Year: 2017

“Man-i-fy” Brunch for Father’s Day

Cherith AndesBlog, Clairemont Client News, Restaurant PR + Hospitality PR, , , , , ,

Dads are getting short-changed. Mother’s Day brunch is a no-brainer, but what about brunch for guys? 

Client Pizza La Stella is “man-i-fying brunch” for Father’s Day — featuring all the foods guys love. You’ve heard of “breakfast for dinner?” Pizza La Stella —  a Neapolitan-style restaurant in downtown Raleigh —  is serving “dinner for breakfast” and pizza for brunch. 

Ready to man up to the menu? Try…

“The Chicken and Waffles ‘Za” Pizza

Spike your pizza! This Italian take on the traditional southern dish (chicken and waffles) piles eggs, pancuitto and apple-wood chicken on a cinnamon and sugar dough — spiked with black pepper maple syrup.

Chicken Wings

Pizza La Stella transforms this typical tailgating treat into a brunch classic with proprietary flavors like Maple Black Pepper and Honey Habanero.

Edible Drinks and Drinkable Eats

Try drinks you eat (a skillet called Bloody Mary’s Revenge) and eats you drink (like a cocktail made with French Toast cereal). 

Courtesy of Dylan Wade Film

The menu — big, bold and bodaciously brunchy — is now available every Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Celebrate on Father’s Day and every weekend after that!

We love creative ways to celebrate traditional holidays with our clients. Check out some of the other “sweet” food events!

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PR People: Travis Bullard

Sarah HattmanBlog, PR People, Public Relations, , , , , , ,

Travis Bullard

Job title and function: I am a director with APCO Worldwide, a global communications consultancy. In this role, I get to work with a variety of clients around the world, around the U.S. and here in North Carolina. Our Raleigh office is one of the fastest growing offices in our global network, and I get to lead a team of communication professionals to build APCO’s global, regional and local offering in corporate, public affairs and strategic communications.

Most rewarding thing about working in PR today: I’m fortunate to have worked with some of the world’s biggest and most innovative companies, and I’ve always found it rewarding to help people and organizations share their stories and build relationships.

Every company, at some level, has a purpose. How well an organization is able to communicate that purpose with its key stakeholders — including employees, customers, partners and investors — is critical. As PR professionals, we get to help drive that focus on communicating an authentic purpose.

Our work impacts bottom lines, creates and protects jobs, defines issues important to society, improves workplaces and communities, gains visibility for and gives voice to those who may not typically be heard and much more. Simply put, our work is impactful, meaningful and can either help solve a problem or help create an opportunity.

Craziest/most challenging thing you’ve done in PR: The great thing about PR is the opportunity to mix a little crazy with the ordinary. Over the years, I’ve had the chance to watch the start of the Spanish Grand Prix from inside the Ferrari Formula One garage, get iPhone tips from Steve Wozniak, ski indoors in Dubai, run into Bono at the World Economic Forum in Davos, walk along the Great Wall of China and rebuild a school in Thailand.

I’ve also been fortunate to work on some complex and challenging projects. One of my favorite experiences was launching GlobalFoundries in 2009 as a joint venture between Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) and Mubadala Development Corporation of Abu Dhabi. Starting as a spinoff of AMD, GlobalFoundries quickly developed into one of the largest and fastest growing semiconductor technology companies in the world with manufacturing campuses in the U.S., Europe and Asia.

Advice for new PR pros: It’s all about relationships. I’m not referring to that old adage, “it’s who you know.” I’m referring to the fact that life is about building positive relationships. If you keep that as your North Star everything else tends to fall into place.

Be sure to remember that your clients are people. Obviously you’ll get to know their business or product and goals very well, but take the time to get to know them on a personal level. Some of my favorite people in the world are clients I’ve gotten to know over the years. Not only are they great friends, but knowing them on a deeper level is really beneficial in helping their business or product succeed.

Are you interested in being featured in “PR People?” Send us a message on Facebook to share your story!

