Awards and Nominations

2024 Awards Season

2024 AAPC Bronze Pollie Winner — Best Use of Social Media [Zoldak Victory]

2024 Reed Award Winner — Best Direct Fundraising Effort (Non-Digital)

2024 Reed Award Winner — Best Landing Page [Zoldak Victory]

2024 Reed Award Winner — Best Microsite [Zoldak Victory]

2024 Reed Award Winner — Best Website for County, Local, or Judicial Campaign (non-mayoral) [Zoldak Victory]

2024 Reed Award Winner — Best Online Video for Local Campaign [Zoldak Victory]

2024 Reed Award Winner — Best Firm Re-Brand (for Client) [Wolfram Labs]

2024 Reed Award Finalist

  • Best Direct Fundraising Effort (Non-Digital)

  • Best Graphic Design

  • Best Use of Email [Zoldak Victory]

  • Best Landing Page (2nd time nominated) [Zoldak Victory]

  • Best Microsite (2nd time nominated) [Zoldak Victory]

  • Best Website for County, Local, or Judicial Campaign (non-mayoral) (6th website nomination) [Zoldak Victory]

  • Best Use of a Social Platform [Zoldak Victory]

  • Best Online Video Series [Zoldak Victory]

  • Best Use of Display Advertising (6th time nominated) [Zoldak Victory]

  • Best Online Advertising Campaign on a Shoestring Budget (3rd time nominated) [Zoldak Victory]


2023 Awards Season

2023 AAPC Silver Pollie Award Winner — Best Use of SMS Texting [Zoldak Victory]

2023 AAPC Bronze Pollie Award Winner — Best Website in Public Affairs

2023 AAPC Regional Pollie Award Winner — Best Website for State Legislature Race (Regional North Division) [Zoldak Victory]

2023 AAPC Regional Pollie Award Winner — Best Website for Local Race (Regional North Division) [Zoldak Victory]

2023 Reed Award Winner — Best Use of Display Advertising [Zoldak Victory]

2023 Reed Award Winner — Best Campaign Landing Page [Zoldak Victory]

2023 Reed Award Finalist

  • Best Website for Issue Advocacy or Public Affairs Campaign (4th website nomination)

  • Best Website for Independent Expenditure (5th website nomination)

  • Best Use of SMS [Zoldak Victory]

  • Best Landing Page [Zoldak Victory]

  • Best Special Election Campaign in Overall Division [Zoldak Victory]

  • Best Use of Display Advertising (5th time nominated) [Zoldak Victory]

  • Best Online Advertising Campaign on a Shoestring Budget (2nd time nominated) [Zoldak Victory]

  • Best Use of Online Targeting for Special Election Campaign [Zoldak Victory]


2022 Awards Season

2022 AAPC Bronze Pollie Award Winner — Best Use of Mobile Technology

2022 AAPC Bronze Pollie Award Winner — Best Use of Direct Mail Public Affairs (National)

2022 AAPC Silver Pollie Award Winner — Best Use of Direct Mail – Small Budget Campaign (Regional North Division)

2022 Reed Award Winner — Best Use of Display Advertising

2022 Reed Award Winner — Best Use of Programmatic

2022 Reed Award Winner — Best Fundraising Mail Creative

2022 Reed Award Winner — Best Use of Peer-to-Peer Texting

2022 Reed Award Finalist

  • Best Advocacy Advertising Campaign (5th time nominated)

  • Best Use of Online Targeting in Overall Division (5th time nominated)

  • Best Online Advertising Campaign in Overall Division (4th time nominated)

  • Best Use of Display Advertising (4th time nominated)

  • Best Use of Programmatic Advertising

  • Best Use of P2P on a Campaign (1st nomination in the Mobile category)

  • Best Fundraising Mail Creative

  • Best Online Advertising Creative (Republican) [nomination for Zoldak Victory]


