Year: 2015

Blogger Spotlight: Molly Stillman

Cherith AndesBlog, Oh Momma Monday, Social Media + Influencer Engagement, , , , ,

Author of the prominent blog, Still Being Molly, and founder of the renowned TriFABB blog network, Molly Stillman strikes a refreshing blend of glam and earth. She deftly juggles the demanding roles of professional blogger and professional mom (because face it: what mom isn’t?), planning high-profile soirees with one hand while dishing out toddler Cheerios with the other.

Clairemont has been honored to partner with Molly on several projects, and we’re excited to spotlight this trend-setting mom in our “Oh Momma Monday” blog series.

Why do you blog?
Molly: I blog because I love to be creative, but I also love to share with and inspire others. Whether it’s an outfit idea, a DIY project, a recipe, a financial tip, or even just a personal story or anecdote, I love sharing it all with my readers.

How do you juggle parenthood and blogging?
Molly: It is tough and is a constant learning process. I work A LOT during nap time…pretty much as soon as my daughter goes down for nap, I am working until the time she wakes up. I also work at night after she is in bed. You just have to fit it in where you can. I really try to make sure that work doesn’t distract me from time with my daughter.

Tell us the scoop: what makes a good blog post?
Molly: For me, a blog post is a success when the reader walks away having learned something, having been inspired to do something or change something, or having laughed. I just want people to feel like they are hanging out with an old friend when they are reading my blog.

The million-dollar question: what started all this fun?
Molly: I had a LiveJournal in college (if anyone remembers what that was), and I used to just write stories, jokes and other random things. After I graduated college in 2007, I shifted my blog and just started writing for fun. I was an English major in school, so creative writing was how I flexed those “creative muscles,” if you will. It then just turned into a bit of a chronicle of my life and grew with me. I never, ever imagined my blog would turn into what it is today!

We’re ready for the backstage tour. What do you do when you’re not blogging?
Molly: I am probably chasing my toddler or hanging out with my awesome husband, John. I am also heavily involved in my church and have a great group of friends.

If your daughter could blog, she would say…
Molly: A car! A bird! A plane! A duck! A doggie! Chips! Crackers! Mommy! Daddy!

What are Molly’s top three “faves” right now? (Take note! She’s a trend-setter!)
Molly: Chipotle. All day. Every day.
The Blacklist (best. show. ever.)
La Croix sparkling water. I drink that stuff all day long!

Thanks to Molly for giving us the inside scoop on the life of a successful blogger (and a mom, at that!). Check out her tips and trends–from fashion finds to kid-friendly recipes. What questions do you have for Molly?

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What Does a PR Agency Do? The Design Network

Tracy LathanBlog, Case Studies, Furniture PR,

Photo from thedesignnetwork.com

Furnitureland South is widely known as a top furniture destination in the Southeast. In April 2013, Furnitureland South executives Jason and Jeff Harris launched The Design Network, a broadband, all-screens network that aligns the best designers, architects and home enthusiasts to offer instructional and entertaining videos about home design and fashion. In just one year’s time, The Design Network garnered more than a million page views and approximately 10,000 subscribers. Due to this success, the decision was made that on April 1, 2014 The Design Network would make its debut on its own channel on Time Warner Cable in the Piedmont region of North Carolina.

The new Time Warner Cable partnership was a milestone for The Design Network and Furnitureland South. As such, Furnitureland South retained Clairemont Communications for media relations support surrounding the announcement of the launch. We established the objectives as follows:

  1. Build awareness of the new Design Network channel on Time Warner Cable in the Triad by securing placements in at least three top Triad area local media outlets.
  2. Build industry awareness of Furnitureland South and The Design Network by securing placement in at least one furniture trade outlet.

With a tight budget and quick turn around time, we devised a focused media outreach strategy to determine proper timing and pitch targets. Since the cable channel was scheduled to launch on April 1, it was determined the news announcement would coincide and be made that same day. We established our goals and objectives and created our media target list, which included local triad media (TV and print), trade media and design industry bloggers/influencers.

Once the targets were determined, we crafted a news release announcing the new Design Network channel. On the morning of April 1, we kicked off the campaign by reaching out to our media targets with personal calls to pitch the story. We also complemented our pitching efforts by posting the news release on Business Wire. The response was impressive, thus we spent a great deal of time in the days that followed scheduling and facilitating interviews with Furnitureland South representatives and key media contacts, including The Triad Business Journal and the Tomorrow Will be Televised radio program based in New York.

The media relations campaign was a success. We secured placements in three top local papers (Triad Business Journal, Greensboro News & Record, High Point Enterprise), a national online radio program and one top industry trade magazine. Additionally, the Business Wire release was viewed more than 1,700 times and the news was tweeted almost 21 times by a variety of Twitter accounts. Most importantly, traffic to The Design Network website increased, which the client attributed to the buzz about the new channel on Time Warner Cable.

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InSpire to Go Digital in 2015

Sarah HattmanAwards, Blog, Professional Development, Trends, , , , ,

We live in a digital world. The movies we watch, the music we listen to and the pictures and videos we take are all in digital form. For some of us, even the books we read are digital. As of 2015, I am happy to say that the the NCPRSA InSpire Awards are also digital.

Looking back, especially after writing the above paragraph, it’s hard to believe the decision was a tough one for me as the awards chair. I kept asking myself, “Will people accept or reject the format change? Is this really the year to make the switch?” But perhaps the biggest question I had was, “What about the thud factor?”

