Category: Public Relations

PR People: Anna Menagias

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Anna Menagias

Job title and function: I’m a communications analyst at Kimley-Horn, where I focus on social media, events, website content, culture initiatives, internal stories and public relations.

Most rewarding thing about working in PR today: I love the variety of projects in PR, but what I’m most passionate about is advocating for a client or cause. I’m fortunate to work with a group of talented and caring people (we were named one of PEOPLE’s 50 Companies That Care this year), so it’s very rewarding to see them recognized by others outside of the firm.

Craziest/most challenging thing you’ve done in PR: I used to worked in nonprofit event management and helped plan a gala themed after “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory“— complete with a larger-than-life boat, six-foot tall lollipops and about a lifetime’s worth of candy. It’s all in the details!

Advice for new PR pros: Don’t be afraid to try new things! PR is an expansive field, so diversify your skill set, take on new opportunities, find what you’re passionate about and go for it!

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 join Clairemont Communications, a Raleigh PR agency. 
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Clients Leading Summer Reading

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Summer reading isn’t for just for kids anymore. Both national corporations and local businesses — including two Clairemont clients — have launched reading programs to foster a sense of community while encouraging adults to explore, learn and grow.

Talbots

Image courtesy of Talbots.

In May 2017, Talbots and Random House Publishing unveiled “Give a Book. Get a Book,” its inaugural summer reading program and the largest underground lending library in America. Customers are asked to drop off a much-loved book that has impacted their lives at their local Talbots and pick up another book someone else has loved, learned from and recommends.

Festive bookplates are also provided in store to encourage customers to write a note about why that book is a favorite before it is passed along to the next reader. And customers can come back all summer to share and pick up new books. At the end of the summer, any books remaining in stores will be donated to local organizations, allowing these novels to impact communities on a larger scale.

Vita Vite

What pairs with a summer rosé better than a summer read? Vita Vite, a wine bar and art gallery in the heart of downtown Raleigh, kicked off its monthly book club in June of 2017. Guests were invited to snag a glass of wine and enjoy tasty bites while chatting about the month’s selected novel, The Seven Sisters. Friends gathered for an evening of pinots and pages. For information on future book club dates, check out VV’s Instagram.

Interested in getting out and about more? Our clients are always launching fun and creative events, like the Wendell Falls Farmhouse Jams outdoor concert series!

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PR People: Kim Morris

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Kim Morris

Job title and function: Independent PR practitioner and communications strategist. I work with organizations to discover what truly makes them different through a process that combines the best of public relations, branding and marketing. Then, I promote what they do through a strategy of best public relations practices. I think of it as connecting the dots. I most enjoy creating content that makes a brand, a cause or a person shine.

Most rewarding thing about working in PR today: For me it’s about creating awareness for things I believe in; finding my own link between purposeful work and purposeful living. Whether it’s about global food security and sustainable food production representing Bühler, medical education and research that improves healthcare representing UNC’s School of Medicine or helping The Blood Connection keep the public eye on the community blood supply, being able to communicate authentically helps me keep the focus real.

Craziest/most challenging thing you’ve done in PR: Working on the Volvo GM Heavy Truck account, I once got behind the wheel of a big rig to understand payload, aerodynamics and the lure of the open road. I got the nickname Overdrive. Another time—long before Blue Apron reinvented dinner—I helped Rich-Seapak introduce a seafood meal kit to food editors in test markets. I drove around Washington, D.C. to deliver “Shrimp Sensations” with a bottle of wine and loaf of bread. Later, representing the Doncaster brand, I coordinated press previews for seasonal collections during New York’s Fashion Week (7th on Sixth). All were fun efforts that generated lots of great media coverage.

Advice for new PR pros: Commit to a daily habit of writing to clarify your thinking and keep you thinking about your audience. Always keep your eye on results and be sure to seek out a mentor. No matter what age you are, there will always be something to learn. Finally, step outside your comfort zone. For me, travel experiences have always provided the best comparison points—helping me read between the lines and understand different perspectives for communicating.

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 join Clairemont Communications, a Raleigh PR agency. 
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PR People: Travis Bullard

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Travis Bullard

Job title and function: I am a director with APCO Worldwide, a global communications consultancy. In this role, I get to work with a variety of clients around the world, around the U.S. and here in North Carolina. Our Raleigh office is one of the fastest growing offices in our global network, and I get to lead a team of communication professionals to build APCO’s global, regional and local offering in corporate, public affairs and strategic communications.

