Mariani Landscape

The nation's largest residential landscape design, installation and maintenance company, Mariani Landscape delivers high quality, environmentally friendly landscape services to the wealthiest on the North Shore and the western suburbs. a5 handles all of Mariani's marketing and communications, including PR.

We are focused on:

• Placing stories on trends and projects in the Chicago and national media. Recent placements include NBC TV, Lux TV, ?WGN Radio, Chicago Home + Garden, North Shore Magazine, Chicago Tribune, Crain's Chicago Business and more.
• Developed a partnership with Midwest Living to provide design services for the magazine's Idea Home for 2009.
• Support of events, including a garden walk in Hinsdale.
• Establishing a presence through social media including Facebook and LinkedIn.
• Creating a blog to position Mariani as the premier landscape design, installation and maintenance experts.

Illinois Route 66

Home to nearly 90 communities and stretching from Chicago to St. Louis with more than 400 miles to discover, Illinois Route 66 is both known as the beginning of a major transportation corridor and a historical piece of Americana for those looking to explore their unique connection to the past and the future. In the Spring of 2009, a5 began promoting summer on the "Mother Road" to tourists. By creating event itineraries, publicizing existing events and creating itineraries for tourists to travel the route, Illinois Route 66 received coverage in the Chicago Tribune, the Chicago Sun-Times, WGN TV, ABC Springfield, ABC7 Chicago and regional Midwestern publications. a5 also created a Twitter page for Illinois Route 66 to promote its approaching events each week and tell stories of the road and its attractions.

Regent Surgical Health

a5 began working with Regent Surgical Health, a developer and manager of ambulatory surgery centers and hospitals, in 2004. In addition to handling all aspects of Regent's marketing and communications, a5 provides public relations support, generating stories and media coverage in the healthcare trade media and producing videos for the company's RISE values program and corporate partnership model.

In addition to stories and bylined articles in Outpatient Surgery, Surgistrategies, Health Leaders and Becker's ASC Review, a5 has helped Regent craft op-eds and perspective on the benefits of physician ownership, including blog postings and letters to the editor.

a5 also helped Regent with crisis communications services at Medical Center at Elizabeth Place, a physician-owned hospital Regent opened in partnership with 65 Dayton, Ohio- area physicians. We also worked with Regent to form an Indiana physician-owned hospital association.

Regent today owns and operates more than 15 centers and hospitals and is recognized as a leader in the turnaround of ambulatory surgery centers.

Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative

The Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative is a binational coalition of mayors and other local officials that works actively with federal, state, and provincial governments to advance the protection and restoration of the Great Lakes. Each year, the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative brings together mayors from around the Great Lakes to work toward a common goal: to maintain and improve the quality of water in the Great Lakes region. In 2007, the Initiative contacted a5 to promote its fourth annual conference in Grand Rapids, Michigan. a5 secured coverage in both Canadian and American media through television, radio, print and web blogs. Coverage included media across Canada from from Ontario, Toronto, Halifax to Ottawa, Grand Prairie and St. John. US coverage spanned more than 15 states and included such national media such as Business Week and Forbes.

Serosun Farms

Serosun Farms is an agricultural preservation community with a working equestrian center and farm south of Huntley in Kane County Illinois. Rural in nature, Serosun Farms will preserve nearly three-quarters of its 410 acres as farmland and open space and will feature 110 estate home sites when it is developed beginning in 2010. In 2007, Serosun Farms contacted a5 to not only market the community but to publicize it and attract possible home buyers interested in a more peaceful way of life that is environmentally friendly. a5 has secured coverage in local media to promote the community's Fall Harvest and Lilac Festivals such as the Crain's Chicago Business, Elgin Courier, Kane County Chronicle and the Daily Herald.