Sarah Hattman, APR is president-elect for the North Carolina chapter of Public Relations Society of America and has been working in PR since she left television news. She grew up in North Carolina and was excited to move back to her home state in 2012 and join Clairemont Communications, a Raleigh PR agency. 
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Meet Haley, Clairemont Intern

Clairemont InternBlog, Public Relations, The Clairemont Team, , , ,

When I was a little girl, I wanted to be a figure skater. At the wise age of 10, though, I decided that simply wasn’t practical, so I opted to be a news anchor on the TODAY Show instead.

By the time I reached high school, I had become a committed aspiring journalist, recognizing that my love of writing far outweighed my TV talent. So I did what any hopeful journalist would do — I became a yearbook nerd, picked a college with one of the best journalism schools in the country and went on my way to chase my dream career.

When you go to college, the number one question you’re asked is your major. I watched my friends and classmates struggle through the “undecided” or “hoping for med school” answers, but I never had any doubt.

“I’m majoring in journalism and political science.” That was that, until junior year.

Under UNC-Chapel Hill’s School of Media and Journalism, students are able to pick specializations, like reporting, public relations and graphic design, to name a few. I had chosen reporting, joined the school newspaper and was ahead of the game as far as course credit.

After a communications internship at my home school district last summer, though, I suddenly found myself becoming more and more interested in the field of public relations. As a first-semester junior, I decided to change my specialization, which made me regret being so confident in my career path as a freshman.

I had three semesters left to learn all I could about PR before entering the real world, but I am so happy I took the leap, and here is why:

1) I wanted to be able to have an opinion when I cared about an issue. Reporting is based on objectivity and fairness, and while I love the nobility of those values, I wanted to be able to advocate for causes or companies that mattered to me, and that is PR in a nutshell.

2) I love building relationships, and with PR, the game is in the name. The PRSA definition of public relations exemplifies this concept. Building relationships of trust between a client and its stakeholders is what PR is all about, and I have learned the hard way through internships that I need human interaction and relationships to enjoy a job.

3) With PR, you get to know a little bit about a lot of things! I am so excited I get to work at an agency like Clairemont Communications this summer and become more familiar with the Raleigh area. I like this aspect of PR the most; I can explore different fields, topics, issues and organizations all at the same time, so there will always be diversity in the job and what it looks like on a daily basis.

Written by Clairemont intern Haley McDougal, a rising senior at UNC-Chapel Hill.

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Meet Binh, Clairemont Intern

Clairemont InternBlog, Public Relations, Raleigh PR Agency, The Clairemont Team, , , , , , ,

Who’s Binh?

When you search the name “Binh,” you’ll find, when translated from Vietnamese, that it means peaceful. Growing up, I always strived to emulate the meaning of my name. I’ve learned to live simply, so that others around me can simply live — creating a peaceful environment to work and play.

Once upon a time…

I was born in the Land of Enchantment of Albuquerque, New Mexico. I grew up with one entertaining older brother and one snazzy older sister, leaving me to be the baby of the bunch. Because my family is from Vietnam, I know three languages – English, Vietnamese and French.

In a farm far, far away…

Growing up, I participated in any and every activity that I could. I found my passion in acting, singing, gymnastics, dancing, piano and so much more! At age 10, I moved to the Beautiful State of Alabama, where my dad introduced me to the lifestyle of his dreams on a farm. Going into high school, I made many friendships that are still close to my heart.

By senior year of high school, after the process of applying to colleges, I made my final decision to attend Auburn University where I am studying Public Relations.

When they say college is the best four years of your life, they weren’t lying. Auburn has taught me so much, including the importance of hard work, determination and a kind and caring heart. College has challenged me to live outside of my comfort zone and to embrace the unknown.

Now, I have a heart that yearns for traveling. I once took a spontaneous trip to Chicago for a week with no prior plans or itinerary.

In college, I found some new passions in social media, blogging, fashion and traveling. I became a lover of big cities, all things pink, pineapples and kale. I also discovered that I am an ENFP to a T.

