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Category: Restaurant PR + Hospitality PR

Photo of the Week: Better for You

Photo of the Week: Better for You

February 12, 2016January 31, 2023 Jasmin SessomsBlog, Photo of the Week, Restaurant PR + Hospitality PRApple Gold Group, Applebee's, Better for You, creative PR agency, Marketing, Raleigh PR

It’s time to turn up the taste while turning down the calories! Applebee’s, a Clairemont client, rolled out its Better for You menu that makes it easy for guests to eat healthier when dining out at restaurants. The new menu features seven bar and grill favorites made with wholesome, satisfying ingredients that are available for 640 calories or less.

The Better for You menu features:

  • Hot Shot Whisky Chicken (640 calories)
  • Grilled Onion Sirloin with Stout Gravy (600 calories)
  • Savory Cedar Salmon (540 calories)
  • Shrimp Wonton Stir-Fry (610 calories)
  • Pepper-Crusted Sirloin and Whole Grains (370 calories)
  • Cedar Grilled Lemon Chicken (590 calories)
  • Thai Shrimp Salad (340 calories)

Be sure to stop by your neighborhood Applebee’s and taste what is being prepared a little Better for You!

Want to learn more about our restaurant work? Read our blog posts here.

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Food Memes: Do or Don’t?

Food Memes: Do or Don’t?

February 3, 2016January 31, 2023 Cherith AndesBlog, Restaurant PR + Hospitality PR, Social Media + Influencer Engagementhospitality social media, raleigh social media, restaurant social media, social media memes, when to use memes

They’re hot; they’re not. They’re trending; they’re tanking. Social media memes mark one of pop culture’s most fickle phenomenons — right next to middle school cliques.

But memes — whether reposted or original — have proven to be surprisingly effective at boosting social media engagement. Why? One quantitative study suggests that memes not only provide the user with an active role in content creation but also invite him or her to enter into an inner social circle, sharing common emotions and jokes with counterparts worldwide. Hashtags, cartoon renderings, verbiage superimposed over celebrity photos — you name it. Memes somehow offer both individual expression and group acceptance in one fell swoop.

While this psycho-meme-analysis proves interesting, food and hospitality industries need a tactical plan to evaluate and appropriately implement popular content — including memes — into their social media strategies.

1. Is it the right time?

The lifespan for a meme is short, and like most trends, the time to jump on the meme Be Like Bill Candy Crush Memebandwagon is on the front end of the bell curve. Watch content from your followers, and keep your eye on these five web tools to catch wind of what’s next. Be aware that many meme trends garner backlash, like the recent response to the wildly popular “Be Like Bill” trend that even The Washington Post and New York Magazine are snubbing.

2. Does it fit your restaurant or hotel’s personality?

Sounds simple, but the question begs pause. Fine dining establishments, for example, may not want to align their brands with Grumpy Cat graphics that might come across as flippant or rude. Memes rely heavily on humor, which must be thoughtfully crafted and delivered to connect with your audience. Now might be a good time to reference your target demographic and its pyschographic preferences.

3. Can you tie it into real-time developments?

Dunk in the DarkOreo takes the cake—er, cookie—on this one. During Superbowl 2013, the social media team leveraged the game’s power outage instantaneously with its clever ad, “You Can Still Dunk in the Dark”. Two years later we’re still talking about it. While your response doesn’t necessarily need to be that rapid, use the opportunity to tout an upcoming event, special or feature about your hotel or restaurant.

Questions about how graphic messaging fits into your restaurant’s social media strategy? Drop us an email (or a meme)!

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Photo of the Week: All Four Diamonds

Photo of the Week: All Four Diamonds

January 22, 2016January 31, 2023 Cherith AndesBlog, Photo of the Week, Restaurant PR + Hospitality PRbest hotel in chapel hill, best restaurant in chapel hill, four diamond hotel in Chapel Hill, four diamond restaurant in chapel hill, hospitality PR, hotel PR, il palio restaurant, Restaurant PR, the siena hotel

Diamonds are more than a girl’s best friend. Anthony Carey, general manager of The Siena Hotel, has a soft spot for them as well!

On January 19, 2016, Clairemont clients Il Palio and The Siena Hotel both received the Four Diamond award from AAA, an accolade recognizing upscale establishments with a high degree of hospitality, service and attention to detail.

