Year: 2015

The Meaning of a PR Award

Cherith AndesAwards, Blog, Raleigh PR Agency, The Clairemont Team, , , ,

In 2014, the Clairemont team punched French fries, flapped the chicken dance in the middle of a grocery store and raced mint green bicycles around a hotel lobby. We also crafted and executed a full slate of client projects that increased sales, secured customers, boosted revenue and expanded market share —all for our beloved clients.

On September 23, 2015, Clairemont had the opportunity to celebrate our 2014 campaigns at the annual Sir Walter Raleigh Awards Banquet hosted by the Raleigh Public Relations Society (RPRS). Behind the sheen of a PR accolade lies countless hours of creative brainstorming and meticulous research backed by an unstoppable commitment to flawless execution. And at Clairemont, our work is also our joy; so an award carries heaps of excitement for our team as we celebrate the success that ultimately belongs to our clients. Last year was a thrilling ride, and we are delighted and privileged to have been in the driver’s seat.

This year, we had the honor of receiving the following awards from the RPRS:

  • Best in Division in Total Campaign for: “LEKKER Bikes U.S. Rolls into America”
  • Best in Division in Public Relations Writing: “LEKKER Bikes U.S. Rolls into America”
  • Best in Division in Digital Communications: “PDQ Invites Mom Bloggers to Experience Fresh Concept”
  • Gold Excellence in Total Campaign for a Promotional Campaign: “LEKKER Bikes U.S. Rolls into America”
  • Gold Excellence in Total Campaign for Misc. Special Events: “Briar Chapel Spices Up 7th Annual Pepper Festival”
  • Gold Excellence in Total Campaign for Misc. Special Events: “LEKKER Bikes U.S. Rolls into America”
  • Gold Excellence in Publications for a Media Kit: “Pepper Festival Media Kit”
  • Gold Excellence in Public Relations Writing for a News Release: “LEKKER Bikes U.S. Rolls into America”
  • Gold Excellence in Digital Communications for Social Media: “PDQ Invites Mom Bloggers to Experience Fresh Concept”
  • Silver Excellence in Total Campaign for Organizational Identity: “T.MAC Expands to the Triangle”
  • Silver Excellence in Total Campaign for Organizational Identity: “Lowes Foods Reinvents Grocery Shopping”
  • Honorable Mention in Total Campaign for a Promotional Campaign: “PDQ Builds a Brand in the Triangle”

Hats off to you, clients, and thank you for providing us with the opportunity to help you achieve your goals!

Now, let’s celebrate with a chicken dance.

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Event Planning: Don’t Skimp on the Food

Tracy LathanBlog, Public Relations, Restaurant PR + Hospitality PR,

I think we can all agree that there is one element that can really make or break a party – the food. How many times have you attended an event where although food was served, you left feeling like you needed to pull through a drive thru because the food ran out, or was not substantial enough to combat the cocktails you consumed?

As PR people, we are often charged with planning and attending events, and after seeing the good, the bad and the ugly, we have come to understand the importance of getting it right when it comes to the food. Clairemont recently helped orchestrate the grand opening for The Lincoln Apartments, one of Raleigh’s newest upscale complexes (and a Clairemont client), in the heart of downtown Raleigh. Since the theme of the night was “Downtown Discovered, ” we decided that instead of having the party catered by one group, it made better sense for attendees to be able to discover and sample foods from several downtown Raleigh hotspots.

Empire Eats, Lucette Grace, Videri Chocolate Factory and The Architect Bar and Social House were all on board. I was involved with some aspects of the planning, but not all the food and beverage details, so when I showed up to help out Thursday night I was seeing things through the eyes of party guests and was blown away by the food selection.

The Pit served barbecue sandwiches and its amazing BBQ soul rolls, Sitti had its famous chicken kabobs and hummus, Gravy delivered dynamite meatballs and The Raleigh Times served hands-down best pimento cheese and bacon biscuits I have ever eaten. And to satisfy your sweet tooth, the macaron tower and samplings from Lucette Grace, along with chocolate bon bons from Videri, sealed the deal. Everyone was full, and they were all talking about the food. Ok, all this talk about food, but we know beverage selection is equally important. The Architect team stocked the bar, served champagne and even created a signature cocktail for the evening, appropriately named The Honest Abe. What could be better than having a taste from your favorite restaurants in one place!

