MutualFundWire.com: Fund Companies Get Gold Stars
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Monday, October 26, 2009

Fund Companies Get Gold Stars


The Mutual Fund Education Alliance unveiled the winners of its 13th annual STAR Awards for excellence in mutual fund marketing and communications at the Mid-America Club in Chicago on Wednesday.

In the retail communications category, John Hancock Funds, Matthews Asia Funds and Ariel Investments, bagged top honors for large (over $25 billion in assets), medium ($5 to $25 billion), and small companies (up to $5 billion) respectively.

On the advisor communications side, the top award went to John Hancock for the large company category and Calvert Investments for the medium-sized category.

Fidelity won the top award for plan participant communications.

MFEA presented a total of 46 awards.
Company Release

The Mutual Fund Education Alliance announced winners of the 2009 STAR Awards for Excellence in mutual fund marketing and communications Wednesday evening at The-Mid America Club in Chicago. The STAR Awards are presented annually by the Mutual Fund Education Alliance (MFEA), a national mutual fund industry trade association and have become a prestigious recognition of companies in the fund industry who excel marketing, education and communications for shareholders, advisors and the investing public. Top awards for outstanding overall communications were presented, as well as awards for achievement in specific categories, based on a company's assets under management.

The top STAR Awards for Excellence in Overall Communications were presented to the following:

RETAIL COMMUNICATIONS

Small Companies Up to $5 billion in assets Ariel Investments
Medium Companies $5 - $25 billion in assets Matthews Asia Funds
Large Companies Over $25 billion in assets John Hancock Funds

ADVISOR COMMUNICATIONS

Medium Companies $5 - $25 billion in assets Calvert Investments
Large Companies Over $25 billion in assets John Hancock Funds

PLAN PARTICIPANT COMMUNICATIONS

Large Companies Over $25 billion in assets Fidelity Investments

Now in its 13th year, the STAR Awards program continues to distinguish itself as the premier fund industry competition and is unique in that members of the MFEA serve as judges and evaluate the programs of their peers. That, according to MFEA Executive Committee Chairman John Cammack, is one of the most gratifying aspects of the awards program. "To be fairly evaluated by your colleagues, who are your competitors, provides a great sense of achievement," says Cammack.

In addition, the prestigious Community Investment Award was presented to Calvert Investments of Bethesda, MD. (See separate press release for details.)

The Mutual Fund Education Alliance is the national trade association of mutual fund marketers and distributors. Since 1971, the MFEA has been dedicated to informing and educating the investing public about how to achieve important lifetime goals using mutual funds. The members of the Alliance represent nearly $5 trillion in mutual fund assets.

EXCELLENCE IN SHAREHOLDER COMMUNICATIONS RECIPIENTS AWARDED BY THE MUTUAL FUND EDUCATION ALLIANCE Presented October 21, 2009-Chicago

THE RECIPIENTS OF THE 2009 STAR AWARDS:

CATEGORY - COMMUNITY INVESTMENT AWARD
Calvert Investments

RETAIL COMMUNICATIONS:

CATEGORY - OVERALL COMMUNICATIONS EFFORT
STAR Award: Small Company - Ariel Investments
Medium Company - Matthews Asia Funds
Large Company - John Hancock Funds

CATEGORY - INTRODUCTION KIT STAR Award: Small Company - Hennessy Funds
Medium Company - Matthews Asia Funds
Large Company - John Hancock Funds

CATEGORY - ANNUAL REPORT
STAR Award: Small Company - Ariel Investments / Medium Company - The Royce Funds / Large Company - John Hancock Funds Honorable Mention: Small Company - Heartland Funds / Medium Company - Ivy Funds

CATEGORY - EDUCATIONAL BROCHURE
STAR Award: Large Company - BlackRock

CATEGORY - PRINTED NEWSLETTER
STAR Award: Small Company - Heartland Funds / Medium Company - The Royce Funds / Large Company - Charles Schwab Honorable Mention: Medium Company - Friess Associates / Large Company - Principal Funds

CATEGORY - MAGAZINE
STAR Award: Small Company - U.S. Global Investors / Large Company - T.Rowe Price

CATEGORY - SPECIAL COMMUNICATIONS
STAR Award: Small Company: Ariel Investments / Medium Company - Matthews Asia Funds / Large Company - John Hancock Funds Honorable Mention: Medium Company - Calvert Investments

CATEGORY - SPECIAL RETIREMENT COMMUNICATIONS
STAR Award: Large Company - BlackRock

CATEGORY - COMMUNICATIONS CAMPAIGN
STAR Award: Medium Company - The Royce Funds

CATEGORY - ELECTRONIC NEWSLETTER
STAR Award: Small Company - U.S. Global Investors / Medium Company - Matthews Asian Funds

CATEGORY - ONLINE SHAREHOLDER SERVICES
STAR Award: Small Company - Parnassus Investments

