Year: 2014

Is the Death of the Hashtag Scandalous?

Dana PhelpsBlog, Social Media + Influencer Engagement, , , 1 Comment on Is the Death of the Hashtag Scandalous?

Today’s guest post is brought to you by the incredibly smart and fabulous Sam Halle, Clairemont intern.

They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery…

It hasn’t been long since Facebook wove hashtags and tagged mentions into its social platform. Now? It’s Twitter’s turn for a notable update. Perhaps the “Twitbook” jokes will start to hit a little closer to home for both services now.

Twitter announced its profile redesign this week, promising a “whole new you.” Interestingly, this whole new me looks quite familiar. The redesign bears a striking resemblance to Facebook’s three-column design. New users will immediately see the change, and existing users will receive their new look in the coming weeks.

PR gurus, take note of the following updates:

  • Users’ web profiles will now include a larger avatar profile photo;
  • Web profiles will also now include customized headers – with a photo (think Facebook or Google+ cover photos);
  • The font size of tweets that receive the most engagement will in users’ feeds, making notable content easy to find;
  • A user can now pin a Tweet to the top of his or her profile page (similar to the pinned post feature on Facebook); and
  • Filtered timelines – Tweets, Tweets with photos/videos or Tweets and replies – are available.

Lately, Twitter has been making an appearance in headlines for its efforts to increase its accessibility to new users. This profile redesign is clearly a step toward doing so. Get a glimpse of the changes by checking out these already redesigned profiles: @flotus, @kerrywashington, @zacefron or @channingtatum.

There have been other moves toward making Twitter more accessible as well. First, Twitter has begun to introduce a metric of post views to each Tweet in order to increase engagement and measurement. Second, the Favorite, Retweet and Follow buttons were made more prominent in the recent mobile app update, a change that has increased interactions by more than 35 percent. Lastly – and most controversial – Twitter reps have hinted that the company may phase out its infamous @-handle replies and #hashtags.

What do you think about Twitter’s new look? What – if any – implications will it have for clients’ PR or branding? Are you ready for the death of the #hashtag?

 

 

 

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Clairemont Interns: Meet Carly Griffin

Margot HorganBlog, Raleigh PR Agency, The Clairemont Team1 Comment on Clairemont Interns: Meet Carly Griffin

Today’s guest post is written by Clairemont intern, Carly Griffin.

I’d like to take a moment to introduce myself as the newest girl fortunate enough to work with the amazing ladies at Clairemont. My name is Carly Griffin, and as a current Junior at UNC-CH (Go Heels!) majoring in Journalism and Mass Communications with a concentration in public relations, you can see why this opportunity is so exciting for me. After working at Trone Brand Advertising (an advertising agency in my hometown of High Point) this past summer, I wanted to test the waters at a full-service PR Agency. After just a few short weeks at Clairemont, I can already tell I’m going to enjoy my time learning the ins and outs of a public relations agency.

So, that’s how I came to be here. Now here’s a little bit about myself: I am a Tar Heel born and bred in High Point, NC. Both of my parents attended North Carolina, as did my older sister. I guess you could say it’s a family tradition. I also have a younger sister who we are currently trying to convince to come to school here, as well. My family is rounded out by our two lovable and goofy dogs, Bubba (a Boykin spaniel) and Cooper (a mutt). Being such a dog lover, I was very excited to learn that Billy hangs out with us in the office.

I’m an avid reader and a genius on all things Harry Potter (seriously, ask me anything about Harry Potter), which might be why I chose to minor in Creative Writing. I like to run, a lot, and am currently training for my second half-marathon. And, at the risk of embarrassing myself, I am a huge One Direction fan.

I like to live at a fast pace and am always plugged into social media, which might be the reason I was drawn to public relations. One of my favorite things that Clairemont has created is the Instagram account, PR Baton. Following real world PR professionals throughout their busy days inspires me to continue to work hard so that I too may be one of those professionals. Who knows, maybe I’ll get to carry the PR Baton one day. 

