Marketink

Cook & Schmid has been selected by the Unified Port of San Diego to assist with strategic communications, including increasing the public's awareness and understanding of the Port's mission, as well as various current and upcoming real estate and development projects.

The public relations firm will also help maximize transparency and public participation, provide support for public meetings and facilitate communication with elected officials and community groups.

L'Auberge Del Mar has selected JLK Communications to provide PR and media relations services throughout the introduction of the property's new executive chef, Scott Thomas Dolbee.

LEAD San Diego has hired two marketing and event planning professionals to their full-time staff: John Freeman, director of marketing and communications and Carole Ravago, program and event manager.

Freeman will coordinate their marketing, branding and PR efforts to reach out to San Diego businesses and community decision makers. Ravago will organize and coordinate the company's annual awards gala, the Visionary Awards as well as manage membership programs, forums and events.

San Diego brand agency Mires Ball has recently secured four new clients, including: Ballast Point Brewing & Spirits, which tapped the agency to help refine its brand strategy; TriQuint Semiconductor Inc., a supplier of high-performance radio frequency components for wireless communication; Washington D.C.-based Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Services selected the agency to design a poster series in tandem with its exhibition, Bittersweet Harvest: The Bracero Program, 1942-1964; and finally Kirk Kara, a Los Angeles jewelry designer specializing in engagement rings and wedding bands.

The San Diego Ad Club will host its 2012 ADDYs Creative Show Gala from 6 to 9 p.m., Friday, March 2, at Anthology.

The event celebrates outstanding advertising being done in San Diego.

Sam the Cooking Guy will MC the Super Hero-themed evening. The Paula E. Sullivan Outstanding Achievement Award will be presented to Ron Miriello, Miriello Graphico, along with the inaugural Sheila Fox Scholarship where $5000 will be awards to a deserving advertising student.

For information, visit sandiegoadclub.com/addysgala

San Diego business networking organization, 6 Degrees recently announced a sponsorship agreement with Cox Business for a series of business mixer events here locally, where all 2012 mixers will be titled, "Cox Business Mixer Series, presented by 6 Degrees."

In addition to the mixers, the agreement gives Cox the presenting sponsorship status at the 6 Degrees Breakfast Speaker Series and title sponsor for the organization's five-year anniversary party in August.