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Year: 2017

A New Year, A New Kind of “U”

A New Year, A New Kind of “U”

December 8, 2017January 31, 2023 Cherith AndesBlog, Clairemont Client News, Professional Developmenthigher education marketing, new years resolutions, university marketing, WGU NC, WGU scholarship

Run a 5k. Eat more spinach. Organize the garage. Call mom every Thursday.

New Year’s resolutions target every niche of our physical and social lives. And sadly, 80 percent of us ditch our resolutions by February. Too hard. Lack of support. Oreos just taste that good.

So what makes a resolution “sticky”? Specific goals, measurable progress, accountability and sometimes, just getting started is all it takes. And isn’t it delightful when the first step is easy — especially for long-term goals, such as finishing your degree?

A Doable Resolution

Western Governors University North Carolina (WGU NC) has paved the way for fellow North Carolineans to successfully pursue higher education in the new year. As the oldest and largest online university in the country, WGU serves working adults with an online competency model — meaning you can quickly test out of courses once you have mastered the skills. Classes can be taken at any time, from any location, allowing working adults, traveling professionals and busy parents alike to complete coursework based on their own schedules. How about this military veteran who finished her degree while still serving in Iraq?

Paving the Way: Scholarships

To usher in 2018, WGU NC, a Clairemont client, rolled out two scholarships for North Carolina residents!

1. WGU’s North Carolina Take Flight Scholarship offers a total of $150,000 to help adult students in North Carolina earn their degrees. North Carolina residents can pursue bachelor’s or master’s degree in high-demand fields, including IT, business, K-12 education and health professions, such as nursing. And with approximately 75 scholarships available up to $2,000 each, every student has a chance. Applications for this scholarship close December 31, 2017, just in time for the new year.

2. The WGU Salute To Veterans Scholarship provides support for those who have served in the military. Valued at up to $2,500 per student, this scholarship is applied at the rate of $625 per six-month term, which is renewable for up to four terms. Applications close January 31, 2018.

Check out what these WGU alumni have to say!

Ready to invest in your career, your family, your future? The first step has already been taken for you with WGU!

 

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Clairemont’s Holiday Gift Guide

Clairemont’s Holiday Gift Guide

December 4, 2017January 31, 2023 Cherith AndesBlog, In Our Community, The Clairemont Teamholiday gift guide, Raleigh businesses, Raleigh gift guide, Raleigh PR Agency

‘Tis the season for spiced lattes and Santa’s sleigh! Since the Triangle is brimming with exceptional craftsmanship, like vinyl hand bags and award-winning bakeries, we’ve curated treasures for our own holiday gift guide. Hidden nooks, surprising gems and even well-loved hotspots — give these goodies a gander!

Best of the South Basket

Vita Vite

Raleigh’s beloved wine bar and art gallery doesn’t just offer memorable sips and savory bites. Tastemaker and owner Lindsay selects hallmarks from southern artisans — an array of whimsical wares, delightful reads and scrumptious flavors. Her stylish gift basket might feature a savory sauce, wine-themed candles, Bloody Mary mix or the Garden & Gun Southerner’s Handbook. Stop by Vita Vite to collect your own treasure basket, and check out her retail selection for other goodies, like a wine bag or decanter. And of course, peruse VV’s collection of local southern art — distinct pieces perfect for a holiday gift.

Chocolate Bars, Boxes and Bon Bons

Videri Chocolate Factory

Image courtesy of Videri.

Local favorites Sam and Starr Ratto take chocolate from cocoa bean to Christmas blessing. Luscious, gourmet chocolates include festive holiday bark and collections of truffles, like Bourbon, Maple Curry Caramel and Cranberry Ganache truffles (with a whiff of rosemary). Or ask the master chocolatiers to select their prize favorites in a personalized box — packaged, ribbon-wrapped and ready for under the tree!

 

The Gift of Health (and abs)

Image courtesy of barre3.

barre3

Located in Raleigh’s Five Points, barre3 offers a heart-pumping deep-muscle workout by combining functional training with ballet barre, pilates and yoga. We love the spa-esque studio, complete with towel service, purified water and, of course, a play lounge for the kiddos. The small class sizes and wide offerings accommodate any schedule, from you brave 6 a.m.-ers to the late-evening exercisers. Gift a membership!

The Gift of Relaxation

Spectiv

Image courtesy of Spectiv.

Let’s face it. Meditation is hard — especially amidst the holiday hustle. But what if you could give that special someone the gift of relaxation that doubles as an interior design and party planning feature? Now you can with Spectiv — a TV channel that streams 4K content, creating a relaxing atmosphere with beautiful scenery. From Alabama to Italy…from snowy peaks to sandy shores, you can take your room somewhere new that matches your mood and provides calm and clarity. As a bonus, you can choose art for your walls with Spectiv or set a backdrop for an event — like a white Christmas for your holiday party. At $9.99 per month on Apple TV or Roku, this one’s an affordable luxury. 

