Public Relations Archives - Page 14 of 51 - Clairemont Communications

Finding Your Head-Tilting Idea

November 14, 2018January 31, 2023 Cherith AndesBlog, Marketing, Public Relationscreative marketing, creative PR agency, creativity, PR Agency, Raleigh marketing agency, Raleigh PR Agency

You have it. You found your something, your showstopper, your Shark-tank-worthy product that you know will revamp your industry! You wouldn’t invest your time, talent and resources in an initiative if you didn’t believe in its revolutionary power.

Why, then, aren’t media inquiries flooding your inbox? Why aren’t eager customers beating down your doors and clearing your shelves? Why is your social media engagement fizzling to nothing?

Sound Familiar?

Alas, thus is the plight of many brands that come to us — a world-changing idea that hasn’t yielded the results they expected. Now notably, many elements of the business require honest evaluation in this situation, from the product production to the business model itself.

But at Clairemont, we’re in the business of transforming a company’s marketing and PR from “blah to Voila,” as we say. And one of our secret ingredients is what one of our friends – Sean Lilly Wilson of Fullsteam Brewery — once called “the head-tilting idea.”

The Head-Tilting Idea

A head-tilting idea is the element that makes you simply stop … and take a second glance — the “wait, what now?” factor. (That’s the technical term in our PR textbooks.) This twist of creativity swivels the spotlight to your company, placing your brand on centerstage. Whether based on humor, a bold CSR move or an unlikely partnership, the contrast where the expected meets the unexpected produces a magical magnetism, one that we’ve seen catch the attention of busy reporters and create a vibrant buzz amidst consumers.

Ideas in Action

Here are just a few we cooked up in the Clairemont creative kitchen:

Hoedown Showdown: A master-planned community threw a barn-raising themed event to celebrate its first anniversary. To transform this

internal milestone into a media-worthy moment, Clairemont concocted the ultimate “dancing with the stars” competition. Media were invited to compete in the square-dance competition dubbed “the hoedown showdown” for a chance to win $1,000 to donate to charity of their choice. This unexpected boot-scootin’ bonanza captured the attention of busy media, landing coverage across the Triangle.

LEKKER’s 24 Hour Tour: Fans flocked to see North Carolina’s

newest star — one that made its debut for just 24 hours in Greensboro. The celebrity made appearances at everything from restaurants and boutiques to morning TV shows and even on stage at a live band performance. The guest celebrity? A Dutch fashion bicycle making its debut in the United States. Clairemont positioned the LEKKER bike as a celebrity that spent its first American day doing photo opps, “signing autographs” and meeting its new fans. Clairemont transformed a typical product launch into an anticipated debut, garnering fans, securing bold coverage and topping the season’s holiday shopping list.

Wrangler Dave Launches the Railinc CowParade: When Railinc, IT provider to the rail industry, asked Clairemont to give them some creative

ideas to promote its sponsorship of CowParade North Carolina, we said we’ll do you one better and give you something no other sponsors have! We’ll give you a cowboy! Clairemont’s Wrangler Dave became the official cowboy of the Railinc cow. In full cowboy getup Wrangler Dave starred in videos and on the Clairemont-created landing page talking about how supporting mooovelous causes like the CowParade made Railinc an udderly amazing place to work. We collaborated with the 16-year-old artist selected by Railinc to paint their cow to include QR codes in the cow’s design, linked the landing page. Railinc employees were invited by Wrangler Dave to participate in a cow-naming contest, a photo contest and to join Wrangler Dave at CowParade events. During Raleigh’s First Fridays while Railinc’s cow as on parade, Wrangler Dave hosted “Chow Cow,” a promotional game that highlighted career opportunities and helped boost Railinc’s employment!

Are you looking for that new angle, a fresh pizzazz to bring your brand to life? Drop us a line to find your head-tilting idea!

Meet Kelli, our newest member

October 29, 2018January 31, 2023 Kelli FletcherBlog, Public Relations, Raleigh PR Agency, The Clairemont TeamBoston, Kelli Fletcher, professional development, Public Relations, Raleigh PR AgencyLeave a Comment

A decade ago my fiancé and I packed our bags and headed up the coast (15 hours to be exact) to Cambridge, MA. We did all the things one does while living in New England: picked apples, played in leaves, visited the Cape, cheered for Tom Brady…

While my other half dived into his law school studies, I continued down my PR-focused career path. It was 2008, and I was coming out of my first job with global PR firm, FleishmanHillard. I had spent a year and a half working under a strong leader that taught me all the great basics of PR. My accounts included Thomasville Furniture, Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Cheerwine and Newland Communities, and my work on these clients solidified my interest in consumer public relations. Finding a job in 2008 was extremely hard. The recession had taken hold, and I was coming from a small town to a big city. Through a networking contact, I was put in touch with a very small firm that had some very big projects. I worked on contract for six months and was able to call some of Boston’s most popular companies my clients, including The Massachusetts Film Office, the Life is good Company and, my personal favorite, The Boston Athletic Association/Boston Marathon.

