Minneapolis (January 22, 2008) – Tyler Richter, director of media services at ASI Communications, has been selected along with other local icons like Gov. Tim Pawlenty, Horst Rechelbacher and Tubby Smith, to the Mpls. St. Paul Magazine’s 2008 “Top 100 Influentials” list. Individuals are selected based on their abilities to provide a spark or push; create a perception or drive a trend; seed a venture; and/or setting the example for the rest of us.

“Tyler is an excellent choice for the honor of people who make things happen in the community,” said Rick Marklund, president of ASI Communications. “He’s one of a kind, and I’m proud to say he’s ours.”

Richter, a two-time National Television Academy Emmy award-winner, joined ASI in 2005 in the public affairs practice and has contributed to high-profile client work such as the Roberts and Alito U.S. Supreme Court confirmations and Families United, one of the largest troop-support networks in the nation. Along with his public affairs prowess, Richter’s creativity in blending traditional legacy media with cutting-edge viral and online media have become that of agency legend, propelling him recently as director of the newly created ASI Productions facilities.

Minneapolis (October 2, 2007) – ASI Communications announced today that it has hired Dawn Lindgren as director of public relations. Lindgren joins ASI after 10 years with Weber Shandwick, where she honed her skills in strategic communications, public relations, media relations, crisis communications and public affairs.

“I knew the first time I met Dawn that she was the right person for the job,” said Vice President Patrick Rosenstiel. “She knows that public relations is more than a press release and a prayer, and she understands our agency-wide perspective that PR efforts need to be flexible — able to stand on their own in some cases, while integrating seamlessly into broader marketing campaigns in others.”

ASI Communications is growing to over eighty employees, and Lindgren will coordinate the efforts of its 15-person public relations team. This team includes media relations experts, researchers, senior writers and media monitors offering vertical expertise in retail, health care, issue management, B2B, government, defense and regulated industries.

Lindgren will report directly to Patrick Rosenstiel, who oversees ASI’s public relations, public affairs, government procurement, crisis management and writing and research practice areas.

“The challenges and opportunities excite me,” said Lindgren. “This team is experienced, driven and motivated to build a best-in-breed public relations offering for current and future clients.”

Minneapolis (September 28, 2007) – ASI Communications announced plans to expand its warehouse district-based corporate headquarters, to accommodate the company's rapid growth. ASI executed a lease to build out the eighth floor of the historic Butler North building and create a rooftop deck.

“Full-service communications solutions require full-service space,” said Will Sullivan, chief executive officer at ASI Communications. “We believe the expansion will result in the most conducive environment to create, manage and execute great work for our clients.”

Construction efforts will begin on November 1, 2007. The build out is expected to be complete by March 1, 2008. The floor plan will expand the space from the original 24,000 square feet to 30,000 square feet.

“We’re blowing a hole through the 7th floor ceiling, ordering the computers and servers and expecting numerous calls from furniture salesmen,” said John Emms, COO at ASI Communications. “That’s what’s fun about being the chief operating officer of the fastest growing communications agency in the region.”

ASI Communications announced today that the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) Minnesota chapter has award the agency its top Marketing Communications award of 2006. ASI’s campaign to promote Hamline University’s Graduate School of Liberal Studies (GLS) is the winner of the Bronze Quill Award of Excellence in the Marketing Communications category.

The campaign, which included print and digital advertising, guerilla marketing, Google Adwords and an interactive “microsite” (www.voracious-curiosity.com) succeeded in more than doubling student inquiries to GLS programs in a 12-month period.

“We’re thrilled to receive recognition for a campaign that used high-level creative capabilities to produce tangible, measurable results,” said ASI President Will Sullivan. “We look forward to continuing our relationship with Hamline University’s graduate schools and bringing that marriage of creativity and measurability to all of our clients.”

“We brought in ASI to bring a fresh perspective to our marketing efforts, and they hit it out of the park,” said Mary Rockcastle, dean of Hamline’s Graduate School of Liberal Studies. “We believe our creative writing and liberal studies graduate degrees are among the best in the nation, and we’re thrilled that ASI has helped build additional interest in these programs.”

Amplifon, the parent company of Miracle-Ear, Sonus and Amplifon Hearing Aid Centers, today announced the debut of the “Glocal” Marketing Toolbox, an international website that brings local results to a global presence. The toolbox is designed to facilitate the sharing and communicating of successful marketing and business practices, as well as to ensure high-level brand compliance across multiple offices in multiple countries.

“One of the challenges of having an international presence is making sure that our marketing efforts are absolutely on brand,” said Haluk Terzioglu, chief marketing executive for Amplifon. “ASI’s pioneering digital asset management vehicle allows us to do business across the globe with a consistent message—and achieve consistent results.”

Using ASI Communications’ proprietary Brand Acceleration digital asset management technology, “Glocal” Marketing Toolbox allows the Milan-based company’s offices in more than a dozen countries to access and share the most updated, brand-compliant digital files, including business presentations, photos, research and marketing materials.