So, the takeaway here is not that you should be really bummed if you missed the party last Thursday (although you should be) but rather the impact that food selection, in terms of vendors, menu, amount, etc. can have on the overall success of an event. While I am confident the grand opening would have been a win regardless, people were definitely talking about the food the next day. Also, we often don’t consider restaurants that don’t cater being willing to participate in something of this sort, but it’s definitely worth the ask next time you are coordinating food for a party or event.

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Winning the Cool Mom Race

Dana PhelpsBlog, Oh Momma Monday, , ,

Laura Carey is a financial services officer with the State Employees’ Credit Union and a busy mom who enjoys cooking and running. Earlier this year, she took on a new hobby: BMX. Since she’s the first woman I’ve known to do this, I was intrigued to learn more about how she got into this sport and what it is really all about.

How/why did you get into BMX biking and how long did it take before you felt like you knew what you were doing?
My son, James, started BMX last fall. He quickly got very involved to the point that we were traveling to Raleigh, Burlington and Clemmons most weekends for his races. This spring, my husband and I decided that we would like to start racing as well because we were bored sitting on the sidelines. There are a lot of adults racing, and it looked like a lot of fun and a great form of exercise.

How do people typically respond when they learn that you are a strong competitor in an extreme sport?  
I keep one of my trophies in my office. As clients see it and comment, they are generally shocked that the trophy belongs to me and that I actually race. At work, I am typically wearing a dress and three inch heels. It opens the dialogue for me to tell them about the sport and how easy it is for someone with no experience whatsoever to quickly get involved. Most people initially think that BMX is motocross where riders ride motorcycles. The other misconception is that I am doing tricks and jumps on ramps at a park much like a skateboarder would. We ride bicycles on a mostly dirt track and race against other riders over obstacles and turns to a finish line.

How has taking on this sport helped you in other areas of life?  
It has given me confidence that I can try things that I might consider out of reach. Although I would not say that I have come close to mastering this sport, I have definitely progressed a bit from the first time I stood at the top of the starting hill terrified. It has reminded me that hard work can pay off.

It has definitely given me perspective in relation to my son. It was easy to try to coach him and tell him to just pedal harder and try harder when he was racing. Once I gave it a try, I saw that it wasn’t as easy as it looked, and I completely changed how I talked with him about riding. At one of the first practices, another adult rider told me that it would help me to understand what my child is going through, and it really has. This made me think of other facets of my life where I could apply the cliché “walk a mile in their shoes” whether it’s at work or at home or in line at the coffee shop. Until you have actually seen life from someone’s perspective, you do not have a place to criticize.

Are there many women in BMX?
No. In the state of North Carolina, there are around 50 female riders registered as compared to 250 males. They range in age from 4 to 60. Of those riders, approximately 12 are above the age of 20. At this time, there are a growing number of girls who are riding. The women are a pretty tight knit group that are constantly encouraging and supporting each other.

What would you tell women who might want to give it a try but are apprehensive about it?  
I would encourage them to come out to a practice to give it a try. I was nervous about making a fool of myself, but most of the riders are extremely friendly and willing to help you with pointers and advice.

Laura Casey in actionIs there anything else you would like to share about this sport and your love for it?
This is the first sport that our family can participate in together as peers. We are all competing on race day in our own events and sometimes against each other. The BMX culture we have encountered has been very welcoming and accepting of new riders.

You’ve got to love a women who is bored sitting on the sidelines and who stares down that starting hill and goes for it! That’s exactly why we asked Laura to allow us to feature her in an Oh Momma Monday post. She suggests this new rider guide for anyone interested in learning more about BMX.

What’s next for Laura? This weekend she’ll be competing in The Tar Heel National in Raleigh, her largest race yet. Like many of the adult riders, she says her goals for this and every race are as follows: 1) make it to work on Monday (meaning, do not get hurt) 2) qualify for the main event and 3) have fun. Please join the Clairemont team in wishing her the best of luck!

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Fall Fashion: Palazzo-Palooza

Cherith AndesBlog, Fashion, Trends, , , , , , , ,

Big, blousy and bold. We’re in love with 2015 fall fashion trends—especially the next iteration of palazzo pants. Returning from the 1970s, palazzos range from light-weight, monochromatic culottes to vibrant floor-length dusters. And to our utter delight, these summer staples are staking a claim in our fall wardrobes! Solid, crisp white palazzos pair well with stilettos for an evening soiree, while their floral counterparts can be offset by chunky heels for a workday splash.

