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TheBuzz
Erika Engle
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Award redo for American Savings Bank
American Savings Bank has won the Marketer of the Year Award from the Hawaii chapter of the American Marketing Association.
No, this is not a rerun of a column on the 1998 awards, when the bank won the 24th AMA-Hawaii award under Wayne Minami's leadership.
That luncheon was a fun step back in time, as old ASB commercials were shown on large screens, including a series starring entertainer Melveen Leed and football player Russ Francis in various get-ups - including safari gear.
Leed also sang the jingle, "We are your next door neighbor, American Savings."
Now led by Constance Lau, chairman and chief executive officer, and President Timothy Schools, ASB is the 31st Marketer of the Year.
It is being recognized for its extended-hours campaign, said Craig Togami, vice president of marketing and communications. "It's all about our efforts in terms of extending our hours at more locations than any other bank in Hawaii," he said. In addition to bank branches, American Savings has locations in Foodland and Sack 'n Save stores and Wal-Mart locations. Most are open until 6 p.m. weekdays, 48 are open on Saturdays and 16 are open Sundays "and it wouldn't be possible without our employees," Togami said.
Other repeat winners pepper a roster dating back to 1975.
Bank of Hawaii, the first winner, won again in 1991. McDonald's of Hawaii won in 1979 on Patrick Kahler's watch and again in 2002 with Veronica Kaneko at the helm.
Outrigger Hotels & Resorts has also won twice, in 1985, under founder Dr. Richard Kelley and in 2001, with David Carey as president and CEO.
Aloha Airlines won't rack up a three-peat, but it won in 1990 led by A. Maurice Myers and again in 2003, piloted by Glenn Zander.
"When we decided to revive the Marketer of the Year program two years ago, we changed the judging criteria to be wholly based on insight, objectives, strategy, tactics and results," said Keith DeMello, communications chairman on the chapter's board of directors.
"In theory, the same individual or person can be Marketer of the Year two years in a row."
Additional winners include the Battleship Missouri Memorial, for Outstanding Nonprofit Marketing; University of Hawaii Athletics for Outstanding e-Marketing and Disney's "The Lion King," for Outstanding Marketing of a New Product or Service. Scholarships will also be presented to local college students in a marketing-related field of study.
KGMB President and General Manager Rick Blangiardi will keynote and "Sunrise" anchors Grace Lee and Steve Uyehara will MC.
The 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. luncheon is a week from today at the Hawaii Convention Center and RSVPs are still possible via 621-2482 or www.amahawaii.org. Single seats are $80 and tables for 10 cost $750.
Erika Engle is a reporter with the Star-Bulletin. Call 529-4747, fax 529-4750 or write to Erika Engle, Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., No. 7-210, Honolulu, HI 96813. She can also be reached at:
eengle@starbulletin.com