MarCap Corporation

Until a few years ago, MarCap Corporation, a healthcare equipment financing company, was virtually unknown in its industry, despite the fact it had been operating for nearly 30 years. We helped raise MarCap Corporation's profile considerably through a combination of media relations, advertising, event sponsorship, trade show attendance and direct mail. MarCap Corporation is now widely recognized as a consultative financing partner and has been featured in numerous articles on healthcare financing and the development of imaging and surgery centers. a5 also regularly books MarCap Corporation management for speaking engagements on financing and trends in the outpatient sector of healthcare, and produces events that generate a significant return on investment.

Morley

For seven years, we handled brand development for Morley, a musical accessories company. In addition to developing advertising, product packaging and collateral materials, we secured feature articles and reviews of Morley product in a variety of consumer and trade press. We developed close relationships with Guitar World, Guitar Player and Bass Player magazines, among others, as well as trade media. To create excitement around the brand, we also developed in-store events with retailers and promotional concerts to market Morley.

Indiana Orthopedic Hospital

Indiana Orthopedic Hospital, one of the nation's highest ranked providers of orthopedic surgery-especially in the area of total joint replacement-engaged a5 to communicate the benefits of physician ownership and the high quality of care IOH provides to all patients, regardless of ability to pay.

Based in Indianapolis, the hospital opened in 2005 when physicians from OrthoIndy, a large and established orthopedic practice, opened the facility. In the past year, a5 has helped IOH elevate its profile among lawmakers, disseminated its message to local, trade and national media through article, op-eds, blogs, letters to the editor, a letter campaign, social media and more. a5 is now working on a video to highlight IOH's high quality of care and its caring approach.

While Congress seeks to eliminate physician-owned hospitals, IOH is proving that its hospital provides the highest quality care to its patients and is a strong asset to its community.

Sooper Yooper

Illustrated by the late Mark Heckman, written by Mark Newman and published by Thunder Bay Press, Sooper Yooper: Environmental Defender is about an environmental superhero who lives in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and guards and protects the Great Lakes from invasive species.

a5 is the main promoter for Sooper Yooper, with promotional efforts including:

• Putting together a Midwest-wide interactive roadshow at schools, libraries, museums, nature centers and bookstores.
• Alerting the press and gaining coverage of stops on the tour and Sooper Art 2010, an environmentally-themed art competition held for students under age 17.
• Promoting the sale of Sooper Yooper books at various schools and bookstores, as well as at events such as the GreenTown Conferences in Grand Rapids and Chicago.

Aquinas College

Aquinas College, an inclusive educational community rooted in the Catholic Dominican tradition, provides a liberal arts education with a global perspective. In 2010, the college introduced its new Master of Sustainable Business program, a 12-course, 2-year program that integrates science, business and environmental studies to prepare business leaders for a sustainable economy.

a5 helped coordinate the college’s kick-off event that included a brief lunch and introduction of the program. Speakers included professors of the program, representatives of the college administration and leaders in the sustainable community.

A press release highlighting the event and details of the program was distributed to media in the Grand Rapids area where the college is located and other parts of Michigan where the program anticipates drawing potential students. Secured placement was achieved in Natural Awakenings Magazine, MI Biz, and GreenSense radio, among others.

a5 continues to work with the college to raise awareness of the new program through placed advertisements, college brochures and the college web site.

Arizona Institute of Urology

Based in the Tucson area, Arizona Institute of Urology has eight convenient locations including a Cancer Therapy Center to provide patients with the best comprehensive urological care that is completely patient-focused. a5 has worked with AIU on a variety of communication projects that include the redesign and development of their web site as well as the development of practice brochures, online/print/radio advertising campaigns, and public relations.

Through media releases and relationships built with reporters and editors in Tucson and Arizona in general, a5 has raised AIU’s profile by introducing new doctors to the practice and announcing business developments that provide more efficient services for patients. Placement has included the Arizona Daily Star and Tucson Lifestyle among others.

a5 also continues to identify local events that serve as potential opportunities where AIU can interact with the public while raising its profile in the community.