Category: Awards

Tracy Lathan Receives Excellence in Mentoring Award

Dana PhelpsAwards, Blog, The Clairemont Team, , ,

The North Carolina Chapter of Public Relations Society of America (NCPRSA) has selected Tracy Lathan, APR, as the 2016 recipient of the Michael L. Herman Award for Excellence in Mentoring.

Lathan is an account strategist with Clairemont Communications, an award-winning, full-service public relations and marketing communications firm, and has been practicing public relations in the Triangle for more than fifteen years. In 2009, she received the Accreditation in Public Relations designation from the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), the profession’s only national post-graduate certification program in the field of public relations. For the past five years, Lathan has served as accreditation chair on the NCPRSA board of directors to mentor nearly a dozen other PR professionals in the Triangle to achieve this important designation.

Additionally, Lathan mentors team members at Clairemont on day-to-day account management best practices and leads regular client service lunch-and-learn sessions for the agency. She has been directly involved in developing the strategy and executing public relations programs that have earned Clairemont numerous awards for excellence in PR by NCPRSA and Raleigh Public Relations Society (RPRS). It is because of these things, as well as her previous leadership roles with RPRS, NCSU Alumni Association and the Raleigh Chamber, that NCPRSA recognized Lathan for her mentorship.

“It is a true honor to receive this award since Mike Herman was my first employer and mentor,” said Tracy Lathan, account strategist, Clairemont Communications. “Mike had a tremendous impact on so many PR professionals during his career, and I am grateful for the opportunity to share what he taught us with the next generation of practitioners.”

The Michael L. Herman Award for Excellence in Mentoring is presented to an individual who best exemplifies the ideal image of a mentor through hands-on instruction and support. It is given in memory of the late Mike Herman, APR, whose years of work and dedication to the public relations field made a lasting impression on the profession. He was inducted into the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) College of Fellows in 1998 and received PRSA’s highest individual award, the Gold Anvil for lifetime career achievement, in 2009.

Herman was a beloved mentor to both students and professionals, having served as an adjunct professor at N.C. State University, chair of the PRSA Counselors Academy and ethics chair of NCPRSA. He influenced PR professionals on a global scale, serving on the International Public Relations Association’s (IPRA) Governing Council and as keynote lecturer at the Russian Public Relations Association in Moscow and at the International Conference of Latin American Public Relations Professionals. He was also a role model in his community as an active member of his church, a Master Mason and a member of the Amran Shrine.

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What Does a PR Agency Do? Wendell Falls

Sarah HattmanAwards, Blog, Case Studies, , , , ,

Newland Communities, the country’s most prominent privately held residential developer, prepared to launch its newest master-planned community, Wendell Falls, on May 16, 2015. Wendell Falls is situated in a relatively undeveloped section of Wake County with the perception of being far away from other towns in the county. Newland Communities turned to Clairemont Communications to position the community as a popular living destination and craft a successful grand opening event that would generate buyer traffic and dispel the myth that Wendell Falls was a distantly located neighborhood.

Strategy

Clairemont crafted a grand opening event strategy that targeted home buyers who valued a sense of community. Clairemont highlighted the fun, relational atmosphere at Wendell Falls and provided opportunities for potential guests to personally interact with the brand.

Execution

Clairemont and the Newland team modeled the grand opening after a classic barn raising, an event designed to highlight the community’s innovative offerings while honoring its urbane way of life, agrarian heritage and strong sense of community.

Clairemont created a barn raising atmosphere through entertainment reminiscent of a family carnival. Guests enjoyed southern fare, pony rides and rickshaw tours while being serenading by two top bluegrass bands. Attendees could document the event at a fun photo booth and then sign an old-fashioned commemorative barn quilt. The Barn Raising culminated with the announcement of the winner of the “$50k on the House” – a contest that invited homebuyers a chance to win $50,000 toward a new house in Wendell Falls by writing a short entry and taking selfies at the model homes prior to grand opening.

Results

Clairemont met every goal, exceeded expectations and produced the following results:

  • 11 news stories within one month of opening, including a Sunday paper front page spread and two television segments.
  • Five bloggers and approximately 250 community influencers visited Wendell Falls prior to its grand opening.
  • Clairemont and Wendell Falls hosted 2,000 attendees at the grand opening, a 100-percent increase above the original goal.