Stocking Stuffer Paradise

Briggs Hardware

Image courtesy of Briggs Hardware.

We just can’t help ourselves with this one. Briggs Hardware, nestled downtown on Hargett Street, spruces up the traditional stock of rakes and brooms with a cornucopia of delightful gifts. In addition to customizable gift baskets, they display everything from teddy bears to special sauces to craft beer tap handles. Grab a box of Chapel Hill Toffee or a prized Melissa Doug toy for the tyke.

Supper for Your Soiree (Did you know?!)

Mellow Mushroom

Image courtesy of Mellow Mushroom.

We think this might be Raleigh’s best-kept catering secret! Give yourself the gift of a stress-free office party or holiday gala; let someone else do the cooking. Mellow Mushroom has transformed its signature flavors into a crowd-pleasing catering menu that is so much more than just pizza. From bruschetta to triple-chocolate brownies, you can customize a spread of fresh, flavorful dishes.

Happy holidays and happy shopping! Got any favorites we should mention? Go on — tell us!

 

 

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Copy Cat: Hallmark Hacks

Copy Cat: Hallmark Hacks

November 30, 2017January 31, 2023 Cherith AndesBlog, Copy Cat, Marketingad copy, ad writing, copy cat, copy writing, marketing writing, pr strategy, PR writing

The perfect birthday card. Ah, the elusive unicorn of celebrations and parties. I cringe to count how many hours I’ve spent in Target deliberating between this cutesy shoe motif, this edgy humorous layout or that blasé cake/candles/my-how-good-you-look card. While I’m sure its no easy feat churning out hundreds of soiree-themed slogans, birthday cards seem to strike the perfect (or imperfect!) balance of cheesy and cliche.

…until a recent afternoon in Rite Aid, of all the places. I stumbled on a card brand that snagged my attention but not just because of the clever copy.

It was the placeholder behind each card that piqued my interest.

When a particular card runs out, Shoebox — a Hallmark brand –– leverages this empty space as an opportunity to engage with customers and showcase its voice. Shoebox touts itself as “the perfect way to make someone laugh out loud. These sometimes edgy, irreverent takes on real life are surprising, hilarious, often inappropriate and always timely.”

The empty card slots were slathered with copy like this:

In a word: unexpected. In two: delightfully unexpected.

The witty whims were a surprise almost as much as the creative placement. So a big thumbs up to Shoebox for spying this opportunity to make an impression and increase a form of dialogue with its customer base. I’ll certainly be checking out the Shoebox cards section before my next birthday bash.

And that’s not all. Want to see our favorite (and not-so-favorite) copy? Check out other copy cat blogs!

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What Does a PR Agency Do? Unlocking Your Child’s Future

What Does a PR Agency Do? Unlocking Your Child’s Future

November 27, 2017January 31, 2023 Clairemont InternAwards, Blog, Case Studiesaward winning PR, award winning PR agency, awards, brochures, pr strategy, raleigh agency, Raleigh PR Agency, wendell falls

Newland Communities, the country’s most prominent privately held residential developer, launched its newest master-planned community – Wendell Falls – in May of 2015. Since many families choose their homes based on the quality of the closest school system, Newland turned to Clairemont Communications to unveil the strengths of eastern Wake County’s academics and position Wendell Falls as a popular living destination for families.

Strategy and Tactics

Clairemont crafted a comprehensive strategic campaign to target families with school-aged children seeking homes in the Triangle area. As a component of the campaign, our team set the objective to develop an informative external publication highlighting the school system’s strengths to ambassadors and prospects. The touchstone publication supported a larger strategy to boost home sales by 100 percent in 2016.

Execution

Clairemont decided to craft a brochure that was clear, concise and easily portable, giving realtors the ability to physically pass them out without weighing them down from too much information. Our goal was to make the information readily available to realtors when they were asked questions about Wake County schools and to showcase the quality of education that the school system has to offer the prospective homebuyers and their families.

Results

Clairemont met the stated objective and far exceeded expectations, successfully creating an attractive, informative publication for  homebuyers and ambassadors. Complemented by additional family-centric marketing, sales increased by approximately 250 percent in 2016. Clairemont’s brochure even prompted one Wendell Falls representative to tout it as “the best school tool we’ve had to date!”

The work Clairemont Communications conducted in partnership with Wendell Falls earned an Award of Excellence and a Best in Category from the North Carolina Public Relations Society of America. We are proud that this campaign represents one of the 175 awards we’ve received since starting Clairemont in 2010.

To read more about the work we do with clients, please visit the case study section of our blog.

