Author: Cherith Andes

Photo of the Week: Food-Seen

Cherith AndesBlog, Marketing, Photo of the Week, , , , ,

We love to work with talented partners, and this week, we had the opportunity to celebrate the official launch of Food-Seen by Felicia Perry Photography. An L.A. native on a foray to Raleigh, Felicia is an international award-winning artist who has been capturing life through a camera lens for almost a decade and a half. While she’s photographed her fair share of blushing brides (with features in The Knot and Wedding Wire), Felicia’s expertise now concentrates on the food and beverage scene, seeking to convey the intrigue and emotion of the culinary world.

Felicia snapped this image at Durham Distillery with the assistance of art director Kayte Price. The idea for the photo is to depict a perfectly composed drink in the midst of chaos or “a conniption,” which is the name of the gin.

Congratulations to Felicia and her team!

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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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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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The Value of A PR Agency: Connection

Cherith AndesBlog, Real Estate PR, Restaurant PR + Hospitality PR, , , , , , , ,

At Clairemont, we always maintain a bird’s-eye view of our clients’ trajectories (while of course keeping the details running smoothly). One of the added values of working with a PR agency lies in our ability to connect the dots, often in fun and unexpected ways.

Recently, Clairemont had the opportunity to do just that! While closed for renovations, Il Palio, the premiere Italian restaurant at The Siena Hotel and a Clairemont client, began looking for methods to build its client base while previewing its new menu. Meanwhile, Briar Chapel, one of the largest green communities in the Triangle (and—you guessed it—another Clairemont client) wasIl Palio Briar Chapel Menu seeking an avenue to showcase the distinctive culture of Chapel Hill to prospective home buyers. It didn’t take long for us to realize that we had a match made in heaven. We carefully crafted a customized event to maximize resources and meet both clients’ needs.

Clairemont arranged for Briar Chapel to host a VIP dinner for its top prospects, featuring Chef Teddy Diggs, executive chef at Il Palio. Not only did the dinner provide an opportunity for Briar Chapel home buyers to experience the community and chat with realtors, the dinner soiree also allowed Il Palio to showcase its newly designed dishes to one of its target demographics.

Briar Chapel Il Palio Dinner Party 2As the subtle aroma of grilled peaches wafted across the dinner party on the Briar Chapel Clubhouse deck, we saw magic happen. Social media became a flurry of mutual mentions and vibrant conversation from realtors, clients and guests alike. Photos peppered the internet featuring Briar Chapel’s lush backdrop and Chef Teddy’s elegant cooking. The sweet memories forged over good food and genuine laughter arguably carry more sway than any glossy marketing brochure.

At Clairemont, our innate ability to forge creative connections is a trademark of our client service. We love to play matchmaker, and we live to find the special key that transforms our clients’ campaigns from interesting to lasting.

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VIDEO: “Doughn’t” Miss This

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

Dessert…as an appetizer? That’s how one diner described Il Palio‘s renowned sea salt and rosemary focaccia bread. A hallmark of Il Palio’s menu, the focaccia embodies all the qualities of regional Italian cooking–simplicity, balance and epic flavor.

Step into the kitchen with Chef Teddy Diggs, executive chef at Il Palio, as he unveils the secrets to this mouth-watering dish and answers the question that everyone keeps asking: how does he get two quarts of olive oil in that ball of dough!?

We love watching an artisan ply his craft!

 

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