Zizzo Group Lands People Magazine

MILWAUKEE – The public relations team of Zizzo Group Advertising and PR (ZGA+PR); the region’s most fearless, results-driven integrated marketing firm; landed the opportunity for a five-page story in the most recent feature issue of People Magazine, one of the most widely read magazines in the country. ZGA+PR conducted this outreach as a part of its ongoing national media relations efforts on behalf of the University of Toledo (UT).

Released on Nov. 30, the feature titled “The Kidney Chain” highlights UT as home to the nation’s first and longest-running altruistic donor kidney-transplant chain. Prominent in the article is UT’s professor of urology and kidney transplant surgeon, Dr. Michael Rees. Dr. Rees and his staff perform the operations and coordinate the organ donor program through his nonprofit organization, Alliance for Paired Donation. The article also includes interviews and photos of the kidney donors and recipients.

The multi-paged story reached an audience of up to 3.7 million readers as part of the “Sexiest Man Alive” issue, one of seven feature issues People Magazine publishes annually. The article holds an ad value of nearly $1.5 million (as calculated without artificial multipliers). The magazine feature was earned through proactive media relations grounded in a strong business partnership between ZGA+PR and UT.

“The University of Toledo and its people are doing so many wonderful things, and this People Magazine feature just underscores the fact that our University and medical center are on the move,” said Matt Lockwood, director of public relations. “The Zizzo team played a critical role in making this placement happen and it was a pleasure to work with them on it.”

ZGA+PR has worked with UT’s internal communications staff for the last year to support national media outreach. The two groups have built a successful relationship and captured media coverage for UT in national media outlets including CNN, CBS Evening News with Katie Couric, CNBC and The Chronicle of Higher Education.

About Zizzo Group Advertising + PR

Zizzo Group Advertising and PR (ZGA+PR) is the region’s most fearless, results-driven, integrated marketing communications agency. In providing counsel to a wide range of regional and national business-to-business and consumer clients, the firm creates programs that drive business and measureable results. The firm specializes in advertising, public relations, strategic media planning and buying, branding, marketing, research, online and social media, creative services, and health care marketing.

A Future 50 Company and a top-10 Milwaukee-area advertising agency, ZGA+PR represents many leading brands, including Cox Communications, Disney Broadcasting, Faith Technologies, Fifth Third Bank, Hearst Corporation, Journal Communications, Marquette University, Media General, The Midwest Airlines Center, The Milwaukee Brewers, Mount Auburn Hospital, Tribune Company, The University of Toledo and U.S. Cellular. ZGA+PR has been recognized as one of Milwaukee’s “Best places to work” by Milwaukee Magazine. For more information, visit www.zizzogroup.com.