Category: Public Relations

Snapchat: From Nudes to Suits

Clairemont InternBlog, Public Relations, Social Media + Influencer Engagement, , , , , , ,

Editor’s Note: Blog written by our fabulous intern, Caroline Ellis.

When Snapchat was established almost four years ago, the premise was simple: correspond with friends via photos that last up to 10 seconds before they disappear. This type of technology has given social media a kind of impermanence discussed by Nathan Jurgenson in a post published on Snapchat’s blog.

Temporary Content: A New Side to Social Media

Snapchat introduced a concept known as “temporary social media.” Though a revolutionary approach, this idea also opened the doors for a more risqué use of the app, replacing the potential with an inappropriate stigma. In addition to the reputation Snapchat gained, there was that pesky little hack revealing that users’ photos were not deleted forever after 10 seconds, but instead these photos could be saved by friends unbeknownst to the users and uploaded online.

No longer was the reputation simply hearsay, but now consumers were legitimately concerned. Snapchat had to act quickly and effectively to restore its image. Over the course of its four-year run, Snapchat has evolved from a “sexting” app to business and lifestyle tool. Snapchat has foregone any illusion that users are unable to capture images, now alerting consumers when a friend takes a screen shot of their photo.

Stories: The Personal Side

The My Story feature, added in October of 2013, allowed users to share clips from their days with their friends. Disappearing after 24 hours, the My Story feature invited creativity with a literal day-to-day look at someone’s life. My Story created an environment where celebrities could enter the Snapchat world and allow their fans to see a personal and informal side of their lives.

Snapchat has become much more than a “selfie” app. In August of 2014 Snapchat launched Our Story— an expansion building off of the My Story foundation. This was the first time that users could see photos and videos from strangers around the world on their My Story feed. The premise of Our Story is to invite the collaboration of the Snapchat community in a particular part of the world to provide a glimpse into its daily life. Originally launched for the Electric Daisy Carnival, the feature allowed festival goers to upload their snaps for anyone to see. Snapchat’s next step was to expand to college campuses, establishing the application’s target demographic.

Discover: The Business Side

As Snapchat continues to evolve, the question becomes how they can appeal to a more professional audience as opposed to “selfie-obsessed teenagers?” The answer came in January when Snapchat introduced Discover. This addition to Snapchat allowed corporations–including the likes of Yahoo!, People, National Geographic, CNN and ESPN–to create interactive daily stories. The debut of this new feature allows users to stay updated with the latest headlines, scores and fashion trends all in the same place.

Of course the next factor in the equation is how small businesses can effectively use Snapchat. Perhaps it will come by way of the My Story feature with businesses using it to give clients a look into their everyday work lives. Maybe one day Our Story will showcase young professionals working in different cities around the world or will feature local businesses.

The future for Snapchat and small business is unsure, but one thing is certain: Snapchat has proven that it knows no limits, and this limitless mindset is what keeps it exciting.

Now it’s your turn.

Would you consider Snapchat as part of your marketing plan?

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Clairemont: 106 Awards in Five Years

Cherith AndesAwards, Blog, Public Relations, , , , , , , , 1 Comment on Clairemont: 106 Awards in Five Years

This year marks a dual milestone for Clairemont as the agency celebrates its fifth anniversary and the winning of a total of 106 public relations industry awards.

On May 12, 2015, the North Carolina Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (NCPRSA) honored Clairemont at the annual InSpire Awards Ceremony with 17 accolades that recognize outstanding public relations campaigns, adding to the agency’s previous 89 awards. Including four Best in Category awards, Clairemont was honored for client work in media relations, event planning, creative tactics, marketing strategies and social media campaigns.

Clairemont’s 2015 InSpire awards include:

  • Best in Category for “Media Relations: LEKKER Bikes US Rolls into America”
  • Best in Category for “Creative Tactics: LEKKER Bikes US Rolls into America”
  • Best in Category for “Events and Observances: LEKKER Bikes’ First 24 Hours in America”
  • Best in Category for “Marketing: T.MAC Expands to the Triangle”
  • Award of Excellence for “Media Relations: LEKKER Bikes US Rolls into America”
  • Award of Excellence for “Media Relations: Briar Chapel Spices Up 7th Annual Pepper Festival”
  • Award of Excellence for “Media Relations: The Design Network Lands Channel on Time Warner Cable”
  • Award of Excellence for “Media Relations: PDQ (People Dedicated to Quality)”
  • Award of Excellence for “Social Media: PDQ Mom Blogger Campaign”
  • Award of Excellence for “Creative Tactics: Clairemont Shakes It Up for PDQ”
  • Award of Excellence for “Creative Tactics: LEKKER Bikes US Rolls into America”
  • Award of Excellence for “Events and Observances: LEKKER Bikes’ First 24 Hours in America”
  • Award of Excellence for “Events and Observances: Briar Chapel Spices Up the 7th Annual Pepper Festival”
  • Award of Excellence for “Marketing: T.MAC Expands to the Triangle”
  • Award of Excellence for “Marketing: LEKKER Bikes US Rolls into America”
  • Award of Excellence for “Integrated Communications: Lowes Foods Reinvents Grocery Shopping”
  • Honorable Mention for “Events and Observances: PDQ Invites Moms to Experience ‘Fresh’ Concept”