2016 marks the 26th consecutive year that Il Palio, the regional Italian restaurant at The Siena Hotel, has garnered this Four Diamond award, establishing Il Palio not only as the only AAA-rated Four Diamond restaurant in North Carolina but also as the longest-standing consecutive restaurant winner in the state. The Siena Hotel, a member of the Autograph Collection by Marriott, has scored the Four Diamond award for 22 consecutive years, claiming the spot as the second-longest consecutive hotel winner in North Carolina.

Congrats to our clients, Anthony Carey and Chef Teddy Diggs!

Check out our other client news!

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Facebook Livestream for Restaurants

Facebook Livestream for Restaurants

January 20, 2016January 31, 2023 Cherith AndesBlog, Restaurant PR + Hospitality PR, Social Media + Influencer Engagementfacebook for restaurants, facebook live stream, facebook live streaming, facebook livestream, live streaming for restaurants, Restaurant PR, restaurant social media, restaurant videos, videos marketing for restaurants

Last December, Facebook gave business pages a special Christmas gift: live streaming for certain verified accounts. Still in the pilot phase, this feature allows users to broadcast live video by choosing “Publish” and then clicking “Live Video.” Viewers can then subscribe to receive notifications as well as like and comment on the video. The Livestream feature also allows businesses to track user engagement with the video.

Facebook v. Periscope

“Hm,” you think. “Why not just stick with my trusty Periscope?”

Good question. Unlike Periscope, Facebook live streaming allows businesses to broadcast to a pre-established audience, a fabulous tool for target marketing. In addition, videos on Meerkat and Periscope disappear after a set amount of time. Facebook live streams remain indefinitely on businesses’ pages. Of course, live streaming’s downside is that the video is confined to Facebook, while Periscope can be shared across multiple platforms.

Live Streaming for Restaurants

Still, the app seems to be taking off like a rocket, already boasting 4 million video views daily, according to Fortune.com. And since it’s still on the early side of development, now is the time for restaurants to begin to design strategy to leverage this vibrant tool. Once approved by Facebook as a verified business, here are just a few ways to use Facebook live streaming in your restaurant.

– Restaurant and kitchen tours
– Recipe demos
– Staff parties
– Special events or large banquets
– Real-time testimonials or reviews from diners
– Tours of a local vendor that supplies an ingredient
– An interview with the chef on a new menu item or change

Be sure to track your analytics (likes, follows, comments) and weigh engagement to help determine what types of content appeal to your target audience.

Got other ideas for using Facebook live streaming in your store? Oh, won’t you share with us?

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Clairemont’s Healthy Recipe Picks

Clairemont’s Healthy Recipe Picks

January 6, 2016January 31, 2023 Cherith AndesBlog, Restaurant PR + Hospitality PR, The Clairemont Teameasy recipes in raleigh, healthy eating in raleigh, healthy recipes, healthy recipes in raleigh, new years recipe, new years resolutions

After a classic champagne toast, we rang in the New Year, plopped into bed and woke up — like the rest of America — with New Year’s resolutions on the brain.

Many of our restaurant clients are launching programs to support healthy lifestyle goals. Applebee’s, for example, is offering a new menu featuring bar and grill favorites made  with wholesome, satisfying ingredients. And did you know that Triangle Dairy Queen’s “fan food” menu includes fresh garden salads?

Whether dining out or staying in for the night, we love healthy recipes, especially those that are easy to make on the fly. So we dug around the Clairemont Kitchen and curated some of our agency favorites from chefs around the country (and a few local ones, too). Enjoy our easy weeknight dinner menu that packs a healthy punch!

Clairemont’s Easy Weeknight Menu

– Asian Grilled Salmon from Barefoot Contessa
– Roasted Vegetable Medley from our own Tracy Lathan
– No-Bake Energy Balls (snack or dessert) from Gimme Some Oven

Asian Grilled Salmon

This is a great recipe for people who don’t like the fishy taste of salmon but are seeking the health benefits. This marinade gives it a really mild flavor.

Ingredients:
3 pounds fresh salmon, boned but skin on (serves 4-6)
For the marinade:
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons good soy sauce
6 tablespoons good olive oil
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
Light charcoal briquettes in a grill and brush the grilling rack with oil to keep the salmon from sticking.

Directions:
While the grill is heating, lay the salmon skin-side down on a cutting board and cut it crosswise into four equal pieces. Whisk together the mustard, soy sauce, olive oil, and garlic in a small bowl. Drizzle half of the marinade onto the salmon and allow it to sit for 10 minutes.

