This story appears in the February issue of Utah Business. Subscribe.
Utah Business is proud to present the Marketing & Communications Awards (formerly the SAMY’s Awards) recognizing the outstanding work of professionals and agencies in the marketing and communications industry throughout Utah. Congratulations to this year’s honorees.
Honorees
Agency/Marketing Team of the Year
Snowbasin Marketing Team
Snowbasin Resort’s national recognition culminated in a triple crown of industry accolades in 2024: SKI Magazine’s No. 1 Resort in the West, Outside Magazine’s top resort in North America, and USA TODAY’s top ski destination across the U.S. and Canada. Once these rankings were announced, the team created a campaign based on these accolades that included statement outdoor placements, digital advertising and social media marketing. The team has been working to establish the mountain as a household name — both locally and nationally — and their work generated over 16 million earned impressions across nationwide media outlets. The team’s authentic passion for the mountain experience they promote sets a new benchmark for resort marketing excellence in the competitive ski industry.
Best Community Relations Campaign
Bank of Utah Marketing & Communications Team
Bank of Utah’s second annual “Where’s the Wallet” Cash Quest merged community engagement, digital innovation and philanthropy into a treasure hunt that captured the state’s imagination. The campaign, which hid a $20,000 prize in a secret outdoor location, attracted over 6,900 active participants. By utilizing QR-coded clues at bank branches, social media engagement and outdoor exploration, this campaign transformed traditional banking marketing into an adventure. Beyond exceeding benchmarks with over 26,000 page views on campaign landing pages and a 10 percent increase in social following, the initiative sparked an organic Reddit community and demonstrated how financial institutions can build genuine connections while driving business growth. The lucky finder of the prize chose Utah Valley University to receive half of the cash, which was used to provide scholarships for first-generation students.
Best Content Marketing Campaign
Ivanti Team
The Ivanti team transformed their monthly Patch Tuesday security updates through a multi-channel approach that combined forecast articles, expert commentary, webinars and social media engagement. Their efforts resulted in 79,530 webinar registrations, 12,551 blog views across 113 countries, and 70 pieces of media coverage reaching 62 million people through outlets like Forbes and TechTarget. Beyond awareness metrics, the initiative drove substantial business impact. This strategic blend of educational content and market leadership not only simplified complex security updates for IT administrators but established Ivanti as an authoritative voice in cybersecurity while delivering measurable business growth.
Best Email Campaign
Crucial Learning Summer Webinar Series
Featuring thought leaders like Joseph Grenny and Daryl Davis, Crucial Learning’s 2024 Summer Webinar Series demonstrated the power of strategic virtual engagement by addressing critical workplace topics from civility to belonging. More than 1.2 million emails were delivered with an outstanding 14.1% open rate and above-industry-standard 3.8% click-through rate. The four-part series achieved 30,250 registrations and an additional 7,400 on-demand views. Now in its third year, the Summer Webinar Series continues to see rising popularity with a 30 percent increase in registrations and doubled sales leads year over year.
Best Influencer Marketing Campaign
Sam Owens
CMO | Frazil
Frazil’s 2024 “Free Frazil Friday” campaign successfully elevated brand awareness and consumer engagement across the U.S. With over 7,000 retail locations participating, the campaign distributed more than 1.5 million free slushes in June, achieving a 2.5-3.5x lift in sales per machine on Fridays. Expanding beyond Utah to include states like Idaho and Nevada — and regions such as Southern California and beyond — the campaign boosted unaided brand awareness in Utah and secured 424 media and influencer placements. The campaign also propelled digital engagement, with website traffic increasing by 20 percent and email subscribers growing by 160 percent. The strategy cultivated sustained loyalty, evidenced by a 51 percent repeat purchase intent among new customers and continued sales growth throughout June.
Best Integrated Marketing/Communications Campaign
“Bring Love Home”
Marketing and Brand Strategy Team | Best Friends Animal Society
Best Friends Animal Society’s “Bring Love Home” integrated marketing campaign ignited a nationwide movement toward achieving the organization’s no-kill 2025 mission. The campaign delivered extraordinary results: nearly 35,000 pets were adopted during the 30-day adoption challenge, website traffic surged by 55 percent year-over-year and donations increased by 59 percent. A standout launch event transformed Times Square into a lively adoption hub where every adoptable puppy found a home within just two hours. Celebrity endorsements from stars like Amanda Seyfried and Lupita Nyong’o amplified the campaign’s reach, engaging more than 6.4 million followers. Creative activations — such as the “Bring Zoomies Home” partnership with Ally Racing and NASCAR driver Alex Bowman, along with user-generated content showcasing 4,000 adoption stories — underscored the impact of innovative marketing. Through these efforts, Best Friends demonstrated its ability to inspire action and drive meaningful social change.
Best Student Campaign
Dareli Villegas
Marketing Specialist | City of Orem
Dareli Villegas has transformed Orem, Utah’s digital presence through innovative community engagement. Her signature “Small Business Saturday” campaign has become a cornerstone of Orem’s social media strategy, producing over 100 video features that spotlight local entrepreneurs and strengthen the city’s economic fabric. The campaign’s success not only elevated engagement across the city’s social channels but also earned Villegas a promotion from intern to marketing specialist. Her work exemplifies how fresh perspectives and consistent, quality content can revitalize municipal communications while fostering economic development — proving that meaningful community impact often starts with one person’s vision for change.
