Author: Clairemont Intern

Barre3 to Host FREE Community Class

Clairemont InternBlog, Clairemont Client News, In Our Community, ,

Feeling stuck in a fitness rut after so many months of working from home? Clairemont client, Barre3 is going to help you get back to prioritizing YOU!

Barre3 is a balanced, total-body workout combining cardio, strength training and mindfulness –– hence the “3” in Barre3. On Saturday, May 22, local Barre3 instructors will be joining hundreds of other Barre3 studios from across the nation to celebrate how far we’ve come over the past year.

Join us as we come together for a FREE outdoor 45-minute, full-body, balanced workout that includes, strength and conditioning, cardio and mindfulness in Raleigh’s beautiful Dix Park (Williams Field – 1800 Umstead Drive Raleigh, NC 27603). You’ll be guided through sustained holds, muscle-burning micro-movements, and heart-pumping cardio bursts that will leave you feeling balanced in your body and empowered from within as we collectively recognize the challenges we have all had to overcome.

DJ Joe Bunn will provide the music and Buoy Bowls Food Truck will be available for post-workout treats. There will also be several giveaways and special offers, including 5 classes for $50. Tennis shoes, a yoga mat and water are recommended.

Anyone is welcome! The class is FREE and open to the public, so grab a friend and join local Barre3 instructors Alston and Kailey on May 22 at 10 a.m.! 

Sign up here.

Read More

5 Resources for marketing campaigns

Clairemont InternBlog, Marketing, Public Relations, , ,

Photo credit: Pexels

Do you want to launch a marketing campaign but aren’t sure where to start? Clairemont knows a thing or two about successful campaign strategy. 

The first step in developing a strong marketing campaign is crafting a compelling story viewpoint and distinctive theme. Check out some of the resources we’ve provided to guide your campaign development.

The down-to-earth, people-centric approach

Use the Enneagram: Including a dash of personality in your marketing can be an effective strategy to relate to your target audience. One way to achieve this is to work insight from the Enneagram test into your marketing. 

Take a Page from Toyota’s Playbook: Toyota’s Super Bowl ad, “Swimming Upstream,” told the story of Jessica Long, a U.S. Paralympic swimmer. The ad’s strong, person-centric storytelling forged an emotional connection between the brand and its audience, leaving a lasting impression. 

The bold and attention-grabbing approach

Be Conscious of Color: One surefire way to make your marketing stand out is by selecting a bold theme. This can be as simple as choosing attention-grabbing colors in designs, backed by our research tying psychology to color used in marketing campaigns.

Don’t Be Afraid to Be Different: When Disney had to close all parks due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the company completely rewrote its playbook. By reallocating its focus towards creating digital content for Disney Plus and shopDisney, the company found success outside of its normal playing field. 

The humorous, relatable approach 

Harness the Power of Ha-Has: The way to many consumers’ hearts is through their funny bones. Effectively using humor in marketing can make a brand seem more approachable and showcase a one-of-a-kind personality. (Extra Tip: Memes are a great social media tool to leverage humor and spotlight your brand’s relatable character.)

Are you still not sure where to start on a campaign? Contact us and let us craft a head-turning marketing strategy for your business.

By Clairemont intern Anne Claire Foreman, a senior at UNC-Chapel Hill. 

Read More

Marketing: Why Work with a PR Firm

Clairemont InternBlog, Hiring a PR Firm, Marketing, , , , , ,

Marketing your business can be a daunting task, but it’s a crucial element to success in today’s world. Working with an agency is an efficient way to bring more to the table than just brand awareness. Businesses large and small can benefit in many ways by hiring an agency including:

1. Introducing Investors

Having a steady source of income is, obviously, the linchpin for a successful business, especially at its early stages. PR agencies can help to attract investors by demonstrating your credibility and producing strategies to target investors at the right time.

2. Creating a Rockstar Reputation

Reputation is a part of attracting new clients, investors and great employees. PR professionals help you refine your brand messaging and increase industry awareness, which ultimately generates new clients, coverage and talent. 

3. Maximizing Media 

PR agencies are masters at forging new connections, reigniting old ones and integrating digital media tactics, thanks to their built-in knowledge and strong relationships with media outlets. 

4. Increasing Productivity

Marketing, especially good marketing, is a lot of work. Hiring a PR agency can free up valuable time, energy and resources for you and your employees. Experienced PR pros can take the work off your plate so you can focus on growing your team and business. 

However, we understand that sometimes it’s not possible to immediately collaborate with an agency. We’ve put together a list of low-maintenance and cost-friendly marketing strategies that can jumpstart your business and brand, and make agency collaboration seamless down the line. 

  • Create a Google My Business account. This (free!) listing allows your business to show up on Google Maps, the local section of a Google Search and the right-side Knowledge Panel for branded searches. 
  • Post and engage regularly on social media. Increasing social media presence and engagement (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, TikTok) can build a community online and allows you to express your brand’s personality as well as build trust with your audience.
  • Start a blog. Blogging is still a great tool to make content a regular part of your marketing efforts. You can share your posts on social media and it’s an easy way to direct potential clients to your company site, increase user engagement, improve visibility and strengthen your overall SEO. 
  • Apply for awards. Applying for awards can generate buzz for your business and, if you win, boost credibility. 
  • Collaborate with others. Double your exposure and reach a new audience by collaborating with another business in-person (post-pandemic) or virtually. Teaming up can also mean placing business cards, flyers or brochures at your partner’s physical location or taking over/guest-starring on its social media account — get creative!