Place the salmon skin-side down on the hot grill; discard the marinade the fish was sitting in. Grill for four to five minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish. Turn carefully with a wide spatula and grill for another four to five minutes. The salmon will be slightly raw in the center, but don’t worry; it will keep cooking as it sits.

Transfer the fish to a flat plate, skin-side down, and spoon the reserved marinade on top. Allow the fish to rest for 10 minutes. Remove the skin and serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled.

*In the summer this recipe is great on the grill, but during colder months you can also bake in the oven at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

Roasted Vegetable Medley

Ingredients:
1 onion
1 head of broccoli, chopped
1 butternut squash cubed
2 green pepper sliced

*We love the flexibility of this particular side because it gives you the opportunity to use whatever veggies you have on hand. Other options to include carrots and potatoes with rosemary.

Directions:
Drizzle with olive oil and add a dash of salt, pepper and fresh thyme to taste. Bake at 400 degrees for 45-60 minutes until vegetables are soft but not squishy. Avoid squishy vegetables.

No-Bake Energy Balls

No-Bake Energy BallsLooking for a cereal or energy bar without all the processed ingredients? This healthy recipe is always a win with both children and adults.

Ingredients:
1 cup (dry) oatmeal (I used old-fashioned oats)
2/3 cup toasted coconut flakes
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup ground flax seed
1/2 cup chocolate chips or cacao nibs (optional)
1/3 cup honey or agave nectar
1 tablespoon chia seeds (optional)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
Stir all ingredients together in a medium bowl until thoroughly mixed. Cover and let chill in the refrigerator for half an hour. Once chilled, roll into balls of whatever size you would like. Store in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for up to one week. Makes about 20-25 balls.

Have a favorite recipe you would recommend that we try? Tweet ’em to us!

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Have you heard about Meta’s newest social media Have you heard about Meta’s newest social media platform? It’s called Threads, and it’s being referred to as “the new Twitter.” Read everything you need to know about Threads in our latest blog post - link in bio!
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We are proud to represent Raleigh as a member of P We are proud to represent Raleigh as a member of Public Relations Consultants Group, allowing us to offer clients expertise and support across the country! Clairemont founder, Dana Phelps aka @blah2voila, recently attended the PRCG conference in Oklahoma City.
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@clairemontcommunications and @yellowdogcreative g @clairemontcommunications and @yellowdogcreative go together like the bacon and eggs! And speaking of bacon and eggs, have you been to @therainbowluncheonette yet? YUM!
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Visit our blog to see the @trianglebizjrnl coverage and read the full feature in the TBJ to learn more about Parkside.
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So you say it’s National Coffee Day? We say let So you say it’s National Coffee Day? We say let us tell you about our new favorite @drink321coffee ! If you are in Raleigh, go see Paul, the other Paul, Emma  or whichever smiling faces are working today. We LOVE this place and the coffee! ❤️❤️❤️
Our client @wendellfallsnc, one of the largest mas Our client @wendellfallsnc, one of the largest master-planned communities in the Triangle, closed on its first age-eligible rental community plan, Arden at Wendell Falls, that will offer 140 open-concept units and exclusive onsite amenities!
 
Visit our blog to see the @trianglebizjrnl coverage and read the full feature in the TBJ to learn more about Arden at Wendell Falls.
Staying in Raleigh this Labor Day weekend? Stop by Staying in Raleigh this Labor Day weekend? Stop by client @vitaviteraleigh for good snacks and great wine!🍷 Both locations are open normal hours Friday-Sunday and closed on Monday.
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It’s National Volunteer Month, and volunteers ar It’s National Volunteer Month, and volunteers are needed more than ever! Many organizations with scarce resources rely on volunteers and would not exist without them. Visit our recent blog post to read about the organizations Clairemont has supported and how you can make a difference in your community!
Authenticity is trending, and research shows that Authenticity is trending, and research shows that consumers are 2.4 times more likely to view user-generated content as authentic. Read our recent blog post to learn about UGC, how it can benefit your brand and how to use it in your marketing strategy.
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We are so excited to share that Clairemont earned We are so excited to share that Clairemont earned eight awards, five gold🥇and three silver🥈, at this year's Sir Walter Raleigh Awards hosted by the Raleigh Public Relations Society!🎉 We are beyond grateful to work with so many amazing partners, clients and industry friends!
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