From there, I transitioned to working with my sister. Having recently moved herself and her company to New York, she was serving small business clients in lifestyle and beauty. I learned to conduct desk-side meetings with editors at top magazines in NYC, advise on seasonal designs for jewelry and travel accessories and dabble in this new thing called…social media. That’s right. We kicked off blogs, twitter and Facebook for each of our clients.

Once my husband finished law school, we decided to stay in the Boston area. I secured a job at a locally-focused mid-sized firm working on accounts including Mohegan Sun, The Preservation Society of Newport County, Simon Malls, The Boston Wine Expo, FELD Entertainment and a handful of local restaurants and bars. I did everything from media list building to new business pitches. I staffed events and directed celebrities where to stand and smile. I met professional players from every Boston team, and I was able to taste the food and test the scene at some of the city’s newest restaurants.

I finished my New England “stint” at a fantastic national mid-sized firm. Their client roster was more tech-focused, but I felt the need for a change in my experience. The company offered an integrated approach for its clients, so I learned how to incorporate all aspects of communications including social, digital and marketing into my traditional public relations knowledge. This was extremely valuable as it’s now becoming the standard for many agencies.

I’ve stood in Fenway while it was empty. I shook Edleman and Gronk’s hands (Again, Pats fans? Anyone?). I watched the leaderboard for the Boston Marathon be changed manually in the pressroom of The Copley Hotel. I received exclusive tours through off-limit rooms in the Newport mansions. I.met.Martha.Stewart. But even more, I watched a city I loved grow while working among the smartest people in the biz.

Our three-year plan turned into 10, and along with these career milestones, we mixed in amazing friends and two babies. But, coming out of our 11^th winter (40 feet of snow if you average 3.5 feet each season!), we turned to each other and said: “OK. What’s next?!” It wasn’t really a hard question to answer, as we were both born and raised in the Tarheel State. So we packed up our things and, as the song goes, headed down south to the land of the pines.

When returning to NC, there was little doubt as to where I’d try to bring my experience. I was going to offer it to Dana, the woman who taught me most all of the skills that allowed me to gain it in the first place. The mentor, who gave me my first job, guided me through how to do it and then set me free when it was time. So, here I am, home again, home again. And I couldn’t be more thrilled to be part of this team. I have no doubt they will teach me the ins and outs of this city that has grown two-fold since I drove away from it 10 years ago. I’m excited to make my new memories and reach my next round of milestones here at Clairemont Communications.

You can follow Kelli on Instagram @kbealefletcher

Client Selected as Columnist for Psychology Today

September 10, 2018February 21, 2023 Cherith AndesBlog, Clairemont Client News, Public Relationsauthor, PR for authors, Psychology Today, publicist, Raleigh authors

What does it take to be selected as a regular columnist for a national industry publication, such as Psychology Today?

No simple resume or listicle could entail the qualities that such a position requires.

But we know of at least one woman that does.

Oh, The Tales She Could Tell!

Clairemont client Carrie Knowles is a storyteller, creator, world traveler, arts advocate and grandmother with a passport the size of a library.

Carrie’s abodes have spanned the globe from Belgium to Provence, with brief stints in Australia and South Africa. This vivacious lady is known for knitting colorful scarves and whipping up impromptu gourmet meals for her friends.

Author and Artist, Leader and Inspirer

Professionally, Carrie is an author of 45 years whose work has secured more than 25 literary awards, including six finalist nominations in Glimmer Train competitions and an Honorable Mention in the National Literary Awards. In fact, when her book “The Last Childhood: A Family Story of Alzheimer’s” was first published, it was named one of the top 100 books on the topic of Alzheimer’s caregiving. As the esteemed 2014 Piedmont Laureate, Carrie has traveled North Carolina speaking to and teaching aspiring authors.

(Oh, to have been a fly on the wall at one of those workshops!)

From printed page to paint brush, Carrie’s community involvement has shaped the culture in the Triangle for three decades. Carrie founded and directed the Boylan Heights ArtWalk in Raleigh for 17 years, and she provided board leadership for the Raleigh Chamber Music Guild, Burning Coal Theater and the United Arts Council. In 2008, she brought the Brussels Chamber Orchestra to the US for its US debut and built the Cross Currents Chamber Music Festival around them. From 2008-2012, the Cross Currents Festival brought some of Europe’s top young talent to the Triangle and created a vital Side-by-Side training program for young Triangle musicians.