“ASI Communications congratulates Amplifon on the launch of Glocal,” said Will Sullivan, ASI Communications president. “All marketing is international today, and ASI is committed to providing unique, technology-driven communications solutions in this new, dynamic marketplace.”

About Amplifon
Listed on the Milan Stock Exchange as of June 27, 2001, and part of the Midex section as of September 19th, 2005, Amplifon is the worldwide leader in the distribution and fitting of hearing aids and related services.

ASI Communications today announced the official grand opening of its new headquarters in the Butler North Building in the Minneapolis Warehouse District. The move was made to accommodate ASI’s current and future expansion plans, as the integrated communications agency has grown 700 percent since March 2004.

Formerly located in Northeast Minneapolis, ASI now occupies 22,000 square feet of space in the Butler North Building. The beginning of its move to Butler North in August 2006 signaled the emergence of a burgeoning agency community in the Warehouse District, as Colle + McVoy and Carmichael Lynch soon followed, creating what some are dubbing the “New Madison Avenue of Minneapolis.”

“We identified The Warehouse District as a perfect place to do business and grow, and apparently we weren’t the only ones,” said Will Sullivan, ASI Communications president. “We’re excited to stand at the forefront of this ‘New Madison Avenue’ movement, though we pride ourselves on breaking the traditional advertising and public relations agency mold.”

With renovations now complete, ASI is hosting a private open house on January 18, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the new headquarters. The event is designed to thank ASI’s key clients, vendors and strategic partners, and look forward continued expansion in domestic and international markets over the next several years.

“Minneapolis has always been a marketing town, and we’re excited to see the next evolution take shape,” added Sullivan. “We just hope there’s enough parking for everyone.”

ASI Communications announced today that it has been selected as the agency of record for the Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Minnesota. In this capacity, Make-A-Wish MN will rely on the integrated marketing firm to increase interest and participation in all of its wish-granting activities. ASI will draw from its full set of in-house capabilities, including strategic planning, traditional and e-marketing, event management, interactive and digital communications, advertising, design, public affairs, public relations and alternative media.

“We are excited that ASI Communications is on board to help us grant the wishes of Minnesota children with life-threatening medical conditions,” said Barbara Koch, Director of Development for the Make-A-Wish foundation. “ASI’s fresh approach to communications— plus its senior-level personnel and technological sophistication—makes them a perfect complement to our mission.”

“We’re big believers in the Make-A-Wish mission, and we believe that our unique approach to marketing is an ideal fit for this innovative nonprofit,” said Will Sullivan, ASI Communications president. “Our goal is simple: Help Make-A-Wish Minnesota grant even more wishes, and ultimately provide a marketing communications model that can be replicated by other Make-A-Wish organizations.”

ASI’s first order of business will be organizing, branding and creating buzz around The Wish Ball, an event slated for May 19, 2007 to celebrate Make-A-Wish Minnesota’s 25th birthday.

About The Make-A-Wish Foundation
The Make-A-Wish Foundation grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. It is the largest wish-granting charity in the world, with 69 chapters across the U.S. and its territories, and 28 international affiliates spanning five continents. Currently celebrating its 25th birthday, the Make-A-Wish Foundation’s Minnesota chapter has granted more than 2,700 wishes to children across the state. For more information about the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Minnesota, please visit the web site at www.wishmn.org.

ASI Communications today did not announce the landing of a new client, the launching of a new service or the winning of a new award. The Minneapolis-based comprehensive communications services agency announced the creation of a new form of communication called “Agnostic Marketing,” which it defines as selling agency services to clients free of bias toward areas of strength—and powering those services with the kind of technology not found in the traditional ad agency model.

“Every business has a problem that can be addressed through marketing,” said Will Sullivan, ASI Communications president. “The problem is that if you take that problem to a design firm, they’ll sell you a new logo. If you take it to an ad agency, they’ll sell you a TV spot. And if you take it to a interactive firm, they’ll sell you a website.”

“Most businesses don’t wake up in the morning and say, ‘I need PR today’ or ‘I need interactive services today,’” added Tony Harris, director of Internet Marketing for Digi-Key Corp., a multi-million-dollar international electronic components distributor and longtime ASI client. “They stay up at night wondering what’s the best way to sell their product. And too many agencies are floundering today because they tailor their clients to their services, instead of tailoring their services to their clients.”

In response to this reality, ASI Communications has created the first independently owned communications agency to attack marketing challenges from a business perspective—with a complete suite of services enriched by technology. By offering marketing, interactive, public relations, public affairs, design, advertising and alternative media services under one roof, ASI Communications frees itself to take an “agnostic” approach to real-world business challenges.

The marketplace has responded to ASI’s approach, according to Sullivan. The company has profitably grown 600 percent in just over two years, has reached 46 employees (up from 7 in March 2004), is experiencing record revenues and profits, and anticipates opening additional U.S., Europe and Asia offices in the next 6 to 12 months. In addition, ASI has developed 30 proprietary software systems, moved its headquarters to 22,000-sq.-ft. space in the Minneapolis Warehouse District, and is unveiling an on-site, state-of-the-art data center to enhance its hosting and digital asset management offerings and help its clients expand their global reach.