*Cover image courtesy of Wendell Falls.

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“Out-of-Office” Outdated?

“Out-of-Office” Outdated?

November 22, 2017January 31, 2023 Clairemont InternBlog, Professional Development, Public RelationsClairemont Communications, creative writing, professional development, Public Relations, Raleigh PR Agency

When prepping for PTO, your mind is fixated on your much-anticipated, well-deserved time away, not on your out-of-office (“OOO”) email message.

However, take a moment to consider your OOO response. The tone, content and very existence of OOO messages have been thrown into the hot seat recently, as professionals debate what makes the ideal OOO message, if one at all. Here, we present the varying viewpoints. With which OOO response do you recommend?

The Traditional OOO: Direct, Short and Helpful

Supporters of the classic OOO message stand by its professional, succinct nature. CEO of officebroker.com Chris Meredith proffered 10 tips to crafting the effective, tried-and-true OOO email. The traditional OOO message doesn’t detail why you’re away, nor is it rude, funny or too friendly. It provides alternate contact details and correctly states when you’ll be back. Short, sweet and to the point.

The Revolutionized OOO: Clever and FunnySpice up your OOO message with a picture of baby sloths.

Visionary employees threw a curveball in the OOO email conversation and seized the email’s potential to “show your personality, generate leads and entertain your audience.” Content writers for Yesware and Travel and Leisure illustrate original approaches to the message, such as using it as a marketing opportunity (“I’m not here, but in the meantime, check out …”). Employees can exercise their rhyming skills in a poem or hone their sarcastic humor using witty jokes. Heck, even include a GIF or photo of adorable animals for good measure. Although unorthodox, the messages showcase creativity and appear more personalized to recipients.

The Outdated OOO?

Still, other professionals disagree with OOO emails altogether, deeming them unnecessary and unrealistic. The Huffington Post notes that even when physically An honest OOO email response by an overthinker.out of the office, employees likely have access to and check their email. Investment News criticizes OOO messages as a “terrible client touch point.” In order to maintain strong relationships with their clients, employees should remain available in the wake of immediate crises (and in PR, that’s one of our raisons d’être).

With such contrasting positions on OOO messages, it’s clear that no consensus has been reached on the issue. Ideally, the OOO email should strike a balance between (1) fulfilling your job duties even when off the clock, such as in the event of emergencies, and (2) allowing yourself to enjoy the vacation. Perhaps replacing the “out of office” expression with “currently unplugged from technology” may reflect a more realistic scenario.

What’s been your go-to OOO response? Before your next vacation, take some time to reassess in which camp you stand. Doing so will ensure that your clients and coworkers are appeased when you’re not there.

Written by Clairemont Intern Elizabeth Comtois, a senior at UNC-Chapel Hill. 

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Have you heard about Meta’s newest social media Have you heard about Meta’s newest social media platform? It’s called Threads, and it’s being referred to as “the new Twitter.” Read everything you need to know about Threads in our latest blog post - link in bio!
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We are proud to represent Raleigh as a member of P We are proud to represent Raleigh as a member of Public Relations Consultants Group, allowing us to offer clients expertise and support across the country! Clairemont founder, Dana Phelps aka @blah2voila, recently attended the PRCG conference in Oklahoma City.
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As communications professionals, we wear a variety As communications professionals, we wear a variety of hats to meet our clients’ needs.
 
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So you say it’s National Coffee Day? We say let So you say it’s National Coffee Day? We say let us tell you about our new favorite @drink321coffee ! If you are in Raleigh, go see Paul, the other Paul, Emma  or whichever smiling faces are working today. We LOVE this place and the coffee! ❤️❤️❤️
Our client @wendellfallsnc, one of the largest mas Our client @wendellfallsnc, one of the largest master-planned communities in the Triangle, closed on its first age-eligible rental community plan, Arden at Wendell Falls, that will offer 140 open-concept units and exclusive onsite amenities!
 
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It’s National Volunteer Month, and volunteers ar It’s National Volunteer Month, and volunteers are needed more than ever! Many organizations with scarce resources rely on volunteers and would not exist without them. Visit our recent blog post to read about the organizations Clairemont has supported and how you can make a difference in your community!
Authenticity is trending, and research shows that Authenticity is trending, and research shows that consumers are 2.4 times more likely to view user-generated content as authentic. Read our recent blog post to learn about UGC, how it can benefit your brand and how to use it in your marketing strategy.
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We are so excited to share that Clairemont earned We are so excited to share that Clairemont earned eight awards, five gold🥇and three silver🥈, at this year's Sir Walter Raleigh Awards hosted by the Raleigh Public Relations Society!🎉 We are beyond grateful to work with so many amazing partners, clients and industry friends!
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