Category: Blog

Dana Phelps Hughens Named Counselors Academy Chair-Elect

Tracy LathanBlog, Counselors Academy, The Clairemont Team, ,

Clairemont’s Dana Phelps Hughens Named Chair-Elect for Board of PR Agency Owners

The members of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Counselors Academy have elected Dana Phelps Hughens, CEO of Clairemont Communications in Raleigh, NC, as its 2017 chair-elect.

Counselors Academy is a professional interest section of PRSA that focuses on the business of agency PR. Its entrepreneurial members are owners or senior managers of leading independent firms in the U.S. and Canada. Counselors Academy’s programs foster networking, mentoring and learning.

Dana was asked to join the Counselors Academy executive committee in 2012 and served as the chair of the section’s marquee event, the PRSA Counselors Academy Spring Conference, in 2013. This year’s conference will be held May 7-9, 2017 in Seattle, Washington. Known for its robust networking and learning opportunities, the Spring Conference enables collaborative peer relationships in which meaningful business counsel, operational best practices and industry trends are shared and gained.

PRSA is the largest professional organization serving the U.S. public relations community. With a mission to “advance the profession and the professional,” PRSA provides news and information, thought leadership, continuing education and networking opportunities; sets standards of professional excellence and ethical conduct; and advocates for the business value of public relations and greater diversity among public relations professionals. Based in New York, PRSA comprises 112 local Chapters; 14 Professional Interest Sections that focus on specific industries and practice areas; and the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA), which is active at more than 340 colleges and universities.

 

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The Power of One Pepper

Cherith AndesBlog, Clairemont Client News, Real Estate PR, , , , ,

What started with one lowly tobago pepper has heated up to be the largest food festival of its kind in the Southeast! The Annual Pepper Festival, hosted by Abundance NC and Clairemont client Briar Chapel, now tops the charts as a spicy celebration of North Carolina cooking, music, fashion and culture — and all to support sustainable food and fuels.

But few hot events come out of the gate with 2,200 attendees, 50 competing chefs and an award-winning roster of bluegrass bands. As we approach the 10th Annual Pepper Festival this fall, we wanted to take a moment to celebrate the fun milestones along the way.

2008: One Pepper, One Dream

Enter 40 friends who gathered at the Piedmont BioFarm (part of nonprofit Abundance NC) to engage in a little spicy sampling. Farmer Doug had long been dreaming up a seed-saving program to cultivate vegetables suited specifically for the North Carolina climate. Doug began growing, breeding and testing his favorite food —  peppers, but he needed palates to taste and assess his new produce. Hence, the first Pepper Fest was born! Angelina brought food (to wash down the peppers, she says!), and the sustainably minded, spice-loving friends noshed their way through almost 50 varieties of Farmer Doug’s peppers.

2009: The Second Amazing Pittsboro Pepper Festival

The Pepper Festival coined its first official name, Habanero Beer from Triangle Brewing Company made its debut, bands hit the scene, and a dozen chefs joined the fray to craft pepper-themed dishes. Briar Chapel began partnering with Abundance NC to support the festival and promote the organizations’ common goals of sustainability.

2010: Royalty Takes the Stage

This year witnessed the coronation of the first Pepper King and Pepper Queen, a tradition that still stands today. The Pepper popularity spread like wildfire with 500 attendees at the festival!

2011: A New Location!

Briar Chapel hosted the Pepper Festival first time at Boulder Park in Briar Chapel. As the largest green community in the Triangle, the partnership between Briar Chapel and Abundance NC to further sustainable lifestyles just made sense! Attendance hit quadruple digits, and more than a dozen community organizations joined forces with Briar Chapel and Abundance to take part in the Festival.

 

2012: Spice for the Whole Family

Pepper Fest added a bevy of family activities (like a vegetable circus, face painting and hula hooping). For a little extra fun, they added red-clad, pepper-themed acrobats! A record of 35 chefs and artisans fired up the culinary contest.

2013: Now We’re Winning Awards

This year, The News & Observer named the Fest as one of the “Must-Do Food Events of 2013.” Attendance skyrocketed to 1,500 festivalgoers with a record $20,000 proceeds raised.

2014: A New Location (Again!)

The Pepper Fest outgrew Boulder Park and made its debut at the all-new Linear Park at Briar Chapel. This year featured a judging panel of food and beverage experts along with a new array of dishes — from pepper chocolate to North Carolina’s inaugural batch of pepper jelly beer. And the scales reported that the chefs used a whoppin’ 800 pounds of peppers!

 2015: One of the Largest in the State

The Pepper Fest claimed the spot as one of the largest chef competitions in the state with 45 chefs and artisans. In addition, the Pepper fest debuted Pepperpalooza, kid-friendly activities to provide hands-on education about local agriculture with creative workshops like “Food Fonts” and “The Insane Science of Fairyland.”

2016: Kid Chefs, Fashion Shows and Pepper Personality Quizzes

Briar Chapel added zest and zip with the inaugural Kid Chef Competition and “Hot Glam” Pepper Fashion Show. Festival fans could find out how spicy their personalities were with the Pepper Fest Personality Quiz. In addition to a record 2,200 attendees and 50 chefs and brewers, the Pepper Fest celebrated raising approximately $100,000 over nine years to support more than 200 farmers who wouldn’t otherwise be in business.

