Recognition
Awards & Recognition
At Say Hey There, we believe meaningful marketing should move people, strengthen communities, inspire action, and create measurable impact. Over the years, our nonprofit work and community-centered storytelling have been recognized by the American Marketing Association Omaha through multiple Pinnacle Awards, including:
2026 Pinnacle Award — Paid Social Media (Nonprofit)
2026 Pinnacle Award — Special Event (Nonprofit)
2025 Silver Pinnacle Award — Integrated Marketing Campaign (Nonprofit)
In addition, Say Hey There was featured in the Midlands Business Journal’s Impact 250 series, which highlights individuals and organizations helping shape the future of the Omaha metro through leadership, innovation, and community impact.
As a small, independent creative studio that partners with nonprofits and community development and enrichment organizations, we know causes are often working with limited resources while addressing complex social issues. These honors not only represent creative excellence, but the measurable outcomes that thoughtful strategy and authentic storytelling can achieve for causes that matter.
We are deeply grateful to collaborate with our partners who trust us to help tell their stories, and remain committed to thoughtful, human-centered marketing and communications.
2026 Pinnacle Award
Paid Social Media — Nonprofit
This category recognizes nonprofit paid social media campaigns that deliver measurable results across one or more platforms. For us, this award was especially meaningful because it celebrated work rooted in purpose and community impact.Â
The recognized campaign focused on volunteer recruitment efforts for the Foster Care Review Office (FCRO). Using targeted Facebook and Instagram advertising, the campaign paired streamlined intake forms with testimonial-driven creative and precise geographic and interest-based targeting. Paid social ads consistently ranked among FCRO’s top-performing content, reaching between 14,900 and 166,800 people per post. From January through December 10, 2025, the campaign generated 584 intake responses, strengthening both immediate recruitment and long-term engagement. The results demonstrate how strategic paid social media can effectively drive civic participation and public service recruitment.
Paid social media is often underestimated in the nonprofit world. But when approached strategically and ethically, it can become one of the most powerful tools for helping organizations reach the right people with the right message at the right time.
2026 Pinnacle Award
Special Event — Nonprofit
This category recognizes the outstanding use of a special event to drive maximum results. Say Hey There received this award for work supporting the Guns & Hoses Hockey Challenge, an annual community event benefiting the First Responders Foundation, featuring local police officers and firefighters facing off on the ice.
Say Hey There led the 2025 event marketing and in-arena experience, driving attendance through strategic promotion, clear event communication, and high-energy game-day execution. The campaign filled nearly 3,000 seats at Baxter Arena, raised more than $100,000, and increased ticket sales by 35% with a 29% rise in attendance. The result was a vibrant, community-centered event that strengthened support for First Responders and Veterans.
Events have the power to create emotional connection and awareness in ways few other marketing efforts can. They create memories and give communities a shared experience around a common cause. We are honored to help bring those experiences to life.
2025 Silver Award
Integrated Marketing Campaign — Nonprofit
This category recognizes campaigns that successfully integrate multiple forms of media into a cohesive, comprehensive strategy.
The awarded campaign utilized a coordinated mix of social media, digital advertising, traditional media, influencer partnerships, and cohesive creative design to create a unified experience across every audience touchpoint. By aligning messaging and visuals throughout the campaign, the effort expanded awareness, increased engagement, strengthened community connection, and delivered measurable results.
Integrated campaigns are some of the most rewarding work we do because they require both creativity and precision. Successful integration depends on consistency across platforms, thoughtful strategic coordination, strong messaging architecture, and the ability to adapt content for different audiences and communication channels.Â
For nonprofit organizations especially, integrated marketing matters because people connect with causes in many different ways. Someone may first encounter an organization through social media, deepen their understanding through a news story or video, attend an event, subscribe to emails, and eventually become a donor, volunteer, advocate, or long-term supporter.
This recognition reflects the power of strategic, integrated communications to not only amplify awareness, but also foster community connection.
Midlands Business Journal Impact 250
Say Hey There was honored to be recognized as part of the Midlands Business Journal’s Impact 250 series, which highlights organizations and leaders making a meaningful impact across the region through innovation, collaboration, and community investment.
The recognition reflected the heart of what we strive to build every day: a creative studio rooted in storytelling that helps strengthen community.
As a woman-owned, independent studio, being included alongside respected leaders and larger organizations throughout the metro was an honor. The feature highlighted Say Hey There’s commitment to helping organizations amplify their missions through thoughtful branding, strategic communications, and authentic and inclusive storytelling.Â
