Category: Blog

CNN + Facebook Politics

Margot HorganBlog, Entry-Level PR Job, Social Media + Influencer Engagement, , , , ,

With campaign season gearing up, our intern Emily delved into how social media will change the presidential election — again (a la 2008). Enjoy!

In today’s age of ever-growing digital collaborations, CNN and Facebook are the newest digital duo. The pair has announced a new partnership including a Facebook app that focuses on users’ political stances during the 2012 election.

The partnership will have Facebook monitoring what people are saying about the election, in addition to a much anticipated “I’m voting” Facebook app. According to CNN and Facebook, the app will “enable people who use Facebook to commit to voting and endorse specific candidates and issues. Commitments to vote will be displayed on people’s Facebook timeline, news feed and real-time ticker.”

So what does this mean for the election, users, PR and advertising? For years, analysts have stressed the importance and necessity of young voters. Combing two of the biggest media brands, Facebook and CNN, has the potential to change the outcome of the election. Facebook’s overwhelming popularity with Millennials is astronomical, and research consistently shows that information uploaded to social media sites can influence people within each other’s networks and beyond.

With the possibility of millions of young adults using this app, users will be consequently displaying their voting preferences to a huge network of friends. Friends will now be able to see when and where each person is voting along with their political opinions. Even more so, this information will be compiled for larger surveys that will give the nation and candidates an idea of what constituents are thinking. Insights will provide candidates with crucial information surrounding what they should change about their campaigns. And, most importantly, the chance of a positive influence and calls-to-action for young adults to go vote is definitely a possible effect.

The partnership is also changing the landscape of campaign advertising. By default, a user will become even more of a grassroots advocate for candidates by sharing personal voting preferences with his networks. This unprecedented reach far exceeds the traditional scope of word-of-mouth when conveying political views. It even blows traditional social media reach out of the water. Using this app will let the entire nation know what the Facebook community thinks and changes the democratic system by bringing candidates and voters closer together.

Nonetheless, people have voiced concerns about the continued unpopularity of Facebook apps. However, this is an unprecedented app involving one of the most important elections in history. But, only in the next few months will we be able to see the true potential and popularity of this new campaign. Despite the concerns, there is no question that the partnership has a lot of potential and is leaving many voters eager to participate.

Here’s to hoping that the newest launch will finally have young voters “rocking the vote.”

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What Does A PR Agency Do? Videos for PR

Josephine ButlerAwards, Blog, Case Studies, Furniture PR, Public Relations, Raleigh PR Agency, Social Media + Influencer Engagement, , , , , , 1 Comment on What Does A PR Agency Do? Videos for PR

People commonly ask us what a PR agency does. We thought the best way to answer that question would be to share case studies from our work that was recently recognized at the North Carolina chapter of the Public Relations Society of America’s (NCPRSA) InSpire Awards. Clairemont won 14 InSpire Awards, and we hope that this “Award Winning Wednesday” blog series will inspire you, too!

Client: Thomasville Furniture, established in 1904 and a leading name in the home furnishings industry.

Objective:  Create a series of videos to showcase Thomasville’s new furniture and upholstery at High Point Market, as well as demonstrate the versatility of the Reinventions collection, a multi-functional collection designed to maximize space in smaller homes, with the following goals:

  • Boost overall interactions on the Thomasville Facebook page, with special emphasis on increasing interactions among 18 to 34-year-olds by 5 percent.
  • Increase the number of likes on the page by 100 percent.

Execution: Commissioned research provided insights on media consumption preferences of Thomasville’s existing customers and younger target consumers. Focus groups revealed that younger consumers often see Thomasville’s furniture as special occasions furnishings, while they seek more of an everyday, comfortable look. Additionally, informal feedback from employees and customers indicated that previously produced videos weren’t necessarily viewed as targeting a younger demographic due to the fact that the on-camera talent didn’t match that desired age group.

To gain fans and keep them engaged, we provided creative content with quality videos focused on the following areas:

An Insider’s View to Furniture Market: The fact that furniture market isn’t open to the public didn’t stop us from sharing the collections that Thomasville debuted at market with its fans. A series of videos featured team members sharing information about new collections. To reinforce the idea that Thomasville’s furniture is so comfortable it makes you want to “kick up your feet,” each person was interviewed relaxing in her favorite vignette in the showroom, as she offered design tips or revealed sources of decorating inspiration. Collectively, these videos received 234,764 impressions.