If you’re interested in learning more about the benefits of hiring a PR agency and what Clairemont Communications can do for you, drop us a line. We’d love to work with you!

Curious about more marketing resources? Check out our blog for some stellar social media tools.

By Clairemont intern Maia Guterbock, a senior at UNC-Chapel Hill.

Read More

Media Coverage That Matters

Clairemont InternBlog, Case Studies, Clairemont Client News, , ,

At Clairemont, we understand the importance of securing strategic media coverage for clients. But for one of our clients, the North Carolina Association of Fire Chiefs (NCAFC), sharing its message could be a matter of life and death.

The Need for NC Volunteer Firefighters

Currently, Clairemont is partnering with The Felice Agency and the NCAFC for an intensive two-year campaign to recruit volunteer firefighters across 15 of the most at-risk counties in the state. In North Carolina, nearly 70 percent of all firefighters work on a volunteer basis. The number of volunteers is falling rapidly each year, and these 15 counties are reaching a critically low level of volunteers. 

As a part of the campaign to boost volunteer interest and retention, Clairemont gets to share the stories of some of these brave heroes. The firefighters we work with are always incredible, but one of the volunteer’s stories is especially remarkable. 

Seventeen-year-old Jade Gatling of Gaston, North Carolina was the first Black female cadet to graduate from the junior firefighter program at the Gaston Volunteer Fire Department. Jade has spent her last year of school scaling ladders, braving car fires and saving lives, all while taking a full high school course load.

Coverage That Matters

Through a targeted, individualized pitch strategy, Clairemont secured wide-spread coverage of Jade’s story in several key news outlets. 

CBS 17, North Carolina News

WAVY News 10, North Carolina

ABC 11, North Carolina

Clairemont’s work with the NCAFC and the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) has earned both an Award of Excellence and Best in Category from the North Carolina Chapter of Public Relations Society of America. 

At Clairemont, we do work that matters. Through our partnership with the NCAFC and The Felice Agency, we have already seen a boost in volunteer firefighters across North Carolina as a result of this campaign. If you’re interested in serving your community as a volunteer firefighter, click here to learn more. 

And that’s not all! Check out other great coverage we’ve secured for the NCAFC!

By Clairemont intern Anne Claire Foreman, a senior at UNC-Chapel Hill.

Read More

Using Clubhouse in Business Strategy

Clairemont InternBlog, Marketing, ,

If you’ve checked the news over the past few weeks, you’ve probably seen the frenzy surrounding Clubhouse. Clubhouse is an invite-only iPhone App where individuals can host and join conversations. The app functions using only audio; there are no pictures or videos in the conversation rooms.

At its core, Clubhouse is a social media platform and a space for the exchange of thoughts and ideas. Unlike some other social platforms, Clubhouse isn’t dominated by influencers. Anyone can host a conversation room, gain followers and make an impact. 

Currently, initial Clubhouse invitees are only allowed to give out a few invites to the platform. This number is expected to increase as Clubhouse slowly accepts more users onto the platform. 

If Clubhouse continues on this similar path, the app will be a must-have for your business. In May 2020, the app had 1,500 users and was worth $100 million. As of February 2021, Clubhouse has skyrocketed to 2 million users with an estimated worth of $1 billion. 

Check out a few ways below that Clubhouse can boost your business. 

Grow your social media presence. 

While you can only interact with other users using audio, Clubhouse links your social media accounts in your user profile. Sharing your social media handles with other leaders in the industry is a great way to build a relevant follower base. This organic exposure can help your business maintain a stable presence and forge lasting relationships. 

Develop your business model. 

Some of the world’s most influential thought leaders are active on Clubhouse. Just the other week, Elon Musk hopped into a Clubhouse room to grill Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev on the app’s recent role in the GameStop Wall Street debacle. The opportunity to hear from influential leaders in your industry also gives your business the chance to take notes, learn and improve your business model. 

Inside a Clubhouse conversation room.

The leaders of the conversations are found at the top of conversation rooms.

Flex your industry expertise.

Hosting a conversation room is a great way to show that you have a distinctive perspective, opinion or skillset to share with the industry. As a business owner, this can help you bolster brand legitimacy and promote your product. 

Use Clubhouse to showcase your industry expertise in a plethora of  different ways; talk about anything from your founding story to a niche market your business reaches or specific tips and tricks for tackling an industry challenge. Like most things in life, the more creative and imaginative you are, the more attention you’ll grab.

Foster relevant connections.

While you can certainly leverage Clubhouse to build your social following, you can also take this a step further to find people with particular skill sets that meet your business needs. 

An entrepreneur who recently wrote an article for Forbes Magazine about Clubhouse mentioned that he hired a new employee after connecting on Clubhouse. A lawyer using Clubhouse mentioned to the Social Media Examiner that she has gained upward of 20 new clients from hosting a Clubhouse meeting. Make the most of Clubhouse and use it as a platform to search for individuals with talent that can benefit your business. 

Are you interested in the digital space but want to grow your business through real-world connections, too? Check out our recent blog on strategies to build business connections. If you still don’t know where to start, contact us to plan Clubhouse strategy for your business today.

 By Clairemont intern Anne Claire Foreman, a senior at UNC-Chapel Hill.

Read More