Author: Tracy Lathan

Oh Momma Monday – Mom’s the Word

Tracy LathanBlog, Oh Momma Monday, Owning a Business, Starting a business, , ,

It’s been said that being a mom is the hardest job in world. As the mother of a two-year-old and a four-year-old, I agree whole-heartedly with that statement. I am in the weeds. I’m trying to balance work and family, school schedules and new business presentations. Some days I feel I can barely keep my head above water. Funny part is, I wouldn’t change a thing.

For those of you who know what life is like with young children, you probably think the idea of starting a business at this stage in life seems crazy. But the army of Momtrepreneurs, or so they’ve been called, is growing strong. I love this recent article, Mothers of Invention, in Walter magazine highlighting local moms who saw an opportunity and took a chance. What inspiring stories!

The truth is, we see these women everyday. They are friends, neighbors, sisters and PTA moms. They are passionate and smart and want to share their talents, but also seek flexibility and choose to spend the time they are working outside the home doing something they truly love. And often times, these new business ventures are born from a realization that there must be an easier way to do something. I sure wish I was the one who invented the fruit and veggie squeeze pouches my kids love.

Do you know momtrepreneurs or other amazing moms you’d like to see profiled here? If so, please let us know!

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Clients Who Care: Papa Spud’s

Tracy LathanBlog, Case Studies, Clairemont Client News, Sustainability, , ,

In the spirit of holiday giving, “Clients Who Care” is a blog series that recognizes some of the recent acts of kindness and caring demonstrated by Clairemont clients. We hope these stories inspire you to be charitable this holiday season and throughout 2015. Happy Holidays!

Having been a supporter of the CSA box delivery concept for years, I was thrilled when we got the opportunity to work with Papa Spud’s. For those of you not familiar, Papa Spud’s is a farm to fork delivery service that has been serving the Triangle since 2008. The team works with more than 50 local farmers and artisans to fill community supported agriculture (CSA) boxes each week. Unlike other CSA services, Papa Spud’s offers dairy, meat and an assortment of items along with a wide variety of fruits and veggies, so each box is completely customizable to meet the needs of individual families.

During our work together these past few months, we learned that Papa Spud’s believes in the importance of giving back not just during the holiday season, but all year long. In addition to serving Triangle residents and educating them about the importance of eating healthy and supporting local farmers, Papa Spud’s is giving back to our community in a significant way. Each week, Papa Spud’s donates an estimated 300 to 400 pounds of leftover food to the Interfaith Food Shuttle. Interfaith is an amazing organization and this donation, no doubt, has a huge impact on the programs and people they are able to support.

In addition to the weekly Interfaith donations, Papa Spud’s also supports various organizations and charities with food donations throughout the year. We salute Rob and his team for all they do to serve their customers, educate Triangle residents about the importance of eating local foods and by giving back to those in need. Here’s to a bountiful 2015!

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Direct Mail…Effective Marketing or Waste of Paper?

Tracy LathanBlog, Marketing, Public Relations, , , , 2 Comments on Direct Mail…Effective Marketing or Waste of Paper?

I don’t know about you, but I am pretty quick to throw out direct mail these days. I barely have time to sort through the important stuff. I used to enjoy flipping through the catalogues, but with the exception of a select few, I have started tossing those as well.

In fact, it was a catalogue that sparked the idea for this blog post. Or should we say, the massive mailer from Restoration Hardware that landed on my front steps a few weeks ago. This thing was unreal…not sure how my mailman even carried it from the truck. My first reaction was…what a waste of paper! And being a PR person, my second thought was how much RH had to allocate from their marketing budget just for the printing and shipping costs for this beast.

Apparently, I was not alone. After doing a little digging it turns out quite a few people were turned off by this tactic. Articles like The Internet Tells RH What It Can Do With Its 17-Pound Catalog showcase some of the creative ways people have used their mailer. The response on social media channels has been extremely negative. Someone even created a Tumblr account, Deforestation Hardware, that is seeking to organize a mass return of the catalogs back to a Restoration Hardware location in L.A.

Surely some research must have been done for them to make the call to mass produce and ship these to households across America. Certainly they considered there would be a negative response by some, especially those who are environmentally conscious. And with so much shopping done online these days, are catalogues even necessary anymore?

