Category: Public Relations

RLF Communications Acquires Clairemont Communications

Olivia NolesPublic Relations, Raleigh PR Agency, The Clairemont Team, , , ,

RLF Communications, a full-service public relations agency, acquired Clairemont Communications, a Raleigh-based public relations agency, on December 12. Clairemont founder and CEO Dana Phelps will become chair of RLF and serve on the company’s leadership team.

The acquisition of Clairemont further strengthens RLF’s depth and experience in industries such as manufacturing, real estate development, nonprofits and financial services, while bolstering its existing team in Raleigh. RLF has professionals in Greensboro, Raleigh and Charlotte serving clients conducting business regionally, nationally and globally.

“I have known Dana for nearly 20 years and been deeply impressed with her agency’s commitment to strategy and service for its diverse clients,” said Monty Hagler, CEO of RLF. “Clairemont has been honored with nearly 250 industry awards for its creative, results-oriented campaigns. That experience and knowledge will help us bring fresh perspectives and innovative ideas to our clients.”

Founded in 2010, Clairemont’s clients include real estate developers, manufacturers, hospitality companies and nonprofits. Like RLF, the agency has a strong footprint in the Charlotte region.

“RLF has an outstanding reputation as one of the premier public relations agencies in North Carolina,” said Phelps. “It’s culture and dedication to providing insightful strategy and personalized service align closely with our approach to working with clients, and we are delighted to be joining forces.”

This is the second acquisition for RLF this year. In January, the firm acquired Raleigh-based BAERING Group.

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Clairemont Communications 2022 year in review

Olivia NolesPublic Relations, Raleigh PR Agency, , ,

From winning awards and working with amazing clients to revamping our look and speaking at conferences, 2022 has been a fantastic year for Clairemont Communications. Read the Clairemont 2022 year in review to learn more about our year.

Clairemont 2022 year in review:

Clairemont won awards:

  • Clairemont earned five gold awards and three silver awards at the 2022 Sir Walter Raleigh awards.
clairemont communications year in review

We continued working with our amazing clients:

  • As PR professionals, our day-to-day work ranges from creating communications strategies to writing articles and blog posts to designing social media calendars and creating content, and we are so lucky to work with such great clients! Check out this post to learn more about what we do for our clients on a day-to-day basis here at Clairemont Communications!

And worked on special projects:

  • Clairemont worked in partnership with Ingersoll Rand on its 2021 global sustainability report.
  • Clairemont was hired to design an executive visibility campaign to help position a statewide small business resource as the leading small business resource in North Carolina.
  • Clairemont and yellowDog : creative worked together to name a foundation, design the logo and develop the perfect tagline.

We secured coverage for our clients:

Revamped our branding:

  • The Clairemont logo got a new look! yellowDog : creative revamped our logo and branding, and we re-designed our website to match. More on this process coming soon!
2022 year in review

Spoke at conferences:

clairemont year in review

And joined new PR Groups:

We are so thankful for a great 2022 and cannot wait to see what 2023 holds! Follow along on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn to keep up with us!

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We’re hiring! Seeking an account strategist

Olivia NolesBlog, PR People, Public Relations, Raleigh PR Agency, The Clairemont Team, , , ,

Clairemont is currently seeking smart, responsible, creative and hard-working public relations practitioners. We are looking for individuals who are ready to tackle any assignment and join a highly motivated, growing team of communications professionals who share in the passion of delivering quality client service while enjoying the co-learning of a team environment for an account strategist position.

Ideal candidates work well in a collaborative environment and independently as self-starters. We are seeking high-energy PR leaders with the ability to build client plans and strategies while anticipating the needs of our accounts as well as our agency. Responsibilities include ensuring that work is delivered on time and satisfactorily, and that relevant team members are kept up to date on the status of accounts and assigned projects.

Versatile applicants who have a proven track record in pitching media, building social media strategies for businesses, writing effective media and marketing communications materials, executing successful client events and cultivating new business leads will be given first consideration.

The account strategist position responsibilities may include:

  • Ensuring that work is delivered on-time and team member are kept up to date on status of accounts and assigned projects
  • Building social media and PR strategies
  • Writing effective media and marketing communication materials
  • Pitching clients to media outlets
  • Executing successful client events
  • Cultivating new business leads

The qualifications are:

  • Bachelor’s degree in public relations, journalism or communications
  • Minimum of 5 years of PR agency experience
  • Strong writing, critical thinking and time management skills
  • Has proven, solid written and verbal communication skills
  • Project management experience and strong organizational skills
  • Motivated self-starter who can handle multiple projects and deadlines at the same time
  • Ability to work in a fast-paced, team-oriented environment
  • Proficient in Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and Excel
  • Video editing skills are a plus
  • Ability to communicate in multiple languages is a plus
  • Located in Raleigh, NC

To apply: Send your cover letter, resume and writing samples to Dana Phelps at d@clairemontcommunications.com or apply on LinkedIn.

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SPOKEN WORD MAKING A COMEBACK

Derek BullingtonBlog, PR People, Professional Development, Public Relations, Raleigh PR Agency, , , , ,

I had the opportunity to attend the virtual 2021 NCPRSA Strategic Communications + Marcom Conference in November. It was my first time attending a NCPRSA event. Hearing new ideas, perspectives and how the industry of public relations is changing is always enjoyable. Even virtually, it is inspiring to network with fellow professionals in a collaborative learning atmosphere.

Spoken word making a comeback

The virtual, two-day program featured five sessions per day with national and regional industry executives from strategic communication, marketing and PR fields. The sessions covered a variety of topics, such as, audio being added to communications strategies, the misinformation crisis, diversifying the PR profession, the age of influencers and the use of cutting-edge visual technologies being used to tell stories.

AUDIO IS CHANGING OUR JOBS

A session that really caught my attention was “Listen, Do You Hear That? It’s Audio Changing How We Do Our Jobs” with hosts Gene and Julie Gates. This duo was named “Personality of the Year” by the National Association of Broadcasters and shared their expertise on using audio to connect with clients. They are seeing a major spike in audio entering the marketing and PR fields since the start of the pandemic and people being cooped up in their homes.

The ever-growing audio trend is made for the multitasker, and that is what we are all becoming. Now that we are mixing our home lives with work lives, more people are getting news while performing their morning routines, helping the kids get ready, cooking dinner or doing their daily chores. People are less likely to sit down and read longer articles. We are used to quick snippets of news on social media platforms, making long form articles daunting to readers.

SPOKEN WORD DRAWS IN A LARGER AUDIENCE

Spoken word helps alleviate this and draws in audiences that may not take the time to read full articles. Audio can encourage deeper engagement as there is less effort needed. You can repurpose your written content to expand on the topic and bring in a wider audience. Listeners can share their favorite content easily by listening with their significant other, friends or co-workers.

When you first hear the term audio alongside communications, marketing and PR your mind probably goes straight to podcasts, but that is not the only option. Many online newspapers and magazines are developing audio articles alongside written articles on its websites. While audio articles and podcasts may sound similar, they are completely different products. Audio articles are about convenience and delivering content in an easy way for readers. Podcasting is its own form of storytelling all together.

DON’T WORRY, WRITTEN CONTENT IS NOT DEAD

Spoken word is making a comeback, but don’t worry, written content is not dying. In fact, great written content is the foundation for audio. There is plenty of room for audio articles, podcasts and written content to co-exist. Developing a mix will build a larger and more diverse audience. If you’re looking to expand your audience, this may be a great addition to your already strong content. Spoken word was the original storytelling, and it sounds like it is making a strong comeback.

Visit some of the top PR podcasts to hear what is being done and to get some ideas!

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