Author: Dana Phelps

Holiday Quickie

Dana PhelpsBlog, Public Relations, Social Media + Influencer Engagement, , , , 4 Comments on Holiday Quickie

Typically our Mondays are Myrtle Mondays, and this week is inspired by Myrtle. We chose to do a holiday postcard for Clairemont’s first holiday season. Not as traditional as Myrtle’s postcards, we’ve attempted to combine a classic form of communications with a little something-something more current. Did you get our card? What did you think? Did you already have a QR code reader or did you have to download one? If you haven’t seen our card, take a look below and let us know what you think.


Don’t have a smartphone? Don’t worry, you can still see our video and get your holiday quickie!

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Million Dollar Ideas

Dana PhelpsBlog, Wonderfully Random, , 2 Comments on Million Dollar Ideas
Start by finding something in a plastic packet or wrapper.

Nothing is more exciting than coming up with an idea for a client that results in something huge such as the company’s highest traffic day ever (check), the media begging you for the exclusive (check) or the CEO getting an invitation to meet with the President of the United States and join him in a news conference (check).

What about those super cool ideas you have that are totally unrelated to your job and your clients? You know the ones that come to you randomly in the shower or based on something you, as a consumer, want or need that doesn’t seem to exist. We all have them. Most of us can’t (or won’t) do anything with them when they have nothing to do with our careers or passions. Maybe someone else could. In fact, I wish someone would take some of my ideas and DO them.

One is for fast food restaurants. Why can we get BBQ sauce and honey mustard in dip-able containers but the ketchup is still in a packet that has to be ripped open and squeezed? I had this idea years ago. I think someone is doing it now, but there are still a lot of packets of ketchup.

My latest — and I think this is a great biggo whopper of an idea — a GPS system that alerts me when a school zone is approaching. Last year, I got a ticket for speeding in a school zone. I felt horrible. I travel by this school every day. But that day, my schedule had changed a bit, and I didn’t realize it was the time that the school zone was active. What if my GPS system could have alerted me? Surely that is possible.

Here’s one more. Remote control germ protectors. Yes, I thought I had overcome my germophobic ways until an unexpected stay in a hotel during flu season triggered a flashback. Even in the cleanest of hotels, I tend to wonder if they think to sanitize things such as the door knobs, phone and remote control. Until there is a product, I like to make my own by using the plastic covers from the cups in the room or the coffee packets. See my photos for my product demo!

What are some of your million+ dollar ideas that you have no time or interest in developing but sure wish someone would?

Carefully empty the contents.
It is almost a germ protector!
Voila!
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Myrtle Monday: All About the Details

Dana PhelpsBlog, Free Advice, Inspirational, , , , 1 Comment on Myrtle Monday: All About the Details

This week’s Myrtle Monday is all about the details! Upon arrival in Vienna and touring the Hofburg Palace and Schonbrunn Castle, Lela writes about silver and gold china, original furnishings and beautiful artwork. I can only imagine that when Lela returned home, she became the charming tour guide for Myrtle, recreating each and every detail of the trip.

With the holidays upon us, it seemed appropriate to blog about details — talk about going from blah to voila! A plain package is transformed with some pretty ribbon. A table goes from everyday to holiday with the addition of a festive runner. For me, a mood is created by the burning of a scented candle.

As a communicator, details are important to telling our clients’ stories. What details help paint the picture? Which are the best details to share? Where’s the balance between interesting and overkill? My friend, Karen, LOVES a detailed story. “Details, girl. Give me all the details,” she’ll say. But not all audiences have the time or the desire to hear ALL of the details.

 Of course you also have to consider the medium and method of sharing the details. Back to my original Myrtle Monday point of postcards being the original Twitter, sometimes you are limited by space. I love that that never stopped Lela from making Myrtle feel like she was right there with her, seeing the world from her armchair in Small Town, USA.

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Social Media Audit for UNC’s Kenan-Flagler

Dana PhelpsBlog, Clairemont Client News, Marketing, Public Relations, Social Media + Influencer Engagement, , , , ,

Today we excitedly announced a social media audit and analysis project that we completed earlier this year for The University of North Carolina’s Kenan-Flagler Business School. Joining forces with our friends at Addressable Media, we assessed the school’s existing social media efforts and made next-step recommendations. What a great assignment! Here’s the release we issued this morning that has more details:

UNC Kenan-Flagler Social Media Audit Conducted by Clairemont Communications

–Clairemont, Addressable Media Joined Forces to Make Phase Two Recommendations–

Raleigh, N.C. – December 1, 2010 – Clairemont Communications has completed a social media audit for The University of North Carolina’s Kenan-Flagler Business School.

Clairemont, a public relations agency with a focus on blending traditional communications and social media, partnered with Addressable Media, a leading digital communications firm. The project team conducted an analysis of the social media effectiveness of UNC Kenan-Flagler and its direct U.S. competitors. Considerations included traffic and content, viral scoring, social media mention, share of voice, sentiment, email effectiveness and traffic generated from third-party sources.

“UNC Kenan-Flagler had established a strong social networking presence, as part of phase one of our social media strategy,” said Heather Havenstein, director of public relations and new media, UNC Kenan-Flagler. “The recommendations made by Clairemont Communications and Addressable Media are allowing us to further engage key audiences including students, perspective students, alumni and donors as part of our phase two outreach.” Continue reading “Social Media Audit for UNC’s Kenan-Flagler”

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Myrtle Monday in Mexico!

Dana PhelpsBlog, Inspirational, Travel1 Comment on Myrtle Monday in Mexico!
Monumento a los Ninos Heroes en Guadalajara.

As the weather turns chilly here in North Carolina (okay, below 60 IS chilly to me), I want to travel with Lela and Ruth to Mexico! While I am not quite old enough to join them on the AARP trip, I am old enough to find humor in Lela’s comment about Bing Crosby. She writes, “The weather is delightful. No wonder Bing Crosby spent much time here.” More from Lela in the next Myrtle Monday.

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