MSA Wins Major Healthcare Industry Advertising Awards for UNC Health Care Client

Raleigh, N.C. (September 10, 2008)
RALEIGH — Triangle marketing and communications agency MSA recently garnered 12 honors from two prestigious healthcare industry awards organizations on behalf of client UNC Health Care. The announcement was made today by Jan Johnson, vice president, director account management.

The trove of awards includes eight from the 25th annual Healthcare Advertising Awards, the nation's oldest, largest and most prestigious healthcare advertising awards competition, and four Aster Awards, for which similarly sized healthcare organizations and ad agencies from around the world compete. "We are honored to have our work recognized by industry leaders," Dennis Wipper, vice president, creative director, said.

Earlier this year, MSA was recognized with two ADDY Awards from the American Advertising Federation's Raleigh-Durham chapter. Awarded for television spots created for UNC Health Care, the honors included gold in the television campaign category and a silver for the single TV spot category, with an entry entitled "UNC Health Care Cancer Research."

"We are thrilled and proud to share these awards with our client UNC Health Care," said Johnson.

In 2008, the 25th annual Healthcare Advertising Awards received more than four thousand entries from across the nation, as well as several foreign entries. Judges included a national healthcare panel of marketers, advertising creative directors, ad professionals, health care consultants, marketing professors and the editorial board of Healthcare Marketing Report.

MSA's eight honors included three gold in the newspaper advertising, professional recruitment and logo design categories; two silver in the radio advertising (series) and total ad campaign categories; two bronze in the magazine advertising (series) and special event categories, and a merit award in the TV advertising (series) category. For a complete list and details, visit www.hmrpublicationsgroup.com

In addition, MSA earned two gold and two silver Aster Awards. Each year, the Aster Awards accepts entries designed, printed and/or distributed the previous year to be scored, judged and recognized for excellence in healthcare marketing and advertising. The awards are hosted by Creative Images, Inc., a firm that has specialized in strategic healthcare marketing for more than 16 years.

MSA's gold wins were in the poster design and professional recruitment categories, and silver in the service clinic advertising and magazine advertising categories. For a complete list and details, visit www.asterawards.com

About MSA

Established in 1991, MSA is a full-service, integrated marketing and communications firm providing traditional and interactive advertising, broadcast production, public relations, branding services, research, Web development and mystery shopping. Ranked as the fourth-largest agency in the Triangle region by the Triangle Business Journal, MSA's diverse client list includes UNC Health Care and SUBWAY® restaurants, among others. MSA is a division of Think Partnership, Inc. d.b.a. Kowabunga!® (AMEX:THK), an international leader in interactive performance-based marketing and related Internet technologies. For more information, contact MSA at (919) 463-9680, or visit www.thinkmsa.com.

About UNC Health Care

The UNC Health Care System is a not-for-profit integrated healthcare system owned by the state of North Carolina and based in Chapel Hill. It exists to further the teaching mission of the University of North Carolina and to provide state-of-the-art patient care. UNC Health Care is comprised of UNC Hospitals, ranked among the top 50 in the nation in six specialties by U.S. News & World Report, and one of the country's 41 best on the Leapfrog 2007 Top Hospitals list; the UNC School of Medicine, a nationally eminent research institution; community practices; home health and hospice services in seven central North Carolina counties; and Rex Healthcare and its provider network in Wake County. UNC Health Care also manages Chatham Hospital in Siler City.

***

CONTACT: Roy Brunett
919-463-9680
roy.brunett@kowabunga.com