2021 Awards Season

2021 AAPC Gold Pollie Award Winner — Best Direct Mail in Public Affairs Statewide

2021 AAPC Silver Pollie Award Winner — Best Fundraising Mail Piece in Public Affairs

2021 Reed Award Winner Best Fundraising Mail Piece for Public Affairs/Issue Advocacy Campaign

2021 Reed Award Winner — Best Use of Targeting to Support Virtual Voter Contact [won by Zoldak Victory]

2021 Reed Award Finalist

  • Best Advocacy Advertising Campaign (4th time nominated)

  • Best Advocacy Social Media Campaign (5th time nominated)

  • Best Online Video – 30 Seconds or Under

  • Best Online Advertising Creative

  • Best Website for Issue Advocacy or Public Affairs Campaign (3rd website nomination)

  • Best Fundraising Mail Piece for Public Affairs/Issue Advocacy Campaign (1st nomination in the Direct Mail category)

  • Best Online Advertising Campaign on a Shoestring Budget

  • Best Use of Targeting to Support Virtual Voter Contact [Zoldak Victory]

  • Best Use of Display Advertising [Zoldak Victory]


2020 Awards Season

2020 AAPC Bronze Pollie Award Winner — Best in Show in Public Affairs

2020 AAPC Bronze Pollie Award Winner — Best Digital or Internet Campaign in Public Affairs

2020 AAPC Gold Pollie Award Winner — Best Website in Public Affairs

2020 Reed Award Winner — Best Use of Display Advertising

2020 Reed Award Winner — Best Microsite

2020 Reed Award Finalist

  • Public Affairs Firm of the Year — Less than 50 Employees (2019 & 2018 winner)

  • Best Use of Online Targeting for Independent Expenditure (4th time nominated, 2018 winner)

  • Best Use of Display Advertising (2nd time nominated)

  • Best Website for Issue Advocacy or Public Affairs Campaign (2nd time nominated, last year’s winner)

  • Best Advocacy Advertising Campaign (3rd time nominated)

  • Best Advocacy Social Media Campaign (4th time nominated, last year’s winner)

  • Best Microsite

  • Best Political Firm Branding [Zoldak Victory]


2019 Awards Season

2019 AAPC Gold Pollie Award Winner — Best Website in Public Affairs

2019 EAPC Silver Polaris Award — Best Social Media Campaign (International)

2019 EAPC Silver Polaris Award — Best Digital Media Campaign (International)

2019 Reed Award WinnerPublic Affairs Firm of the Year [Back-to-Back Recipient]

2019 Reed Award Winner — Best Canadian Online Ad Campaign

2019 Reed Award Winner — Best Advocacy Social Media Campaign

2019 Reed Award Finalist

  • Public Affairs Firm of the Year (last year’s winner)

  • Best Public Affairs Campaign in Overall Division (also nominated in 2017)

  • Best Online Advertising Campaign Campaign (nominated 3 years in a row)

  • Best Use of Online Targeting for a Public Affairs Campaign (last year’s winner, nominated 3 years in a row)

  • Best Advocacy Advertising Campaign (nominated 2 years in a row)

  • Best Advocacy Social Media Campaign (nominated 3 years in a row, every year we’ve been in business)

  • Best Action Center / Grassroots Website

  • Best International Campaign

  • Best Canadian Online Ad Campaign


2018 Awards Season

2018 AAPC Gold Pollie Award Winner — Best Use of Social Media in Public Affairs Division

2018 AAPC Silver Pollie Award Winner — Best Internet Advertising in Public Affairs Division

2018 AAPC Silver Pollie Award Winner — Overall Best in Show in Public Affairs Division

2018 AAPC Bronze Pollie Award Winner — Best Use of Internet Radio in Public Affairs Division

2018 Reed Award WinnerPublic Affairs Firm of the Year

2018 Reed Award Winner — Best Use of Online Targeting for a Public Affairs Campaign

2018 Reed Award Finalist

  • Public Affairs Firm of the Year (last year’s Best New Firm nominee)

  • Best Online Advertising Campaign in Overall Division

  • Best Advocacy Advertising Campaign

  • Best Advocacy Social Media Campaign (x2 campaigns, nominated 2 years in a row)

  • Best Use of Online Targeting for a Public Affairs Campaign (nominated 2 years in a row)