Take a look at what I hope my future holds here!

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5 Ways to Maximize Your PR Agency Investment

Dana PhelpsBlog, Hiring a PR Firm, Raleigh PR Agency,

This is the third post in a three-part series: 5 Clues that You Are Ready to Hire a PR Agency, 5 Criteria for Hiring a PR Agency and 5 ways to Maximize Your PR Agency Investment. Can I get a high five?

Congratulations! You’ve hired a PR agency! Wait a second…you don’t look so good. Yes, I know it is a big commitment. Yes, I know you have a lot on the line. Don’t go getting cold feet now. This is an exciting time!

1. Trust. Remember, you hired the agency because you NEED help. You selected your PR firm, because you you know they’ve got what it takes to move your company forward and make you look like a rock star to the rest of your executive team. Relax, and trust your decision. Start by building your client/agency relationship on trust, and most likely you will have a long, rewarding partnership. Here’s what my friend Roy Reid has to say about building outrageous trust.

2. Commit. At Clairemont, we pride ourselves on not needing a lot of hand-holding from our clients so that we truly can provide meaningful results and make our clients feel like a huge weight has been lifted from them. We’re able to do just that when our clients take the time at the beginning of the relationship to allow us to go through an account set-up process that identifies big things such as mutually agreeable objectives and deliverables down to seemingly small things like setting up shared folders to send and receive large files to each other. Our best clients also provide background information to help facilitate a brand immersion and schedule regular team check-in calls. While smart agencies understand the importance of striking the balance of working both collaboratively with and independently  from you, your agency account team will require information and answers from you. A commitment to being responsive is also key.

3. Listen. Once your agency is up-to-spend and indoctrinated in your company culture, listen to what they have to say. You most likely hired the PR firm for the experience and expertise of its team members. Realize that you now have a resource that likely consists of people of different generations and backgrounds — you’ve gained direct access to new perspectives that might allow you to see how your customers, employees, stakeholders and influencers see your brand. Additionally, our role as public relations counselors is to guide our clients and provide recommendations. That should at least sometimes include ideas you have never considered.

4. Challenge (and be challenged). This is a two-way street. The most productive client/PR agency relationships challenge each other to see things in different ways, to come up with new ideas and to find innovative ways to solve a problem. Personally, I love nothing more than to get a client call that starts with, “I’ve got a real challenge for you.” Yes, that’s what makes our jobs fun! And to the point above, the best agencies are even challenging their clients to join them in redefining what PR is as we move from talkers to makers, as my friend and fellow CAPRSA executive committee member, Martin Waxman, says.

5. Evaluate. Evaluation should be an ongoing process that’s conducted in formal and informal ways. I’ve already mentioned establishing regular check-ins and that’s a great way to make sure everything is going as planned on a weekly or monthly basis. We also recommend quarterly meetings to review objectives to ensure that goals are being met. Sometimes things in your company, industry or the economy change which could require your PR firm to need to change directions. By evaluating your program on a regular basis, together you can maximize results.

These are just five of many things you can do to make sure you are getting the most out of your client/PR agency relationship. For those of you (both clients and agency folks) in successful partnerships, what tops your list?

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What does a PR Agency Do? Ribbon Cutting Case Study

Margot HorganAwards, Blog, Case Studies, Real Estate PR, , , , , , ,

People commonly ask us what a PR agency does. We thought one of the best ways to answer that question would be to share case studies of campaigns that have been recognized at the North Carolina chapter of the Public Relations Society of America’s (NCPRSA) InSpire Awards. Over the past three years, Clairemont has won 75 industry awards including this InSpire Award-winning campaign.

Client: LStar Management

Situation Analysis: When the original developer of Edenmoor went bankrupt, it left behind an unfinished master-planned community. With 68 families living there, but no developer to finish the construction or maintain what had been built, roads began to collapse, the clubhouse was vandalized and residents grew concerned about the increasing safety hazards.