So it got me thinking…is direct mail still an effective marketing tool? For all the marketing professionals out there, do you use still direct mail or catalogues as a part of your marketing mix? And for the consumers, effective tactic or waste of paper? We would love to hear your thoughts!

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iMedia Day at Elon University

Tracy LathanBlog, Professional Development, Social Media + Influencer Engagement, , , , , , ,

I recently had the pleasure of serving on a panel at Elon University for the iMedia Day of Professional Development & Networking. It had been many years since I visited the Elon campus, and I was blown away by how charming it is. Equally impressive was the School of Communication’s facility. Within its School of Communication, Elon offers a ten-month M.A. Interactive Media program – what a great way for communication professionals to add to their skill sets in a short amount of time!

The panelists for the event included myself, a representative from another Raleigh PR agency, a recruiter from a firm in Atlanta and a former graduate of the program (now employed by an interactive agency in California.) We collectively answered questions from the moderator and then fielded questions from the students on the topics of interactive media and successfully navigating the job search.  Questions included…what does “interactive” really mean? What are the most relevant tools we are using today? How do agencies incorporate interactive departments?

What really stood out to me during this discussion was the realization that there is very little we are doing these days that is not interactive in some way…and I don’t see that changing anytime soon. Whether we are launching a Facebook campaign, providing hashtags for a client event so attendees can share via their social networks or creating animated graphics to be used on a trade show floor, we are interacting with our audience on some level.

The other topic we discussed at length with the students was best practices – the do’s and don’ts – for trying to land a job, and making a good impression once you have been hired. While some of these tips might sound like advice we have all heard before, what came out of the discussion was that even though things have become much more complicated, the importance of simple, basic courtesies have stood the test of time. Here are a few things the panelists shared:

  • Follow up! Don’t ever hesitate to call and follow up after sending in a resume. And please send a hand written thank you note.
  • Differentiate yourself. Bring samples, create a personal website, share your personal blog. We want to see your personal brand.
  • Do your homework. Come prepared with questions about the company and what your specific role will be.
  • Clean up your online presence. That means no graphic spring break photos!
  • Proof your correspondence. Make sure e-mails and cover letters are free of grammatical errors.
  • Present your best self in the interview. You have one chance to shine and make a good impression. Be professional but also be likeable. After all, people hire people they want to work with.
  • Look people in the eye and dress the part. Even if the company has a casual dress code, dress up for the interview.
  • Once you have started your new job, have a positive attitude! Be willing to jump in and tackle anything.

A big thank you to Maggie Mullikin for organizing the event and hosting us. Hope to join the group again next year! Whether you are a professional or a student, what does interactive mean to you, and how has it changed your role as a communicator?     

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Fashion Week Inside Scoop

Tracy LathanBlog, Fashion, Public Relations, Raleigh PR Agency, 1 Comment on Fashion Week Inside Scoop

It’s always nice to know people in high (fashion) places. My sister works for New York based designer Rebecca Taylor, so I got the chance to attend my first New York Fashion Week runway show this past weekend. A lifelong style devotee myself, I was beyond excited. And the experience did not disappoint…socialites, fashionistas, lots of black, plenty of attitude, incredible clothing and even a few celebrities. And only at fashion week would you see hundreds of women wearing open toe Louboutin stilettos teetering down streets covered in mountains of snow and ice. I loved every minute.

What I also really enjoyed was the production of the show itself. As a PR professional, I have orchestrated countless events and could relate to the sleep deprived, over-stressed girls running around. From the lighting and the music to the seating chart and the media interviews, it was evident that countless hours of planning went into executing a show of this magnitude. And although there were probably hiccups and missteps along the way, as an observer from the sidelines, it looked as though everything went off without a hitch.

And the collection itself was amazing. Rebecca Taylor is known for her feminine details, but this collection had more of an edge to it. She paired soft ice blue sweaters with more structured pieces and jackets. Lots of hardware and zipper details. And while it all looked great on the runway, it was also a very wearable collection. I already have a few things on my wish list!

Takeaways were, fashion is a true art, my sister’s job is fabulous and the same rules and challenges come into play for planning events – glamorous or not. Here is a link to all the looks from the show Rebecca Taylor Fall 2014 Runway Looks, along with a few pictures I snapped.

Rebecca Taylor's newest designs.
Rebecca Taylor’s newest designs
Waiting in line for them to find our names on the list.
Waiting in line for them to find our names on the list.
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