  • Best Use of Display Advertising


2017 Awards Season

2017 AAPC Gold Pollie Award Winner — Best Digital and Internet Campaign in Public Affairs Division

2017 Reed Award Winner — Best Use of Social Media for Public Affairs Campaign

2017 Reed Award Finalist

  • Best New Firm

  • Best Public Affairs Campaign in Overall Division

  • Best Online Advertising Campaign in Overall Division

  • Best Digital and Internet Campaign in Public Affairs Division

  • Best Use of Online Targeting for a Public Affairs Campaign

  • Best Use of Social Media for Public Affairs Campaign

  • Best Advocacy Social Media Campaign for Grassroots Campaign


Testimonials

"The Zoldak Agency got our association up and running with a grassroots campaign in just under 24 hours! Not an ideal situation to be in, but working with Sue made it exciting and enjoyable. Sue is knowledgeable, insightful and flexible. In addition to the swift launch, we learned a lot from Sue that we'll build on going forward—and got some great "bonus" ideas from her, as well. Highly recommended!"

— Senior Director of Marketing and Communications, Health Industry Trade Association

 

"I’ve worked with Sue in every phase of communications campaigns…from planning to implementation to fine-tuning to wrap-up and analysis. Her interactions with and advice to clients are always highly valued and on-target. She helps her clients get the biggest bang for their resources through sophisticated timing, messaging and media/audience targeting. Most importantly, Sue likes to ‘win’…and conveys that attitude and spirit to her client’s team. I’d want Sue on my team anytime I’ve got a tough communications campaign challenge…because I, too, want to win!"

— President & CEO, Independent Strategic Consultancy

 

"If you go to list the many great qualities Sue Zoldak brings to a job, you might find yourself with a very long list of items. Her creativity and energy for projects is infectious. She starts every project with a genuine sense of curiosity in wanting to know your goals, objectives, challenges and how far (or willingness) to push the boundaries in trying to do something inherently creative that you've never done before to reach your expressed goals. She offers what I would call a "positive push" to help a client see new ways and means to get the results her client wants to achieve.

She treats her clients as "an investment" and as such she is looking for a longer, stronger and bigger return with them. That was refreshing on many levels and if people are smart enough to pick her to work with them, you're going to reap those positive dividends.”

— Executive Program Director, Business Trade Association

 

"Sue gets the client to focus on the project objective and then consults with them on specifics so that the final product is effective. She is creative. Her many years of experience enable her to use that creativity to achieve results. She is a hands on person who always gets the job done when the client wants it and with the highest integrity."

— SVP of Government Relations and Public Policy, Energy Industry Trade Association

 

"When it comes to strategic communications, there is no one better than Sue. What makes Sue the best is her ability to not only understand the problem, but to provide a clear, succinct and forward thinking solution. Few people come close to matching Sue’s knowledge of the industry and tools available when it comes to addressing a communications challenge."

— Public Affairs Manager, Financial Industry Trade Association

 

"Sue Zoldak is a digital marketing whiz with deep knowledge of how organizations can expand their digital audience size and engagement levels. Sue was instrumental in devising and executing a strategy that helped us exceed our goals for unique visitors and new Facebook fans. She is exceptionally talented in recognizing the latest and most effective digital marketing strategies. If your goal is to enlarge your organization's digital footprint, Sue is your woman!

— Senior Program Director, Business Trade Association







"Sue is a tour de force who brings a uniquely creative and practical approach to problem solving. She is both detail oriented and a big picture thinker who can identify not only what's needed, but how to get there. Her secret sauce is her ability to read and connect with different types of people, which has helped her build relationships with colleagues and clients alike.


— PR Director, Former Colleague

 

"Sue is the Swiss Army Knife of the advocacy scene. Her knowledge, expertise and experience of the many different tactics it takes to penetrate a message, be it, advertising, use of social networks or good old fashioned PR can't be matched. She not only does it all, but does it as well as anyone. Her analytical insights and creative forward-thinking make her the whole package."

— EVP, Media Buying Firm