The demise of Edenmoor was widely reported in local media. The extent of the negative coverage was reason for concern when new developer, LStar Management, purchased the community. Could LStar overcome the stigmas associated with the neighborhood brought on by its predecessor, convince media that the company had the expertise and financial backing to turn around this failed community and attract builders to start constructing homes again? With the new ownership going into effect in October, LStar turned to Clairemont for help in securing neutral to positive media coverage and improving the perception of the community by the end of the year, allowing for less than three months to make progress.

Objectives: Based on extensive primary and secondary research and a timeframe of less than three months, our objectives were very straightforward, as follows:

1. Build an arsenal of communications materials prior to the property acquisition announcement.

2. Secure at least five neutral or positive news articles by year’s end.

3. Establish a social media presence prior to a mid-December ribbon-cutting ceremony.

4. Recruit 10 homebuilders interested in buying and building on lots in the community.

Execution:

Communications Materials: Clairemont conducted a messaging session with the community development team in order to devise a message board to guide all communications. We also crafted a fact sheet, a Q&A document and backgrounders, as well as event and pitch-specific media kits.

Acquisition Closing Announcement: While there had been media speculation about LStar’s acquisition of Edenmoor, Clairemont advised LStar to wait until the deal closed before publicly disclosing details. Skeptical about how reporters might respond given the negative coverage we uncovered during the media audit, our pitches directly addressed their previously reported concerns. Our goal was to receive neutral and unbiased coverage. We were pleasantly surprised at the reporters’ positive reactions. Headlines told the story of the community getting a “facelift” and a “second chance” from the new owners. Our client’s favorite story referred to LStar as the white horse.

EMS Dedication + Name Change: Following on the success of our first announcement, six weeks later Clairemont helped LStar host a ribbon cutting and dedication ceremony for a new EMS station that the developer donated to the county. Once at the event, residents and media were surprised with even more news, as we unveiled the new name, Walnut Creek, and brand identity to go along with all of the improvements being made in the community. The response was overwhelmingly positive with media coverage continuing along with a transformation and renewal theme, and LStar receiving accolades at the event from residents, county officials and media for the impressive amount of progress it had made in improving the community in a short period of time.

Social Media: In order to keep residents, potential homebuyers, builders, real estate brokers and media informed about Walnut Creek, Clairemont established a Walnut Creek Facebook page and Twitter feed. Additionally, we devised a blog strategy and editorial calendar.

Evaluation:

Our results directly correlate to our objectives, as follows:

1. Build an arsenal of communications materials prior to the property acquisition announcement.

  • Clairemont created key messages, a fact sheet, backgrounders and other materials to support LStar, delivered on time prior to the closing announcement.

2. Secure at least five neutral or positive news articles by year’s end.

  • Clairemont secured 14 positive news stories between Oct. 31 and the end of 2011. By issuing our media releases on Business Wire, the two announcements also received 1,272 online views.

3. Establish a social media presence prior to a mid-December ribbon-cutting ceremony.

  • Per our client-approved timeline, Clairemont set up and launched Facebook and Twitter for Walnut Creek in conjunction with the event. A new blog was launched in January.

4. Recruit 10 homebuilders interested in buying and building on lots in the community.

  • As a result of the positive news coverage, LStar was contacted by several builders interested in constructing new homes in Walnut Creek. At the completion of this campaign, one builder had already started construction, and 14 more are undergoing LStar’s stringent homebuilder application process.

LStar recognizes that the first three months of community and public interaction under its new ownership were critical to its rebranding and reputation management efforts.

What did you think of this public relations case study? Was it helpful? We’re here to answer any questions you may have!

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5 Criteria for Hiring a PR Agency

Dana PhelpsBlog, Hiring a PR Firm, Raleigh PR Agency,

This is the second post in a three-part series: 5 Clues that You Are Ready to Hire a PR Agency, 5 Criteria for Hiring a PR Agency and 5 ways to Maximize Your PR Agency Investment. Can I get a high five?