Clairemont successfully positioned Wendell Falls as one of the top places to live in Wake County, efforts that have helped Wendell Falls meet its annual sales goal and earn the community the title as Best Master Planned Community in East Wake County by The News & Observer.

The work Clairemont Communications conducted in partnership with Wendell Falls earned a Gold Excellence Award for Total Campaign from the Raleigh Public Relations Society as well as Best in Category for Events & Observances from the North Carolina Public Relations Society of America. We are proud that this campaign represents two of the 137 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? Papa Spud’s

Sarah HattmanAwards, Blog, Case Studies, , , , , , ,

The Triangle Business Journal captured this shot at the behind-the-scenes media breakfast and featured it as the Photo of the Week.

At a time when people have become more interested in knowing where their food comes from, community supported agriculture (CSA) delivery services have become increasingly popular. Papa Spud’s is a farm to fork delivery service based in Cary, N.C. that has been serving Triangle families since 2008. Each week, the team works with more than 50 local farmers and artisans to fill the CSA boxes.

While interest in this type of service did seem to be on the rise in 2014, the vast majority of Triangle residents had never heard of Papa Spud’s, and were not aware of the service it provided. To combat this issue, Papa Spud’s engaged Clairemont Communications to help raise awareness of the service and ultimately increase signups.

Strategy

We determined that the best approach to differentiate Papa Spud’s from its competitors was to highlight the fact that the service was completely customizable and offered a much broader offering than other CSAs in the area. Additionally, we wanted to feature the local farmers and food artisans to share an inside look at how the food makes it from the farm to customers’ front doors.

Execution

Clairemont Communications crafted and implemented a comprehensive strategy to increase brand awareness for Papa Spud’s.

  • We planned and executed an event targeting local mommy and food bloggers that allowed them to see a typical weekly box and gave them ideas on how to use it. Guests also had the chance to meet the Papa Spud’s team and hear from the company’s founder, Rob Meyer, who shared why he started the business and how it works.
  • A select group of media were invited to a breakfast and behind-the-scenes tour to see firsthand how the boxes are pulled together before delivery.
  • We formed grassroots partnerships with restaurants, gyms, schools and organizations –  including the Junior League of Raleigh that led to an ongoing sponsorship where Papa Spud’s supplied fruit for the Backpack Buddies program.
  • Creative and individualized pitches were used to maximize engagement from reporters and bloggers. We also invited mom bloggers to try the service for a month and blog about their experiences.

Results

Clairemont exceeded expectations and met all established objectives, along with increasing general awareness and customer registrations. As a result of our efforts, we secured the following:

  • 10 community partnerships
  • Four traditional media placements
  • Three blogger trials
  • More than 30 social media posts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter
  • 10 blog posts that featured in-depth information about Papa Spud’s

The work Clairemont Communications conducted in partnership with Papa Spud’s earned an Honorable Mention Award in the Total Campaign category from the Raleigh Public Relations Society and an Honorable Mention Award from the North Carolina Public Relations Society of America. We are proud that this campaign represents two of the 137 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? The Lincoln Apartments

Cherith AndesAwards, Blog, Case Studies, , , ,

In 2015, The Lincoln Apartments broke ground in downtown Raleigh, set to be the newest apartment complex in the Oakwood neighborhood. At the time, downtown Raleigh apartment complexes were at an all-time high, and The Lincoln faced the challenge of breaking into a product-saturated market.

In response, The Lincoln team retained Clairemont Communications to capture the public’s attention and craft a strong debut for the versatile downtown living option. Clairemont Communications captured the community’s attention and generated media buzz for the The Lincoln’s official ribbon cutting ceremony by partnering with Cause for Paws of NC and showcasing the pet-welcoming aspect of the complex.

The Pitch
To attract pet lovers and community members to the ribbon cutting, Clairemont planned the event to feature a dog ambassador “cutting” the ribbon. Creative and individualized pitches were used to pique the interest of targeted media and secure on-site coverage. TV stations were invited to participate in “Tag You’re It!” – a social media photo relay – as part of the official ribbon cutting. This photo relay doubled as a fundraiser for Cause for Paws of NC.

