Author: Clairemont Intern

What Does a PR Agency Do? A Taste of Italy at Il Palio

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Il Palio, Chapel Hill’s AAA-rated Four Diamond Italian restaurant, was in the midst of a $1 million renovation, featuring a fresh look and a revamped menu by its new chef, Teddy Diggs. Il Palio turned to Clairemont Communications to create a social media strategy that would refresh the restaurant’s image and win the hearts of young diners.

Social Media Strategy

Clairemont’s “Taste of Italy” campaign leveraged the clout of food and culinary influencers to generate awareness among the target demographic – millennial diners – and increase traffic to Il Palio. Clairemont chose to harness the broad reach of social media to efficiently and rapidly boost Il Palio’s image to a large audience.

Execution

VIP dinners at Il Palio.

Customized Experiences: Il Palio hosted a “Foodie Funday” dinner where Chef Teddy selected dishes for each blogger’s preferences. Who wouldn’t want the chef’s creation customized just for you? Chef Teddy also invited a prominent blogger into the kitchen to co-create a proprietary pizza that he named after her and featured on his menu. Chef Teddy handcrafted The Perfect Date Night Dinner for another blogger and his wife. The personalized touch struck home, producing a flurry of coverage on social media and blogs, and securing reservations.

Instagram Takeovers: To reach broader audiences, Clairemont crafted Instagram takeovers to share a visual “taste” of Teddy’s cooking. Chef Teddy helmed the Instagram of StarChefs – a culinary publication with more than 30,000 followers – during his annual trip to Italy, unveiling first his inspiration abroad and then the application back at Il Palio. In preparation for the Atlanta Food and Wine Festival, he creatively shared “a day in the life of a man who plays with fire,” with the festival’s Instagram followers, showcasing his wood-fired grill dishes. These partnerships increased visibility and boost Il Palio’s own social media metrics.

Il Palio’s Instagram Takeover with StarChefs.

Results

Il Palio – boosted by diner reviews – earned a Gold Medal from food critics as a “2016 Best Restaurant in the Triangle.” Clairemont met every goal, exceeded expectations in addition to the following results:

  1. 10 media articles/posts, reaching a combined followership of more than 50,000 followers on Twitter alone
  2. Instagram takeovers in 2016 showcased the renovated restaurant, new menu and staff personality to approximately 45,000 followers

The work Clairemont Communications conducted in partnership with Il Palio earned a Best in Category in Social Media and an Award of Excellence in Social Media from the North Carolina Public Relations Society of America. It also earned a Platinum Award in Social Media from the Raleigh Public Relations Society. We are proud that this campaign represents two 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.

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What Does a PR Agency Do? Briar Chapel Unveils Encore

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Briar Chapel is one of the largest master-planned green communities in North Carolina and part of Newland Communities, the country’s most prominent privately held residential real estate developer. As Briar Chapel prepared to launch Encore, its new age-qualified section, marketing managers turned to Clairemont Communications to gain visibility and roll out this distinctive offering to homebuyers ages 55 years and older.

Strategy: Feature Story

Clairemont crafted a comprehensive public relations campaign designed to gain visibility and support home sales for Encore. As a key element in this strategy, Clairemont set an objective to secure a feature story in The Original Relocation Guide prior to Encore’s grand opening that highlighted the age-qualified section’s features and lifestyle appeal. To gain maximum exposure, we aimed to secure this story in a local publication with a followership of at least 300,000 that targeted homebuyers. 

Execution

Clairemont recognized that feature stories often secure greater exposure with more opportunity to tell a complete, in-depth narrative than news briefs or short blurbs. Encore included a distinct set of lifestyle offerings that few other locations in the country could claim, so a larger feature story was critical to thoroughly depicting the character of the new section. The Original Location Guide, with its large readership in North Carolina, provided the perfect vehicle to share the news.