How-to Videos: A mini-series was produced to showcase Reinventions, a new, multi-functional collection designed for everyday living. These videos demonstrated how to maximize space with the versatility of the collection’s pieces. For example, the Slater Mill Drop-Leaf Table can be folded down to a mere 13-inch deep sofa table or expand to a dining table to accommodate six people – ideal for city apartment living. These videos received a total of 88,055 impressions.

Results: Through our promotional efforts, including these videos, Thomasville’s fan base on Facebook increased from 11,249 to 31,256, approximately a 178 percent increase from 2010. Additionally, we boosted average weekly interactions from 2,964 to 7,571, a 155 percent increase, engaging the target audiences of existing customers and young consumers alike. Specific to the videos, we received nearly 322,819 total impressions, 102 likes and 43 comments, exceeding our goals.

What did you think of this social media case study? Was it helpful? Be sure to check out our last case study featuring the Thomasville Facebook page.

Have questions? Interested in Clairemont’s video production services? Drop us a line!

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Thinking About APR? Track Your Success

Tracy LathanAPR, Blog, Professional Development, Public Relations, Raleigh PR Agency

I recently had the pleasure of speaking to members of the Raleigh Public Relations Society about ways to advance in a public relations career. I shared a few nuggets of wisdom that have served me well over the years, but primarily I was there to talk about how working toward your Accreditation in Public Relations (APR) can be great for professional development. One topic we discussed that I want to share is something I wished I had done many years ago – bookmarking those projects you know are something special along the way.

Since the group was primarily comprised young people in their twenties just starting out in their careers, I made the point that while the APR can be an important achievement, you really need a few years of experience on the job before beginning the process. The most important thing to understand is what the APR process entails, so you can set aside components, plans, supporting materials, etc. for those projects throughout your career that really stand out as top notch. You can simply create a separate folder so the materials are easy to access and all in one place. Then, if and when you decide to pursue your APR, you are one step ahead when it comes to preparing your portfolio and readiness review materials.

I really wish I had done this. And I can’t tell you how many candidates over the years have told me they worked on a really great campaign but can’t remember all the details, or where to find the plan. When it came time to prepare for my readiness review, I spent weeks trying to remember all the projects I had worked on over the years and then finding the supporting materials for the one I chose. Even if you never go the APR route, no doubt something will come up down the road where this would come in handy.

So next time something in your gut tells you this project/campaign/event is worth setting aside – do it!! You will be so glad you did.

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My First 30 Days at a Raleigh PR Agency: Days 1-30

Margot HorganBlog, Entry-Level PR Job, Raleigh PR Agency, , , ,

Thank you to everyone who read my recent blog series and offered advice and support as I navigated my way through my first month in an entry-level PR job. Since the blog entries are spread out over a period of time, I went ahead and made an archive of all the posts to make finding a specific post a little bit easier! Enjoy!

Days 1-2
Day 3
Day 4
Days 5-6
Day 7
Day 8
Days 9-10
Day 11
Day 12
Day 13
Days 14-15
Day 16
Day 17
Day 18
Day 19
Day 20
Day 21
Day 22
Days 23-24
Day 25
Day 26
Day 27
Day 28
Days 29-30

 

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My First 30 Days at a Raleigh PR Agency: Days 29 and 30

Margot HorganBlog, Entry-Level PR Job, Public Relations, Raleigh PR Agency, , , , ,

So, this is the last blog for my 30-day series about life at a Raleigh PR Agency. Here is my final reflection, and the lessons that I’ve learned:

  • It’s not where you work – it’s who you work with that matters.
  • Read the news and stay up to date with what’s happening in the industry. It’s our job to know what the latest is and how it can help them in their respective industries.
  • Awards season: oh so stressful, but rewarding when your agency is recognized for all of its work.
  • Make sure to check your past award entries’ scoring sheets to see how you can improve.
  • When researching and compiling a lot of data, try not to get overwhelmed by the amount of information. Focus on what you really need to show, and everything will fall into place.
  • Great work is based on great writing.
  • Don’t forget to ask questions. It’s easier to clarify an assignment before you start it, then to do it wrong and need to start over completely.

The list could go on and on, but I’ll try and keep it concise. I’ve learned a lot in these past 30 days, and it hasn’t always been easy. There have been challenges, frustrations and mistakes. But, in the end, I always learned something and hopefully got better at my job. Thanks for reading, commenting and lending advice and support as I detailed my life and lessons as a brand new account coordinator. This blog series has reached its conclusion, but I’ll be back with more stories, thoughts, ramblings and insights about what it’s like to work at a Raleigh PR agency. Stay tuned!

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