” said Doug Jeske, agency president. “Among other responsibilities, he’ll direct our research function to help us and our clients better understand markets and media use, and to generate customer insights.”

Founded in Des Moines in 1984, The Meyocks Group specializes in integrated brand communications for clients in the food, agriculture and health business sectors.

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WEST DES MOINES, IOWA – April 29, 2009 – College students’ demand for internships this summer is superheated, at least based on results of a recruitment program developed by a West Des Moines advertising agency.

The Meyocks Group’s offering of three paid, summer-long internships attracted nearly 280 applicants from 35 colleges and universities. Most of the prospective interns were from schools in Iowa or contiguous states. But the agency’s “Jump Through Hoops” program also attracted interest from students in states as distant as Connecticut, California and Texas … or whose native countries are China, Tanzania or Vietnam.

“Of the 18 applicants we interviewed, 11 actually are graduating this spring. That’s evidence of how difficult it is to find a full-time job right now,” said Doug Jeske, president of the 32-person agency. “Two of the three people we selected will graduate in May and the third is completing his junior year.”

As would be expected, Iowa’s three regents’ institutions and Drake University, the state’s largest private school, generated the most applications. But the universities of Wisconsin-Madison, Minnesota and Missouri also were well represented.

Expanded Recruiting

“We ramped up our internship recruitment program this year and were very pleased with the results,” Jeske added. “We recruited at 16 schools and created a special website for the internship program. But word also spread among internship coordinators at schools far beyond our intended geography. That’s gratifying because one of our objectives is to develop a more diverse idea base.”

Jeske said that one reason for students’ strong interest is the agency’s “summer bonus”: the three interns – one each in account service, creative service and public relations – will work together as an agency within an agency to manage their own pro bono account, from start to finish.

“Because we are a relatively small agency, our interns can expect to have plenty of hands-on experience and develop a variety of new contacts,” he explained. “We tell them they can take a job with a big organization, but it doesn’t matter how many Super Bowl ads the agency has produced if all the intern does is lick envelopes.”

Quick Facts

An analysis of The Meyocks Group’s 277 internship applications revealed a number of interesting facts:

1. Career services centers at the schools were the leading source for information about the internships, followed by the “Hoops” program’s on-campus poster advertising.
2. The public relations internship attracted the most applications with 108, followed by creative service at 93 and account service with 76.
3. Female students outnumbered males by better than a two to one margin, 190 to 87.
4. Iowa State students made 67 applications to lead followed by Drake with 50.
5. Of the 261 applicants who specified majors, marketing (52) was the most popular choice.
6. Nine students were from nations other than the United States.

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WEST DES MOINES, IOWA — February 24, 2009 — The Meyocks Group has hired three new team members.

Jessica Cooper joins the agency as an account executive. Cooper previously was an account coordinator at Valassis Sales & Marketing Services in Chicago. She also has been a media planner with Bernstein-Rein Advertising in Kansas City. A native of Maryville, Missouri, Cooper earned a bachelor’s degree in advertising and marketing at Northwest Missouri State University.

Stephanie Cottrell joins as an account coordinator. She earned a bachelor’s degree at Iowa State University with majors in marketing and management. A native of Osceola, Stephanie interned at Marsh & McLennan during college.

Josh Wilson, a former graduate intern with The Meyocks Group, has been hired as a Web designer. A native of Waterloo, Wilson earned a bachelor’s degree at the University of Northern Iowa.

“I’m very excited about 2009 and look forward to great contributions from these new team members in the year ahead,” said agency President Doug Jeske.

The Meyocks Group, Inc., based in West Des Moines, Iowa, is an integrated brand communications agency offering counsel and services in the areas of branding, advertising, public relations, database/relationship marketing, design and digital media.

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WEST DES MOINES, IOWA — February 5, 2009 — The Meyocks Group has hired two new team members.

Liz Brower has joined The Meyocks Group as a public relations account executive. Brower had worked at ITAGroup as a marketing strategist. Other experience includes a position as a public relations account manager at Hanser & Associates. Brower earned a bachelor’s degree in mass communications/public relations at Grand View College. During her college career she interned at the Iowa Events Center and Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield. She is a native of Red Oak, Iowa.

Katherine Liljegren has been hired as a creative generalist after completing a graduate internship with the agency. Liljegren earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism and mass communication at Drake University in 2008, where she served on the Board of Student Communications and the Student Activities Board. She is a native of Kansas City.

“During what has become a severe economic downturn for most of the U.S., we are fortunate to be adding talented and energetic people like Liz and Katherine to our team,” said agency President Doug Jeske. “We continue to build our talent pool so we can help our clients build their brands.” The Meyocks Group, Inc., based in West Des Moines, Iowa, is an integrated brand communications agency offering counsel and services in the areas of branding, advertising, public relations, database/relationship marketing, design and digital media.

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WEST DES MOINES, Iowa – July 16, 2008 – The Meyocks Group has added the national public relations assignment for the Delta Dental Plans Association, the largest dental benefits carrier in the United States. The agency has handled the association’s advertising creative and media buying work since 2007.

Headquartered in Oak Brook, Illinois, Delta Dental Plans Association is comprised of 39 independent Delta Dental member companies operating in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. These member companies provide coverage to more than 51 million people, enrolled in over 93,000 groups.

The Delta Dental Plans Association public relations assignment includes media relations and issues management work, along with support for association public affairs objectives.

“The Meyocks Group team has done great work on the advertising side, demonstrating a passion for the Delta Dental brand during their tenure as agency of record,” said Tom Dolatowski, vice president of marketing for the Delta Dental Plans Association. “By integrating their public relations services we get the benefit of their strategic thinking and creativity to continue to reinforce our association’s leadership position in the dental benefits arena.”

The Meyocks Group also works with three association members: Delta Dental of Iowa, Delta Dental of Illinois and Delta Dental of Colorado.

“We’re honored to add this national public relations assignment to the work we’re doing for Delta Dental member companies and their association,” said Doug Jeske, agency president. “Delta Dental is a great brand and we’re excited about the opportunity to expand our service with the organization at the national level.”

The Meyocks Group, Inc., based in West Des Moines, Iowa, is an integrated brand communications agency offering counsel and services in the areas of branding, advertising, public relations, database/relationship marketing, design and digital media.

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