Company: Waggener Edstrom Worldwide, Bellevue, Washington
Company Description: Waggener Edstrom Worldwide is a multiservice global public relations agency. Founded in 1983 and independently owned, the agency has more than 800 employees, 16 offices around the world and six global practices - Consumer Marketing, Corporate Communications, Environment, Healthcare, Public Affairs and Technology.
Nomination Category: Corporate Communications, Investor Relations, & Public Relations Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Public Relations Agency of the Year in North America

Nomination Title: Waggener Edstrom: Influence to Innovate, Inspire and Improve Lives

Tell the story about what this nominated agency achieved (up to 500 words). Focus on specific accomplishments, and relate these accomplishments to past performance or industry norms. Be sure to mention obstacles overcome, innovations or discoveries made, and outcomes:

Throughout our 25-year history, Waggener Edstrom Worldwide (WE) has operated on
behalf of our clients and as members of the broader communications industry to
tell the stories of the world’s leading innovators, their products and their
services to influence, inspire and improve lives.  

2008 was a watershed year for WE in terms of new business — our best year ever
for growth and revenue. New business accounted for 67 percent of our revenue
growth. We exceeded our expectations, surpassing our new business goal by 97
percent for the year.

Our work has won recognition and praise – both for the agency and our clients.
From our innovative work with companies like Amazon.com, GSK, Mercy Corp.,
Samsung, T-Mobile, Toshiba, (RED) and the United Nations, to our longstanding
relationship with Microsoft— and their undeniable impact and influence on the
world— WE has imbued a commitment to high-quality, innovative and influential
work throughout our company. 

Our goal is to engage and influence on behalf of our clients in ways that
resonate with audiences and shape markets. WE drives influence through a
comprehensive blend of traditional and cutting-edge engagement methods. We
believe, first and foremost, that relationships are essential to doing our jobs
well, and as such, have made that a starting point for all of our interactions.
WE also embraces the fact that we live in an increasingly connected, digital
age, and have structured our operations to take advantage of the latest in
technology and social-media to drive results. 

Among the many tools in our influence arsenal are our patent-pending products
and services, focused on research, measurement and digital communications.
These include our Narrative Network, WExView, Master Narrative Methodology,
Innovation Context and twendz services –each of which are scalable to our
client’s individual needs.
 
WE prides itself on the breadth and depth of our services. And WE is also
deeply committed to making a positive and lasting impact on the communities we
operate in. That is why we have worked diligently to make Social Innovation –
the intersection of good business and social responsibility – a fundamental
part of our business practices. On top of launching a new practice dedicated to
helping our clients deliver and execute on Social Innovation, WE has made far-
reaching commitments that include giving 1% of our gross annual revenue to
social and environmental causes via cash, pro-bono work, charitable donations
and community service activities. As part of that, every employee receives 16
hours of paid-time to invest in these efforts; we host organized “WE make a
difference days” to allow entire offices to dedicate time to select social
causes; and the agency has created formalized internal set of mechanisms, known
as WE Planet, aimed at making the agency more environmentally sustainable. WE
Planet comprises telecommuting, recycling, carpooling, energy saving and carbon
offsets to mitigate our environmental footprint. 

Each of our tools, initiatives and actions are designed to support Waggener
Edstrom’s mission “To share our clients’ passion for discovery and innovation
and give their ideas a powerful voice that spans continents and cultures.”

List hyperlinks to any online news stories, press releases, or other documents that support the claims made in the section above. IMPORTANT: Begin each link with http://, and enclose each link in square brackets; for example, [http://www.youraddress.com]:

WE website: http://www.WaggenerEdstrom.com
Agency News, Releases & Awards: http://www.waggeneredstrom.com/about-us/news/
Our People Video: http://www.waggeneredstrom.com/about-us/videos/our-people.aspx
Careers: http://www.waggeneredstrom.com/careers/
Influence: http://www.waggeneredstrom.com/influence/influence-manifesto/default.aspx
WE Studio D: http://www.waggeneredstrom.com/studio-d/
Global Practices: http://www.waggeneredstrom.com/practices/
25th Year Anniversary Video: http://www.waggeneredstrom.com/about-us/videos/twenty-fifth-anniversary.aspx  
Melissa's Bio: http://www.waggeneredstrom.com/about-us/bios/melissa-waggener-zorkin-bio.aspx
Pam's Bio: http://www.waggeneredstrom.com/about-us/bios/pam-edstrom-bio.aspx

Provide a brief (up to 100 words) biography about the leader of this nominated agency:

Melissa Waggener Zorkin, founder, president and CEO of Waggener Edstrom
Worldwide (WE), has created the vision and leadership that are pivotal to WE’s
global reputation as an influential and innovative strategic communications
agency. WE is built on the belief that communicating world-changing innovations
can influence markets, inspire people and improve lives. 

Pam Edstrom, executive vice president and agency partner of Waggener Edstrom
Worldwide is the principal strategic adviser for much of the agency’s
Innovation and digital work. Pam is instrumental in the open, innovative team
atmosphere that lies at the root of the company's success.