Clairemont Team We get excited–giddy, really!–at the daily opportunity we have to make a difference for our beloved clients. Our hats are off to you for trusting us to create fresh, vibrant campaigns to showcase dynamic brands, programs and products. We’re thrilled to continue to do work we love for people we love throughout 2015 and into the future!

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Lilly for Target Launch – Brilliant or Bust?

Tracy LathanFashion, Marketing, Public Relations, ,

Unless you have been completely out of touch, you no doubt heard about the madness that the recent Lilly Pulitzer for Target launch created. Sadly, I found myself smack dab in the middle of the crazy. I am still recovering.

After a super busy week, my family decided to skip church and get caught up on the morning of Sunday, April 19. We were out of everything, so I planned to make an early grocery store and Target run for diapers, toilet paper and other essentials for the week ahead. My husband took the kids out to breakfast and I picked up a coffee and remember thinking how excited I was to be running these errands alone so I could have some peace and quiet. I knew the Lilly line for Target would be in stores starting that weekend, and I foolishly thought maybe I would pick up a cute bathing suit or dress for my daughter while I was there. What I saw when I drove up blew my mind…a huge line winding around the building waiting for the doors to open.

It got worse. Once they opened the doors people went crazy…running to the display, knocking each other over and grabbing as much as they could. The doors opened at 8:00 a.m. and the entire women’s collection was completely gone by 8:02 a.m. Some ladies were cheering and immediately on their phones trying to sell what items they had scored to friends and family. There were tween girls crying in front of the racks because there was nothing left. It was a sad site, folks. Even worse, ladies lined up like vultures outside the dressing room in hopes that something wouldn’t fit and get thrown back to the wolves.

I went on about my shopping just taking it all in. I ended up with a scarf and a jumpsuit for my daughter that someone had discarded in the cleaning products section after the mad dash. I wasn’t even sure I wanted them, but after what I had witnessed I felt like I won the lottery.

Since the launch, there has been a lot of discussion around whether or not it was a PR success or a fail. As a PR professional, I happen to agree with this article from the Bulldog Reporter that it was a little bit of both.

At a previous job, I worked on the Target account and have enormous respect for the brilliant work that comes out of their PR/Marketing department. They are a strategic machine. And since the same thing happened when they launched the Missoni line for Target back in 2011, I can’t believe they were blindsided by this response. After all, everyone is talking about Target, and there have even been social media sites created to buy and sell the Lilly items online. The “limited availability” drove the demand and the hype.

But at what cost? Does this affect how target loyalists feel about the brand? I don’t think so. Speaking for myself, I was not upset with Target for that spectacle…more than anything I was disheartened by people’s behavior. What do you think? Did what happened with the Lilly line affect how you feel about the Target brand? Or should we say job well done?

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“The Loss of Your Pet has Touched Us All”

Sarah HattmanBlog, Copy Cat, Public Relations, , , , 1 Comment on “The Loss of Your Pet has Touched Us All”

On March 13, 2015 I said a final farewell to my sweet Jack Russell Terrier, Piper, after 13 years together. The sad goodbye actually started months earlier, on December 20, when I received a call from the vet and learned that she had transitional cell carcinoma – bladder cancer. The prognosis was grim to say the least. I was told she had only weeks to live and that I should prepare myself to make the decision to have her euthanized.

From the moment I received the phone call, I vowed to love Piper as much as I could and to make her as comfortable as possible for as long as I could. We spent a weekend at her favorite place, Holden Beach, visited all her favorite parks and trails and took extra long walks daily. I also let her eat all the human food she could stomach – including rib bones.

I’m not sure if it is was all the love she was being showered with, or simply her tenacious nature, but she had more than a couple of good weeks; she had a couple of good months. However, in early March I started noticing signs that let me know the cancer was progressing and I came to the realization that she was in a lot more pain than I wanted to admit. The end was quickly approaching, and I would have to make the one decision I hoped I would ever have to make.