Let’s face it, there are likely more than five things you should consider when making the big decision of which PR agency to hire. Having been on both the hiring side and the pitching side, here’s a handful of reasons to pick an agency that I’ve seen forge stronger relationships than match.com:

1. Special? Yes. Specialty? Not always. Start with the basics such as identifying agencies that are either B-to-B or B-to-C (many do both) depending on your primary audience and then begin to drill down into things such as experience in or related to your industry. There can be advantages to hiring an agency that exclusively specializes in a particular industry, as long as the work doesn’t become cookie-cutter and lacking in creativity. That’s why I recommend more of an emphasis on special — as in which firm can do something the others can’t, thereby making it special — over a specialty.

How do you make sure a PR firm has the right skill set as well as the experience and creativity to back up its claims? Review the agency’s relevant case studies, talk with existing clients and ask the team to tell you about any industry and community awards or accolades they’ve received.

2. Values and value. The PR agency you hire is going to represent you and your brand. Ask about the firm’s values. Find out what is important to its leadership team and how those things are woven into the culture of the agency. Similar values are typically an indicator of a good match. While I always think this is important, it is absolutely vital for new companies or those relying on a PR firm to make introductions into new markets. Poor values, lack of integrity and signs of acting unethically lead to bad reputations. It is virtually impossible for your brand perception to be improved or introduced in a positive way by a brand that is tarnished. Do your homework.

Having been involved with PRSA my entire career, I’m a strong believer in the association’s code of ethics. To find firms that have joined PRSA and taken a pledge to uphold the code of ethics, check out PRSA’s Find a Firm tool.

Mix a firm that has the right expertise and strong values with a client with clear direction and a realistic budget and you’ll get value out of the relationship. Ask prospective agencies how they define “providing value” and how they ensure clients feel they are getting a good value.

3. Two peas in a pod. I’m not suggesting you become besties with your agency account manager. In fact, I recommend against that! However, you’ve got to want to work together. That’s where you’ll see the real value — when you enjoy working with and appreciate your agency team and vice versa. It is part of our nature as PR agency people to want to please. Give us a client we like who respects our work and is grateful for the support we provide, and it becomes downright magical.

I believe you can get a sense for this in the interview stages. Call it listening to your gut. Call it chemistry. When the personalities, cultures and working styles are a match, you know it. You feel good about it. Because it is so important, make sure you are actually meeting your account team and not the “pitch team” when you’re visiting with a prospective PR firm. Also take note of how the team members interact with each other, as it can be an indication of how they will communicate with you and your team. I’ve previously written about this in a post about sportsmanship in a PR agency environment.

4. Extra, extra. If you are like most people charged with hiring a PR agency, you’ll send an RFP or the same list of questions to a few agencies you are considering. Look for the agency that offers an observation, wisdom or perspective on something not included in your request. This is a good indication that the team is already thinking about your business and that the firm believes in going above and beyond.

Other extras that are worthy of moving an agency to the top of your consideration list include:

  • Creative pitches. Do you really want another PowerPoint? If you do, which team made it creative? What else did they do outside of the presentation to show imagination and ingenuity?
  • Research. Did one team take the initiative more than others to understand your company’s background, conduct a competitive analysis or analyze your target market?
  • Questions. Did one PR firm seem more inquisitive than the other? This can be an indication of thinking ahead to next steps and about the information that will be needed to kick start your campaign.
  • Desire. Who wants your business the most? The answer is likely to be the same as the agency that will make your account a top priority.

5. Momma said if you don’t have anything nice to say, then zip it. Think twice about a PR agency that is quick to sling mud. We are sometimes asked to compare ourselves to our competitors, and we feel that staying focused on our strengths is the best course of action. Beware of firms that don’t hesitate to shift gears from what they can provide to what others can’t.

Looks like I might have really given you more than five things here, and I didn’t even answer the age-old question of does size matter? That, ladies and gentlemen, is a post all its own that I’ve previously penned called Big PR Agency vs. Small PR Agency. If you’ve ever hired an agency that proved to be the absolute best ever, what factors helped guide your decision?

 

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