Best of all, this trend resurgence allows us to put a fresh twist on one of our favorite spring pieces. Dare to flare or flow with our top three tips to pizzazz up your palazzos this fall.

Image courtesy of Elle Magazine
Image courtesy of Elle Magazine

1. Opt for Tailored Tops: Pair your palazzos with a contrasting fitted top, such as a body suit or a tailored jacket. The loose pants-and-shirt combo of the summer is giving way to a more polished look that offsets flaring pants with snug tops. Bonus: This new combo boosts the dressy factor, making palazzos a staple of both work and evening wardrobes. At Clairemont, we’ve experimented with tailored jackets and fitted sleeveless blouses to accent our own palazzo favorites.

2. Pattern Yourself Perfectly: For holiday parties or upscale soirees, take a hint from CoCo Chanel’s hip-to-waist pants that often replaced a skirt in her resort-wear wardrobe. Opt for soft, winter-white palazzos with sophisticated stilettos for upscale functions. Otherwise? Don’t be afraid to sport patterns this fall! Large floral, mosaic or geometric prints pair well with solid tops and chunky statement jewelry. Bridgette Raes, style expert, lays out a few ground rules for wearing patterned palazzos, including choosing cropped tops and accentuating your waist against the flow of the pants. Take it from local fashion blogger, Whitney Blake: patterns—including palm prints—are big hits.

3. K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple, Silly): If all else fails, aim for classic, clean and straightforward. While this may seem counterintuitive with unstructured palazzos, the accessories make the outfit. Let the palazzos—whether plain or patterned—form the ensemble’s cornerstone. Simple blouses provide a mellow partner to the statement of the pant, while the “pop” of style should come from the accessory, such as a bright red pump or a sparkling ring.

What top trend are you sporting this fall?

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Blurred Lines: Social Media and The News

Sarah HattmanBlog, Social Media + Influencer Engagement, , , , , , , , ,

It has been nearly five years since I left television news for a career in public relations – or “the dark side,” as my friends and former colleagues in news call it. Five years isn’t a long time in the grand scheme of things, but it is plenty of time for social media to grow exponentially, shape the way newsrooms operate and change the way people consume news.

I remember it vividly. I was working at KRQE in Albuquerque, N.M. A colleague was walking out the door to cover a high-profile trial when the news director yelled from his office, “Don’t forget to live tweet!” It was 2009, and Twitter was exploding. During that year alone traffic on the site grew by 1,100 percent, and the total number of tweets increased by 1,400 percent.

Fast forward to 2015, and social media continues to become more and more intertwined with traditional media. Just a few weeks ago, I watched WTVD’s Stephanie Lopez record Facebook teases for her story about Dairy Queen’s Miracle Treat Day. Thinking about how social media is impacting journalism, I reached out to Sean Maroney, evening anchor at WNCN, and Andrea Griffith Cash, VP of content at Durham Magazine and Chapel Hill Magazine. I asked them to explain trends that they noticed developing in the world of news and social media.

  1. Sean: “Social Media is changing the landscape in T.V. More and more people say, ‘I saw your story on Facebook.’ It’s changing the consumption of media and the way we interact. They comment, they share, they’re engaged.”
  2. Andrea: “It used to be that I only had to consider if a pitch was good for our print products. Now, I run everything through several filters. Would this be a good print story? Would this make a nice blog post? Is it worthy of just a shout out on Twitter or Facebook? Could it work for our weekly e-newsletters?”
  3. Sean: “When I got my start more than 10 years ago, I was an intern on the assignments desk at WTVD. I would start my day with a list of about 60 numbers that I would call up and say, ‘You got anything for me today?’ That’s how we got our news – by calling the police department and other agencies to find out what was going on. Now we have a list of Twitter accounts that we follow.”
  4. Andrea: “For writers, that also means that their jobs aren’t finished when they turn in the story. Often, they are being asked to promote it on social media and possibly update it online, if it’s a news piece. They also might check online comments and respond to them. They might work on a video that ties in with the print piece. In a lot of ways, you could say the story is never finished.”
  5. Sean: “I recently moderated a social media panel as part of the State Department’s International Visitor Leadership Program. I told young journalists I understand that it is a race to be the first, but I encouraged them to be the first to get it right.”

Clearly, social media has changed the way members of the media report the news. How has social media changed the way you consume news?

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