Clairemont crafted a creative, out-of-the-box angle designed to grab the attention of busy editors. Our initial hook leveraged the exclusivity that Encore offered, since it was only the second of its kind in the country. While this newsy tidbit might have been worth a local newspaper mention, we recognized the need for a more engaging story that would appeal to The Original Relocation Guide’s informative yet warm tone. We invited them to share a “how to” segment that tapped on both the desire to share fresh news as well as equipping the editors with a DIY approach for their home shoppers.

Results

Clairemont met the stated objective and far exceeded expectations. The feature story in The Original Relocation Guide highlighted the distinct character of Encore while positioning Briar Chapel (cited as the author) as a thought leader in the retirement industry to its circulation of 470,000. Published prior to the grand opening, the feature article prompted interest from prospects, and Encore secured a full waiting list of homebuyers by grand opening date.

The work Clairemont Communications conducted in partnership with Briar Chapel received a “Best in Category” award in the 2017 InSpire Awards. 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.

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What Does a PR Agency Do? Vita Vite Creates “Raleigh’s Sunday Spot”

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Two Decembers ago, Lindsay Rice opened Vita Vite, a wine bar and art gallery in downtown Raleigh’s warehouse district, and the concept quickly became a hotspot for locals to gather for a glass of wine after work or to sit by the fireplace on a date night. While Vita Vite attracted steady traffic throughout the week, especially on Fridays and Saturdays, the typical Sunday crowd was smaller. Clairemont Communications help designed a creative approach that would bolster the number of Sunday Funday guests at Vita Vite.

Strategy

Targeting downtown Raleigh businesses and residents, Clairemont devised an events-based campaign, leveraging Vita Vite’s event space to host fun happenings on Sundays and position the wine bar as “Raleigh’s Sunday Spot.” Clairemont’s goal was to increase guest traffic on Sundays by the end of 2016 by planning and executing community events that would attract at least 50 people on-site. We planned to share engaging content from these events as a part of a larger strategy to increase followership on Vita Vite’s Facebook page.

Execution

Since Vita Vita is located in a vibrant downtown location, Clairemont identified a ready-made audience all within walking distance of the wine bar’s front door. Our research revealed that downtown Raleigh residents enjoy exercise, value social activities (that include their pets) and believe strongly in supporting local businesses. As a result, Clairemont crafted an event series that creatively targeted each of these preferences. We decided to push the boundaries and combine several favorite activities into a few key events to “pack a punch.” The best part? The soirees would be just a short stroll from their own homes and businesses!

Sweat and Sip: To tap into the active lifestyle of this demographic, Clairemont partnered with Barre3, a popular Pilates studio, to host an exercise-meets-wine experience in Vita Vite’s event space. After class, participants received a complementary glass of wine, bubbly or beer to allow them to experience the wine bar and socialize with friends. The first Sweat and Sip filled to capacity and was such huge hit that we immediately planned additional events with other downtown Raleigh fitness studios, such as Core Power Yoga and Cirque de Vol. This event also gave Vita Vite a chance to showcase its large event space behind the main bar area. Many attendees commented that they were very impressed by the space and had no idea it was even there.

Pooches on the Porch: We let Vita Vite’s porch go to the dogs on Sundays –literally. Vita Vite partnered with Unleashed, a healthy minded pet store located nearby, to set up a treat table where guests and their dogs can create “doggie bags” of natural and organic snacks. Pet owners lounged on the porch with wine and took selfies in the pet photo booth with their pooches, and the dogs played with wine-shaped dog toys. We encouraged guests to share their puppy portraits on social media and tag Vita Vite to increase online reach and visibility.

Results

In direct correlation with our stated objectives above, we helped bring more people to Vita Vite on Sundays by planning and executing events that attracted approximately 100 people on-site. We were able to increase our Facebook followers by almost 200 percent, as well as engage additional followers when partners shared on their channels. Clairemont’s creative events program boosted business on Sundays, and Vita Vite continued to developed business relationships and gained new regular customers.

The work Clairemont Communications conducted in partnership with Vita Vite earned an Award of Excellence for Creative Tactics from the North Carolina Public Relations Society of America. It also won a Silver Award in Event Marketing from the Raleigh Public Relations Society. 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.

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

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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?

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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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