CATEGORY - HOME PAGE
STAR Award: Medium Company - Calvert Investments

CATEGORY - ONLINE MARKETING CAMPAIGN
STAR Award: Small Company - U.S. Global Investors / Medium Company - Matthews Asia Funds / Large Company - Fidelity Investments

CATEGORY - ONLINE INNOVATION
STAR Award: Small Company - Ariel Investments / Medium Company - The Royce Funds / Large Company - T. Rowe Price

CATEGORY - WEBSITE
STAR Award: Small Company - AARP Financial / Medium Company - Calvert Investments / Large Company - DWS Investments Honorable Mention: Small Company - Grisanti Brown

CATEGORY - PRINT AD CAMPAIGN
STAR Award: Large Company - Columbia Management

CATEGORY - MULTI-MEDIA AD CAMPAIGN
STAR Award: Small Company - Saturna Capital Corporation / Large Company - OppenheimerFunds

CATEGORY - CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS
STAR Award: Small Company - AARP Financial / Medium Company - Calvert Investments / Large Company - American Century Investments

CATEGORY - WILD CARD
STAR Award: Small Company - AARP Financial / Medium Company - The Royce Funds / Large Company - Franklin Templeton Investments

ADVISOR COMMUNICATIONS:

CATEGORY - OVERALL COMMUNICATIONS EFFORT
STAR Award: Medium Company - Calvert Investments / Large Company - John Hancock Funds

CATEGORY - INTRODUCTION KIT
STAR Award: Medium Company - Matthews Asia Funds / Large Company - RiverSource Fund Distributors

CATEGORY - NEWSLETTER
STAR Award: Medium Company - Matthews Asian Funds / Large Company - American Century Investments Honorable Mention: Large Company: Artio Global Investors

CATEGORY - PRINTED COMMUNICATIONS
STAR Award: Small Company - Saturna Capital Corporation / Medium Company - Calvert Investments / Large Company - John Hancock Funds

CATEGORY - SPECIAL COMMUNICATIONS
STAR Award: Small Company - Heartland Funds / Medium Company - William Blair Funds / Large Company - Principal Funds Honorable Mention: Large Company - DWS Investments

CATEGORY - COMMUNICATIONS CAMPAIGN
STAR Award: Small Company - Forward Funds / Large Company - Franklin Templeton Investments Honorable Mention: Large Company - RiverSource Fund Distributors

CATEGORY - ELECTRONIC NEWSLETTER
STAR Award: Small Company - U.S. Global Investors / Large Company TIE - Artio Global Investors and DWS Investments

CATEGORY - ONLINE ADVISOR SERVICES
STAR Award: Large Company - John Hancock Funds

CATEGORY - HOME PAGE
STAR Award: Medium Company - Calvert Investments / Large Company - John Hancock Funds

CATEGORY - ONLINE MARKETING CAMPAIGN
STAR Award: Medium Company - Matthews Asia Funds / Large Company - Thornburg Investment Management Honorable Mention: Large Company - T. Rowe Price

CATEGORY - ONLINE INNOVATION
STAR Award: Small Company - Hennessy Funds / Medium Company - Calvert Investments / Large Company - T. Rowe Price

CATEGORY - PRINT AD CAMPAIGN
STAR Award: Large Company - Principal Funds

CATEGORY - MULTI-MEDIA AD CAMPAIGN
STAR Award: Medium Company - Calvert Investments / Large Company - OppenheimerFunds

CATEGORY - CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS
STAR Award: Medium Company - Matthews Asia Funds / Large Company - BlackRock

PLAN PARTICIPANT COMMUNICATIONS:

CATEGORY - OVERALL COMMUNICATIONS EFFORT
STAR Award: Large Company - Fidelity Investments

CATEGORY - INTRODUCTION KIT/EDUCATION KIT
STAR Award: Small Company - Saturna Capital Corporation / Medium Company - Securian Retirement / Large Company - DWS Investments

CATEGORY - ONGOING EDUCATIONAL BROCHURE
STAR Award: Large Company - Vanguard

CATEGORY - NEWSLETTER
STAR Award: Large Company - The Hartford

CATEGORY - PLAN CONVERSION COMMUNICATIONS
STAR Award: Large Company - T. Rowe Price

CATEGORY - RETIREMENT COMMUNICATIONS
STAR Award: Medium Company Transamerica Retirement Services / Large Company - Fidelity Investments

CATEGORY - PLAN PARTICIPANT PROGRAM CAMPAIGN
STAR Award: Large Company - Fidelity Investments

CATEGORY - PLAN SPONSOR COMMUNICATIONS
STAR Award: Large Company - Vanguard Honorable Mention: Large Company - Fidelity Investments

CATEGORY - EMAIL COMMUNICATIONS
STAR Award: Large Company - Fidelity Investments

CATEGORY - ONLINE MARKETING CAMPAIGN
STAR Award: Large Company - New York Life Retirement Plan Services

CATEGORY - CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS
STAR Award: Medium Company - The Royce Funds / Large Company - New York Life Retirement Plan Services

CATEGORY - WILD CARD
STAR Award: Large Company - Vanguard



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