Execution
The event began with the president of the Downtown Raleigh Alliance, city council members and other prominent Raleigh officials welcoming The Lincoln Apartments to the community. After the dignitaries’ remarks, Molly, our canine ambassador from Cause for Paws, “cut” the ribbon by chewing through a treat in the middle of the ribbon. As a part of the “Tag You’re It” social media relay, The Lincoln Apartments donated $5 to Cause for Paws of NC for each participant who shared their photo of the event with the tags #TheLincolnRaleigh and #CauseforPawsNC.

Results
– Clairemont met the goal of securing a major television station on-site for the event, which resulted in coverage on air and online.
– The event also helped secure four additional media placements, including two print stories, four blog posts and three TV segments.
– “Tag, You’re It!” generated more than 70 social media posts.

The Lincoln Apartments’ successful ribbon cutting played a vital role in introducing the complex to the community. Additionally, The Lincoln Apartments donated $1,500 to its charity partner Cause for Paws of NC.

The work Clairemont Communications conducted in partnership with The Lincoln Apartments earned a Gold Excellence Award in Total Campaign by Raleigh Public Relations Society as well as the Best in Category for Creative Tactics from the North Carolina Public Relations Society of America. We are proud that this is one of the 129 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? Growers Media Relations

Tracy LathanAwards, Blog, Case Studies, , , ,

As the next generation assumes responsibility for family farms across the country, they are looking at new ways of doing business. Growers, a precision farm management business headquartered right here in Raleigh, recognized this opportunity and is reinventing the way farmers across the country manage their operations by using precision agriculture to help them improve yields and cut costs. Founded in 2011 by N.C. State graduate Steven Valencsin, Growers turned to Clairemont Communications in the summer of 2015 to help build awareness and share its story with farmers across the country.

The Pitch

Our primary goal was to build awareness and educate the agricultural community about the significant impact that Growers was having on farmers’ bottom lines. We developed a media relations strategy targeting local Raleigh business media, since Growers is headquartered here, as well as regional and national agriculture trade media. We also worked to help position Steven as an industry expert by securing media interviews and speaking engagements.

Execution

Although we quickly recognized Growers had a powerful story to tell, we knew that we would face challenges since most of our key media targets had never heard of the company. We conducted research, including reaching out to our key trade media contacts to better understand what issues were trending in the agriculture world, desired story topics and timing for upcoming feature articles for which Growers might be a fit. After conducting our research, we identified the following three angles for our media relations outreach:

  1. Technology – After talking with editors, we learned that precision agriculture and technology tools were hot topics in the agriculture industry. Growers was ready to unveil some revolutionary new technologies, so we decided to lead with the technology angle in the news release.
  2. Customer testimonials – Steven and his team had recently reached out to several customers and gathered impactful testimonials about how significantly their businesses had improved since working with Growers. Since we know word of mouth and testimonials are very effective in the agricultural community, we shared these stories in our media pitching.
  3. Founder and CEO – We highlighted the fact that Steven is a young entrepreneur with a passion for farming when telling the Growers story.

After finalizing our pitches and targets, we crafted a news release and gathered photos, testimonials and supporting materials. We posted the release on Business Wire and then contacted each of our media targets individually to pitch the story.

Results/Evaluation

Over a three-month time frame, we were able to meet and far exceed all of our defined objectives. As a result of our outreach, we secured the following:

  • A feature story about Steven and Growers in the Sunday edition of The News & Observer
  • A feature story in Southeast Farm Press, Growers’ number one media target
  • Coverage in various additional agriculture trade media outlets

We also facilitated three interviews to help further position Steven as an industry  leader  and made connections for Growers with several thought leaders and influential groups within the agriculture community. The placement of the news release on Business Wire generated additional impressions with 2,168 views and 7,095 headline impressions.

The work Clairemont Communications conducted in partnership with Growers earned a Gold Sir Walter Raleigh Award for Excellence in Communication by Raleigh Public Relations Society. We are proud that this is one of the 129 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.

Image courtesy of Growers.

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