My work ethic throughout college has grown. I have become a mature and diligent young woman, who is determined to do her best in everything she sets out to do. However, coming to the end of college, I am expected to know exactly what I am supposed to do with my life. Somewhere along the process of figuring that out, I ended up at Clairemont Communications in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Now, why Raleigh, North Carolina? How in the world did I go from New Mexico to Alabama to North Carolina? And how was I able to land an internship with Clairemont Communications miles away from my home state? Well, the answer is simple and can be summed up with these four words: determination, persistence, connection and relationship.

It may seem like a bold move for me to come to Raleigh, a city I’ve never visited, just for a couple months; however, 18-year-old Binh was not afraid to make that first bold move.

I had the courage to introduce myself to Dana Phelps Hughens, CEO of Clairemont Communications, when I was home in Huntsville, Alabama, at a local Starbucks. Little did I know that she was the CEO, but I was adamant on keeping in contact with her throughout my college career in hopes for a future opportunity with her agency.

I was determined and persistent when it came to reaching out to her because I wanted to maintain that connection and relationship. If there is anything I learned about PR, it is to make as many connections with people as possible and then build those connections into long-lasting relationships.

With that in mind, I did my best to keep Dana updated with my schooling and experiences. Close to the end of my junior year of college, I reached back out to her regarding an internship opportunity. The rest is history.

Now, here I am in the capital of North Carolina, the City of Oaks. I’ve learned that it is good to step out of your comfort zone and try new things. Coming to Raleigh without knowing anything or what will happen will definitely be an adventure that I’ll hold close to my heart. As I continue my journey here at Clairemont Communications, I will strive to make the world a better and more peaceful place.

Written by Binh Nguyen, rising senior at Auburn University.

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Step Up Your New Instagram

Clairemont InternBlog, Marketing, Social Media + Influencer Engagement, , , ,

You’re scrolling through your Instagram feed one day when you notice that a post from two days ago is at the top. You feel a little confused, maybe even betrayed, and you can’t figure out why change is so inevitable with social media. After all, you were just getting used to the old way.

You discover that in March, Instagram announced its new algorithm dictating how posts appear on the feeds, and you wonder how this will affect your marketing strategies.

Here’s the scoop. The new algorithm was created to show content that it is most relevant to users, not necessarily to help businesses with their advertising or profiles.

When Instagram created the new algorithm, it did so knowing that people miss 70 percent of their feeds when posts are displayed chronologically. Timeliness is still a factor, but now feeds also incorporate another factor: the user’s interaction with content. Instagram’s algorithm uses your activity to determine what types of posts you will value most based on previous likes, comments and shares.

But fear not; this doesn’t mean that businesses can’t leverage this shift as an advantage. In fact, with a few tips, the new Instagram algorithm can help increase your engagement with your target audience.

1) Use this opportunity to target and convert your niche followers. It may be tempting to use Instagram for mass marketing with broad hashtags and giant giveaways, but as Forbes advises, finding and keeping up with your target audience will help improve and maintain your brand. When you use hashtags, posts and giveaways, make them relevant and narrow them down to target your hot leads (those already prone to purchase or “convert” to an action) to maximize visibility.

2) Maximize influencer marketing. Now is the time to leverage strategic influencers to engage with you and promote you to their followers. This could be as simple as having that loyal customer snap a picture in your location and tag it to get a discount. People trust their friends’ opinions, and this is a good way to create genuine interest in your content without having to go the mass giveaway route!

3) Focus on the quality of the content you are posting. While the algorithm still considers timeliness, stop stressing over finding the “golden hour” of posting and spend more time making sure your content is worthwhile. As Instagram pointed out, users don’t have to worry about missing their favorite people’s posts anymore; the post they missed while they were sleeping will be waiting for them if it is something they find interesting.

4) Take advantage of other new Instagram features. If you’re still worried about the new algorithm, remember that Instagram is growing quickly and adding new features you can use, from going “live” to posting multiple photos at a time. Check out these tips from Hootsuite for monthly updates on the new features you can use!

Check out more tips to leverage Instagram Slideshows!

Written by Haley McDougal, rising senior at UNC-Chapel Hill.

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