 

 2017: It’s the Big 10! 

What do you think we’ll cook up this year? Tune in on September 24, 2017, the spiciest day of the year (and the date of the 10th Annual Pepper Festival). Who knows — we might even break a Guinness World Record!

 

 

Images courtesy of Briar Chapel.

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PR People: Laura Blank, APR

Sarah HattmanBlog, PR People, Public Relations, , , , ,

Laura Blank, APR

Job Title and Function: I’m the Senior Adviser for Public Relations at World Vision, a Christian humanitarian organization. Our team is based in several cities across the country, and we work virtually together and with media based anywhere in the world to help tell the stories of World Vision’s work.

Most Rewarding thing about working in PR today: I’ve been curious about the world since I was a little girl. In fact, that inquisitive nature was part of the reason I was attracted to journalism (before I started working in public relations). I spent several years working in television news in New York City, and I loved the constantly changing rhythm of each day. I love that in both journalism and public relations we’re constantly meeting new people, facing new challenges and being asked to creatively tackle a new project. I’m still learning every day – about our work as a global relief, development, and advocacy organization and about my work as a PR professional. And I find that so invigorating.

Craziest/most challenging thing you’ve done in PR: Within my first three months on the job at World Vision, I landed an amazing segment on Good Morning America with World Vision’s Gift Catalog. I pitched the booker on the idea almost six months before the segment aired. She and I had worked together at CNN, and it turned out it was exactly the kind of thing they were looking to do for the holidays! I met one of their VJs in Ghana for a shoot to show how the Gift Catalog makes an impact in the lives of the families who receive items like goats, and we did a two-day shoot there. That piece turned into a package that aired before our live segment in December. For the live segment, we filled the Times Square studio with live animals. There was a rooster crowing on the jib cam, pigs running across the studio floor, chickens squawking and interrupting the anchor, and cows and llamas in the corner! I also spent a few months shopping around New York City to find items that were similar to items we provide families through the catalog. We brought those into the studio and had the GMA art team create over-sized price tags and big red bows for them. I joke that my career peaked after that segment. It’s been all downhill ever since 😉 [You can see a link to the live segment here: https://vimeo.com/153048488]

Advice for new PR pros: I guest lecture at UNC – Chapel Hill, and I always share the same three pieces of advice with the junior and senior public relations students there:

1) Take chances. In the fall semester of my senior year of college, I applied to more than 100 television stations, hoping someone would take a chance on me. I heard back from exactly zero news directors. I was crushed. But I started to look for other opportunities, and I heard about an all-expenses paid fellowship program for communications students in New York City. They took about 40 students from an applicant pool of around 600 at the time. Long story short: I applied and was accepted and moved to New York City immediately after graduation to start my internship (which led to my first TV news job!).

2) “Comparison is the thief of joy.” Find your own path. One of the great things about working in PR is that, unlike a career in a field like medicine or teaching, there isn’t a clear-cut path to success. This can be a wonderful thing – but it can also be stressful as you’re starting out in your career. Don’t let the lack of clarity intimidate you, and don’t compare your path to anyone else. There are a million ways to get into this field and find great success through the years; find your way.

3) Read. Read. Write. Write. Network. Network. Public relations has changed dramatically in the past few years, but some of the basics remain the same: you must be a great writer. You must be curious. And you must be engaged with your community, professionally and personally, to continue to grow your career. I always tell students that the best way you can get a foot in the door – or find your way once you land that first job – is by constantly working on these skills. Reading, writing, and networking will always be a good investment of your time!

Are you interested in being featured in “PR People?” Send us a message on Facebook to share your story!

Sarah Hattman, APR is president-elect for the North Carolina chapter of Public Relations Society of America and has been working in PR since she left television news. She grew up in North Carolina and was excited to move back to her home state in 2012 and then join Clairemont Communications, a Raleigh PR agency. 

 

 

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Years of Award-Winning PR With Newland

Dana PhelpsBlog, Case Studies, , ,

When a client-centered PR firm like Clairemont Communications gets together with a customer-centered company like Newland, it’s no surprise that great things happen.

Our collaboration began in 2010, the year Clairemont Communications was founded, and has been recognized with an astounding 33 awards, including 19 InSpire Awards from the North Carolina Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (NCPRSA) and 14 Sir Walter Raleigh Awards from the Raleigh Public Relations Society, with one or more Best in Category or Division almost every year!