A life of accolades and wonderful accomplishments for sure. But the magic of Carrie is something more. Stories whisk you away to the countryside of France, a campfire in the Middle East, a garden in Michigan.

And Now…

It was Carrie’s rich life experience coupled with her talent for storytelling that garnered the attention of the editor of Psychology Today. Now, Carrie shares her entrancing life tales in her regular column “Shifting Forward: A Wanderer’s Musings,” from her granddaughter’s humorous-yet-meaningful antics to the import of a simple summer salad.

Take a moment and savor something meaningful. Check out Carrie’s column!

P.S. Want to get social with Carrie?

Instagram:             @CarrieKnowlesPublications
Twitter:   @CarrieJKnowles
Facebook:   www.facebook.com/carriejaneknowles
Facebook Alzheimer’s Support Group: www.facebook.com/groups/TheLastChildhood

3 Tips for the Aspiring PR Pro

August 27, 2018January 31, 2023 Clairemont InternBlog, Professional Development, Public RelationsLeave a Comment

Spending the summer interning at Clairemont, an award-winning Raleigh PR agency, allowed me to observe some of the best public relations professionals in the industry. While I learned too much to capture in a single blog post, I want to end the summer with the following tips for those aspiring to have a career in this exciting field:

#1 Lead By Reading

Read. Read often. Read newspapers, articles, books and blogs. How can you expect to successfully pitch a media contact if you have never read his or her work, or collaborate with a blogger on a project if you’ve never visited the blog? Reading a variety of media sources will help to expand your mind and vocabulary while keeping you connected with trends.

#2 Keep Learning

PR is an ever-changing field. One day, everyone’s doing the “Shiggy”, and the next, it’s old news. This doesn’t only apply to trends. Technology and relationships are always changing, too. So be sure you’re stay relevant through reading (see above), networking, discussions, events and travel.

#3 Let It Roll Off Your Back

As a PR pro, you’ll be communicating with a lot of people. You won’t always see eye-to-eye with clients, social media followers may ignore the content you thought was golden and you might be hung up on or ignored when pitching. (Happens at least once to the best of us.) Don’t let it get to you; everyone is human. Take a moment to recompose yourself, hone your strategy, double check your details and try again!

Interested in pursuing a career in PR? Read Clairemont’s other posts on PR internships and entry level positions.

Written by intern Yasmine Evans, a senior at NC State University.

Should You Buy Followers?

August 21, 2018January 31, 2023 Clairemont InternBlog, Public Relations, Social Media + Influencer EngagementFacebook, Instagram, Marketing, Public Relations, Social Media, social media marketing, TwitterLeave a Comment

We’ve all done it. You post fresh content, respond to comments and employ a good balance of organic and paid exposure, but it seems like your social media following is growing at a snail’s pace.

Growing your social media can cause headaches and take an amount of effort and time that you feel like you may not have. You’ve heard that some accounts pay to boost their followers and, at this point, it seems like a creative solution to your problem, right? Unfortunately, like all things too-good-to-be-true, that notion is a little misguided.

Buying social media followers can have more consequences than just taking a large bite out of your budget.

1) It can damage your brand reputation. While buying followers can seem harmless at first, once real followers discover that your profile numbers have been padded, they may feel as if you are no longer credible. Once your brand suffers a negative reputation, it can be difficult to regain your customers’ trust.

2) You won’t get the engagement you need. With thousands of “bot” accounts (accounts created for users that don’t exist, copycat accounts or hacked accounts), you won’t be getting the true engagement that you need for social media success. Sure, you may be paying for hundreds of likes and retweets, but when you post content, the consumer is more than likely one of your fake followers. That doesn’t help get your message out there or grow your business.

3) It can be expensive. If you still want to risk it, think about how much money you’ll be paying to potentially damage your reputation and acquire hollow engagement. Most companies that provide these follower accounts charge in bulk for followers, likes and retweets. It could cost you anywhere from $50 to a few thousand dollars regularly.

4) It often violates platforms’ terms of use. If you still think that buying followers on social media is a good idea, think about this: it violates many of the top platforms’ terms of use, including Twitter and Instagram. While it’s not illegal, your account could be suspended or even removed.

It may seem like your account will take forever to gain a hefty following, but by uploading and sharing quality content strategically, you can grow your social media accounts. Try working in some hashtag magic or become acquainted with Instagram’s new algorithm to start.

If you need to step back and let some pros take over, drop us a line, DM us or tweet us!