Best Use of AI
Brien Sonzogni
Director, Branding & Marketing | Black Desert Resort
Brien Sonzogni innovatively fused legacy and technology when he spearheaded a project to preserve legendary professional golfer and golf course architect Tom Weiskopf’s final design vision: the 19-hole, 7,200-yard Black Desert Resort golf course. By capturing Weiskopf’s voice before his passing, Sonzogni was able to create an AI-powered narration system that allows players to hear Weiskopf himself describe the course at Black Desert Resort. This personal touch adds an unparalleled approach to intentional and impactful moments for guests and players on the green.
Excellence in Crisis Communications
Scott Trotter
Sr. Director, Communications | Utah Valley University
Scott Trotter’s expertise in media relations delivered an impressive $67.8 million in advertising value equivalency during the 2023-24 academic year for Utah Valley University (UVU), doubling the impact of the previous year. His strategic approach secured national coverage for UVU’s deepfake research and solidified the university’s newsroom as a trusted resource for journalists seeking expert commentary. In addition to generating media coverage, Trotter has crafted more than 100 crisis management shelf statements and playbooks. As a leader in the Public Relations Society of America, his influence extends beyond the campus. His ethical approach to corporate communications and his skill in leveraging earned media across diverse platforms have set new standards for public relations in higher education.
Excellence in Financial Communications
Clearlink Marketing Team
Last year, The Penny Hoarder — Clearlink’s personal finance website — launched a tool that allows drivers to search for their best car insurance options in one place. Each team member at The Penny Hoarder played a key role in forming content and financial communications. The team manages and carries out a content strategy for an audience of 6.3 million Facebook followers and approximately 735,000 email subscribers. Through clear messaging and effective project management, their work demonstrates an ability to deliver accessible, user-friendly content that drives engagement and results.
Excellence in Internal Communications
Jacobsen Construction Corporate Communications & Brand Marketing Team
Jacobsen Construction’s innovative approach to fostering company culture led to the development of J-Hub, a unique microsite designed to connect employees by allowing them to easily share and explore jobsite photos. J-Hub was incorporated as a large interactive display screen in Jacobsen’s employee cafe — strategically located in the heart of the company’s new headquarters — to serve as an ever-changing digital art piece and compelling spatial branding attraction. J-Hub was also assimilated into field employees’ daily routines as their default browser landing page. In 2024, Jacobsen strategically incentivized internal marketing campaign participation with prize drawings, leading to participation from 15 jobsites from all over the country, and a 27 percent year-over-year increase in photo submissions. Field employees accounted for 78 percent of submissions, reinforcing Jacobsen’s culture of connection and strengthening workforce camaraderie.
Excellence in Public Affairs
Odyssey House Creative Team
By prioritizing authentic stories over self-promotion, the marketing and communications team at Odyssey House of Utah has transformed addiction recovery narratives while doubling website traffic. The organization’s YouTube presence has exploded from 3,000 monthly views in 2020 to 70,000 today, and social media reach skyrocketed from 500,000 to 5 million people within a year — demonstrating the impact of resonant, stigma-reducing content. Odyssey House’s award-winning podcast, “Odyssey House Journals,” further reshapes addiction discourse as a treatable disease and fosters compassion and empathy across communities. Their approach has created safe spaces for recovery stories, elevating individuals’ journeys and inspiring hope.
Excellence in Social Media Marketing
Vivint Social Media Team
Vivint’s social media accounts amassed over 1 billion impressions in 2024, with one notable reel reaching 280 million views — making it one of Instagram’s top 10 most-viewed reels of all time. Vivint’s social media team also introduced the “$1,000 Moment” campaign last year, a monthly campaign rewarding the top video submitter with a $1,000 credit to their account. With it, user-generated content (UGC) submissions have increased over 800 percent year over year. This strategic approach led to content requests from major brands like ESPN, “America’s Funniest Home Videos” and “Ridiculousness.” Vivint’s influencer program, which boasts partnerships with high-profile figures such as Lisa Barlow and Janel Parrish, has generated 150 million impressions since June 2023.
Marketing/Communications Professional of the Year
Marin Rowe
Sr. Director, Product Marketing | Lucid Software
Marin Rowe has been instrumental in Lucid Software’s transition from a flagship product-focused model to a suite-based strategy. With an impressive track record that includes launching groundbreaking products like Lucidspark in just six months, Rowe’s data-driven, customer-centric strategies have led to record user adoption and market expansion. Her leadership in Lucid’s bi-annual product launches and competitive research motion has directly influenced the company’s growth, resulting in a dramatic increase in deals year-over-year. Rowe has nurtured a distinctively collaborative culture across her team, and her contributions have solidified Lucid’s reputation as a leader in the tech landscape.
Judges
Rob Brough | EVP, Marketing & Communications | Zions Bank
Steve Carlile | Founder & CEO | Carlile & Co.
Emily Hellewell | VP, Marketing & Creative Services | Deseret News
Brian McLeod | VP, Business Development | Anteriad