We’re frequently asked just what a PR firm does. Often, the answer is that we turn challenges into opportunities. Here are just a few fun examples from our work with Newland Communities over the years:

  • How does a company secure news coverage from a national outlet when circumstances remain highly confidential until negotiations are complete? Find out how we got our client’s preferred news outlet to break the story, as well as coverage from other national outlets here! This campaign earned Clairemont a Best in Division award from Raleigh Public Relations Society and an Award of Excellence from NCPRSA in 2013.
  • How does a new housing community announce itself in a way that both attracts potential buyers and also dispels a myth that it’s too far away from the action? (Hint: you raise a barn!) Read how Clairemont and the Newland team shaped public understanding of Wendell Falls, Newland’s newest Triangle-area community as one that combines proximity to Raleigh with its own vibrant community life here. The Wendell Falls Grand Opening Barn Raising campaign received the Gold Excellence Award for Total Campaign from the Raleigh Public Relations Society as well as Best in Category for Events & Observances from the NCPRSA in 2016.
  • How does a festival get busy media outlets to tune in to news of its eighth year when interest in annual festivals seems on the wane? See how we turned up the heat for the Pepper Festival on behalf of Newland’s Briar Chapel, the largest master-planned green community in North Carolina here. With 50 percent of the development (900 acres!) maintained as natural space, Briar Chapel naturally appeals to home buyers who care about sustainability, the environment and local agriculture. The key was getting the word out. Our creativity in piquig the interest of media resulted in record coverage and top attendance! It also earned an Honorable Mention in Total Campaign from the Raleigh Public Relations Society and an Honorable Mention for Events & Observances from the NCPRSA in 2016.

We love it when our clients give us challenges. Here are two we received from our Briar Chapel clients that resulted in award-winning campaigns.

  • Instead of adding followers just to build numbers, how can we increase engagement with existing fans so they’ll become our brand advocates?
  • How can we get media to come out to Briar Chapel to see the progress the community has made in the five years since the grand opening?

The programs we devised with the Briar Chapel community involved social media Best Buddies and hot air balloon rides, garnering eight awards in 2013 and 2014, including a Best in Category for Community Relations and Media Relations. Read more about both campaigns here. We’re delighted that our ongoing relationship with Newland has allowed us to demonstrate the breadth of our talents, from media relations to community relations, from social media to news releases, from promoting events to the identity of an organization. Newland Communities, operates by this motto:

“In every community we create, one thing will never change—we start with the people who will one day live there, raise their families there, or retire there.”

This jibes with Clairemont Communication’s philosophy of loving our clients, and starting with their needs, often coming up with brand new strategies to help them meet their objectives. If you have a challenge you want to turn into an opportunity, email me at d@clairemontcommunications.com to schedule a call. I’d love to talk with you!

Images courtesy of Briar Chapel.

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What Does A PR Agency Do? Il Palio

Sarah HattmanAwards, Blog, Case Studies, , , ,

Il Palio, Chapel Hill’s only AAA-rated Four Diamond Italian restaurant, had stood as a cultural icon for 30 years. As a proliferation of new, modern restaurants flooded the market, Il Palio launched a $1 million renovation and revamped menu crafted by its new executive chef, Teddy Diggs. Clairemont Communications led the charge to craft a comprehensive public relations strategy to win the hearts of young diners while retaining loyal customers.

Strategy 

Clairemont crafted a campaign that incorporated media relations, community events and blogger interaction. Targeting Generation Y and Millennial diners, Clairemont’s goal was to generate positive awareness and increase guest traffic.

Execution

Clairemont crafted a multi-layer strategy that provided opportunities for “sneak peeks,” customized experiences and themed reveals designed to cultivate brand ambassadors.

  • Behind the Smokescreen – Personalized Blogger Tours: Clairemont invited young community influencers and family oriented bloggers into the kitchen to get a first look at the renovated space and new menu. One millennial blogger broadcasted a cooking session with Chef Teddy on Periscope as he created her favorite Italian dish, while another mom blogger brought her two sons to bake signature cookies with him. The tours produced a flurry of coverage on social media and blogs and secured reservations at the restaurant.
  • VIP Dinners: Il Palio and Clairemont hosted eight VIP dinners for media, food and lifestyle bloggers, and community leaders to create brand ambassadors.
  • Creative Pitching: Clairemont stretched beyond traditional media pitches to craft creative, individualized story angles featuring Chef Teddy’s back-to-school lunch packing tips, tidbits about Chef Teddy’s proprietary custom-designed wood-fired grill, cutting-edge menu trends and unexpected recipes.
  • Social Media: Clairemont harnessed the visual, interactive nature of social media to provide a behind-the-scenes look at the restaurant. Content showcased elements that appeal to young diners, such as a tour of the kitchen, the communal nature of the dining room and special dishes on the menu.

 Results

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

  • 17 media stories in key outlets
  • 19 food and lifestyle blogger visits
  • 40 influencers attended on-site dinners
  • Six blog posts and third-party social media posts to at least 176,000 combined followers on Twitter alone
  • 30 percent increase in guest count

Clairemont unveiled the new Il Palio and successfully positioned it as a desirable, modern dining hot spot for all ages. As a result, in December Il Palio earned a 4.5 star rating – an increase from the previous 4 stars – and glowing reviews, such as one millennial diner who said, “This was the best meal I’ve had in Chapel Hill!”

The work Clairemont Communications conducted in partnership with Il Palio earned a Silver Excellence in Total Campaign from the Raleigh Public Relations Society and a Silver Award of Excellence in Reputation/Brand Management 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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