Most rewarding thing about working in PR today: I’m fortunate to have worked with some of the world’s biggest and most innovative companies, and I’ve always found it rewarding to help people and organizations share their stories and build relationships.

Every company, at some level, has a purpose. How well an organization is able to communicate that purpose with its key stakeholders — including employees, customers, partners and investors — is critical. As PR professionals, we get to help drive that focus on communicating an authentic purpose.

Our work impacts bottom lines, creates and protects jobs, defines issues important to society, improves workplaces and communities, gains visibility for and gives voice to those who may not typically be heard and much more. Simply put, our work is impactful, meaningful and can either help solve a problem or help create an opportunity.

Craziest/most challenging thing you’ve done in PR: The great thing about PR is the opportunity to mix a little crazy with the ordinary. Over the years, I’ve had the chance to watch the start of the Spanish Grand Prix from inside the Ferrari Formula One garage, get iPhone tips from Steve Wozniak, ski indoors in Dubai, run into Bono at the World Economic Forum in Davos, walk along the Great Wall of China and rebuild a school in Thailand.

I’ve also been fortunate to work on some complex and challenging projects. One of my favorite experiences was launching GlobalFoundries in 2009 as a joint venture between Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) and Mubadala Development Corporation of Abu Dhabi. Starting as a spinoff of AMD, GlobalFoundries quickly developed into one of the largest and fastest growing semiconductor technology companies in the world with manufacturing campuses in the U.S., Europe and Asia.

Advice for new PR pros: It’s all about relationships. I’m not referring to that old adage, “it’s who you know.” I’m referring to the fact that life is about building positive relationships. If you keep that as your North Star everything else tends to fall into place.

Be sure to remember that your clients are people. Obviously you’ll get to know their business or product and goals very well, but take the time to get to know them on a personal level. Some of my favorite people in the world are clients I’ve gotten to know over the years. Not only are they great friends, but knowing them on a deeper level is really beneficial in helping their business or product succeed.

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 join Clairemont Communications, a Raleigh PR agency. 
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Meet Haley, Clairemont Intern

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When I was a little girl, I wanted to be a figure skater. At the wise age of 10, though, I decided that simply wasn’t practical, so I opted to be a news anchor on the TODAY Show instead.

By the time I reached high school, I had become a committed aspiring journalist, recognizing that my love of writing far outweighed my TV talent. So I did what any hopeful journalist would do — I became a yearbook nerd, picked a college with one of the best journalism schools in the country and went on my way to chase my dream career.

When you go to college, the number one question you’re asked is your major. I watched my friends and classmates struggle through the “undecided” or “hoping for med school” answers, but I never had any doubt.

“I’m majoring in journalism and political science.” That was that, until junior year.

Under UNC-Chapel Hill’s School of Media and Journalism, students are able to pick specializations, like reporting, public relations and graphic design, to name a few. I had chosen reporting, joined the school newspaper and was ahead of the game as far as course credit.

After a communications internship at my home school district last summer, though, I suddenly found myself becoming more and more interested in the field of public relations. As a first-semester junior, I decided to change my specialization, which made me regret being so confident in my career path as a freshman.

I had three semesters left to learn all I could about PR before entering the real world, but I am so happy I took the leap, and here is why:

1) I wanted to be able to have an opinion when I cared about an issue. Reporting is based on objectivity and fairness, and while I love the nobility of those values, I wanted to be able to advocate for causes or companies that mattered to me, and that is PR in a nutshell.

2) I love building relationships, and with PR, the game is in the name. The PRSA definition of public relations exemplifies this concept. Building relationships of trust between a client and its stakeholders is what PR is all about, and I have learned the hard way through internships that I need human interaction and relationships to enjoy a job.

3) With PR, you get to know a little bit about a lot of things! I am so excited I get to work at an agency like Clairemont Communications this summer and become more familiar with the Raleigh area. I like this aspect of PR the most; I can explore different fields, topics, issues and organizations all at the same time, so there will always be diversity in the job and what it looks like on a daily basis.

Written by Clairemont intern Haley McDougal, a rising senior at UNC-Chapel Hill.

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