That’s right the thud factor. Having been involved in PRSA awards for several years – writing, submitting and judging entries – I know that there’s something impressive about flipping though an award binder that is stacked full of evidence of the entrant’s hard work and dedication. These binders make a loud thud when dropped on a table.

However, knowing that many other awards submissions are strictly online and the fact that the transition to digital was inevitable, I simply could not justify putting off the switch another year. Aside from just making the decision to make the switch to a digital format, I promised myself that I was going to stick to it. There would be no regrets, no matter what happened. And just think about all the paper we would save!

We are now a third of the way through the process and I’m excited to say that it has been smooth and easy – so far. Sure, I fielded many, many questions about the format and offered my advice on best practices when solicited. On the day of the final deadline, I thought my phone might never stop ringing as the calls came in back-to-back as the clock inched closer to the cutoff time for submissions. But, much to my surprise, no one challenged the format or the submission process.

Then it came time to sort through all 86 entries, organize them by category and enter them into a spreadsheet for the judging chapter. I found this step to be the most challenging, and ironically it had nothing to do with the digital format. In terms of format, it made the process of sending the entries to the PRSA Sierra Nevada Chapter for judging much easier. I did not have the challenge of boxing up all the entries or  lugging them the post office for shipping. There is also the fact that it was more cost effective to share a link with the judges as opposed to ship them.

It might be too soon to say with 100 percent certainty, but I think the digital switch has been a success. I invite you to attend this year’s banquet on May 12 and ask me after the awards are handed out to the winners!

 

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What Does a PR Agency Do? Tiger Eye Security Sensor

Clairemont InternAwards, Blog, Case Studies, Raleigh PR Agency, , ,

Client: 10 for Humanity

Situation Analysis: 10 for Humanity is a for-profit company with a goal to develop 10 innovative technology-based products and mobile applications to reduce acts of violence globally by 10 percent in the next decade. The company’s first product was a revolutionary, hands-free device called the Tiger Eye Security Sensor (TESS), a piece of wearable technology designed to sense high stress in a wearer’s voice when activated by words such as “help,” “stop,” or “no.” The piece has the capability to instantly dispatch police based on the wearer’s GPS location and to video and audio record to aid in the identification and prosecution of criminals. With the Tiger Eye Security Sensor expected to enter the market in spring 2014, 10 for Humanity turned to Clairemont Communications to assist in building awareness of the company and its first product, TESS.

Objectives: Agreeing upon a media relations campaign within the client’s strict two-month deadline, we established the objectives as:

  1. Drive awareness of 10 for Humanity and TESS through media relations, securing a minimum of one print news story and one TV media placement.
  2. Increase awareness of the Indiegogo campaign benefiting TESS, securing mention of the campaign in at least one news story.

Execution:

Media Materials — With the introduction of any new technology comes the potential for technical details to overwhelm those who are unfamiliar. To avoid this issue when working with media, Clairemont first created a message board with clear points outlining TESS and its functional components, which guided media materials and pitch development. Clairemont also drafted a carefully written news release announcing TESS and its Indiegogo campaign. Additional materials included an oversized diagram of the TESS product and USB media kits promoting the Indiegogo campaign as well as photos and background information on the company, TESS and the company’s CEO, CJ Scarlet.

Telling a Story — Clairemont’s mission was to tell the story of CJ Scarlet – the inventor of TESS and CEO of 10 for Humanity – to convey the importance of this revolutionary product. Scarlet, a survivor of sexual assault and a well-respected victim’s advocate, believes deeply in TESS and its potential to change lives by reducing interpersonal violence. Clairemont secured key media interviews, allowing her to tell her personal story. In one interview, the reporter was so compelled by Scarlet’s story, she felt comfortable sharing her own story of sexual assault. Additionally, we leveraged Scarlet’s past as a U.S. marine to connect with military-beat media, resulting in coverage.

Tapping into Influencers —To garner both media and community attention, Clairemont coordinated an evening cocktail event themed “Raise Your Glass (and Voice) Against Violence,” with the goal of bringing together influential women within the greater Raleigh, N.C. community to raise awareness of TESS. Nearly 40 guests attended, including the North Carolina secretary of state. Target media were also invited, allowing Clairemont to facilitate multiple media attendees and resulting in an on-site interview with Scarlet and a local TV anchor.

Results/Evaluation:

  1. Drive awareness of 10 for Humanity and TESS through media relations, securing a minimum of one print news story and one TV media placement.
  • We secured seven media placements in a variety of news outlets including print, TV, and online. With two TV stories – including coverage on the DMA’s most watched television news station – Clairemont also surpassed its goal of securing one TV story.
  1. Increase awareness of the Indiegogo campaign benefiting TESS, securing mention of the campaign in at least one news story.
  • Successful media pitching ensured mention of the Indiegogo campaign benefiting TESS in five of the seven articles, helping drive awareness of the product and its upcoming launch.

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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Friday Five- The 5 P’s for Your Next job Interview

Jasmin SessomsBlog, Entry-Level PR Job, Fashion, , , , ,

Congratulations! You’ll be graduating from college before you know it, and you’ll have the chance to astound the world with your knowledge, talents and abilities.

As a recent grad, you will face the interview stage–the nerve-wrecking interview stage. It is easy to feel overwhelmed by job interviews and even a little intimidated. Here are my five interview tips on how to make your ideas shine while making sure that the importance of appearance and first impressions aren’t forgotten.

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