Author: Cherith Andes

Tonight Show Dad Rap

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With Father’s Day this weekend, we couldn’t settle for the same ‘ole shirt-and-tie gift. Jimmy Fallon issued a call for dads nationwide to submit a video of themselves rapping the Tonight Show Dad Rap — an original piece written by  The Roots’ Tariq Trotter in honor of Father’s Day.

Alright, so we know we’re not dads, but we couldn’t help playing! Happy Father’s Day to our fathers and all of our friends who carry that wonderful title!

Tonight Show Dad Rap

We love to show off creativity and videography skills with our short, fun videos. After watching our Dad Rap, check out our recent clip celebrating Clairemont’s Baby Mama Sarah Hattman!

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Grounds Cafe Celebrates One

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

In May of 2015, we celebrated the grand opening of Wendell Falls and one Grounds Cafe - Grilled-Cheese Sandwhichof our favorite coffee shops, Grounds Cafe. Located in the Farmhouse information center at Wendell Falls (client), Grounds serves all-American favorites (like serious twists on grilled cheese!) along with “brews and brews” – craft beer and gourmet java. We watched Grounds take its “first steps” last year, and this year, we had the pleasure of celebrating its first birthday!

But no plebeian sheet cake or Kool-Aid for this first anniversary! Trust Grounds Cafe to throw a creative soiree in sweet southern style: live Grounds Cafe - Cake Popsbluegrass, two specials from Prime Barbecue (pork and pimiento, anyone?), crafty cake pops and a little draft called “Rhino Dust Pale Ale.” Wendell’s only coffee shop has developed in just 12 short months to become one of east Wake County’s social hubs. Where else can you fuel up in the morning and wind down after work?

We had a blast and even caught some of the action via Facebook Livestream. Cheers, happy birthday, high five, salud, mazeltov and much, much more to our friends at Grounds Cafe!

Check out Cheers and Cheese, one of the other fun events that we hosted with Grounds Cafe last summer!

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Weekly Photo: Marriott Marvel

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We already knew that client Anthony Carey, general manager of The Siena Hotel, was a shining star in the hospitality industry. So it was no surprise (but definitely an occasion for celebration!) when he earned national acclaim as the 2016 Eastern Region Full-Service General Manager of the Year for Marriott hotels in the Americas. 

The Marriott Award

Presented by Marriott International, this accolade recognizes the premiere service and leadership of only one general manager for all full-service Marriott brands, including Marriott, JW Marriott, Ritz-Carlton, EDITION, Gaylord Hotels and Resorts and Autograph Collection hotels.

The Siena Hotel’s Acclaim

The Siena Hotel, the Triangle’s longest-standing AAA-rated Four Diamond hotel, touts a growing list of regional and national accolades, including the prestigious 2015 Hotel of the Year Award for the Autograph Collection in the Americas, the Marriott Service Excellence Award and 19 consecutive Four Diamond awards from AAA. The Siena is ranked number one in Staff Service Overall in the Americas as well as one of the top hotels in Overall Guest Satisfaction for all full-service brands in the Marriott portfolio, including Ritz-Carlton, JW Marriott and Renaissance brands. Il Palio, The Siena’s dining establishment led by Chef Teddy Diggs, is North Carolina’s only AAA-rated Four Diamond Italian restaurant and the longest-standing Four Diamond restaurant in the state.

Congratulations, Anthony!

Oh, and we couldn’t help but include this photo as well. As a pet-friendly hotel, The Siena hosts its fair share of four-legged guests. Anthony nabbed a new friend for this snapshot!

Anthony Carey and Puppy

Check out The Siena’s other shining accomplishments!

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Snapchat for Restaurants

Cherith AndesBlog, Restaurant PR + Hospitality PR, Social Media + Influencer Engagement, , , ,

On May 16, NASA commemorated its 100,000 orbit around the earth with a fresh type of celebration – a Snapchat party. Commander Tim Kopra snapped planet earth from the International Space Station, showcasing everything from culinary tricks to air-born acrobatics.

Oh, and we the earthlings got to witness 16 sunrises in 24 hours. Wowza, Earth! You’re a lucky gal!

Outlets worldwide have covered NASA’s hip move, which sparks conversation for the rest of us still on planet earth. For restaurants and chefs teetering on the brink of Snapchat, nibble on this food for thought:

Why Bother With Snapchat?

Targets the Elusive Younger Audience: For restaurants catering to millennials, Snapchat offers The Promised Land; nearly 77 percent of college students use it daily, and more than half of Snapchat users are under the age of 25 years.

Rekindles One-on-One Engagement: Restaurant professionals fondly remember the hay days when email comprised an effective direct marketing strategy. Poof! Diners received customized event and menu information straight to their (non-spam) inboxes! Amid today’s clutter of messaging, Snapchat offers a new tool for honest-to-goodness one-on-one engagement. Restaurants and chefs can send personal snaps to their followers.

Bypasses the Formality: Instagram, initially intended to share the “instantaneous” moments of life, has transformed to feature a highly filtered showcase of staged photos. Snapchat begins to fill the gap left by other evolving social media channels. Not only is formality not necessary, it’s shunned. Snapchat users expect — nay, demand — raw footage that rekindles the personal, “behind-the-scenes” sense of exclusivity craved by millennials.

How Should You Use Snapchat?

Offer Clever Coupons: Post discounts that followers can screenshot and present for a limited offer. For an extra boost of viral, encourage your followers to share with a friend, and if both customers cash in the coupon, they receive an additional sum-sum!

Demo something new! Rolling out a new menu item? Debuting a fresh recipe? Appeal to your audience’s desire for exclusivity by providing a live preview prior to launch. Score bonus points by showing your staff’s personality. Does the chef indulge in a guilty snack before experimenting with recipes to boost creativity? Honest editorial comments garner attention, as evidenced partly by DJ Khaled’s famous Lost at Sea Snapchat story.

Promote Your Next Event: If you’re launching a special dinner or hosting a partnering chef, whet your followers’ palates with a preview of the menu or dishes. Post a light-hearted interview with staff or guest chefs, or share a late-night prep session for the big event. Bonus points: craft your own on-demand Snapchat geofilters, like IHOP.

Just a few ideas to get you snapping! Looking to boost the rest of your social media as well? Check out our tips on crafting Facebook ads for restaurants.

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Photo of the Week: Volunteer!

Cherith AndesBlog, Photo of the Week, The Clairemont Team, , , 1 Comment on Photo of the Week: Volunteer!

Growing up, my designated chore (or “privilege,” as my parents sweetly dubbed it) was to scrub the kitchen floor. On my hands and knees. Every Saturday.

So naturally, one might expect apocalyptic emotional flashbacks when I joined a team of young professional volunteers to (you guessed it) mop a behemoth cafeteria at the Wake County Salvation Army.

Surprisingly, sudsy fun ensued with me and 16 of my Raleigh colleagues. As the co-chair of Community Involvement Task Force, I helped to organize the spring service day for the Young Professionals Network (YPN), a branch of the Raleigh Chamber of Commerce. More than 100 business professionals joined forces across Wake County to clean playrooms, organize thrift stores, package meals and even coach young golfers as a way to give back to our Raleigh community.

At Clairemont, we invest in our community, both professionally and personally. While we work with clients nationwide, we love and value all that the Triangle has to offer, and we’re excited to play a role in its continued growth. Check out our next community project, the WRAL Freedom Balloon Festival unfurling on Memorial Day 2016!

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