story by Roby Brock, a TCW content partner and owner of Talk Business
roby@talkbusiness.net
Shelby Woods and Wayne Woods of Little Rock-based advertising/PR giant CJRW have been selected by the Tenth District of the American Advertising Federation (AAF) for the Southwest Advertising Hall of Fame’s 2013 class of inductees.
The Woods brothers of Cranford Johnson Robinson Woods (CJRW) – a full service advertising, marketing and public relations agency – will be two of the seven honorees in the hall’s class. The Tenth District of the AAF covers Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas.
Shelby and Wayne Woods cut their teeth with their small agency, The Woods Brothers Agency, which was founded in 1967. One of the firm’s earliest clients was the Arkansas Parks and Tourism Department, which the brothers helped grow through research and successful advertising and marketing campaigns. In part, their efforts helped Arkansas tourism emerge into a nearly $6 billion industry.
In 1990, The Woods Brothers Agency merged with then Cranford Johnson Robinson and Associates to become Cranford Johnson Robinson Woods (CJRW). Today, Wayne Woods serves as chairman and CEO of CJRW and Shelby Woods serves as Chairman Emeritus of the board of directors.
“On behalf of CJRW I can say we are all very proud of our colleagues Shelby and Wayne,” said Wayne Cranford, founder of CJRW and member of the 2008 inaugural class of the Southwest Advertising Hall of Fame. “Their contribution to the overall advertising profession has been profound and while Shelby and Wayne would never say so, Arkansans owe these gentlemen a debt of gratitude for their tenacity and tireless passion that helped create the booming Arkansas tourism industry.”
“This is a great honor for me and my brother,” said Shelby Woods. “When we started this business in 1967 with the idea to showcase Arkansas and all of her beauty and opportunity we had no idea the tourism industry would be what it is today. We owe our success to the hundreds of talented professionals who we have worked with over our careers. We are very blessed.”
The Woods brothers will officially be inducted into the Southwest Advertising Hall of Fame on Monday, October 21 at 11:30 a.m. in Dallas at the Brookhaven Country Club.