But how could I be expected to make this decision? Piper and I had been through so much together including 11 moves – two of which were cross country and she was in my lap both times for all 3,500 miles –  four jobs, two careers. Not only that, she was always the one who consoled me when I was sad or calmed me down during times of high stress. She was my constant companion, and I could not imagine life without her.

Throughout the process, I was in touch with Dr. Maria Glover at Kildaire Animal Medial Hospital. She and I spoke on a regular basis as I updated her on Piper’s situation and proceeded to ask her a ton a questions. On more than one occasion she told me that I knew Piper better than anyone and I would know when it was time to put her to sleep. I never thought it would happen, but it turned out Dr. Glover was right. After many good days and bad days with Piper, I was suddenly aware that I was being selfish and Piper was suffering.

My husband and I were with her in her final moments, and I wanted to make sure she knew how much we loved her and that I was grateful for the all the joy she had given me throughout the years. I hugged and kissed her, told her she was a great dog and that I would never forget her.

In the days that followed I was overwhelmed with texts, phone calls and sympathy cards. However, it was the card I received from Dr. Glover and her colleagues that moved me to tears. On the outside it simply read, “With Sincere Sympathy,” but when I opened it up I could hardly believe my eyes. Not only had 13 people written a heart felt note, but a separate card was enclosed informing me that Kildaire Animal Medical Center had made a monetary donation to the Andrew Davis Memorial Fund in memory of Piper.

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A portion of the card reads, “The loss of your pet has touched us all greatly.” While I knew they all cared about Piper, this line really stood out to me. As I continued reading, it became evident just how moved they were by the loss of Piper. The Andrew Davis Memorial Fund is set up to help low-income families pay for basic services as well as emergency procedures.

This simple, yet extraordinary gesture was completely unexpected, but greatly appreciated. While I continue to miss Piper each and every day, knowing the donation made in her memory is helping others experience the joy of having a pet brings a smile to my face.

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Blurred Lines: Mixed-Use Communities

Cherith AndesBlog, Marketing, Public Relations, Real Estate PR, , , ,

Housing options used to be fairly clean-cut; home shoppers in the baby boomer era chose between the glam of a sky-rise apartment or the stability of a suburban cottage. However, the last few years have introduced a hybrid option—the mixed-use community—which is fast becoming real estate’s newest darling. Mixed-use communities offer a combination of residential and commercial amenities that provide a “live, work, play” lifestyle in one central location. As one of 2015’s leading real estate trends, these burgeoning developments are leaving their mark on the industry. Here’s how:

1. Change in Transportation Infrastructure
The mixed-use community draws a demographic that prizes an active, healthy lifestyle and alternative forms of transportation, like biking and walking. In fact, nearly 60 percent of home buyers seek a home with “walkable” access to a variety of amenities, a trend that is prompting architects and land planners to incorporate trail systems and pedestrian access points. The distinct shift away from traditional automobile travel has spurred a demand for ride sharing apps—like Uber and Lyft—as well as stronger public transportation systems.

2. Increase in “Walkable” Options 
Mixed-use developments have morphed into the modern “one-stop-shop” experience. The commercial milieu includes not only standard vendors, such as grocery stores and pharmacies, but also luxury lifestyle options, like boutiques, microbreweries, farm-to-table restaurants and spa retreats. Each mixed-use offering functions like its own micro-economy, providing residents with a full gamut of conveniences within walking distance.

3. Focus on Sense of Community
From baby boomers to millennials, the mixed-use demographic shares an interest in cultivating community. The live/work/play premise naturally imparts a sense of belonging and ownership, and residents look for shared experiences that offer connectivity and foster relationships. Everything from interest groups—like running clubs—to community-wide festivals are on the rise as hallmarks of mixed-use developments.

Communication: A Cornerstone of the Mixed-Use Model
At its core, the mixed-use community seeks to create a distinct place where people can lead vibrant lives in ways that are personally meaningful. Connectivity and integration are trademarks of these communities, and as a result, the mixed-use model relies on dynamic communication to fuel its livelihood.

Mixed-use communities have a strong opportunity to utilize online tools to connect with residents. An effective social media strategy, for example, would encourage conversation, foster community, incite action and facilitate self-sustaining connections—like meetup groups and walking clubs. Property managers could benefit from mobile apps that provide access to community-specific inventory and schedules. In addition, targeted messaging and community relations are vital to provide a rich picture of the community’s appeal to potential home buyers.

In order to continue this upward trajectory, mixed-use communities will need to build and implement a strong communications strategy that foster relationships and maximize connectivity.

Editor’s Note: Clairemont has enjoyed the pleasure of working with Newland Communities, the nation’s largest private residential real estate developer, as it has launched several vibrant mixed-use communities across North Carolina, including Briar Chapel and the upcoming Wendell Falls.

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